Down-regulation of miR-338-3p and Up-regulation of MACC1 Indicated Poor Prognosis of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Patients

Objective To detect the expression of microRNA-338-3p (miR-338-3p) and MET transcriptional regulator MACC1 (MACC1) gene in different ovarian tissues, to analyze their relationships, their correlations to the clinicopathologic characteristics of epithelial ovarian cancer and their significant to the progression of ovarian cancer. Methods The expression of miR-338-3p and MACC1 gene in 20 specimens of normal ovarian tissues, 20 specimens of benign epithelial ovarian tumor and 65 specimens of epithelial ovarian cancer was detected by real-time PCR method. Their interrelationships and their correlations to the clinicopathologic characteristics of epithelial ovarian cancer were analyzed. Risk factors of recurrence and death were discussed by binary Logistic regression analysis. The relations between miR-338-3p and MACC1 expression and the survival of ovarian cancer were measured by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results The expressions of miR-338-3p and MACC1 gene in epithelial ovarian cancer tissues were (0.331±0.038) and (0.774±0.025), significant differences were noted between epithelial ovarian cancer and normal ovarian tissues, benign ovarian tumors (F=77.916, P=1.205E-18; F=77.945, P=1.187E-18). In different ovarian tissues, miR-338-3p expression was negatively correlated to MACC1 expression (r = -0.968, P<0.0001). In epithelial ovarian cancer, lower expression of miR-338-3p and higher expression of MACC1 were associated with more advanced FIGO stage, higher histological grade and developed lymph node metastasis. Down-regulation of miR-338-3p was related with the recurrence (P=0. 005, OR=12.862, 95%CI: 2.120~78.026) and death (P=0. 007, OR=12.837, 95%CI: 2.205~81.389) of ovarian cancer patients, which was showed by binary Logistic regression analysis. Compared to other patients, the overall survival rate and progression free survival rate of patients with lower miR-338-3p and higher MACC1 expression were obviously poorer (χ(2)=16.955, P=7.219E-5; χ(2)=18.929, P=2.828E-5). Conclusions Down-regulation of miR-338-3p and up-regulation of MACC1 gene were closely related with the poor prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer patients, which could served as bio-markers of the progression and recurrence of ovarian cancer.