Down-regulation of miR-92 in human plasma is a novel marker for acute leukemia patients.
BACKGROUND
MicroRNAs are a family of 19- to 25-nucleotides noncoding small RNAs that primarily function as gene regulators. Aberrant microRNA expression has been described for several human malignancies, and this new class of small regulatory RNAs has both oncogenic and tumor suppressor functions. Despite this knowledge, there is little information regarding microRNAs in plasma especially because microRNAs in plasma, if exist, were thought to be digested by RNase. Recent studies, however, have revealed that microRNAs exist and escape digestion in plasma.


RESULTS
We performed microRNA microaray to obtain insight into microRNA deregulation in the plasma of a leukemia patient. We have revealed that microRNA-638 (miR-638) is stably present in human plasmas, and microRNA-92a (miR-92a) dramatically decreased in the plasmas of acute leukemia patients. Especially, the ratio of miR-92a/miR-638 in plasma was very useful for distinguishing leukemia patients from healthy body.


CONCLUSIONS
The ratio of miR-92a/miR-638 in plasma has strong potential for clinical application as a novel biomarker for detection of leukemia.
Department of Pathology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
Masami
M
Tanaka
Kosuke
K
Oikawa
Masakatsu
M
Takanashi
Motoshige
M
Kudo
Junko
J
Ohyashiki
Kazuma
K
Ohyashiki
Masahiko
M
Kuroda
D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007938:Leukemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D015470:Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
C541874:MIRN92 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs