Introduction/Background Cervical cancer remains the leading cause of death among women of reproductive age, even in countries with existing cytology screening program. In recent years it was shown that infection with HPV, development and progression of dysplasia of cervical epithelium are accompanied by changes of microRNA expression profile of epithelial cells. Evaluation of these changes may have diagnostic value in doubtful cytological data (ASCUS) and prognostic value in identifying of LSIL and HSIL that was the aim of this study aim of this study.

Methodology Study enrolled patients with cervical cancer (n=33), intraepithelial neoplasia of high (HSIL, n=28) and low grade (LSIL, n=34) and healthy women (n=20). RNA was isolated by original method from material of cytological smears, dried on glasses. miRNA expression analysis was performed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Also in all cases it was carried out research of fifteen HPV types of high oncogenic risk, viral load and genotyping.

Results It was found that progression of the neoplastic process was accompanied by increased expression of miR-20a and decreased expression of miR-375. It was developed the classifier that allows by assessing expression of the three microRNAs to confidently differentiate cervical cancer from dysplasia (AUC = 0,876), or divide norm from group with neoplastic changes of the squamous epithelium (cervical cancer, HSIL) that implies further thorough examination (AUC = 0,94). The observed changes in microRNA expression correlated with presence of HPV, but not correlated with the viral load. Samples of the LSIL group were characterized by the most heterogeneous profiles of microRNA expression, which may indicate the heterogeneity of this category of patients in regard to the risk of cervical cancer development.

Conclusion Search for specific changes of microRNAs opens possibility of developing new methods of screening and early diagnosis of cervical cancer.

Disclosure Nothing to disclose