The role of lncRNA H19 in the resistance of ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin therapy

The mortality of the epithelial ovarian cancer is considered the highest among gynecological cancers, with a high proportion of patients diagnosed with high-grade serous cancer in advanced stage 3. The standard approach for advanced ovarian cancer involves administering chemotherapy in combination with surgery. Platinum-based chemotherapy, typically in combination with paclitaxel or docetaxel, is commonly used as a first-line treatment. However, its clinical usefulness is limited by the high incidence of chemoresistance. Recent studies have identified relationships between resistance to chemotherapy and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are transcripts without protein-coding capacity in the human genome. LncRNAs play crucial roles in various types of cancer. They are involved in tumor cell survival, death, and can influence cell sensitivity to chemotherapy, which aims to inhibit cell growth and promote apoptosis. Among the lncRNAs implicated in cancer, lncRNA H19 has emerged as a critical player in tumor initiation, progression, and relapse across various human cancers. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the expression of lncRNA H19 and the resistance of ovarian cancer to cisplatin, a widely used platinum-based chemotherapy agent. The study included patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer who received cisplatin treatment. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded ovarian tissue samples were collected from these patients. The samples were divided into two groups based on their response to cisplatin treatment: Group 1 comprised patients who responded to cisplatin treatment and showed recovery (sensitive), while Group 2 consisted of patients who were refractory to cisplatin treatment and did not improve (resistant). RNA was isolated from all tissue samples using a RNA isolation kit, and cDNA was synthesized using a cDNA synthesis kit. The obtained cDNAs were utilized as templates to quantitatively measure the expression of the lncRNA H19 gene through Real-Time PCR. In our study, when the resistant and sensitive groups were compared, it was observed that the expression level of lncRNA H19 increased statistically in the resistant group.