Expression Analysis of MicroRNA-196a in Esophageal Cancer

Backgrounds and objectives: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a prevalent subtype of esophageal cancer in certain areas of the world. Molecular evaluations can provide a better understanding of the disease that could contribute to earlier diagnosis and treatment. Amplification or absence of microRNA (miRNA) genes has been described in many types of cancer, indicating that altered patterns of miRNA expression may affect cell cycle and its features. In this study, we investigated alteration of miR-196a expression in ESCC tissues and its association with tumor status. Methods: The study was done on 30 specimens including matched tumor and normal tumor margin tissues. RNA extraction and complementary DNA synthesis were performed using specific primers. Quantitative PCR was done to assess the relative expression of miR-196a in tumor tissues of patients with ESCC. Data were normalized by expression level of SNORD gene as an internal control. The GraphPad Prism and SPSS software were used for analysis of data. Results: MiR-196a expression was higher in cancer tissues compared to normal tissues (P>0.05). The miRNA upregulation had no significant correlation with clinicopathological features such as age, gender and survival rate. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicate a nonsignificant increased expression of miR196a in ESCC tumor specimen. Future studies with a larger sample size could confirm our findings.