Persistent infection with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most significant risk factors for the development of cervical cancer. The complexity of the disease process involves multiple factors that are not completely understood. Recent studies show that in cervical cancers associated with HPV infections, the tumor suppressor miR-200c is downregulated, whereas proline-rich protein 11 (PRR11), which stimulates oncogenesis, is upregulated. Nonetheless, the possibility of miR-200c and PRR11 having an inverse regulatory relationship in Moroccan patients suffering from cervical cancer is unknown, and the possibility of using them in combination as cancer diagnostic tools remains unexplored.

The objective of this study is to examine the expression profiles of miR-200c, PRR11 and HPV in cervical cancer biopsies and review the potential of these genes and the virus as diagnostic markers for HPV-positive cervical cancer.

The expression levels of miR-200c, PRR11, and the HPV virus were quantified using RT-PCR in 200 cervical biopsies (100 malignant biopsies and 100 healthy tissues). Sstatistically significant correlations, as well as the estimation of diagnostic potential, were explored using Jamovi statistical software.

There was a notable identification of reverse correlation of miR-200c and PRR11 in relation to SCC with HPV. Cancer tissue samples showed significant upregulation of PRR11 and downregulation of miR-200c when compared to samples from healthy individuals. HPV-related miR-200 dysregulation and PRR11 were found to be significant in relation to the disease process (p < 0.05). For the purpose of diagnosis, the evaluation of miR-200c and PRR11 was the strongestm with 97.85 % sensitivity, 89.67 % specificity and AUC of 0.910, which supports their potential for diagnosing cervical cancer.

The upregulation of PRR11 and the downregulation of miR-200c provides a basis for the etiology of cervical cancer with HPV. The joint evaluation of PRR11 and miR200c provides an opportunity for early diagnosis.