title: Plasma Expression Levels of Circulating miR-21 are not Useful for Diagnosing and Monitoring Colorectal Cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent evidence suggests that microRNAs play an important role in cancer diagnostics. We assessed plasma microRNA-21 levels in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) at different stages and in patients with benign polyps.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma levels of miR-21 were assessed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay in plasma samples of 76 CRC patients and in 20 patients with benign polyps. Differences between groups were evaluated with Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences of miR-21 plasma levels were observed between CRC patients and subjects with benign polyps (p > 0.05). Also, no significant differences were found between CRC patients with advanced (III-IV) or early cancer stages (I-II) (p > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results do not support the hypothesis that circulating miR-21 expression is increased in adenoma-carcinoma-advanced carcinoma sequence. Accordingly, plasma miR-21 assessment does not appear to be a useful biomarker for diagnosing and staging CRC.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montagnana
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benati
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Danese
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Minicozzi
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Paviati
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gusella
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasini
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bovo
authors.forename: Gian Cesare
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Guidi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lippi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: C524940:MIRN21 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs