The Expression of miR-513c and miR-3163 was Downregulated in Tumor Tissues Compared with Margin Tissues of Patients with Breast Cancer

Abstract Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common invasive cancer with different subtypes that its metabolism is unique compared with normal cells. Glutamine is considered critical nutrition, that many cancer cells, particularly BC cells are dependent on it for growth and proliferation. Therefore, targeting glutamine metabolism, especially enzymes related to this pathway, can be beneficial to design anti-cancer agents. Recently, evidence has shown that miRNAs with a short length and single-strand properties play a significant role in regulating the genes related to glutamine metabolism and may control the development of cancer. Methods: In-silico analysis confirmed that miR-513c and miR-3163 might be involved in glutamine metabolism, the expression level of these two miRNAs was examined in eighty BC tissues and margin tissues. Furthermore, in-silico analysis was applied to predict the potential biological processes and molecular pathways of miR-513c and miR-3163 based on their gene targets. Results: In-silico studies revealed the top categories of biological processes and cellular pathways that play a critical role in metabolism reprogramming and cancer development were target genes for miR-513c and miR-3163. The current study showed that miR-513c (p-value= 0.02062 and fold change= -2.3801) and miR-3163 (p-value= 0.02034 and fold change= -2.3792) were downregulated in tumor tissues compared to margin tissues. Furthermore, the subgroup analysis did not show any substantial relationship between expression levels of these two miRNAs and factors such as age, family history cancer, and abortion. Conclusion: miR-513c and miR-3163 are downregulated in BC tissues, which may act as tumor suppressors and may also be considered as potential therapeutic target for patients with BC.