Diagnostic and prognostic potential of miR-21, miR-29c, miR-148 and miR-203 in adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus.
BACKGROUND
Esophageal cancer is the malignant tumor with very poor prognosis and increasing incidence often diagnosed at very late stage, so the prognosis of affected patients is unsatisfactory, despite the development of therapeutic option such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Consequently, there is a great need for biomarkers to allow a tailored multimodality approach with increased efficiency. Altered expression of microRNAs has been reported in wide range of malignancies, including esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to examine the expression levels of candidate microRNAs in esophageal cancer and evaluate their diagnostic and prognostic potential.


RESULTS
Using quantitative real-time PCR, expression levels of 9 candidate microRNAs were examined in 62 tissue samples, 23 esophageal adenocarcinomas, 22 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas and 17 adjacent esophageal mucosa samples. MicroRNA expression levels were further analyzed in regards to clinico-pathological features of esophageal cancer patients. We observed significantly decreased levels of miR-203 and increased levels of miR-21 in adenocarcinoma tissues when compared to normal mucosa. MiR-29c and miR-148 indicated good ability to distinguish between histological subtypes of esophageal cancer. MiR-203 and miR-148 were linked to disease-free survival and overall survival in esophageal adenocarcinoma patients, and miR-148 also in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that altered expression of miR-21, miR-29c, miR-148 and miR-203 are related to neoplastic transformation and progression of the disease and these microRNAs could serve as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in esophageal cancer.
The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/4646922201567057.
Molecular Oncology II - Solid Cancers, Molecular Medicine Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. renata.hezova@gmail.com.|Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, Brno, 656 53, Czech Republic. renata.hezova@gmail.com.
Renata
R
Hezova
Molecular Oncology II - Solid Cancers, Molecular Medicine Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. aluskakovarikova@centrum.cz.
Alena
A
Kovarikova
Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, 779 00, Czech Republic. srovnalj@gmail.com.
Josef
J
Srovnal
Department of Oncology, General University Hospital in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic. Milada.Zemanova@vfn.cz.
Milada
M
Zemanova
3rd Department of Surgery, University Hospital in Motol, Prague, Czech Republic. TomasHarustiak@seznam.cz.
Tomas
T
Harustiak
Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University and University Hospital, Olomouc, 779 00, Czech Republic. jiri.ehrmann@gmail.com.
Jiri
J
Ehrmann
Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, 779 00, Czech Republic. hajduchm@gmail.com.
Marian
M
Hajduch
Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, Brno, 656 53, Czech Republic. msvoboda@mou.cz.
Marek
M
Svoboda
Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, Brno, 656 53, Czech Republic. sachlova@mou.cz.
Milana
M
Sachlova
Molecular Oncology II - Solid Cancers, Molecular Medicine Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. on.slaby@gmail.com.|Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Zluty kopec 7, Brno, 656 53, Czech Republic. on.slaby@gmail.com.
Ondrej
O
Slaby
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C550570:MIRN148 microRNA, human; C546703:MIRN203 microRNA, human; C524940:MIRN21 microRNA, human; C532045:MIRN29a microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs