Evaluation of Circulatory RNA-Based Biomarker Panel in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.
The circulating transcriptome (coding and non-coding) plays a critical role in cancer. Novel accurate strategies for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are strongly needed.



We chose an HCC-specific RNA-based biomarker panel based on the integration of differential lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2) gene expression with its selected epigenetic regulators using bioinformatic methods. This was followed by RT-qPCR validation in serum of 78 patients with HCC, 36 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection and 44 healthy volunteers. We used risk-score analysis to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the serum profiling system. Moreover, in twenty of the 78 HCC cases involved in the study we examined the expression of RNA-based biomarker panel in both HCC and adjacent non-tumor tissues and assessed their correlation with the serum level of this panel.



The four ribonucleic acid (RNA)-based biomarker panel [long non-coding RNA-C terminal binding protein, androgen responsive (lncRNA-CTBP), microRNA-16-2 (miR-16-2), microRNA-21-5-P (miR-21-5p) and LAMP2], had high sensitivity and specificity for discriminating HCC from healthy controls and also from CHC patients. Among these four RNAs, serum miR-16-2 and miR-21-5p were independent prognostic factors.



The circulatory RNA-based biomarker panel can serve as a potential biomarker for HCC diagnosis and prognosis.
General and Plastic Surgery Department, Military Medical Academy, Cairo, Egypt.
Ahmed Hassan Fawzi
AH
El-Tawdi
Oncology Diagnostic Unit, Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, P.O. Box 11381, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt. habiba20062001@yahoo.com.
Marwa
M
Matboli
Oncology Diagnostic Unit, Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, P.O. Box 11381, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt.
Hanan Hussein
HH
Shehata
Oncology Diagnostic Unit, Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, P.O. Box 11381, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt.
Fathy
F
Tash
Department of Clinical Pathology, Oncology Diagnostic Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Nashwa
N
El-Khazragy
Undergraduate Student, Armed Forces College of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt.
Ahmed El-Sayed Mansour
Ael-S
Azazy
Clinical Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
Omar
O
Abdel-Rahman
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012313:RNA / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012307:Risk Factors; D047368:Tumor Burden
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012313:RNA