miR-378, miR-20a, and miR-520a-3p can be used in a novel serum prognostic panel for cervical cancer

Due to cervical cancer poor prognosis, discovering prognostic biomarkers is urgently needed. Numerous publications indicated the presence of stable microRNAs (miRNAs) in human serum. This study aimed to identify a specific panel of serum miRNAs that could be used as reliable biomarkers for cervical cancer prognosis evaluation. The candidate miRNAs were measured using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in serum and tissue samples from patients with either favorable (n = 62) or unfavorable (n = 65) prognosis. These miRNAs were correlated with clinical parameters and patients' survival. Functional assays assessed the role of candidate miRNAs in cervical cancer cells. Receiver operating characteristic curves assessed the candidate miRNAs prediction value for cervical cancer prognosis. Compared to the good prognosis group, plasma miR-378 and miR-20a were upregulated, and miR-520a-3p was downregulated in the poor prognosis group. miR-378 and miR-20a were identified as independent risk factors (P = 0.044 and 0.018), both of which promoted C33a cell proliferation, invasion, and migration while suppressing apoptosis. In contrast, miR-520a-3p acted as a protective factor for cervical cancer prognosis (P = 0.018), exhibiting opposing effects on malignant behaviors. The combination of the three miRNAs showed the best prognostic predictive potential for cervical cancer, with an area under curve of 0.907. The serum miRNA biomarker panel (miR-378, miR-20a, and miR-520a-3p) could be used as a non-invasive and accurate prognostic predictor of cervical cancer. This panel could be a promising tool in clinical therapeutic strategies to aid in the timely prediction and management of cervical cancer.