title: [Diagnostic values of salivary versus and plasma microRNA-21 for early esophageal cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the diagnostic value of salivary and plasma miR-21 in patients with esophageal cancer (EC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Total RNA was extracted from saliva and plasma samples from 50 stage I and 50 stage II patients with EC and 50 healthy controls for measurement of miR-21 levels using qPCR. The diagnostic values of salivary and plasma miR-21 levels were assessed for stage I, stage II, and stage I+II EC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Salivary and plasma miR-21 were significantly higher in the EC patients than in the control group. The diagnostic sensitivities of plasma miR-21 for stage I, stage II, and stage I+II EC were 96%, 64% and 97%, with specificities of 44%, 84%, and 56%, respectively; the sensitivities of salivary miR-21 were 90%, 88%, and 89%, respectively, with the same specificities of 64%. Regardless of EC staging, the expression of plasma miR-21 showed a significant positive correlation with that of salivary miR-21, and their diagnostic values were comparable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both salivary and plasmatic miR-21 can be sensitive biomarkers for EC, and salivary miR-21 detection has the potential to replace plasma detection for EC diagnosis.
authors: Guangdong General Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Concord Medical Center, Guangzhou 510080, China.E-mail: minhuayip2014 @outlook.com.
authors: Minhua
authors: M
authors: Ye
authors: Penghui
authors: P
authors: Ye
authors: Weizhu
authors: W
authors: Zhang
authors: Jiaqi
authors: J
authors: Rao
authors: Zijun
authors: Z
authors: Xie
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D010949:Plasma / Q000737:chemistry; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C524940:MIRN21 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs