miR141 expression is downregulated and negatively correlated with STAT5 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between microRNA-141 (miR141) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) expression levels in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and to investigate the effects of miR141 on ESCC cells. A total of 45 consecutive patients with ESCC were enrolled in the study. The expression of miR141 in ESCC tissue samples was detected using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The expression of STAT5 in the ESCC tissues was detected using immunohistochemical staining and western blotting. In addition, Eca109 cells were transfected with miR141 mimic, and the levels of STAT5 were detected using western blotting. The effects of miR141 on the proliferation, invasion and migration of the cells were also detected using MTT, scratch and Transwell invasion assays, respectively. The miR141 expression level in the ESCC tissue samples was significantly decreased compared with that in the adjacent normal tissues (P<0.05). The expression of miR141 in the tissues from patients with lymph node metastasis was significantly decreased compared with that in the tissues of patients without such metastasis (P<0.05). The expression levels of STAT were significantly increased in the ESCC tissues compared with those in the adjacent normal tissues (P<0.05). Furthermore, the levels of STAT5 were significantly increased in the tissues from patients with lymph node metastasis compared with those without such metastasis (P<0.05); however, no statistically significant differences in miR141 expression were observed according to gender, age, tumor size, lesion location, differentiation and invasion (P>0.05). The results suggest that the miR141 mimic significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of Eca109 cells in vitro. miR141 and STAT5 expression levels exhibited a negative association in the ESCC tissues, and were both closely associated with the progression of ESCC. Therefore, it appears that miR141 plays an important role in the development, invasion and metastasis of ESCC by regulating the expression of STAT5.