title: In situ hybridization analysis of the expression of miR-106b in colonic cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MicroRNA-106b (miR-106b) is thought to be an oncogenic microRNA that promotes tumor growth and metastasis. The potential predictive value of miR-106b was studied in colonic cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of miR-106b was examined in 180 colonic cancer cases using in situ hybridization (ISH) technique and was evaluated semi-quantitatively by examining the staining index. The Correlation of miR-106b expression and clinic-pathological features was analyzed by Spearman Rank Correlation. Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for assessing the expression difference of miRNA-106b between colonic cancerous and para-cancerous ones, and their effects on patient survival were analyzed by a log-rank test and the Kaplan-Meier method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MiR-106b was higher expressed in para-cancerous tissues, compared with colonic cancerous ones (P < 0.001). A positive correlation of miR-106b levels between colonic and para-cancerous tissues was also observed (CC = 0.523, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the expression of miR-106b was not significantly correlated with clinic-pathological parameters, including gender, age, histological grade, tumor size, pT stage, pN stage, pM stage and pTNM stage of the patients. Histological grade was positively correlated with pT stage (P = 0.011), pN stage (P = 0.036) and pTNM stage (P = 0.009). Patients expressing high levels of miR-106b both in colonic cancer tissues and para-cancerous ones have a relatively longer survival time but the difference is not statistically significant (P = 0.16).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression difference of miR-106b levels between colonic tissues and para-cancerous tissues is statistically significant, but the miR-106b levels were not quite correlated with clinic-pathological characteristics and overall survival times of patients with colonic cancer. Lower levels of miR-106b may be connected with neoplastic effects due to interference with TGF-β signaling, providing evidence that down-regulation of miR-106b might also play an important role in the progression of the disease. The study results are consistent with the literature and support the notion that miR-106b is an oncogenic microRNA.
authors.affiliation: Tongji Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai 200065, China.
authors.forename: Ying-Xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: National Engineering Center for Biochip at Shanghai 201023 China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: National Engineering Center for Biochip at Shanghai 201023 China.
authors.forename: Yan-Xia
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Tongji Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai 200065, China.
authors.forename: Chang-Qing
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Tongji Institute of Digestive Disease, Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University Shanghai 200065, China ; National Engineering Center for Biochip at Shanghai 201023 China.
authors.forename: Heng-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C542541:MIRN106 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: MicroRNA-106b; colonic cancer; in situ hybridization