Dysregulation of the miR-557/MELK axis and its correlation with tumor markers in cervical cancer

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Cervical cancer is a common gynecologic malignancy, and increasing evidence indicates that micro-RNA and its target genes are involved in its regulation. This study aimed to investigate alterations in miR-557 and maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) expression and their associations with tumor markers in cervical cancer. Methods Quantitative reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify serum miR-557 and MELK expression. Concurrently, a chemiluminescence immunoassay was performed to measure serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) and cancer antigen 125 (CA125) levels. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the associations among these biomarkers, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to assess diagnostic performance. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to validate the targeting relationship between miR-557 and MELK. Results Serum miR-557 expression was statistically significantly lower in patients with cervical cancer, whereas MELK messenger RNA expression was significantly higher (P < .05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that miR-557 expression was weakly negatively correlated with SCCA and CA125, whereas MELK messenger RNA expression was weakly positively correlated with SCCA and CA125 (P < .05). Our receiver operating characteristic curve analysis yielded a combined area under the curve of 0.909 for miR-557 and MELK in the diagnosis of cervical cancer. The dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed that MELK is a direct target of miR-557. Discussion Reduced miR-557 expression and elevated MELK expression were correlated with SCCA and CA125 levels in cervical cancer. By targeting MELK, miR-557 may suppress cervical cancer progression, supporting the potential diagnostic and therapeutic relevance of the miR-557/MELK axis.