The Association of miR-let 7b and miR-548 with PTEN in Prostate Cancer

Purpose : Prostate cancer is one of the most frequent incidences of cancer in men. Early detection is a very important step for selective and efficient therapy. The study of the functions and molecular mechanisms of miRNAs have increased our knowledge of the biological processes of cancer. There is a deregulation of several miRNAs that causes suppression of tumors or oncogenes in prostate cancer. Therefore, finding a novel miRNA that is involved in prostate cancer is urgently needed. This study aims to investigate the expression level of mir-let7b-3p and mir-548, which are involved in PTEN expression in tissue samples of prostate cancer patients versus benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and normal adjacent tissue. Materials and Methods: Prostate cancer tissues were obtained from patients after receiving informed consent. Total RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were performed for determining gene expression. Data analysis was performed with the SPSS software. Results: Ten patients were determined to have high Gleason scores (> 7), 36 and seven samples had intermediate Gleason scores (7?) and BPH, respectively, and 40 samples were derived from normal adjacent tissue. Downregulation of mir-let7b and upregulation of mir-548 expression significantly correlated with high-risk Gleason scores. Conclusion: The present study showed that miR-let7b and/or mir-548 can be considered as potential targets in prostate cancer therapy.