Serum miR-21 Research Articles

The diagnostic value of serum miR-21 in patients with ovarian cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveThere have been a variety of published studies on the expression of serum miR-21 in patients with ovarian cancer associated with the diagnostic value of ovarian cancer, but the conclusions are not clearly elucidated. This study aims to evaluate the value of serum miR-21 expression in the diagnosis of patients with ovarian cancer by meta-analysis.MethodsDatabases, such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and China WanFang, were searched for relevant studies upon the correlation between the expression of serum miR-21 and the diagnostic value of ovarian cancer from inception to March 7, 2022. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata 15.0 software. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) were calculated. The meta-regression analysis and subgroup analysis were used to explore the sources of heterogeneity. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) system was used to evaluate the quality of the included literature.ResultsA total of 6 articles were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that the pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, and DOR were 0.81 (95%CI: 0.73–0.88), 0.82 (95%CI: 0.75–0.87), 4.51 (95%CI: 3.22–6.31), 0.23 (95%CI: 0.16–0.33), and 19.87 (95% CI: 11.27–35.03), respectively. The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.89 (95%CI: 0.85–0.91). No significant publication bias was found (P > 0.05).ConclusionSerum miR-21 has a good diagnostic value for ovarian cancer, which can be an ideal diagnostic biomarker for ovarian cancer. However, we should gingerly use miR-21 as a diagnostic reference standard, due to the limited number of included studies and heterogeneity.

Evaluation of increased microRNA-21 in the serum of patients with cardia cancer.

MicroRNAs are a new group of regulatory RNAs that are about 22 nucleotides long. MicroRNAs are also involved in many human cancers and can actually act as oncogenes and suppressors. In this study, the relationship between miR-21 levels in the serum of sick and healthy individuals and the relationship between high concentrations of this microRNA and tumor staging and cancer progression was performed for the first time in Iran on gastric cardia cancer. This study was performed on 40 patients with gastric cardia cancer and 40 patients who were selected as a control group. The control group was selected from those who presented due to gastrointestinal disorders but were diagnosed as healthy or non-cancerous. Their serum miR-21 was measured using the Real-Time PCR technique. The relationship between the concentration of this microRNA in serum with tumor staging and cancer progression was evaluated. Findings showed that increasing the concentration of miR-21 in serum samples, serum miR-21 in patients was about 3.5 times that of controls (P <0.0001), and serum miR-21 in patients was significantly related to staging tumor showed (P = 0.01), indicating a significant and direct relationship between miR-21 and tumor growth, which indicates the importance of this microRNA in the progression of gastric cancer. Given the role of miR-21 in the progression of gastric cardia cancer and its association with clinic-pathological factors, it can be introduced as a new diagnostic marker. It can also be used as a non-invasive method in the early diagnosis of gastric cancer patients. In this study, miR-21 has an oncogenic role that can be measured in patients' serum to assess the progression of gastric cancer.

MicroRNA-134-5p and the Extent of Arterial Occlusive Disease Are Associated with Risk of Future Adverse Cardiac and Cerebral Events in Diabetic Patients Undergoing Carotid Artery Stenting for Symptomatic Carotid Artery Disease.

There is little known about the prognostic value of serum microRNAs (miRs) in diabetic patients with symptomatic internal carotid artery disease (ICAS) who underwent stent supported angioplasty (PTA) for ICAS. The present study aimed to investigate expression levels of selected miRs for future major adverse cardiac and cerebral events (MACCE) as a marker in diabetic patients following ICAS-PTA. The expression levels of 11 chosen circulating serum miRs were compared in 37 diabetic patients with symptomatic ICAS and 64 control group patients with symptomatic ICAS, but free of diabetes. The prospective median follow-up of 84 months was performed for cardiovascular outcomes. Diabetic patients, as compared to control subjects, did not differ with respect to age (p = 0.159), distribution of gender (p = 0.375), hypertension (p = 0.872), hyperlipidemia (p = 0.203), smoking (p = 0.115), coronary heart disease (p = 0.182), lower extremities arterial disease (LEAD, p = 0.731), and miRs expressions except from lower miR-16-5p (p < 0.001). During the follow-up period, MACCE occurred in 16 (43.2%) diabetic and 26 (40.6%) non-diabetic patients (p = 0.624). On multivariate Cox analysis, hazard ratio (HR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (95%CI) for diabetic patients associated with MACCE were miR-134-5p (1.12; 1.05–1.21, p < 0.001), miR-499-5p (0.16; 0.02–1.32, p = 0.089), hs-CRP (1.14; 1.02–1.28; p = 0.022), prior myocardial infarction (8.56, 1.91–38.3, p = 0.004), LEAD (11.9; 2.99–47.9, p = 0.005), and RAS (20.2; 2.4–167.5, p = 0.005), while in non-diabetic subjects, only miR-16-5p (1.0006; 1.0001–1.0012, p = 0.016), miR-208b-3p (2.82; 0.91–8.71, p = 0.071), and hypertension (0.27, 0.08–0.95, p = 0.042) were associated with MACCE. Our study demonstrated that different circulating miRs may be prognostic for MACCE in diabetic versus non-diabetic patients with symptomatic ICAS. Higher expression levels of miR-134 were prognostic for MACCE in diabetic patients, while higher expression levels of miR-16 were prognostic in non-diabetic patients.

MicroRNA 21 and microRNA 10b: early diagnostic biomarkers of breast cancer in Egyptian females

BackgroundBreast cancer (BC) is one of the most prevalent cancers in developing and developed countries among women worldwide. Mammography is one of the superior methods for BC detection, but it carries up to 20% false-negative results, especially in early cases. Histological examination of tissue biopsies and fine-needle aspiration cytology are invasive techniques. Hence, minimally invasive markers are needed for the improved detection of BC. microRNAs, small, noncoding, single-stranded RNAs functioning as tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes, are attractive biomarkers for early detection. This study aimed to examine the serum levels of miR21 and miR10b in patients with BC especially in the early stages compared to healthy controls to evaluate their potential use as BC biomarkers.MethodsThis study included 90 females who were divided into two groups. Group I included 70 patients with BC and was subdivided into group Ia with 40 nonmetastatic BC patients and group Ib with 30 metastatic BC patients. Group II included 20 apparently healthy females as a control group. Serum miR21 and miR10b as biomarkers and miR16 as a housekeeping gene were evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction.ResultsThe median levels of miR10b and miR21 were statistically significantly upregulated in the sera of patients with BC compared to healthy controls (P = 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses demonstrated that serum levels of miR10b and miR21 were useful biomarkers for distinguishing between patients with BC and the control group, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.991 with 97.1% sensitivity and 100% specificity at a cutoff of 3.1 for miR10b and an AUC of 0.965 with 95.7% sensitivity and 85% specificity at a cutoff of 1.7 for miR21. Regarding the early stages of BC, the median levels of the fold change of serum miR21 and miR10b were statistically significantly higher in patients with BC (stages I and IIa) than in the control group (P < 0.001).ConclusionsBoth miR21 and miR10b have valuable diagnostic roles in detecting the early stages of BC.

Clinical Value Analysis of Xiaozheng Decoction Combined with Bladder Perfusion for Postoperative Treatment of Bladder Cancer and Its Effect on Serum miR-143 and miR-92a.

Objective To study the clinical value of Xiaozheng decoction combined with bladder perfusion treating bladder cancer after the operation and its effect on serum miR-143 and miR-92a. Methods The patients in the control group were treated with gemcitabine bladder instillation, and patients in the study group were treated with the combination of gemcitabine bladder instillation + Xiaozheng decoction. The clinical efficacy, postoperative adverse effects, and recurrence between the two groups were compared. miR-143 and miR-92a levels, immune function levels, and tumor factor levels were compared before and after treatment. The relationship between patient prognosis and miR-143/miR-92a expression was analyzed. Results The overall effective rate of treatment in the study group (86.67%) was significantly increased, and the occurrence of adverse reactions and recurrence were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). After treatment, serum miR-143 and miR-92a levels, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+, and NK levels increased in both groups (P<0.05). CD8+ levels, BTA, NMP, and UBC levels decreased in both groups (P < 0.05). Analysis of survival results indicated that the two-year survival rates of patients with miR-143 and miR-92a high expressions were significantly higher than patients with low expressions (P < 0.05). Conclusion The efficacy of Xiaozheng decoction combined with bladder perfusion in treating postoperative patients with bladder cancer was significant, which could reduce the incidence of adverse reactions and postoperative recurrence rate, improve serum tumor marker levels, and enhance patients' immunity with a good prognosis.

Evaluation of Expressed MicroRNAs as Prospective Biomarkers for Detection of Breast Cancer.

Background: Early detection and screening of breast cancer (BC) might help improve the prognosis of BC patients. This study evaluated the use of serum microRNAs (miRs) as non-invasive biomarkers in BC patients. Methods: Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, we evaluated the serum expression of four candidate miRs (miR-155, miR-373, miR-10b, and miR-34a) in 99 Egyptian BC patients and 40 healthy subjects (as a control). The miRs expression was correlated with clinicopathological data. In addition, the sensitivity and specificity of the miRs were determined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: Serum miR-155, miR-373, and miR-10b expression were significantly upregulated (p < 0.001), while serum miR-34a was downregulated (p < 0.00) in nonmetastatic (M0) BC patients compared to the control group. In addition, serum miR-155 and miR-10b were upregulated in BC patients with large tumor sizes and extensive nodal involvement (p < 0.001). ROC curve analysis showed high diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve = 1.0) when the four miRs were combined. Serum miR-373 was significantly upregulated in the human epidermal growth factor 2–negative (p < 0.001), estrogen receptor–positive (p < 0.005), and progesterone receptor (PR)-positive (p < 0.024) in BC patients, and serum miR-155 was significantly upregulated in PR-negative (p < 0.001) BC patients while both serum miR-155 and miR-373 were positively correlated with the tumor grade. Conclusions: Circulating serum miR-155, miR-373, miR-10b, and miR-34a are potential biomarkers for early BC detection in Egyptian patients and their combination shows high sensitivity and specificity.

High miRNA-378 expression has high diagnostic values for pulmonary tuberculosis and predicts adverse outcomes

BackgroundPulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease. microRNA (miR)-378 is involved in TB diagnosis. This study explored the effects of miR-378 on TB patients.MethodsA total of 126 TB patients were selected, including 63 active TB and 63 latent TB, with 62 healthy subjects as controls. Serum miR-378 expression was detected. The diagnostic value of miR-378 in TB was analyzed using the ROC curve. Immune inflammatory factor levels were detected and their correlations with miR-378 expression were analyzed. The drug resistance of active TB patients was recorded after standard treatment. miR-378 expression in drug-resistant TB patients was detected. The effects of miR-378 on adverse outcome incidence were analyzed.ResultsmiR-378 expression was highly expressed in TB and the expression was higher in the active group than the latent group. Serum miR-378 expression > 1.490 had high sensitivity and specificity in TB diagnosis. miR-378 expression was correlated with TB clinical indexes. IL-4, IL-6, and IL-1β levels were highly expressed, while IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-12 levels were lowly expressed in TB patients. Serum miR-378 level in the active group was positively correlated with serum IL-4, IL-6, and IL-1β, and negatively correlated with serum IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-12 concentrations. miR-378 expression was downregulated in the TB treated, single (SDR TB) and multi-drug resistance (MDR TB) groups, the miR-378 expression in SDR TB and MDR TB groups was higher than the TB treated group and lower in the SDR TB group than the MDR TB group. High miR-378 expression predicted higher adverse outcome incidence.ConclusionsHigh miR-378 expression assisted TB diagnosis and predicted adverse outcomes.

Increased local miR-21 expressions are linked with clinical severity in lumbar disc herniation patients with sciatic pain.

The miR-21 has been implicated in the process of neuroinflammation as well as neuropathic pain. To explore the relationship between the plasma and local expression of miR-21 with disease severity of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) patients with sciatic pain. Ninety-two LDH patients with sciatic pain and 25 scoliosis patients as painless controls were enrolled in the current study. Samples from nucleus pulposus (NP), annulus fibrosus (AF) and soft tissues around nerve root (STANR) were obtained. The plasma and local expressions of miR-21 were detected with quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The visual analogue scale (VAS) for lumbar pain and leg pain, and Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score were selected to evaluate the clinical severity. The degree of disc compression on nerve was evaluated using the Pfirrmann grade based on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. For the convenience of analysis, LDH patients with sciatic pain were classified into a severe pain (SP) group (VAS ≥ 6) and a mild-moderate pain (MP) group (VAS < 6). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to detect the potential diagnostic power of miR-21 with regard to the Pfirrmann grade. There were no significant differences in serum miR-21 expressions among SP LDH patients, MP LDH patients and scoliosis painless controls. Local expressions of miR-21 in STANR, AF and NP were all drastically upregulated in the SP group in comparison with the MP group and scoliosis painless group. Local NP and STANR miR-21 expressions were positively associated with the Pfirrmann grade. Local miR-21 expressions in STANR and AF were positively associated with VAS score and negatively related to JOA score. The ROC curve analysis indicated that both STANR and AF miR-21 expressions may serve as significant diagnostic factors for the Pfirrmann grade. Increased local miR-21 expressions are linked with clinical severity of LDH in patients with sciatic pain.

Expression and clinical significance of miR-204 in patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy

ObjectiveHypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (HDCP) is a unique and common obstetrical complication in pregnancy. The current study sought to investigate the diagnostic value of serum miR-204 in HDCP patients.MethodsA total of 196 HDCP patients were enrolled, with 54 healthy pregnant women as controls. The expression levels of miR-204 and inflammatory factors in the serum were determined. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the diagnostic value of miR-204 in HDCP patients. Person coefficient was introduced to analyze the correlation between miR-204 and inflammatory indexes. Kaplan–Meier method was employed to analyze the effect of miR-204 expression on the incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Logistic regression was adopted to assess the risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes.ResultsmiR-204 expression was upregulated in the serum of HDCP patients. The serum miR-204 level > 1.432 could assist the diagnosis of HDCP. miR-204 level in the serum was positively correlated with TNF-α, IL-6, and hs-CRP concentrations in HDCP patients. The risk of adverse outcomes was higher in pregnant women with high miR-204 expression. High miR-204 expression was associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes after adjusting the family history of HDCP, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, AST, ALT, LDH, 24-h urinary protein, TNF-α, IL-6, and hs-CRP.ConclusionThe high expression of miR-204 assists the diagnosis of HDCP and is an independent risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes in HDCP patients.

A Prussian blue nanoparticles-based fluorescent nanoprobe for monitoring microRNA-92a and microRNA-21.

