Role of a Schistosoma haematobium-specific microRNA-71a and its target gene MAPK3 as a tumor biomarker for early diagnosis and prognosis of bilharzial bladder cancer in Egypt | ||||
Parasitologists United Journal | ||||
Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 August 2025 | ||||
Document Type: Original Article | ||||
DOI: 10.21608/puj.2025.398735.1302 | ||||
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Authors | ||||
Hesham Ebrahim Osman ![]() ![]() | ||||
1medical parasitology-faculty of medicine-sohag university-sohag | ||||
2Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt | ||||
3Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt. | ||||
4Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Azhar Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt. | ||||
Abstract | ||||
Background: Schistosoma miRNAs and their target genes are utilized in diagnosis and/or prognosis of schistosomiasis. Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic role of Sh-miRNA-71a and its target gene MAPK3 in bilharzial bladder cancer (BC) in Egypt. Patients and Methods: This case-control study recruited 40 patients with S. haematobium aged 17-70, of both sexes, and 20 apparently healthy volunteers of similar age range, and gender. Based on clinical examination, and pathological characteristics, patients were divided into two equal groups; BC, and chronic cystitis. From each patient with CB, a histopathological report for CB diagnosis and grading was obtained. Urine samples were collected from all participants, and miRNA, and MAPK3 RNA were extracted, followed by cDNA synthesis, amplification, and Sh-miRNA-71a and MAPK3 quantification using real time PCR (RT-PCR) assay. The obtained results were correlated with CB type and grade. Results: Tested Sh-miRNA-71a was significantly higher in the bilharzial BC group than the chronic cystitis (P=0.005). The MAPK3 was significantly higher in patients with bilharzial BC than those with chronic cystitis, and controls. It was also significantly (P<0.05) higher in chronic cystitis, than the controls. In addition, Sh-miRNA-71a and MAPK3 were significantly (P<0.001) higher in patients with high-grade bilharzial BC than in patients with low-grade bilharzial BC. There was a positive correlation between MAPK3 and Sh-miRNA-71a (r=0.313, P=0.049) indicating that both biomarkers can significantly predict malignancy, and differentiate between high- and low-grade malignancy. Conclusions: Urinary Sh-miRNA-71a and its target gene MAPK3 can be used as non-invasive prognostic markers to predict bilharzial BC and differentiate between high- and low-grade cases with positive significant correlation | ||||
Keywords | ||||
Bilharzial bladder cancer; Egypt; MAPK3; Tumor marker; Sh-miRNA-71a; S. haematobium | ||||
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