Although genetic changes were investigated in disease development previously, we now know that epigenetic changes also play a critical role in diseases. In addition to DNA methylation and histone modification, changes in non-coding RNA expressionalso contribute to pathological processes as epigenetic modulators. miRNAs are conserved molecules that bind complementarily to their encoded target mRNAs, thereby performing post-transcriptional regulation. MicroRNA-383 (miR-383) functions as a tumor suppressor in various cancers, but its expression pattern in HPV-associated cervical lesions remains unclear. This exploratory study aimed to investigate whether miR-383 expression is altered in HPV‑positive cervical tissues and to generate hypotheses for future mechanistic studies. In this study, miR-383 expression levels were analyzed using qRT-PCR in paired HPV-positive cervical tissue and adjacent normal tissue samples from 30 patients. Our preliminary findings suggest a potential trend toward miR-383 upregulation, warranting further validation in larger cohorts. The observed upregulation may reflect a compensatory host response against viral oncogenesis, potentially through miR-383‑mediated repression of oncogenic targets such as SFN and PD‑L1, suggesting its role in restraining early cervical carcinogenesis and highlighting its potential as a biomarker in HPV‑related disease progression.
Nilgün Çekin (Wed,) studied this question.