title: Plasma miR-22-3p, miR-642b-3p and miR-885-5p as diagnostic biomarkers for pancreatic cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (PC) by using sensitive and specific biomarkers is considered necessary. MiRNAs are master regulators of gene expression and several biological processes, and they are dysregulated in various cancers, where they play a vital role in either cancer progression or suppression. So, this study was designed to investigate the role of plasma miR-22-3p, miR-642b-3p and miR-885-5p expression as possible diagnostic markers in PC patients as compared to serum CA19-9. In addition, the correlation of those miRNAs and CA19-9 with clinical characteristics of PC patients was analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression levels of selected miRNAs and serum CA19-9 concentration were determined for 35 patients with PDAC and 15 healthy controls by quantitative real-time RT-PCR and electro-chemiluminescence immune assay, respectively. The sensitivities of miRNAs as biomarkers of PC were evaluated and compared with CA19-9 using a receiver operating characteristic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of three miRNAs (miR-22-3p, miR-642b-3p and miR-885-5p) and CA19-9 were significantly higher in PC patients, even those with early-stage disease (IB and IIB), than in healthy control. Both miRNAs and CA19-9 were associated with tumor stage. The high sensitivities of the three selected miRNAs and CA19-9 were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The measurement of miR-22-3p, miR-642b-3p and miR-885-5p may prove to have clinical utility in diagnosis of PC. Those miRNAs are ideal early biomarkers for PC diagnosis. So, they can effectively be used with serum CA19-9 for PC screening in early tumor stage.
authors.affiliation: Applied Medical Chemistry Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. neveen39@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Neveen Abd El Moneim
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Hussein
authors.affiliation: Applied Medical Chemistry Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: Zenat A El
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Kholy
authors.affiliation: Experimental and Clinical Surgery Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: Medhat M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Anwar
authors.affiliation: Clinical Pathology Department, Medical Military Academy, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: Mohamed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Applied Medical Chemistry Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
authors.forename: Shaymaa M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ahmad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012372:ROC Curve
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C548375:MIRN22 microRNA, human; C571933:MIRN642 microRNA, human; C574934:MIRN885 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: CA19-9 and real-time RTPCR; Pancreatic cancer; miR-22-3p; miR-642b-3p; miR-885-5p