High-risk Human Papillomavirus Reduces the Expression of MicroRNA-218 in Women with Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia

This study was designed to investigate whether there is a correlation between the down-regulation of microRNA-218 (miR-218) and the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer. The participants comprised 78 women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN); 22 (28.2%) had CIN 1, 27 (34.6%) had CIN 2 and 29 (37.2%) had CIN 3. MiR-218 expression was determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and HPV genotypes in tissue specimens were identified with a microarray test kit. The findings showed that miR-218 levels in patients with high-risk HPV infection were lower than in those infected with low-risk or intermediate-risk HPV, or in those who were HPV-free. MiR-218 levels in patients with high-risk CIN were lower than in those with low-risk CIN. We concluded that infection with high-risk HPV lowered the expression of miR-218 and that down-regulation of miR-218 was involved in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer.