The High Expression of the microRNA 17-92 Cluster and its Paralogs, and the Downregulation of the Target Gene PTEN, Is Associated with Primary Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphoma Progression

The oncogenic microRNA (miR) 17-92 cluster has a causative role in the lymphomagenesis of nodal B-cell lymphomas, by activating proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis. Here we analyzed primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas for the miR-17-92 cluster and its paralogs miR-106a-363 and miR-106b-25. In 22 primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphomas, leg type (PCLBCL-LT) compared with 22 primary cutaneous follicle center lymphomas (PCFCLs), we found that miR-20a and miR-106a were overexpressed. Multivariate Cox analysis showed that higher miR-20a and miR-20b expression levels were associated with shorter disease-free and overall survival, independently from histological type. Gene expression profiling also showed a downregulation of 8 candidate target genes of miR-20a, miR-20b, and miR-106a in PCLBCL-LT compared with PCFCL. Among the candidate target genes, PTEN, NCOA3, and CAPRIN2 were confirmed to be underexpressed in PCLBCL-LT using quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR on CD20-positive laser-microdissected tumor cells. In multivariate Cox analysis, lower PTEN mRNA expression level was associated with shorter disease-free survival (DFS), independently from the histological type. Altogether, this molecular and bioinformatic study of 44 patient skin biopsy samples showed that the oncogenic miR-17-92 cluster and its paralogs were involved in cutaneous B-cell lymphoma progression, and that the downregulation of the target gene PTEN was associated with shorter DFS.