title: Serum microRNA-376 family as diagnostic and prognostic markers in human gliomas.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MicroRNA (miR)-376 family play crucial roles in cancer formation and progression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate expression patterns of circulating miR-376 members in glioma patients, and to explore their diagnostic and prognostic values.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of miR-376 members in serum samples from 100 glioma patients and 50 healthy controls were detected by quantitative real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum miR-376a, miR-376b and miR-376c in glioma patients were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (all P< 0.05). Their expression could efficiently distinguish the glioma patients from healthy controls according to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis [for miR-376a, the area under ROC curve (AUC) = 0.872, the optimal cut-off value = 1.95, the sensitivity = 81.0% and the specificity = 82.0%; for miR-376b, AUC = 0.890, the optimal cut-off value = 2.07, the sensitivity = 82.0% and the specificity = 78.0%; for miR-376c, AUC = 0.837, the optimal cut-off value = 2.12, the sensitivity = 90.0% and the specificity = 70.0%; all P<0. 001]. Decreased expression of miR-376a, miR-376b and miR-376c in patients' sera were significantly associated with advanced WHO grade (all P< 0.01) and low KPS (all P< 0.05). Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses showed that low miR-376a, miR-376b and miR-376c expression, and high grade were all independent factors predicting poor outcome of glioma patients. Notably, subgroup analyses showed that serum miR-376a, miR-376b and miR-376c levels had more significant prognostic values in patients with high grade gliomas than those with low grade gliomas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aberrant expression of the miR-376 family may be involved into tumorigenesis and tumor progression of human gliomas. Circulating miR-376a, miR-376b and miR-376c may be promising non-invasive biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis in glioma patients.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Changjiang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ziming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jianghua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Hongbing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005910:Glioma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C573498:MIRN376C microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Glioma; biomarker; diagnosis; microRNA-376 family; prognosis