Upregulation of a MicroRNA Signature Involving miR-17-5p, miR-26b-5p, miR-106a-5p, and miR-146a-5p During Cervical Epithelial Transformation

<b>Background</b>: Cervical cancer remains the fourth most common malignancy among women worldwide. Despite vaccination and regular screening, new molecular biomarkers are needed for improved early detection and risk assessment. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in post-transcriptional regulation, and their dysregulation may contribute to cervical carcinogenesis. This study evaluated the expression of selected miRNAs in cervical swab samples and corresponding biopsies from women with various grades of cervical lesions and assessed their relationship with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. <b>Methods</b>: A total of 72 cervical swab samples were included in this study, divided according to cytological severity: negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy (NILM, <i>n</i> = 15), atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US, <i>n</i> = 12), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL, <i>n</i> = 19), and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL, <i>n</i> = 26). In a subset of patients, corresponding biopsy specimens were analysed for comparison. The association of miRNA expression with HPV infection status was also examined. miRNA expression was quantified by real-time PCR using commercially available assays. <b>Results</b>: To assess the relationship between miRNA expression, lesion severity, and HPV infection, fold change values were compared to the control group (NILM). No significant differences were observed in the ASC-US group (<i>p</i> > 0.05). In contrast, several miRNAs were significantly upregulated in the LSIL and/or HSIL groups, as well as in HPV-positive samples, indicating their association with both lesion progression and viral infection. Specifically, miR-17-5p, miR-26b-5p, miR-29a-3p, miR-103a-3p, miR-106a-5p, miR-146a-5p, miR-155-5p, and miR-191-5p showed increased expression (<i>p</i> < 0.05) compared with controls. The observed upregulation of miR-26b-5p, miR-106a-5p, and miR-146a-5p highlights their potential role in HPV-associated cervical carcinogenesis. Dysregulated miRNAs were enriched in pathways related to infectious diseases, various types of cancer, and cell adhesion processes. <b>Conclusions</b>: The gradual increase in specific miRNAs with lesion severity and HPV infection suggests their role in cervical carcinogenesis. The identified miRNAs may serve as promising non-invasive biomarkers for early detection and monitoring of HPV-associated cervical lesions.