title: Identification of serum microRNA-21 as a biomarker for chemosensitivity and prognosis in human osteosarcoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the serum level of microRNA (miR)-21 in patients with osteosarcoma and its correlation with chemosensitivity and prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  miR-21 levels in sera from 65 patients with osteosarcoma and 30 healthy controls were measured by  real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Correlations between serum miR-21 and clinicopathological features in patients with osteosarcoma were determined. The prognostic significance of serum miR-21 was assessed using a Cox proportional hazards model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum  level of miR-21 was significantly higher in patients with osteosarcoma than in control subjects. High serum miR-21 was significantly correlated with advanced Enneking stage and chemotherapeutic resistance. Univariate and multivariate analyses for overall survival showed that upregulation of  serum miR-21 was an independent, unfavourable prognostic factor for patients with osteosarcoma (hazard ratio, 2.325).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  miR-21 might be a good candidate for a therapeutic target, and a potential biomarker for the prediction of chemotherapeutic sensitivity and prognosis in patients  with osteosarcoma.
authors: Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Yuan
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Chen
authors: X
authors: X
authors: Chen
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Sun
authors: X
authors: X
authors: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics; D002648:Child; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C524940:MIRN21 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs