Circulating microRNAs from the miR-106a–363 cluster on chromosome X as novel diagnostic biomarkers for breast cancer

Purpose

Novel noninvasive biomarkers with high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of breast cancer (BC) are urgently needed in clinics. The aim of this study was to explore whether miRNAs from the miR-106a–363 cluster can be detected in the circulation of BC patients and whether these miRNAs can serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers.

Methods

The expression of 12 miRNAs from the miR-106a–363 cluster was evaluated using qRT-PCR in 400 plasma samples (from 200 BC patients and 200 healthy controls (HCs)) and 406 serum samples (from 204 BC patients and 202 HCs) via a three-phase study. The identified miRNAs were further examined in tissues (32 paired breast tissues), plasma exosomes (from 32 BC patients and 32 HCs), and serum exosomes (from 32 BC patients and 32 HCs).

Results

Upregulated levels of four plasma miRNAs (miR-106a-3p, miR-106a-5p, miR-20b-5p, and miR-92a-2-5p) and four serum miRNAs (miR-106a-5p, miR-19b-3p, miR-20b-5p, and miR-92a-3p) were identified and validated in BC. A plasma 4-miRNA panel and a serum 4-miRNA panel were constructed to discriminate BC patients from HCs. The areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves of the plasma panel were 0.880, 0.902, and 0.858, and those of the serum panel were 0.910, 0.974, and 0.949 for the training, testing, and external validation phases, respectively. Two overlapping miRNAs (miR-106a-5p and miR-20b-5p) were consistently upregulated in BC tissues. Except for the expression of the plasma-derived exosomal miR-20b-5p, the expression patterns of exosomal miRNAs were concordant between plasma and serum, indicating the potential use of exosomal miRNAs as biomarkers.

Conclusion

We identified four plasma miRNAs and four serum miRNAs from the miR-106a–363 cluster as promising novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of BC.

     

血清miR-6861-5p检测在乳腺癌临床诊治中的价值探讨

  目的  研究miR-6861-5p在乳腺癌患者血清中的表达,并探讨miR-6861-5p表达在乳腺癌患者临床诊治中的价值。  方法  通过实时荧光定量PCR法（RT-qPCR）检测2012年1月至2015年6月山东省德州市第二人民医院112例乳腺癌患者、37例乳腺良性病变和53例健康女性血清miR-6861-5p相对表达量,分析血清miR-6861-5p表达与乳腺癌患者临床病理和术后复发之间的关系,并探讨其表达对乳腺癌的临床诊断价值。  结果  乳腺癌患者血清miR-6861-5p相对表达量为（7.99±1.63）,显著高于良性病变患者（6.45±1.06）（P＜0.05）和健康研究对象（6.43±1.28）（P＜0.05）;血清miR-6861-5p表达与乳腺癌患者淋巴结转移、肿瘤组织ER、PR和HER-2表达、TNM分期、分子分型以及组织学分期显著相关（均P＜0.05）;肿瘤切除后乳腺癌患者血清miR-6861-5p表达量显著降低;治疗前血清miR-6861-5p诊断乳腺癌的敏感度和特异度分别为69.6%和77.8%,且与乳腺癌患者术后复发率有关。  结论  miR-6861-5p在乳腺癌患者血清中表达上调,是术前乳腺癌诊断、肿瘤分期、癌细胞转移和术后监测乳腺癌复发的潜在生物标志物。      

Added Value of Different Types of Elastography in Evaluating Ultrasonography Detected Breast Lesions: A Compared Study With Mammography

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of ultrasonography (US) and mammography in the differential diagnosis of breast lesions after adding different types of elastography to US.Patients and MethodsThis institutional review board-approved study included 316 breast lesions in 289 women between July 2016 and July 2018. All these lesions were evaluated with conventional US, elastography, and mammography before biopsy or surgery. Elastography, including elasticity imaging (EI), virtual touch tissue imaging (VTI), and virtual touch imaging quantification (VTIQ), were used to downgrade US Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System category 4A lesions. Diagnostic performances were calculated for mammography, US elastography, and the combination of US and elastography.ResultsThe sensitivity of US (100%) was significantly higher than that of mammography (84.6%; P < .001), but the specificity of US (14.5%) was significantly lower than that of mammography (59.1%; P < .001). After adding EI, VTI, and VTIQ to US, the specificity was significantly increased from 14.5% to 69.4%, 72.6%, and 78.0%, respectively (P < .001), and were significantly higher than that of mammography (P = .043, P = .006, and P < .001, respectively). The sensitivity of US + EI (96.2%) and US + VTI (96.2%) was lower than that of US alone, although not significantly (100%; P = .063 and P = .063, respectively).ConclusionThe addition of different types of elastography to US improved the diagnostic performance in the differential diagnosis of breast lesions when compared with mammography.     

Identification of Novel Diagnostic Biomarkers in Breast Cancer Using Targeted Metabolomic Profiling

IntroductionBreast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women, with a high disease burden, especially in the advanced disease stages. Our study investigated the metabolomic profile of breast cancer patients’ serum with the aim of identifying novel diagnostic biomarkers that could be used, especially for early disease detection.Materials and MethodsUsing targeted metabolomic serum profiling based on high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, women with BC (n = 39) and a control group (n = 21) were examined for 232 endogenous metabolites.ResultsThe top performing biomarkers included acylcarnitines (ACs) and 9,12-linoleic acid. A combined panel of the top 4 biomarkers achieved 83% sensitivity and 81% specificity, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.839 (95% confidence interval, 0.811-0.867). Individual markers also provided significant predictive values: AC 12:0, sensitivity of 72%, specificity of 67%, and AUC of 0.71; AC 14:2, sensitivity of 74%, specificity of 71%, and AUC of 0.73; AC 14:0: sensitivity of 67%, specificity of 81%, and AUC of 0.73; and 9,12-linoleic acid, sensitivity of 69%, specificity of 67%, and AUC of 0.71. The individual markers, however, did not reach the high sensitivity and specificity of the 4-biomarker combination.ConclusionUsing mass spectrometry-targeted metabolomic profiling, ACs and 9,12-linoleic acid were identified as potential diagnostic biomarkers for breast cancer. Additionally, these identified metabolites could provide additional insight into cancer cell metabolism.     

miR-26b-3p对乳腺癌细胞生物学行为的影响及作用机制研究

背景与目的：miRNA是一类长度为21~23个核苷酸的单链非编码RNA分子，其作用机制主要为靶向于mRNA的3’非翻译区（3’ untranslated region，3’UTR）从而抑制其靶基因的表达。miRNA在肿瘤的发生、发展过程中发挥着关键作用，探讨miR-26b-3p对乳腺癌生物学行为的影响及作用机制。方法：通过实时荧光定量聚合酶链反应（real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction，RTFQ-PCR）检测miR-26b-3p在三种乳腺癌细胞系MCF-7、MDA-MB-231和MDA-MB-453中的表达，选取miR-26b-3p表达水平最低的乳腺癌细胞转染miR-26b-3p mimics后，采用细胞计数试剂盒（cell counting kit-8，CCK-8）法检测细胞的增殖，采用transwell迁移和侵袭实验检测细胞迁移和侵袭能力，通过小动物活体成像及裸鼠移植瘤模型检测miR-26b-3p对乳腺癌细胞裸鼠移植瘤生长和转移的影响，采用双荧光素酶报告基因分析检测miR-26b-3p与锌指E盒结合同源盒基因1（zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1，ZEB1）的相互作用，采用RTFQ-PCR和蛋白质印迹法（Western blot）检测ZEB1的表达。结果：乳腺癌细胞系MDA-MB-453中miR-26b-3p表达最低，在MDA-MB-453细胞中转染miR-26b-3p mimics后，miR-26b-3p的表达水平显著升高（P<0.05），细胞的增殖能力显著降低（P<0.05），细胞的迁移（P<0.001）和侵袭能力（P<0.01）显著降低。过表达miR-26b-3p可抑制裸鼠体内乳腺癌移植瘤的生长和转移。miR-26b-3p可与ZEB1的3’UTR结合，抑制ZEB1的表达。结论：miR-26b-3p可靶向于ZEB1，抑制乳腺癌细胞的增殖、迁移和侵袭，抑制乳腺癌的生长和转移。     

The Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in the Diagnosis and Pathologic Response Prediction in Breast Cancer: A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review

PurposeTo determine the overall performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in differentiating between benign and malignant breast lesions and in predicting the pathologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in patients with breast cancer (BC).Materials and MethodsArticles published up to April 2019 were systematically searched in Medline, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. The sensitivities and specificities across studies, the calculations of positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR⁺ and LR⁻), diagnostic odds ratio (OR), and constructed summary receiver operating characteristic curves were determined. Methodologic quality was assessed using the QUADAS (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies) tool. Subgroup analyses and metaregression were performed on prespecified study-level characteristics.ResultsFifty-one studies involving 4875 patients with 5246 breast lesions and 10 studies involving 462 patients with BC receiving NAC were included. Methodologic quality was relatively high, and no publication bias was detected. The overall sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic OR, LR⁺, and LR⁻ for CEUS were 0.88 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86-0.89), 0.82 (95% CI, 0.80-0.83), 30.55 (95% CI, 21.40-43.62), 4.29 (95% CI, 3.51-5.25), and 0.16 (95% CI, 0.13-0.21), respectively, showing statistical heterogeneity. Multivariable metaregression analysis showed contrast mode to be the most significant source of heterogeneity. The overall sensitivity, specificity, LR⁺, LR, and diagnostic OR of CEUS imaging in predicting the overall pathologic response to NAC in patients with BC were 0.89 (95% CI, 0.83-0.93), 0.83 (95% CI, 0.78-0.88), 4.49 (95% CI, 3.04-6.62), 0.16 (95% CI, 0.10-0.24,), and 32.21 (95% CI, 16.74-62.01), respectively, showing mild heterogeneity.ConclusionOur data confirmed the excellent performance of breast CEUS in differentiating between benign and malignant breast lesions as well as pathologic response prediction in patients with BC receiving NAC.     

Identification of 9 serum microRNAs as potential noninvasive biomarkers of human astrocytoma

BackgroundCirculating microRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as promising biomarkers for human cancer. In the current study, we investigated the potential use of serum miRNAs as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis in a cohort of Chinese astrocytoma patients.MethodsAn initial screening of the circulating miRNA expression profile was performed on pooled serum samples from 10 preoperative patients and 10 healthy controls using a TaqMan low-density array. The selected serum miRNAs were then validated in 90 preoperative patients and 110 healthy controls who were randomly divided into a training set and a validation set. An additional double-blind test was performed in 50 astrocytomas and 50 controls to assess the serum miRNA-based biomarker accuracy in predicting astrocytoma. The differentially expressed miRNAs were evaluated in paired preoperative and postoperative serum samples from 73 astrocytoma patients. The correlation of the miRNA levels with survival in astrocytoma samples was estimated.ResultsNine serum miRNAs were significantly increased in the astrocytoma patients. The biomarker composed of these 9 miRNAs had high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. These 9 miRNAs were markedly decreased in the serum after operation. The upregulation of miR-20a-5p, miR-106a-5p, and miR-181b-5p was associated with advanced clinical stages of astrocytoma. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the high expression of miR-19a-3p, miR-106a-5p, and miR-181b-5p was significantly associated with poor patient survival. Finally, the combined 3-miRNAs panel was an important prognostic predictor, independent of other clinicopathological factors.ConclusionsThe results indicated the potential of serum miRNAs as novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for human astrocytoma.     

Clinical significance of serum miR-21 in breast cancer compared with CA153 and CEA

Objective： MicroRNA-21 （miR-21） has been shown to be a key regulator of carcinogenesis. There were few reports about the comparison of serum miR-21 with conventional tumor markers. This study aimed to explore the diagnostic value of circulating miR-21 as a tumor marker in breast cancer （BC） and compare it with CA15 3 and carcinoembryonic antigen （CEA）. Methods： Circulating miR-16 and miR-21 were amplified and quantitatively detected by real-time PCR in 89 BC patients and 55 healthy controls. The levels of CA153 and CEA were measured through assays. Then the sensitivity in diagnosis of BC was compared among miR-21, CA153 and CEA. Results： The level of serum miR-21 was significantly higher in BC patients than controls （P〈0.001）. The sensitivity and specificity of miR-21 were 87.6% and 87.3%, respectively, whereas the sensitivities of CEA and CA153 were only 22.47% and 15.73%. Con~lusions： Compared with CEA and CA153, serum miR-21 has a higher sensitivity in diagnosis of BC. Although not correlated with the status of ER, PR and clinical stages, serum miR-21 may be a potential diagnostic indicator for BC, especially for the early stage.     

Long Non-Coding RNA NORAD Inhibits Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation and Metastasis by Regulating miR-155-5p/SOCS1 Axis

PurposeNon-coding RNA activated by DNA damage (NORAD) has been reported to be a cancer-related long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) implicated in the progression of several cancers; however, its role in breast cancer (BC) has not yet been clarified.MethodsQuantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to examine NORAD, microRNA (miR)-155-5p, and suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) mRNA expression levels. Western blotting was used to analyze SOCS1 protein expression. The malignancy of BC cells was assessed using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), BrdU, and Transwell assays. Bioinformatics analysis, RNA immunoprecipitation assay, and dual-luciferase reporter gene assays were used to verify the targeted relationship between NORAD and miR-155-5p. Additionally, the regulatory effects of NORAD and miR-155-5p on SOCS1 expression were determined by western blotting.ResultsNORAD expression was significantly reduced in BC cell lines and tissues, and its low expression was associated with poor tumor tissue differentiation. NORAD overexpression repressed BC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, whereas its knockdown produced the opposite effects. Additionally, miR-155-5p was found to be a target of NORAD, and the biological functions of miR-155-5p and NORAD were counteractive. MiR-155-5p was confirmed to target SOCS1, and SOCS1 was found to be positively regulated by NORAD.ConclusionNORAD suppresses miR-155-5p to upregulate SOCS1, thereby repressing the proliferation, migration, and invasion of BC cells.     

A Multi-institutional Pooled Analysis Demonstrates That Circulating miR-371a-3p Alone is Sufficient for Testicular Malignant Germ Cell Tumor Diagnosis

BackgroundCirculating microRNAs have clear potential for improving malignant germ-cell-tumor (MGCT) diagnosis. Here, we address the central issue of whether measurement of a single microRNA is sufficient for detecting testicular MGCTs, or whether there is added benefit in quantifying other members of the 4-microRNA panel previously identified (miR-371a-3p/miR-372-3p/miR-373-3p and miR-367-3p).Patients and MethodsWe performed a pooled analysis of available published raw data where all 4 panel miRNAs had been assessed using pre-amplification PCR technology (4 studies; total 329 patients). Two studies using identical methodology (and identical normalization using endogenous miR-30b-5p) were used in the discovery phase (n = 51 patients: 17 MGCT, 34 controls). The 2 other studies (n = 278 patients: 140 MGCT, 138 controls), which assessed the same test panel but with different normalization approaches (endogenous miR-93-5p, exogenous cel-miR-39-3p), were used for the validation phase. We derived sensitivity, specificity, positive- and negative-predictive-values (PPV/NPV) for the detection thresholds that maximised the Youden Index (YI).ResultsIn the discovery-phase, the YI was 0.97 for miR-371a-3p (sensitivity = 1, specificity = 0.97), 0.71 (miR-367-3p), 0.68 (miR-372-3p), and 0.50 (miR-373-3p). These findings were confirmed in the validation-phase, with YI of 0.75 for miR-371a-3p (sensitivity = 0.90, specificity 0.85), 0.55 (miR-367-3p), 0.47 (miR-372-3p), and 0.51 (miR-373-3p). Importantly, no combination of markers added additional diagnostic benefit to miR-371a-3p alone, in either the discovery or the validation phase.ConclusionQuantifying circulating miR-371a-3p alone is sufficient for testicular MGCT diagnosis. PCR measurement of this single miRNA marker will be more cost-effective and easier to interpret, facilitating future incorporation into routine clinical practice.     

miR-144和lncRNADNAJC3-AS1在乳腺癌组织中的表达及其在在乳腺癌 细胞MCF-7化疗耐药中的作用

目的：探讨miR-144及长链非编码RNA(long non-coding RNA, lncRNA）DNAJC3-AS1在乳腺癌（breat cancer, BC）组 织中的表达及其对BC MCF-7细胞化疗耐药的影响。方法：选取2012年1月至2016年12月于三二〇一医院肿瘤内科收治的 196例BC患者的肿瘤组织及其配对癌旁组织，采用qPCR法检测DNAJC3-AS1、DNAJC3及miR-144在BC组织中的相对表达量， 分析其对患者生存期的影响；荧光素酶报告基因实验验证DNAJC3-AS1与miR-144的靶向结合关系； 将DNAJC3-AS1过表达质 粒及miR-144 mimics转染MCF-7细胞，采用qPCR验证转染效果。CCK-8实验检测过表达DNAJC3-AS1及过表达miR-144对 MCF-7细胞增殖及顺铂敏感性的影响。结果：DNAJC3-AS1及其宿主基因DNAJC3在BC组织中均呈高表达（均P<0.01），且两 者表达水平呈正相关（r=0.451， P<0.01），并且高表达DNAJC3-AS1和DNAJC3的患者生存期较短（均P<0.01）；miR-144在BC组 织中呈低表达（P<0.01），且与DNAJC3-AS1呈负相关（r=–0.524， P<0.01)。转染后细胞中DNAJC3-AS1过表达平均倍数为13.47 倍（P<0.01），miR-144过表达平均倍数为20.27倍（P<0.01）；生物信息学分析和荧光素酶报告实验证实DNAJC3-AS1能够与miR-144 靶向结合。成功构建过表达DNAJC3-AS1和miR-14的MCF-7细胞，与对照组相比，DNAJC3-AS1过表达组细胞增殖能力显著增 强（P<0.01）、对顺铂的敏感性显著降低 （P<0.01），而 miR-144 过表达组细胞对顺铂的敏感性显著增加 （P<0.01）。结论：miR-144和 lncRNADNAJC3-AS1在BC组织中均高表达，miR-144可通过靶向DNAJC3-AS1从而提高BC MCF-7细胞对顺铂的敏感性。     

RETRACTED: LncRNA TUG1 Targets miR-222-3p to Take Part in Proliferation and Invasion of Breast Cancer Cells

This study aimed to explore LncRNA TUG1 targeted miR-222-3p in the proliferation and invasion of breast cancer (BC) cells. Seventy-six BC patients admitted to our hospital and 62 health check-ups at the same time were selected as the research objects. Among them, the former was seen as the observation group (OG), and the latter was considered as the control group (CG). The clinical significance of LncRNA TUG1 and miR-222-3p in BC was detected. Human BC cell MCF7 and normal human breast epithelial cell MCF-10A were purchased. After cells were transfected with LncRNA TUG1 and miR-222-3p, their proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis were observed, and the relationship between the two was detected. LncRNA TUG1 was highly expressed, while miR-222-3p was low expressed in BC. When the cut-off value (COV) was 2.109, the sensitivity and specificity of detecting LncRNA TUG1 expression in peripheral blood for BC diagnosis were 98.39% and 69.74%, respectively. When the COV was 0.760, the sensitivity and specificity of detecting miR-222-3p expression were 67.11% and 91.94%. The cell proliferation and invasion of the sh-TUG1 group were dramatically higher than those of the other two, while the apoptosis rate was lower (p < 0.05). The cell proliferation and invasion of the si-TUG1r group were lower than those of the TUG1-NC group, while the apoptosis rate was higher (p < 0.05). The cell proliferation and invasion of the miR-222-3p-inhibitor group were dramatically higher than those of the other two, while the apoptosis rate was lower (p < 0.05). The miR-222-3p-mimics group has lower cell proliferation and invasion but higher apoptosis rate than NC group. (p < 0.05) The LncRNA TUG1 and miR-222-3p had the same gene sequence after target gene verification by http://starbase.sysu.edu.cn/. Biological behavior tests showed no difference in cell proliferation, invasion and apoptosis between the sh-TUG1 + miR-222-3p-mimics group and the TUG1-NC group (p > 0.05). TUG1 promotes the proliferation, invasion and inhibit apoptosis of BC cells by targeted regulation of miR-222-3p.     

Analysis of miR-205 and miR-155 expression in the blood of breast cancer patients

The purpose of this study was to identify and validate circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in human plasma for use as breast cancer (BC) biomarkers and to analyze their relationship to clinicopathologic features and its preliminary biological function. Genome-wide expression profiling of miRNAs in BC was investigated by microarray analysis. miR-155 was up-regulated greater than two-fold in BC compared with Normal Adjacent Tissue (NAT), whereas let-7b, miR-381, miR-10b, miR-125a-5p, miR-335, miR-205 and miR-145 were down- regulated greater than two-fold. Our hypothesis was that circulating miRNAs are also present and differentially expressed in the serum of BC patients compared to controls. Using real-time PCR (RT-PCR), we analyzed miR-205 and miR-155 in archived serum from 30 participants, 20 with breast cancer and 10 healthy people. miR-205 was down-regulated in BC patient serum while miR-155 was up-regulated. Furthermore, we analyzed the relationship between the expression levels of these two miRNAs and the clinicopathologic parameters of BC patients. High expression of miR155 was associated with clinical stage, molecular type, Ki-67 and p53 in BC patients (P<0.05). By contrast, we found no significant correlation between miR-205 and BC patient clinicopathologic parameters. Functional analysis showed that ectopic expression of miR-205 significantly inhibits cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis. miR-205 was down-regulated and miR-155 was up-regulated in BC patient serum. miR-155 was positive correlated with clinical stage and ki-67 and negatively correlated with p53 status.     

血浆miRNA在肺癌早期筛查中作用的病例对照研究

目的:探讨miR-122-5p等miRNA在早期肺癌患者血浆中的表达水平及其与肺癌发病风险的关联性。方法:运用高通量测序技术筛选在早期肺癌患者和对照者血浆中差异表达的miRNA,通过实时荧光定量PCR（quantitative real-time PCR,qRT-PCR)检测miRNA的表达。采用性别、年龄±5岁进行1∶2匹配的病例对照研究,使用条件Logistic回归分析miRNA与肺癌发病风险的关联。结果:早期肺癌组血浆miR-122-5p、miR-199a-5p、miR-221-3p、miR-27b-3p和miR-99a-5p的表达水平均显著高于对照组（P＜0.01）;用于检测早期肺癌时,miR-199a-5p的灵敏度可达95.8%,miR-99a-5p的特异度可达81.2%;血浆miR-122-5p、miR-199a-5p、miR-221-3p、miR-27b-3p和miR-99a-5p的表达与肺癌发病风险升高存在显著关联,第四分位数组的肺癌发病风险较高,分别是第一分位数组的9.613倍（95%CI:1.488~62.118,Ptrend=0.011）、23.863倍（95%CI:2.208~257.938,Ptrend=0.007）、27.416倍（95%CI:2.575~291.919,Ptrend=0.003）、23.626倍（95%CI:2.044~273.070,Ptrend=0.005）和72.504倍（95%CI:3.519~1 493.742,Ptrend=0.004）。结论:miR-122-5p、miR-199a-5p、miR-221-3p、miR-27b-3p和miR-99a-5p是肺癌发病的危险因素。     

Downregulated miR-367-3p,miR-548aq-5p,and miR-4710 in Human Whole Blood: Potential Biomarkers for Breast Cancer With Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis

BackgroundIncreasing studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) have great diagnostic value in cancer. Axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM) is closely related to the prognosis of breast cancer. However, it remains unknown whether miRNAs in whole blood could be promising biomarkers in breast cancer ALNM.MethodsAn miRNA microarray was used to screen potential differentially expressed miRNA candidates in whole blood of three breast cancer patients with ALNM and three without ALNM. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect candidate differentially expressed miRNAs in the whole blood of 109 breast cancer patients. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis was carried to predict the potential targets and enriched pathway of miRNAs.ResultsQRT-PCR validated the fact that miR-367-3p, miR-548aq-5p and miR-4710 are downregulated in breast cancer with ALNM compared to it without ALNM. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that miR-367-3p, miR-548aq-5p and miR-4710 have good diagnostic values. Notably, the three-miRNA signature showed better predictive value, with an area under ROC curve (AUC) of 0.7414. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the miRNAs could participate in a complex network and thus be involved in cancer-related pathways.ConclusionsOur findings support the potential of miR-367-3p, miR-548aq-5p and miR-4710 and the three-miRNA signature as biomarkers for breast cancer with ALNM.     

Circ-RPPH1 knockdown retards breast cancer progression via miR-328-3p-mediated suppression of HMGA2

BackgroundCircular RNA Ribonuclease P RNA Component H1 (circ-RPPH1) was confirmed to act as an oncogene in many cancers to promote cancer progression. However, the exact function and mechanism of circ-RPPH1 in breast cancer (BC) remain vague.MethodsThe expression of circ-RPPH1, microRNA (miR)-328-3p and high-mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) was detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Cell viability, apoptosis, migration and invasion were determined using cell counting kit-8 assay, flow cytometry and transwell assay, respectively. Glucose metabolism was calculated by detecting glucose uptake and lactate production. The target correlations between miR-328-3p and circ-RPPH1 or HMGA2 were confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The murine xenograft model was established to conduct in vivo experiments.ResultsCirc-RPPH1 expression was elevated and miR-328-3p was decreased in BC tissues and cells. Circ-RPPH1 knockdown or miR-328-3p re-expression suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion and glycolysis but induced apoptosis in BC in vitro. Circ-RPPH1 was a sponge of miR-328-3p, and silencing of miR-328-3p reversed the inhibitory effects of circ-RPPH1 knockdown on BC cell malignant phenotypes and glycolysis. MiR-328-3p directly targeted HMGA2, and HMGA2 overexpression abolished the action of miR-328-3p in BC cells. Besides, circ-RPPH1 could regulate HMGA2 expression by miR-328-3p in BC cells. Moreover, murine xenograft model analysis suggested circ-RPPH1 knockdown inhibited tumor growth in vivo.ConclusionCirc-RPPH1 knockdown retarded cell malignant phenotypes and glycolysis via miR-328-3p/HMGA2 axis in BC, providing a potential therapeutic target for BC treatment.     

Plasma Circulating Mirnas Profiling for Identification of Potential Breast Cancer Early Detection Biomarkers

Objective: This study aimed to characterize the miRNA expression profiles from plasma samples of our local breast cancer patients in comparison to healthy control by using miRNA PCR Array. Methods: In this study, plasma miRNA profiles from eight early-stage breast cancer patients and nine age-matched (± 2 years) healthy controls were characterized by miRNA array-based approach, followed by differential gene expression analysis, Independent T-test and construction of Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve to determine the capability of the assays to discriminate between breast cancer and the healthy control. Results: Based on the 372-miRNAs microarray profiling, a set of 40 differential miRNAs was extracted regarding to the fold change value at 2 and above. We further sub grouped 40 miRNAs of breast cancer patients that were significantly expressed at 2-fold change and higher. In this set, we discovered that 24 miRNAs were significantly upregulated and 16 miRNAs were significantly downregulated in breast cancer patients, as compared to the miRNA expression of healthy subjects. ROC curve analysis revealed that seven miRNAs (miR-125b-5p, miR-142-3p, miR-145-5p, miR-193a-5p, miR-27b-3p, miR-22-5p and miR-423-5p) had area under curve (AUC) value > 0.7 (AUC p-value < 0.05). Overlapping findings from differential gene expression analysis, ROC analysis, and Independent T-Test resulted in three miRNAs (miR-27b-3p, miR-22-5p, miR-145-5p). Cohen’s effect size for these three miRNAs was large with d value are more than 0.95. Conclusion: miR-27b-3p, miR-22-5p, miR-145-5p could be potential biomarkers to distinguish breast cancer patients from healthy controls. A validation study for these three miRNAs in an external set of samples is ongoing.