The role of microRNA-613 and its related genes in ovarian cancer

Abstract

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most lethal gynecological cancer. Multiple genetic and epigenetic abnormalities have been detected in ovarian cancers. As microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in carcinogenesis, numerous researchers aim to determine the molecular mechanism that regulates the cancer cells proliferation and metastasis. In the current study, the expression of microRNA-613 and related KRAS and Ezrin genes was assessed by Real-time PCR in ovarian cancer tissue and the adjacent apparently normal tissues. Our results revealed that the expression of miRNA-613 was downregulated in ovarian cancer while the expression of KRAS and Ezrin was higher in cancer tissues compared to apparently normal ovarian tissues. There was a negative correlation between the expression of miRNA-613 and both KRAS and Ezrin genes expression and a positive correlation between KRAS and Ezrin gene expression. The results obtained confirm that miRNA-613 acts as a tumor-suppressive gene in ovarian cancer and can realize such impact through the expression of KRAS and Ezrin genes. These data contribute to the identification of potential biomarkers and novel targets for OC early detection and treatment. Keywords: Ezrin, gene expression, KRAS, miRNA-613, ovarian cancer