title: Downregulation of miR-124 predicts poor prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  miRNA-124 (miR-124) expression was known to be downregulated in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Downregulation of miR-124 was significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients with PDAC. Recent studies have shown that circulating miRNAs could be the potential biomarkers for invasive diagnostic as well as prognostic purposes. The purpose of the current study was to characterise the serum miR-124 levels and assess the clinical significance of serum miR-124 in patients with PDAC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays, serum miR-124 levels were determined in serum from 126 patients with PDAC (53 resectable pancreatic cancer and 73 unresectable pancreatic cancer), 28 chronic pancreatitis patients and 47 healthy control individuals. The prognostic significance of miR-124 and other clinicopathological variables was determined using univariate and multivariate analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum miR-124 levels were significantly decreased in patients with PDAC. Serum levels of miR-124 distinguished PDAC from chronic pancreatitis (P < 0.001) and healthy control subjects (P < 0.001). Low serum levels of miR-124 were significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, tumour node metastasis (TNM) stage and shorter survival time after surgery. In multivariate analysis, serum miR-124 (P = 0.001, HR: 2.47, 95% CI: 1.25-4.05), high TNM stage (P = 0.001, HR = 3.24, 95% CI: 2.03-8.08) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.015, HR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.02-3.13) were significant predictors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum miR-124 levels have utility as diagnostic biomarkers in patients with PDAC. These findings suggest, for the first time, that serum miR-124 levels may have prognostic impact in patients with PDAC.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Interventional Therapy Ward , Yuhuangding Hospital , Yantai , China.
authors.forename: BoLin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: b Department of Catheter Laboratory , Yuhuangding Hospital , Yantai , China.
authors.forename: Xiaogang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gynaecology , People's Hospital of Zhangqiu , Jinan , China.
authors.forename: Yewu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: c Department of Gynaecology , People's Hospital of Zhangqiu , Jinan , China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: d Department of Surgery , Yuhuangding Hospital , Yantai , China.
authors.forename: ZhenLing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics*; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C509207:MIRN124 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma; diagnosis; marker; miR-124