title: MicroRNA-367 is a potential diagnostic biomarker for patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we investigated whether microRNA-367 (miR-367) may serve as a circulating biomarker and tumor oncogene in esophageal squamous carcinoma (ESCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Circulating serum miR-367 was compared by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) between 35 ESCC patients and 35 normal control patients, as well paired ESCC tumor tissues and adjacent non-tumor esophageal epithelial tissues in 46 patients. The correlation between serum miR-367 and clinicopathological properties of ESCC patients was assessed. The overall survival (OS) was assessed by Kaplan-Meier method and compared by log-rank test between patients with high serum miR-367 and low serum miR-367. The possibility of miR-367 being independent prognostic factor for ESCC was also assessed. Furthermore, lentivirus-mediated miR-367 downregulation was conducted in ESCC cell lines Kyse30 and TE-1 cells to assess the possible oncogenic effect of miR-367 on ESCC proliferation and cell cycle transition in vitro.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MiR-367 was aberrantly upregulated in sera and tumors of ESCC patients, whereas downregulated in ESCC patients after the treatments of esophagectomy and chemotherapy. Serum miR-367 was found to be closely correlated with the clinicopathological properties of differentiation grades, clinical stage and tumor metastasis in ESCC patients. Serum miR-367 was also confirmed to be associated with OS, as well as serving independent prognostic factor in ESCC patients. Moreover, lentivirus-induced miR-367 downregulation inhibited cancer growth and cell cycle transition in Kyse30 and TE-1 cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MiR-367 is a potential biomarker for ESCC and may act as an oncogene in regulating ESCC development.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science Technology, Luoyang, Henan Province, 471003, China.
authors.forename: Jiangtao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science Technology, Luoyang, Henan Province, 471003, China.
authors.forename: Kaifang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science Technology, Luoyang, Henan Province, 471003, China. Electronic address: xiaoshan.feng@aol.com.
authors.forename: Xiaoshan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research Institute, First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science Technology, Luoyang, Henan Province, 471003, China.
authors.forename: Shegan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D004947:Esophagus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C568081:MIRN367 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Biomarker; Cancer proliferation; Esophageal squamous carcinoma; Prognosis; Survival; miR-367