INTRODUCTION: Emerging evidence suggest that microRNAs could serve as non-invasive biomarker for cancer patients.
Our study was designed to analyze circulating serum microRNAs in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum RNA was isolated from patients with clear cell RCC (ccRCC) and non-malignant disease; an artificial microRNA (cel-miR-39) was spiked-in prior the isolation procedure to control isolation efficiency. The levels of miR-26a-2*, miR-191, miR-337-3p and miR-378 in serum were determined using quantitative real-time PCR; the microRNA levels were normalized to cel-miR-39.
RESULTS: First, miR-26a-2*, miR-191, miR-337-3p and miR-378 were quantified in serum of each 25 patients with ccRCC and non-malignant disease. The level of miR-378 was significantly increased in ccRCC patients, and thus chosen for validation. The analysis of miR-378 in the validation cohort with 117 RCC patients and 123 control subjects did not confirm a different level of miR-378. Also, miR-378 was not correlated to pT-stage, lymph node/distant metastasis, vascular invasion and Fuhrman grade.
CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of circulating serum levels of miR-26a-2*, miR-191, miR-337-3p and miR-378 is unlikely to provide helpful diagnostic/prognostic information in RCC patients.
Written by:
Hauser S, Wulfken LM, Holdenrieder S, Moritz R, Ohlmann CH, Jung V, Becker F, Herrmann E, Walgenbach-Brünagel G, von Ruecker A, Müller SC, Ellinger J. Are you the author?
Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Klinik und Poliklinik für Urologie und Kinderurologie, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany.
Reference: Cancer Epidemiol. 2012 Aug;36(4):391-4.
doi: 10.1016/j.canep.2012.04.001
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 22542158
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