Abstract
Although intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) is thought to be a precursor lesion of pancreatic cancer, diagnosing malignant transformation of IPMN using non-invasive diagnostic methods is difficult and complicated. Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are currently recognized as biomarkers and molecular targets of various diseases, including malignancy. In this study, we investigated a potential diagnostic approach using miRNA in pancreatic cyst fluid as a marker for evaluating malignant alternation of IPMN. Cystic fluid was sampled mainly during surgical resection. The collected samples were evaluated by performing comprehensive analysis of miRNA using a highly sensitive DNA chip. miRNA expression was compared between IPM adenoma (IPMA) and IPM carcinoma (IPMC) to evaluate the related biomarkers for malignant transformation of IPMN. miRNA analysis revealed that six miRNAs (miR-711, miR-3679-5p, miR-6126, miR-6780b-5p, miR-6798-5p, and miR-6879-5p) in IPMC were significantly enriched compared to those in IPMA. The difference was validated using quantitative real-time PCR. Cyst fluid miRNA analysis might be useful for diagnosing malignant alteration of IPMN. Further evaluations of diagnostic capability as well as functional analysis using the identified miRNAs are required with larger cohorts to confirm its efficacy.
Highlights
In recent years, incidental detection of cystic lesions in the pancreas has increased due to the development of medical equipment and frequent imaging examination [1]
Pancreatic cyst fluid specimens were sampled from patients during endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), or surgical resection, all of which were performed between January 2016 and July 2017 at Gifu University Hospital and led to incidental diagnosis of a pancreatic cyst
As cystic lesions in the pancreas are being detected more frequently, there is an urgent need for useful biomarkers to manage pancreatic cysts, especially intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN)
Summary
Incidental detection of cystic lesions in the pancreas has increased due to the development of medical equipment and frequent imaging examination [1]. Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) is considered a precursor lesion of pancreatic cancer; accurate differential diagnosis through careful follow-up using imaging studies of IPMN is considered important to detect earlystage pancreatic cancer. Micro-RNA (miRNA), a type of functional RNA, is mainly present in exosomes and is considered to be involved in regulating gene expression, which in turn contributes to cellular signal transduction [3,4]. It has been widely examined whether miRNAs can be potential biomarkers for the detection, diagnosis, and prognosis of various diseases [5,6]
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