miR-21 microRNA expression in human gastric carcinomas and its clinical association.
BACKGROUND
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous small non-coding RNAs that have been shown to be aberrantly expressed in many human carcinomas. Of these miRNAs, miR-21 appears to be important in tumorigenesis given its up-regulation in almost all types of human cancer examined. However, its association with the clinicopathological features of human gastric cancer has yet to be addressed.


METHODS
Cancer tissues and corresponding normal tissues from 37 patients with gastric cancer were examined for the expression level of miR-21 using quantitative PCR and the clinical relevance of miR-21 was statistically analyzed.


RESULTS
miR-21 was overexpressed in 92% (34/37) of the gastric cancer samples examined. However, the patients with higher miR-21 expression did not have a worse prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
miR-21 could serve as an efficient diagnostic marker for gastric cancer, but does not affect the clinical prognosis of gastric cancer patients.
Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Republic of China.
Shih-Hsuan
SH
Chan
Chew-Wun
CW
Wu
Anna F Y
AF
Li
Chin-Wen
CW
Chi
Wen-Chang
WC
Lin
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D011379:Prognosis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C524940:MIRN21 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs