Study of microRNA expression profiling as biomarkers for colorectal cancer patients in Lebanon

Abstract

The high incidence and mortality rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) reveal its hazardous effect globally. Thus, it is important to diagnose CRC at an early stage to decrease its burden and improve survival rates. Previous studies have investigated the role of short non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) in numerous types of cancer, including CRC. Previous studies have been performed to investigate the role of miRNAs as biomarkers in diagnosis, prognosis and prediction of CRC development. The aim of the present retrospective study was to identify the expression levels of miR-31, miR-145, miR-146b and miR-186 to highlight their role in CRC diagnosis and progression at different stages of the disease (precancerous polyp, adenoma and adenocarcinoma) in a Lebanese population. The expression levels of miRNAs was revealed using TaqMan reverse transcription-quantitative PCR on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues from Lebanese patients at different stages; their diagnostic value was determined using a receiver operating characteristics curve. Compared with healthy controls, miR-31 was upregulated (P<0.0001) at all stages. By contrast, miR-145, miR-186, and miR-146b were significantly downregulated at all stages (P<0.0001, P=0.0009 and P=0.0241, respectively). Of the four miRNAs studied, miR-31 and miR-145 were identified as potentially useful diagnostic factors, with an area under the curve of 0.7771 and 0.8269 and diagnostic accuracy of 71.3 and 78.5%, respectively. These data suggested that miR-31 and miR-145, upon further clinical validation, may be used as potential diagnostic biomarkers for the early detection of CRC at the polyp stage.

Recent Developments in Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers for Colorectal Cancer: A Narrative Review

“…On the other hand, miR-21 has oncogenic functions, as its levels are elevated in CC tissue compared to normal tissue, especially in early stages [30]. Similarly, miR-31 and miR-146b are oncogenic biomarkers for CC [31].…”

Identificación de genes asociados con Nefropatía Diabética regulados por miRNAS: Análisis in sílico.

“…Sin embargo, ninguno ha demostrado ser del todo eficiente, por lo que en los últimos años se ha realizado la búsqueda de nuevas moléculas que puedan ser empleadas como marcadores para la detección oportuna de enfermedades renales incluida la ND. En este sentido, los micro RNAs (miRNAs), así como sus genes blancos han llamado la atención como potenciales moléculas específicas para la detección y monitoreo de distintas enfermedades metabólicas y de distintos tipos de cáncer (3). Los miRNAs son transcritos de cadena corta (∼22 nucleótidos), no codificantes, que regulan de manera post-transcripcional la expresión de genes blancos y sus proteínas derivadas, a través de la degradación del mRNA o represión de la traducción (4,5).…”

Interleukins (Cytokines) as Biomarkers in Colorectal Cancer: Progression, Detection, and Monitoring

“…For example, a study found that a panel of miRNAs (e.g., miR-21, miR-31, miR-146a, and miR-192) had a sensitivity and a specificity for detecting CRC [23]. Even though these studies demonstrate the potential of miRNA as a non-invasive biomarker for CRC, more research is still needed to validate these findings in larger patient populations [24][25][26]. The type of cancer and stage of the disease can impact the miRNA signature.…”