title: Associations of miR-146a and miR-146b expression and breast cancer in very young women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MicroRNAs (miRNA) expression profiles might be useful novel biomarkers for tumor diagnostic and histological characterization.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Associations of miR-146 expression and breast cancer in very young women needed to be elucidated.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated expressions of miR-146a, miR-146b and IL-6 in tissues between 120 young women with primary breast cancer and 130 patients with breast fibroadenoma by RT-PCR. The associations between the expression of miR-146, IL-6 and clinical parameters of breast cancer were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Levels of miR-146a and miR-146b in breast cancer tissues were lower while level of IL-6 was higher compared to the fibroadenoma tissues and pericancerous breast tissues (P< 0.05). Positive associations were found between levels of miR-146a/b and IL-6 in breast cancer tissues and ER-PgR-, HER2/neu-, Ki-67 index ≥ 20%, tumor size > 2 cm, positive distant metastasis and lymph node metastasis, advanced clinical TNM stages (III-IV) and basal-like phenotype (P< 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Down-regulations of miR-146a and miR-146b expression in breast tissues were related to development and deterioration of breast cancer. miR-146a and miR-146b might act as potential biomarkers for young women with breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Breast Cancer Center, Shandong Cancer Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Yongqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of the Second General Surgery, People's Hospital of Haiyang, Yantai, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Yadong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory, Women and Children's Hospital of Qingdao, Qingdao, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Chundong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Breast Cancer Center, Shandong Cancer Hospital, Jinan, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Wenshu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zuo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015850:Interleukin-6; C542542:MIRN146 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Breast cancer; RT-PCR; miR-146a; miR-146b