miR-17 as a diagnostic biomarker regulates cell proliferation in breast cancer

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to be involved in the initiation and progression of cancers in the literature. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinicopathological role of miR-17 in breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of miR-17 was measured in 132 breast cancer tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues by using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The association between miR-17 expression levels and clinicopathological parameters was also analyzed. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and flow cytometry assays were used to investigate the role of miR-17 in the regulation of breast cancer cells. RESULTS: The expression of miR-17 was remarkably increased in breast cancer tissues and cell lines. Clinical association analysis revealed that a high expression of miR-17 was prominently associated with poor survival time in breast cancer. Overexpression of miR-17 promoted cell proliferation and induced tumor growth. CONCLUSION: Our findings clarified that the upregulation of miR-17 played a vital role in breast cancer progression and suggested that miR-17 could be used as a prognostic biomarker for breast cancer.