Since microRNA-92a (miR-92a) and microRNA-21 (miR-21) are crucial biomarkers for colorectal cancer (CRC), monitoring miR-92a and miR-21 in serum is very significant for the early diagnosis of CRC. In this work, we developed a simple and sensitive fluorescent biosensor for the detection of miR-92a and miR-21 based on the quenching ability of Prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs) to fluorophores. Carboxyl fluorescein (FAM)-modified ssDNA (P-92a) and Cyanine 5 (Cy5)-modified ssDNA (P-21) were completely complementary to miR-92a and miR-21 separately. They were adsorbed on PBNPs surface by the binding of PO43- in DNA and Fe3+ in PBNPs to fabricate the P-92a + P-21@PBNPs sensing system. The fluorescence responses from P-92a + P-21@PBNPs show good selection to miR-92a and a great linear process with the miR-92a concentration ranging from 1 to 30nM (ΔF = 10.978 cmiR-92a + 71.457). Meanwhile, the fluorescence responses from P-92a + P-21@PBNPs is linearly relative to miR-21 from 3 to 30nM; the linear equation is ΔF = 5.7560 cmiR-21 + 48.729. Furthermore, the detections of miR-92a and miR-21 added in serum samples were achieved. In summary, this method is sensitive, highly specific, time-saving, cost-effective and applicable for the detection of miR-92a and miR-21. Therefore, this present sensor was expected to be used in clinical applications, which lays a potential foundation for an early diagnosis of cancer.

Mechanism of Pacemaker-Induced Left Ventricular Dysfunction: Study Protocol

A permanent pacemaker (PPM) is currently the definitive treatment for patients with a total atrioventricular block (TAVB). The number of pacemaker implantation has been increasing every year. However, PPM implantation increases the risk of developing left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and becoming pacemaker-induced cardiomyopathy (PICM). There has never been a published study on the cellular mechanism of LV dysfunction caused by PPM implantation. The mechanism of pacemaker-induced left ventricular dysfunction (PILVD) study is a multi-center, quasi-experimental, etiognostic study with a time-series design. This etiognostic study aims to investigate the mechanism of cellular level changes in TAVB patients who had PPM implanted. In particular, the difference in serum miR-155 levels and plasma levels of IL-6, sTNFR-2, MMP-9, N-Cad, and ZO-1 in TAVB patients had LV dysfunction caused by right ventricular dysfunction septal PPM implantation measured by global longitudinal strain (GLS) obtained from echocardiography. Blood samples and echocardiographic examinations will be performed on patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria prior to pacemaker implantation, one month after, and three months following pacemaker implantation. The ELISA method will be used to assess IL-6, sTNFR-2, MMP-9, ZO-1, and N-Cad from plasma samples. MiR-155 levels in serum will be determined using the reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. The main findings are a decrease in serum miR-155 levels and increased plasma IL-6, sTNFR-2, MMP-9, N-Cad, and ZO-1 levels in TAVB patients who developed LV dysfunction due to right ventricular septal pacemaker implantation measured by GLS at 1 and 3 months.

Serum Expression Level of MicroRNA-122 and Its Significance in Patients with Hepatitis B Virus Infection.

Objectives To analyze the expression of miR-122 and evaluate its significance in patients with HBV infection in different phases. Methods Eleven chronic hepatitis B (CHB), 26 hepatitis B virus (HBV)-induced cirrhosis, 16 HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and 10 healthy control cases were enrolled. The serum levels of miR-122 were detected by RT-PCR and compared between healthy individuals and CHB at different stages. Results Compared with healthy control cases, serum miR-122 levels were markedly increased in HBV infection cases (AUC = 0.795, P=0.002). In the CHB group, miR-122 levels were positively associated with albumin levels (P < 0.05) but had no significant associations with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (P > 0.05). In the cirrhosis group, miR-122 expression was remarkably lower in the Child C group in comparison with the Child A group (P=0.025). At the same time, miR-122 amounts had a negative correlation with HVPG (P < 0.05). In the HCC group, miR-122 amounts were negatively associated with alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (P < 0.05). Serum miR-122 amounts in 3 patients who died were lower than the survival group (5.520 ± 0.522 vs. 5.860 ± 1.183, P > 0.05). Conclusion Serum miR-122 can be leveraged to screen patients with HBV infection. In HBV sufferers, the serum miR-122 expression level is related to liver disease progression, hence making it an underlying molecular biomarker for predicting the development of CHB.

