Comparable expression of miR-let-7b, miR-21, miR-182, miR-145, and p53 in serum and cervical cells: Diagnostic implications for early detection of cervical lesions

The high mortality associated with cervical cancer is due to low uptake of Pap smear test, lack of early diagnostic biomarkers and less-invasive approach, and late presentation of the disease. This study evaluated the expression of hsa-miR-let-7b, hsa-miR-21, hsa-miR-125b, hsa-miR-143, hsa-miR-145, hsa-miR-146a, hsa-miR-155, hsa-miR-182, hsa-miR-200c, and p53 in serum and cervix in relation to classes of Pap smear, in a bid to identify a serum panel for early diagnosis of cervical lesions. This study included 329 women; 159 healthy women (HW), 46 cervicitis, 46 atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), 40 low-grade squamous cell intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), 28 high-grade squamous cell intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), and 10 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) and p53 was assessed using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Except for miR-143 and miR-146a, significant correlations were observed between serum and cervix expression of miRNAs and p53 in relation to levels and classes of Pap smear ( < 0.05). Relatively, higher expression of miR-21, miR-146a, miR-155, miR-182, and miR-200c and lower expression of let-7b and miR-145 were observed in sera associated with cervical abnormalities than in sera associated with normal cervix ( < 0.0001, = 0.001, < 0.0001, = 0.003, = 0.007, = 0.036, and = 0.046, respectively). Higher and lower expression of p53 was observed in women diagnosed of LSIL and SCC, respectively, than in HW ( < 0.0001). This study suggests that serum expression of miR-21, miR-182, let-7b, miR-145, and p53 is comparable to cervical cell expression and could be useful in differentiating abnormal cervix from the healthy cervix.