Abstract
BackgroundThe deregulation of microRNAs in both tumours and blood has led to the search for microRNAs to indicate the presence of cancer and predict prognosis. We hypothesize the deregulation of miR-200c/miR-141 in the whole blood can identify breast cancer (BC), and could be developed into a prognostic signature.MethodsThe expression of miR-200c and miR-141 were examined in bloods (57 stage I-IV BC patients and 20 age-matched controls) by quantitative reverse-transcription PCR. The associations of circulating microRNAs with clinic and pathological characteristics were analysed. Their effects on survival were analysed by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regressions.ResultsMiR-200c was down regulated (P < 0.0001) in the blood of BC patients, yielded an area under the ROC curve of 0.79 (90% sensitivity, 70.2% specificity) in discriminating BC from controls. Circulating miR-141 was not discriminating. MiR-200c and miR-141 in the blood of BC patients were inversely correlated (P = 0.019). The miR-200c levels were numerically higher in stage IV and tumours with lower MIB-1. MiR-141 was significantly higher in the blood of patients with stage I-III, lymph node metastasis, and HER2 negative tumours. High blood expression of miR-200c and/or low expression of miR-141 was associated with unfavourable overall survival (hazard ratio, 3.89; [95% CI: 1.28-11.85]) and progression-free survival (3.79 [1.41–10.16]) independent of age, stage and hormonal receptors.ConclusionsCirculating miR-200c and miR-141 were deregulated in BC comparing with controls. Furthermore, miR-200c and miR-141 were independent prognostic factors and associated with distinct outcomes of BC patients.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-015-1238-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
The deregulation of microRNAs in both tumours and blood has led to the search for microRNAs to indicate the presence of cancer and predict prognosis
The discovery of specific biomarkers characterizing the metastatic phenotype holds the promises of personalised therapy and improved prognosis prediction in many neoplastic diseases including breast cancer (BC)
We found that miR-200c/miR-141 expression in the blood of BC patients is deregulated comparing with controls and, miR-200c and miR-141 levels were associated with distinct disease-free survival and overall survival of patients
Summary
The deregulation of microRNAs in both tumours and blood has led to the search for microRNAs to indicate the presence of cancer and predict prognosis. We hypothesize the deregulation of miR-200c/miR-141 in the whole blood can identify breast cancer (BC), and could be developed into a prognostic signature. Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide, accounting for 458,400 deaths in 2008 [1]. The discovery of specific biomarkers characterizing the metastatic phenotype holds the promises of personalised therapy and improved prognosis prediction in many neoplastic diseases including BC. Gene expression signatures of breast carcinomas have led to new classifications of tumour subgroups and carry prognostic and predictive information [3]. Serum tumour markers, including carcinoembryonic antigen, CA 15.3 and CA 27.59 could provide
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