Fluorescent oligonucleotide indicators for ratiometric microRNA sensing on metal-organic frameworks

Two kinds of Luminescent metal organic framework (LMOF) based probes were developed as fluorescent oligonucleotide indicators for ratio-metric microRNA (miRNA) sensing. One LMOF (AuNCs@ZIF-8) is ZIF-8 encapsulated with gold nanoclusters (AuNCs). Another LMOF (Zn2Ph2Da) is prepared by using 2, 2′-dithiodibenzoic acid (dtba) and 1, 10-phenanthroline (phen) as ligands, and Zn2+ as metal center. Both of them possess fluorescence emission behavior and fluorescence quenching ability toward adsorbed fluorophore labeled miRNA aptamers. When target miRNAs hybridize with aptamers, the fluorescence of labeled fluorophores would recover. Meanwhile, the fluorescence intensity of LMOFs keeps unchanged. For enhancing miRNA detection sensitivity, novel fluorophore-labeled aptamers (SYBR-dsDNA-Aps) composed of miRNA aptamers and dsDNA fragments embedded with SYBR Green I molecules were designed and optimized. The detection of miR-21 and miR-155 in the blood serum of breast cancer bearing mice or inflammatory rats prove that prepared fluorescent oligonucleotide indicators could be promising choices for ratiometric miRNA sensing.

Differential Expression of Serum TUG1, LINC00657, miR-9, and miR-106a in Diabetic Patients With and Without Ischemic Stroke.

Background: Ischemic stroke is one of the serious complications of diabetes. Non-coding RNAs are established as promising biomarkers for diabetes and its complications. The present research investigated the expression profiles of serum TUG1, LINC00657, miR-9, and miR-106a in diabetic patients with and without stroke. Methods: A total of 75 diabetic patients without stroke, 77 patients with stroke, and 71 healthy controls were recruited in the current study. The serum expression levels of TUG1, LINC00657, miR-9, and miR-106a were assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assays. Results: We observed significant high expression levels of LINC00657 and miR-9 in the serum of diabetic patients without stroke compared to control participants. At the same time, we found marked increases of serum TUG1, LINC00657, and miR-9 and a marked decrease of serum miR-106a in diabetic patients who had stroke relative to those without stroke. Also, we revealed positive correlations between each of TUG1, LINC00657, and miR-9 and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). However, there was a negative correlation between miR-106a and NIHSS. Finally, we demonstrated a negative correlation between LINC00657 and miR-106a in diabetic patients with stroke. Conclusion: Serum non-coding RNAs, TUG1, LINC00657, miR-9, and miR-106a displayed potential as novel molecular biomarkers for diabetes complicated with stroke, suggesting that they might be new therapeutic targets for the treatment of diabetic patients with stroke.

Assessment of a panel of miRNAs in serum and pleural fluid for the differential diagnosis of malignant and benign pleural effusion.

Differential diagnosis between malignant pleural effusion (MPE) and benign pleural effusion (BPE) remains a clinical challenge. The aim of the study is to assess the efficacy of the serum and pleural fluid (PF) miRNA panels in distinguishing MPE from BPE. Fourteen candidate miRNAs which were shown aberrant expression in lung cancer based on previous studies were tested by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in 20 MPE patients and 20 BPE patients. Significantly aberrantly expressed miRNAs were further assessed by qRT-PCR in all patients enrolled in this study. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated to evaluated the diagnostic performance of the miRNAs. miR-21, miR-29c and miR-182 were found to be significantly aberrantly expressed in the serum and PF of MPE patients. The AUCs for the combination of miR-21, miR-29c and miR-182 in serum and PF were 0.832 and 0.89 respectively in distinguishing MPE from infection-associated PE including tuberculous pleurisy and parapneumonia PE, and 0.866 and 0.919 respectively for differentiating MPE from heart failure-associated PE, which were superior to AUC of each individual miRNAs. miR-21, miR-29c and miR-182 in serum and PF could be useful biomarkers for diagnosis of MPE.

Changes of serum miR-221 and miR-145 levels with papillary thyroid carcinoma and their relationship with invasive activity

This study aimed to investigate the expression of miR-221 and miR-145 in papillary thyroid carcinoma, and the effect of miR-221 and miR-145 on the invasion ability of thyroid cancer cells and its mechanism. For this purpose, 120 patients with thyroid nodules were divided into the observation group (PTC) of 43 cases and the control group (benign nodules) of 42 cases according to postoperative pathological diagnosis. Total RNA was extracted from serum samples of all patients, and the expression levels of miRNA-145 and miR-221 were detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR. The expression of two kinds of miRNAs in the groups was compared, and their correlation was analyzed. The results showed that the expression of miRNA-145 in thyroid cancer tissues was lower than that in paired adjacent normal tissues (P &lt; 0.001). The expression of miRNA-221 in thyroid cancer tissues was higher than that in paired adjacent normal tissues (P &lt; 0.001). The proliferation and migration ability of miRNA-145 cells were significantly decreased (P &lt; 0.01). The expression of miRNA-221 was up-regulated, and the proliferation and migration ability of cells was significantly enhanced (P &lt; 0.05). High expression of miRNA-145 can inhibit cell proliferation and migration and promote apoptosis, while high expression of miRNA-221 will promote cell proliferation and migration and enhance the invasion ability of cancer cells. In general, the expression of miRNA-22l in serum of PTC patients is significantly up-regulated, while the expression level of miR-145 is down-regulated, which can be used as effective indicators to judge the biological activity of the tumor, and the combined detection of the two can significantly enhance the diagnostic value of PTC. Upregulation of miR-145 inhibits PTC cell proliferation; arrests cell cycle and promotes apoptosis miR-145 may play an important role as a tumor suppressor gene.

Expression and Clinical Values of Serum miR-155 and miR-224 in Chinese Patients with HCV Infection.

BackgroundTo investigate the expression of serum miR-155 and miR-224 among patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and analyze their clinical values.MethodsA total of 116 patients suffering from HCV infection admitted to our hospital and 70 healthy subjects were selected. According to the diagnostic results, patients with HCV infection were divided into 48 cases of chronic hepatitis C (CHC), 43 cases of liver cirrhosis and 25 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The expression signature for miR-155 and miR-224 was detected in serum samples. ROC curve and Pearson correlation test were conducted to investigate their diagnostic value and correlation.ResultsThe expression extent for serum miR-155 and miR-224 increased along with the increase of malignancy (all P < 0.05). According to ROC curve, the area under the curve (0.918, 95% CI: 0.856–0.974) of miR-155 and miR-224 combined in the diagnosis of HCC was the largest, and its sensitivity and specificity were 93.0% and 86.2%. There is a positive relationship for expression level between miR-155 and miR-224 in CHC and HCC group (all P < 0.001).ConclusionmiR-155 and miR-224 are remarkably increased in patients suffering from HCV infection. The combination of miR-155 and miR-224 has a good diagnostic value for HCC caused by HCV infection.

Analysis on Value of Applying Serum miR-144 and miR-221 Levels in Diagnosing Atherosclerosis.

Objective To explore the value of serum miR-144 and miR-221 in diagnosing atherosclerosis (AS). Methods The clinical data of 52 AS patients treated in the department of cardiovascular medicine of our hospital from August 2019 to August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, and 53 healthy persons were selected from the physical examination center at the same period as the control group. By measuring the indicators including the serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), superoxide dismutase (SOD), miR-144, and miR-221 in patients of both groups, their value of diagnosing AS was analyzed. Results Compared with the control group, the AS group obtained significantly higher serum miR-221 and miR-144 expression levels (P < 0.001), significantly higher mean serum homocysteine (Hcy) level value (P < 0.001), lower mean serum SOD level (P < 0.001), and significantly higher level values of serum VEGF, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kB), and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) (P < 0.001), and the area under ROC curve, sensitivity, and specificity of combining miR-221 with miR-144 were significantly higher than those of single diagnosis. Conclusion Serum miR-221 and miR-144 expression levels are increased in AS patients, and combining the two indicators in diagnosis is more accurate and can provide an accurate basis for diagnosis and condition assessment of AS.

Uncovering serum placental-related non-coding RNAs as possible biomarkers of preeclampsia risk, onset and severity revealed MALAT-1, miR-363 and miR-17

New predictors that could boost early detection of preeclampsia (PE) and prognosticate its severity are urgently needed. We examined serum miR-17, miR-363, MALAT-1 and HOTAIR as potential biomarkers of PE risk, onset and severity. This prospective study included 160 pregnant females; 82 PE cases and 78 healthy pregnancies. Serum samples were collected between 20 to 40 weeks of gestation. Early-onset PE was defined as developing clinical manifestations at ≤ 34 gestational weeks. Severe PE was defined as systolic blood pressure ≥ 160 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 110 mmHg and proteinuria (≥ 2 g/24 h or ≥ 2+ dipstick). Selection of PE-related non-coding RNAs and functional target gene analysis were conducted using bioinformatics analysis. Expression profiles were assessed by RT-qPCR. Serum miR-363 and MALAT-1 were downregulated, meanwhile miR-17 was upregulated, and HOTAIR was not significantly altered in PE compared with healthy pregnancies. miR-17 was elevated while miR-363 and MALAT-1 were reduced in severe versus mild PE. miR-363 was lower in early-onset versus late-onset PE. MALAT-1, miR-17 and miR-363 showed diagnostic potential and discriminated severe PE, whereas miR-363 distinguished early-onset PE in the receiver-operating-characteristic analysis. miR-363 and MALAT-1 were significantly associated with early and severe PE, respectively in multivariate logistic analysis. In PE, miR-17 and MALAT-1 were significantly correlated with gestational age (r = − 0.328 and r = 0.322, respectively) and albuminuria (r = 0.312, and r = − 0.35, respectively). We constructed the MALAT-1, miR-363, and miR-17-related protein–protein interaction networks linked to PE. Serum miR-17, miR-363 and MALAT-1 could have utility as new biomarkers of PE diagnosis. miR-363 may be associated with early-onset PE and MALAT-1 downregulation correlates with PE severity.

Alteration in serum miR126 expression in healthy adults observing Navratri fast

BackgroundFasting is practiced by various religions in the world. The previous studies show the effect of fasting on biochemical markers in healthy subjects; however, no study is available on its effect on gene expression or epigenetic markers. In the present study, miR126, a microRNA, was measured in serum samples of healthy adult subjects, and their correlation with biochemical profile was carried out during the short-term fasting of the Navratri festival. MethodsA total of 30 subjects who underwent fasting for 07 days during the Navratri festival were recruited for the study. The fasting blood samples were obtained at three different time points; day 1 of fasting, day 7 of fasting, and day 7 after completion of fasting period. The miR126 expression, fasting plasma glucose, and lipid profile were measured in all the three samples. ResultsThe miR126 levels showed a decreasing trend with a significant difference across the three time points (p-value = 0.006). Fasting plasma glucose increased continuously across three time points without showing any statistical significance. Serum total cholesterol (p = 0.001) and triglycerides (p = 0.001) levels were decreased initially and then increased after resuming normal diet. There was a medium-level negative correlation (−0.332) between baseline fasting glucose level and miR126 level (p = 0.068). ConclusionThe study revealed that serum levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride were more dynamic than the miR126 levels. A significant decrease in the miR126 expression across three time points is a promising outcome of this pilot study and indicates its role in short-term fasting. However, the fasting plasma glucose showed heterogeneous values without significant correlation with miR126 levels.