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MicroRNA-21 expression in cancer cells is an independent biomarker of progression-free survival of endometrioid endometrial carcinoma

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Abstract

Endometrial carcinoma is one of the most common gynecological cancers. MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is the most consistently overexpressed miRNA in almost all human cancer types, and it might be a useful clinical biomarker and therapeutic target. However, its precise localization and significance in endometrial carcinoma have not been clarified. This study aimed to examine miR-21 expression in endometrial carcinoma and reveal its clinicopathological importance. We investigated miR-21 expression by in situ hybridization (ISH) using locked nucleic acid (LNA)-modified probes in 230 endometrial carcinoma patients. We evaluated miR-21 expression in cancer cells and stroma separately. High miR-21 expression in cancer cells was significantly associated with higher histological grade and lymph node metastasis. In Kaplan–Meier analysis, high miR-21 expression in cancer cells was significantly associated with poor progression-free survival. In particular, in endometrioid carcinoma, high miR-21 expression in cancer cells was an independent prognostic factor associated with poor progression-free survival, as well as older age and higher International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Ms. Chinami Onuma, Asumi Tsutsumi, MT, and Ru Hokari, MT for their excellent technical assistance, and Editage (www.editage.jp) for English language editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Basic Pathology, National Defense Medical College, 3-2 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8513, Japan

    Kimiya Sato & Hitoshi Tsuda

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Japan

    Morikazu Miyamoto & Masashi Takano

Authors
  1. Kimiya Sato
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  2. Morikazu Miyamoto
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  3. Masashi Takano
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  4. Hitoshi Tsuda
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Contributions

Kimiya Sato, Morikazu Miyamoto, Masashi Takano, and Hitoshi Tsuda conceived and designed the study. Kimiya Sato and Hitoshi Tsuda conducted the research, analyzed data, and drafted the manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript and gave final approval for publication. Kimiya Sato takes full responsibility for the work as a whole, including the study design, access to data, and the decision to submit and publish the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kimiya Sato.

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The research protocol was approved by the Institutional Ethical Review Board Committee of the National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Japan (Reference No. 3004).

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Sato, K., Miyamoto, M., Takano, M. et al. MicroRNA-21 expression in cancer cells is an independent biomarker of progression-free survival of endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. Virchows Arch 479, 883–891 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-021-03171-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-021-03171-w

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