miR-145 and miR-143 expression differ between Uygur and Han women with endometrial cancer

The aim of this study was to compare the clinicopathological significance of miR-145/143 expression in Uygur and Han women with endometrial cancer in Xinjiang and assess their effects and ethnic factor in the occurrence of endometrial cancer. miR-145 and miR-143 expression in 62 Uygur and 74 Han endometrial cancers was determined by qRT-PCR. Functional assays including cell proliferation, migration, and invasion assays were used to determine the role of miR-145 and miR-143 in endometrial cancer cells. Uygur women with endometrial cancer were significantly less than Han women in Xinjiang Cancer Hospital and Uygur patients had significantly prolonged survival (P < 0.05). miR-145 and miR-143 increased in Uygur patients but decreased in Han patients. Furthermore, in the Uygur group miR-145/143 increased significantly in non-endometrioid carcinomas (NEECs) (P < 0.05) and there was a trend that NEECs exhibiting favorable clinicopathological factors exhibited higher miR-145/143 expression. However, in the Han group, miR-145/143 decreased significantly in endometrioid carcinomas (EECs) (P < 0.05) and EECs with worse clinicopathological variables had lower expression although without statistical significance. Additionally, miR-145 or miR-143 upregulation was significantly associated with a favorable survival in the whole cohort (P < 0.05). Enforced miR-145 expression inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion in endometrial cancer cells whereas miR-143 only affected migration and invasion properties. Our findings suggest that miR-145/143 expression in endometrial cancer might be associated with ethnic factors and tumor subtype in Xinjiang women. miR-145/143 upregulation may possess favorable impacts that might be related to the mild behavior of endometrial cancer in Uygur women.