Maryame Lamsisi

Diagnostic Value of MicroRNA 21 in Endometrial Cancer and Benign Lesions and its Differential Expression with Clinicopathological Parameters

Background: Endometrial cancer is one of the most common malignancies among women worldwide. Although this cancer is often diagnosed at early stages, the need for biomarkers of diagnosis remains a necessity to overcome conventional invasive procedures of diagnosis. Objective: In our study, we aim to investigate the diagnostic value of microRNA-21 in endometrial cancer and its relation to clinicopathological features. Methods: We used RT-qPCR to measure the expression of microRNA-21 in 71 tumor tissues, 53 adjacent tissues, and 54 benign lesions. Results: Our results show that microRNA-21 is a potential biomarker for endometrial cancer with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.925 (95% CI = 0.863 - 0.964, P<0.0001). The sensitivity was 84.51% (95% CI = 74.0 - 92.0) and specificity was 86.79% (95% CI = 74.7 - 94.5). For discrimination between benign lesions and controls the AUC was 0,881 with a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI = 93.4 - 100.0) and specificity of 66.04% (95% CI = 51.7 - 78.5), and for discriminating benign lesions from tumors the AUC was 0,750 with a sensitivity of 54.93% (95% CI = 42.7 - 66.8) and specificity of 90.74% (95% CI = 79.7 - 96.9). We also found that tumors with elevated microRNA-21 expression are of advanced FIGO stage, high histological grades, and have cervical invasion, myometrial invasion and distant metastasis. Conclusion: Our findings support the important role of miR-21 as a biomarker to diagnose endometrial cancer. Further studies on minimally invasive/noninvasive samples such as serum, blood, and urine are necessary to provide a better alternative to current diagnosis methods.

Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification for Point-of-Care Primary Cervical Cancer Screening

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a significant global health concern linked to various cancers, particularly cervical cancer. Timely and accurate detection of HPV is crucial for effective management and prevention strategies. Traditional laboratory-based HPV testing methods often suffer from limitations such as long turnaround times, restricted accessibility, and the need for trained personnel, especially in resource-limited settings. Consequently, there is a growing demand for point-of-care (POC) HPV testing solutions that offer rapid, easy-to-use, and convenient screening at the primary care level. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements and emerging technologies utilized in POC HPV testing using isothermal amplification methods, in addition to evaluating their diagnostic performance, sensitivity, specificity, and clinical utility compared to conventional laboratory-based assays, particularly in low-resource settings, where access to centralized laboratory facilities is limited. We provide insights into the potential of isothermal nucleic acid amplification to revolutionize cervical cancer screening and prevention efforts worldwide, with emphasis on the need for continued research, innovation, and collaboration to optimize the performance, accessibility, and affordability of POC HPV testing solutions, ultimately contributing to the worldwide effort towards the elimination of this disease.