miR-375-3p predicts the severity of endometriosis and regulates cellular progression by targeting NOX4.

Background: Due to the complex pathogenesis of endometriosis, its early screening and development prediction are still challenging problems in the clinic.

Objectives: This study evaluated the significance of miR-375-3p in endometriosis onset, progression, and recurrence, aiming to identify a novel biomarker for disease diagnosis and prognosis.

Materials and methods: The study enrolled 100 patients with endometriosis and 80 healthy females. The serum miR-375-3p levels were compared between the two groups, and its diagnostic significance and predictive value were assessed by ROC and Cox regression analyses. The effect of miR-375-3p on endometriosis cell growth and motility was evaluated by CCK8 and Transwell assays.

Results: Endometriosis patients showed a lower serum miR-375-3p level relative to healthy females, and more severe the disease condition, lower the miR-375-3p in endometrial tissues is. Reducing serum miR-375-3p could discriminate endometriosis patients sensitively and specifically. Additionally, miR-375-3p was identified as a predictor for the recurrence of endometriosis together with stage, lesion size, and the levels of related hormones. In endometriosis cells, miR-375-3p was demonstrated to target NOX4 and negatively regulated its expression. Overexpressing miR-375-3p significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, which was reversed by NOX4.

Conclusion: Decreasing miR-375-3p served as a biomarker for endometriosis onset, development, and recurrence. miR-375-3p regulated endometriosis cell growth and motility via negatively modulating NOX4.