The significance of miR-146a for the regulation of NF-kB in metastatic gastric cancer

Abstract

The expression levels of miR-146a and the target gene of this miRNA, NF-kB, in gastric cancer (GC) samples at different stages of metastasis development were studied. The expression of miR-146a in the samples of the GC decreased with the involvement of regional lymph nodes in the metastatic process. A negative correlation was found between the expression level of miR-146a and the number of regional lymph nodes damage (Spearman’s correlation coefficient (R) was R = - 0.61; p 0.005). On the contrary, NF-κB gene expression increased with lymph node metastases. An inverse correlation was found between miR-146a and NF-κB (R = -0.76; p 0.03). The first detected negative correlation of expression between miR-146a and NF-κB may indicate activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in GC cells with a decrease in miR-146a expression. Apparently, this signaling pathway is important in the development of metastases of gastric cancer.