title: Novel diagnostic value of circulating miR-18a in plasma of patients with pancreatic cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several recent studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) are stably detectable in the plasma/serum. We hypothesised that miR-18a in the plasma is a potential biomarker in patients with pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  miR-18a is located in the miR-17-92 cluster and reported to be highly expressed in pancreatic cancer tissues. This study was divided into three parts: (1) Confirmation of higher miR-18a levels in primary pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines than in normal pancreatic tissues and a human fibroblast cell line. (2) Evaluation of the plasma miR-18a assay using quantitative RT-PCR by comparing plasma results obtained from 36 patients with pancreatic cancer and from 30 healthy volunteers. (3) Evaluation of the assay for monitoring tumour dynamics in patients with pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  (1) The expression of miR-18a was significantly higher in pancreatic cancer tissues (P=0.012) and pancreatic cancer cell lines (P=0.015) than in normal tissues and fibroblasts. (2) Plasma concentrations of miR-18a were significantly higher in pancreatic cancer patients than in controls (P<0.0001). The value of the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.9369. (3) Plasma levels of miR-18a were significantly lower in postoperative samples than in preoperative samples (P=0.0077).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Circulating miR-18a might provide new complementary tumour markers for pancreatic cancer.
authors: Division of Digestive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 465 Kajii-cho, Kawaramachihirokoji, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Morimura
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Komatsu
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Ichikawa
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Takeshita
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Tsujiura
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Nagata
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Konishi
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Shiozaki
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Ikoma
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Okamoto
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Ochiai
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Taniguchi
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Otsuji
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D005820:Genetic Testing / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C522576:MIRN18A microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs