The use of miRNA in the early detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

An important issue in current oncological research is the prevention as well as early detection of cancer. This includes also the difficulty to predict progression of early or pre-cancerous lesions to invasive cancer. In this context, the characterization and categorization of pre-neoplastic lesions of squamous cell carcinoma (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia =CIN) is an important task with major clinical impact. Screening programs are worldwide established with the aim to detect and eradicate such lesions with the potential to develop untreated into cervical cancer. From the literature it is known that around 5 % of CIN 2 and 12 % of CIN 3 cases will progress to cancer. The use of molecular markers extracted from cervical mucus might help to identify these high risk cases and to exclude unnecessary biopsies or surgical treatment.

Here we can show that miRNA analysis from cervical mucus of 49 patients allowed us to distinguish between healthy patients and patients with a CIN 3. The miRNA panel used in combination allowed for highly significant testing (p< 0,0001) of CIN 3 status. In parallel, HPV status of the patients, the most important factor for the development of cervical cancer, significantly correlated with the miRNA markers hsa-miR-26b-5p, hsa-miR-191-5p and hsa-miR-143-3p, a subpanel of the original six miRNAs. We provide here a proof-of-concept for a cervical mucus-based testing for pre-neoplastic stages of cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

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Publication History

Article published online:
07 October 2020