ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is a malignant tumor of the female reproductive tract that has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to identify biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for EC. METHODS: A publicly available transcriptome data set comprising 587 EC cases was subjected to a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis to identify candidate genes responsible for EC occurrence and development. Next, we used clinical samples and cell experiments for validation. RESULTS: A total of 1,617 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Analysis of patient survival outcomes revealed that BUB1, BUB1B, CCNA2, and CDCA8 were correlated with prognosis in patients with EC. Moreover, assessment of clinical samples confirmed that BUB1, BUB1B, CCNA2 and CDCA8 were strongly expressed in EC tissues. Additionally, bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assays confirmed that miR-524-5p can target and regulate these four genes. Overexpression of miR-524-5p significantly inhibited EC Ishikawa cells viability, migration and invasion. Inhibition of miR-524-5p showed the opposite results. CONCLUSIONS: Expression of miR-524-5p reduced the migration and invasion of Ishikawa EC cells, and decreased BUB1, BUB1B, CCNA2, and CDCA8 expression. miR-524-5p, as well as BUB1, BUB1B, CCNA2, and CDCA8, may be clinically relevant biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of EC.
