title: Reliable microRNA profiling in routinely processed formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast cancer specimens using fluorescence labelled bead technology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  During the last years the analysis of microRNA expression patterns has led to completely new insights into cancer biology. Furthermore, these patterns are a very promising tool for the development of new diagnostic and prognostic markers. However, most human tumour samples for which long term clinical records are available exist only as formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of microRNA profiling studies in routinely processed formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human breast cancer specimens using fluorescence labelled bead technology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A statistically highly significant correlation (Spearman r: 0.78 - 0.90, p < 0.0001) was observed for the expression of 319 microRNAs in routinely processed FFPE breast cancer specimens and paired fresh frozen tissue samples (n = 5). Results were confirmed in a larger series analyzing a selection of 10 microRNAs reported to be deregulated in breast cancer (n = 12). The expression pattern of 3 microRNAs was independently validated in this cohort using real-time RT-PCR technology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comprehensive microRNA expression patterns can be reliably derived from routinely processed FFPE breast cancer specimens using fluorescence labelled bead technology.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany. Hasemeier.Britta@MH-Hannover.de
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hasemeier
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Christgen
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kreipe
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lehmann
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000378:metabolism; D005629:Frozen Sections; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000592:standards; D008863:Microspheres; D016612:Paraffin Embedding / Q000379:methods*; D011786:Quality Control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods*; D016707:Tissue Fixation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D035683:MicroRNAs; D005557:Formaldehyde