Affiliations: [a] Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic | [b] Institute of Pharmacology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic | [c] Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic | [d] Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic | [e] Faculty Transfusion Center, General University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Luděk Záveský, Institute of Biology and Medical Genetics, and Institute of Pharmacology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague and General University Hospital in Prague, Albertov 4, 128 00 Prague, Czech Republic. E-mail: ludek.zavesky@vfn.cz.
Abstract: Ovarian cancer comprises the most lethal gynecologic malignancy and is accompanied by the high potential for the incidence of metastasis, recurrence and chemotherapy resistance, often associated with a formation of ascitic fluid. The differentially expressed ascites-derived microRNAs may be linked to ovarian carcinogenesis. The article focuses on a number of miRNAs that share a common expression pattern as determined by independent studies using ascites samples and with regard to their functions and outcomes in experimental and clinical investigations. Let-7b and miR-143 have featured as tumor suppressors in ovarian cancer, which is in line with data on other types of cancer. Although two miRNAs, i.e. miR-26a-5p and miR-145-5p, act principally as tumor suppressor miRNAs, they occasionally exhibit oncogenic roles. The performance of miR-95-3p, upregulated in ascites, is open to debate given the current lack of supportive data on ovarian cancer; however, data on other cancers indicates its probable oncogenic role. Different findings have been reported for miR-182-5p and miR-200c-3p; in addition to their presumed oncogenic roles, contrasting findings have indicated their ambivalent functions. Further research is required for the identification and evaluation of the potential of specific miRNAs in the diagnosis, prediction, treatment and outcomes of ovarian cancer patients.
