Identification of the targeted mRNA associated with the miRNA microarray of chemo-sensitive choriocarcinoma using bioinformatics analysis

Abstract Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important and necessary role in the occurrence and development of various tumours. The aim of our study was to identify miRNAs as new biomarker of choriocarcinoma (CC) chemosensitivity. Methods We performed GeneChip hybridization of samples of trophoblastic villi and chemosensitive CC tissues, and differentially expressed miRNAs between the groups were obtained. The possible target genes of the most highly 3 overexpressed and underexpressed miRNAs were investigated through bioinformatics analysis. Then, the enriched pathways and biological functions of the hub genes associated with miRNAs were analysed, and networks were constructed by Cytoscape. Results A total of 148 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified from the GeneChip tissue hybridization analysis. The top 3 overexpressed and underexpressed miRNAs were miR‑100-5p, miR-432-5p and miR-144-3p, and miR-512-5p, 515‑5p and 519c‑3p, respectively. In the protein − protein interaction (PPI) networks, the top 18 genes with the highest degree of connectivity with overexpressed and underexpressed miRNAs were selected as hub genes. PTEN was identified as the key hub gene in the miRNAhub gene networks and to be potentially modulated by miR144-3p and miR-519c3p. Conclusion According to the results of our bioinformatics analysis, two miRNAs, miR144-3p and miR-519c-3p, may be potential biomarkers of and PTEN may play a crucial role in CC chemosensitivity.