Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Ovarian cancer is a significant cause of death among females. MiRNAs, particularly the miR-196 family, can influence tumor progression by targeting specific pathways. Detecting ovarian cancer early is challenging, highlighting the need for additional biomarkers such as miRNAs to improve diagnosis and treatment strategies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Healthy controls and patients with high-grade serous carcinoma (n = 50) were recruited for this study. Samples for testing were obtained from archival paraffin blocks obtained from intraoperative material. RESULTS: The study found that miRNA 196a expression was significantly elevated in ovarian cancer patients compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Higher miRNA 196a expression was also noted in patients with advanced FIGO stages (III, IV). Increased miRNA expression was significantly associated with higher mortality and chemoresistance (p < 0.05). Genotype analysis revealed differing distributions of SNPs (C/C, C/T, T/T) between the study and control groups, but no significant correlation with malignancy was observed. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the critical role of microRNA-196a in the progression of ovarian cancer.