title: Cell-free microRNA expression profiles in malignant effusion associated with patient survival in non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  MicroRNAs (miRNAs) expression is altered in cancer cells, and miRNAs could serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for cancer patients. This study was designed to analyze circulating miRNAs expression in the malignant pleural effusion (MPE) and their association with patient survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Pleural effusion from 184 patients with NSCLC and MPE were collected. MiRNA microarray and bioinformatics interpretation were used to evaluate miRNA expression profiles in 10 NSCLC patients with different survival prognosis. Associations were validated in 184 patients (randomly classified into training and validation set with equal number in each group) using quantitative RT-PCR. Risk scores were formulated based on the expression signature of miRNAs. Clinical data, such as patient survival, were collected for correlation analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-three miRNAs were found to be altered more than two-fold by microarray in malignant effusions between longer-survival and shorter-survival groups, and levels of five miRNAs (miRNA-93, miRNA-100, miRNA-134, miRNA-151 and miRNA-345) were significantly associated with overall survival. High expression of miR-100 and low expression of miRNA-93, miRNA-134, miRNA-151 and miRNA-345 were associated with poor survival in both the training and validation cohort. Patients with high risk scores had overall poor survival compared to the patients with low risk scores. Risk score was an independent predictor of patient survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression patterns of miRNAs are systematically altered in MPE of patient with NSCLC. The five miRNA signature from the effusion may serve as a predictor for the overall survival of patients with lung cancers.
authors.affiliation: Immunology and Reproduction Biology Lab, Medical School & State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Mingming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Sunan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yueqiu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Baorui
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Like
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Yayi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics*; D019295:Computational Biology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000235:genetics*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs