Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, well-conserved, non-coding RNAs that are increasingly identified as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in a number of cancers. Deregulated miR‑129 is closely associated with tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, the potential role of miR‑129 in prostate cancer remains largely elusive. The present study investigated the role of miR‑129 as a prognostic biomarker for tumor progression and clinical prognosis in prostate cancer patients. The examined prostate cancer tissues exhibited a significant reduction in miR‑129 expression compared with the normal tissues (P=0.013). The expression levels of miR‑129 were negatively correlated with histological grade (P<0.001), high preoperative prostate‑specific antigen serum levels (P<0.001), pathological stage (P<0.001), high Gleason score (P<0.001), lymph node metastasis (P=0.002), angiolymphatic invasion (P=0.018), and biochemical recurrence (BCR; P=0.001). Use of the Kaplan‑Meier analysis demonstrated that low miR‑129 expression was closely associated with poorer BCR‑free survival. Multivariate survival analysis indicated that miR‑129 expression may be an independent prognostic marker for BCR‑free survival in prostate cancer patients (P<0.001). Overexpression of miR‑129 markedly attenuated prostate cancer cell growth by rescuing cell cycle‑regulated protein expression. The present study suggests that miR‑129 is downregulated in the cancerous tissues of prostate cancer patients, which was associated with poor BCR‑free survival. Thus, it may be considered as a novel independent prognostic biomarker for prostate cancer. In addition, downregulation of miR‑129 may serve a critical role in the proliferation of prostate cancer cells.