Decoding the relationships among miRNA, HPV infection, and tumor suppressor gene expression in breast cancer patients

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the main causes of cancer-related deaths among women, with its incidence rising due to various risk factors (RFs), including viral infections such as Human Papillomavirus (HPV). This study investigates the correlation between HPV infection and the expression levels of key cellular genes, TP53, PTEN, and CCND1, as well as specific microRNAs (miR-106b-5p, miR-17-5p, and miR-20a-5p) in 102 breast cancer patients and 41 healthy controls. Results indicated a higher prevalence of HPV in BC samples; however, the difference in prevalence between BC and control groups was not statistically significant. Importantly, TP53 and CCND1 were significantly overexpressed in BC, while PTEN was down regulated. The expression levels of CCND1 in HPV-positive BC group was also increased. Further analysis revealed that miR-106b-5p and miR-20a-5p were expressed at elevated levels in HPV-positive BC patients in comparison to their HPV-negative counterparts. All of considered miRNAs were overexpressed in BC group. By using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, CCND1, plus TP53 and miR-20a-5p emerged as biomarkers for breast cancer diagnosis and differentiation of HPV status respectively. A weak negative correlation between PTEN and three miRNAs, and weak positive correlations between CCND1 and miR-106b-5p and also TP53 and miR-20a-5p were observed. These findings emphasize the potential role of HPV and related biomarkers in the progression of breast cancer, indicating avenues for further research and therapeutic strategies.