J Pathol Transl Med.  2021 Mar;55(2):125-131. 10.4132/jptm.2021.01.17.

MicroRNA-552 expression in colorectal cancer and its clinicopathological significance

• Im J
• Nam SK
• Lee HS

• KMID: 2513898
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4132/jptm.2021.01.17

Abstract

Background
MicroRNA-552 (miR-552) has been reported to correlate with the development and progression of various cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to investigate miR-552 expression in cancer tissue samples compared to normal mucosal tissue and its role as a diagnostic or prognostic marker in CRC patients.
Methods
Normal mucosal tissues and primary cancer tissues from 80 surgically resected CRC specimens were used. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed for miR-552 and U6 small nuclear RNA to analyze miR-552 expression and its clinicopathological significance. Immunohistochemistry for p53 and phosphatase and tension homolog (PTEN) was performed to evaluate their association with miR-552 expression.
Results
miR-552 expression was significantly higher in primary cancer tissues compared to normal mucosal tissues (p<.001). The expression level of miR552 was inversely correlated with that of PTEN (p=.068) and p53 (p=.004). Survival analysis showed that high miR-552 expression was associated with worse prognosis but this was not statistically significant (p=.255). However, patients with CRC having high miR-552 expression and loss of PTEN expression had significantly worse prognosis than others (p=.029).
Conclusions
Our results suggest that high miR-552 expression might be a potential diagnostic biomarker for CRC, and its combined analysis with PTEN expression can possibly be used as a prognostic marker.

Keyword

miR-552; Colorectal neoplasms; p53; PTEN; Prognosis

Figure

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  Fig. 1. The expression level of miR-552 in the patients with colorectal cancer. (A) Comparative analysis of microRNA-552 (miR-552) expression in normal mucosal tissues (normal) and primary cancer tissues (tumor) in 80 patients with colorectal cancer using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (by Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed rank test, ***p<.001). (B) miR-552 expression is relevant according to pT stages (Mann Whitney test; p=.393). (C) miR-552 expression is relevant according to pTNM stages (Kruskal-Wallis test, p=.414).

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  Fig. 2. Immunohistochemical staining of phosphatase and tension homolog (PTEN) and p53 expression in patients with colorectal cancer: (A) negative staining of PTEN, (B) weak positive staining of PTEN, (C) positive staining of PTEN, (D) negative staining of p53, (E) weak positive staining of p53, and (F) positive staining of p53. (G) Representative amplification curves of microRNA-552 (miR-552) and U6 by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. NTC, no template control.

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  Fig. 3. Kaplan-Meier univariate survival analysis according microRNA-552 (miR-552) and phosphatase and tension homolog (PTEN) expression status in patients with colorectal cancer. (A) miR-552 high group has worse prognosis than low group, but is not statistically significant (p=.255). (B) miR-552 high and PTEN-negative group is significantly associated with poor prognosis when compared to others (p=.029).

Reference

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