title: Fecal miR-29a and miR-224 as the noninvasive biomarkers for colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death around the world. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that often are abnormally expressed in tumors. Detection and quantitation of miRNAs may provide information for the screening and early diagnosis of CRC.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of our study was to determine whether fecal microRNAs (miR-29a, miR-145, miR-223, miR-224) could be used as biomarkers for the screening and early diagnosis of colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a retrospective analysis of the miRNAs in fecal samples from 80 CRC patients and 51 normal controls. The levels of 4 miRNAs (miR-29a, miR-145, miR-223, and miR-224) were quantitated using the SYBR Green miScript PCR system and 2( - Δ Δ Ct) method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our data indicated that the expression levels of miR-29a (p< 0.001), miR-223 (p< 0.001) and miR-224 (p< 0.001) are significantly lower in feces from CRC patients than these from normal volunteers, whereas their miR-145 levels are not significantly different (p= 0.59). Interestingly, the level of miR-29a (p< 0.001) in feces from individuals with rectum cancer is also significantly higher than that from patients with colon cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There are reduced expression of miR-29a, miR-223, and miR-224 in the feces from the CRC patients, which could be an informative biomarker for screening and early diagnosis of CRC.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital to Yangzhou University School of Medicine, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Yunxiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital to Yangzhou University School of Medicine, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.
authors.forename: Andong
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.|Shanghai Colorectal Cancer Research Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jinming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.|Shanghai Colorectal Cancer Research Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jihong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.|Shanghai Colorectal Cancer Research Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Guanghui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.|Shanghai Colorectal Cancer Research Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yili
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.|Shanghai Colorectal Cancer Research Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.|Shanghai Colorectal Cancer Research Center, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jiwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D005243:Feces; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C546140:MIRN224 microRNA, human; C532045:MIRN29a microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Colorectal cancer; diagnosis; microRNA; noninvasive biomarker; screening