Open Access

MicroRNA‑126 expression in the peripheral white blood cells of patients with breast and ovarian cancer is a potential biomarker for the early prediction of cancer risk in the carriers of methylated BRCA1

  • Authors:
    • Maram Al-Showimi
    • Nujoud Al-Yousef
    • Wejdan Alharbi
    • Sara Alkhezayem
    • Osama Almalik
    • Hamed Alhusaini
    • Amani Alghamdi
    • Nisreen Al-Moghrabi
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: June 22, 2022     https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2022.13396
  • Article Number: 276
  • Copyright: © Al-Showimi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Constitutive breast cancer type 1 gene (BRCA1) promoter methylation is associated with increased cancer risk, but its role in cancer‑free (CF) female carriers is incompletely understood. MicroRNA (miR) is modulated during early tumorigenesis. The present study assessed the modulation of miR‑126 expression in the peripheral white blood cells (WBC) of patients with breast cancer (BC) and ovarian cancer (OC) as a biomarker of cancer risk in BRCA1 methylation carriers. A total of 1,114 female subjects [502 patients with BC, 187 patients with OC and 425 CF volunteers] were involved. Screening for BRCA1 promoter methylation in WBC was performed using the methylation‑­specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, BRCA1 mRNA was analyzed using a reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR assay and miR‑126 expression was analyzed using a stem‑loop RT‑qPCR assay. WBC BRCA1 promoter methylation status was significantly associated with OC (P=0.0266), early‑onset BC (P=0.0003) and triple‑negative BC (P=0.0066). Notably, 9.4% of the CF group exhibited WBC BRCA1 promoter methylation. In addition, high levels of miR‑126 in WBCs were detected in all three groups. The increased level of miR‑126 was significantly associated with a lower risk of distant metastasis (P=0.045) in BC, but a higher risk of disease progression and death (P=0.0029) in OC. There was a positive correlation between BRCA1 mRNA and miR‑126 levels in the WBCs of all three groups, regardless of BRCA1 promoter methylation status. Notably, circulating miR‑126 level was decreased in the BC and OC groups, but not in the CF group. Together, these results suggest the likely involvement of miR‑126 in the constitutional methylation of BRCA1 promoter‑related malignancies. Therefore, miR‑126 may be a candidate biomarker for the early prediction of BC and OC risk in CF BRCA1 methylation carriers.
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August-2022
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Spandidos Publications style
Al-Showimi M, Al-Yousef N, Alharbi W, Alkhezayem S, Almalik O, Alhusaini H, Alghamdi A and Al-Moghrabi N: MicroRNA‑126 expression in the peripheral white blood cells of patients with breast and ovarian cancer is a potential biomarker for the early prediction of cancer risk in the carriers of methylated <em>BRCA1</em>. Oncol Lett 24: 276, 2022.
APA
Al-Showimi, M., Al-Yousef, N., Alharbi, W., Alkhezayem, S., Almalik, O., Alhusaini, H. ... Al-Moghrabi, N. (2022). MicroRNA‑126 expression in the peripheral white blood cells of patients with breast and ovarian cancer is a potential biomarker for the early prediction of cancer risk in the carriers of methylated <em>BRCA1</em>. Oncology Letters, 24, 276. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2022.13396
MLA
Al-Showimi, M., Al-Yousef, N., Alharbi, W., Alkhezayem, S., Almalik, O., Alhusaini, H., Alghamdi, A., Al-Moghrabi, N."MicroRNA‑126 expression in the peripheral white blood cells of patients with breast and ovarian cancer is a potential biomarker for the early prediction of cancer risk in the carriers of methylated <em>BRCA1</em>". Oncology Letters 24.2 (2022): 276.
Chicago
Al-Showimi, M., Al-Yousef, N., Alharbi, W., Alkhezayem, S., Almalik, O., Alhusaini, H., Alghamdi, A., Al-Moghrabi, N."MicroRNA‑126 expression in the peripheral white blood cells of patients with breast and ovarian cancer is a potential biomarker for the early prediction of cancer risk in the carriers of methylated <em>BRCA1</em>". Oncology Letters 24, no. 2 (2022): 276. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2022.13396