title: MicroRNA-21 regulates the invasion and metastasis in cholangiocarcinoma and may be a potential biomarker for cancer prognosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MicroRNAs are noncoding RNA molecules that posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression. The aim of this study was to determine the role of microRNA-21 in cholangiocarcinomas and its relationship to cholangiocarcinoma RBE cell capacity for invasion and metastasis.
  
  
  METHODS
  MicroRNA-21 expression was investigated in 41 cases of cholangiocarcinoma samples by in situ hybridization and real-time PCR. Influence on cholangiocarcinoma cell line invasion and metastasis was analyzed with microRNA-21 transfected cells. In addition, regulation of reversion-inducing-cysteine-rich protein with kazal motifs (RECK) by microRNA-21 was elucidated to identify mechanisms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In situ hybridization and real-time quantitative PCR results for patients with lymph node metastasis or perineural invasion showed significantly high expression of microRNA-21 (P<0.05). There was a dramatic decrease in cholangiocarcinoma cell line invasion and metastasis ability after microRNA-21 knockdown (P<0.05). However, overexpression significantly increased invasion and metastasis (P<0.05). Real-time PCR and Western-blot analysis showed that microRNA-21 could potentially inhibit RECK expression in RBE cells. Survival analysis showed that patients with higher expression levels of microRNA-21 more often had a poor prognosis (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MicroRNA-21 may play an important role in cholangiocarcinoma invasion and metastasis, suggesting that MicroRNA-21 should be further evaluated as a biomarker for predicting cholangiocarcinoma prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Provincial Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chen-Hai
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Xian-Sheng
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: San-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Chuan-Hai
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000473:pathology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000235:genetics*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000235:genetics*; D018317:Nerve Sheath Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000556:secondary; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011379:Prognosis; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D013534:Survival
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D058851:GPI-Linked Proteins; C524940:MIRN21 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; C115460:RECK protein, human; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering