Open AccessMicroRNA7 expression in exhaled breath condensate of smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A potential biomarker?
Author(s) -
Nevine Abd Elfattah,
Randa Ali-Labib
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
egyptian journal of chest diseases and tuberculosis/egyptian journal of chest diseases and tuberculosis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2090-9950
pISSN - 0422-7638
DOI - 10.1016/j.ejcdt.2017.06.003
Subject(s) - copd , exhaled breath condensate , medicine , biomarker , lung cancer , stage (stratigraphy) , obstructive lung disease , gastroenterology , gold standard (test) , exhalation , oncology , pathology , asthma , radiology , paleontology , biochemistry , chemistry , biology
Rationale: The global burden of lung cancer is attributed to its poor outcome as it is usually discovered in an advanced stage therefore the constant search for screening protocols among the high risk groups like smokers and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Biomarker testing in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) samples is a simple inexpensive non invasive method. Many previous researches linked the dys-Regulation of microRNAs to the development of lung carcinogenesis. Consequently the aim of this study is to investigate the role microRNA7 as a potential biomarker for early detection of lung cancer among smokers and COPD patients using EBC samples.Methods: The expression level of microRNA7 was evaluated in EBC samples of 15 COPD patients (7 GOLD II and 8 GOLD III) who were currently smokers and 5 healthy never smokers volunteers by quantitative real time PCR analysis using the miScript II RT kit, Qiagen, Germany (catalog number 218161).Results: The levels of microRNA 7 in EBC samples collected from COPD patients (GOLD stage II and III) who were currently smokers were significantly down regulated (p < 0.007) compared with the non-smoking control samples.In addition, among the COPD patients, the levels of microRNA 7 in EBC samples were significantly associated to the degree of airflow limitation and the severity of the disease represented by FEV1 (%predicted) (p < 0.024). There was also a negative correlation between the levels of microRNA 7 and smoking index. ROC curve analysis was plotted displaying an AUC of 0.909 for EBC samples of microRNA 7.Conclusion: MicroRNA 7 levels should be considered as a potential biomarker for the detection of early lung carcinogenesis as part of microRNA microarrays