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Micro RNA miR‐371a‐3p in serum of patients with germ cell tumours: evaluations for establishing a serum biomarker
Author(s) -
Spiekermann M.,
Belge G.,
Winter N.,
Ikogho R.,
Balks T.,
Bullerdiek J.,
Dieckmann K.P.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
andrology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.947
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 2047-2927
pISSN - 2047-2919
DOI - 10.1111/j.2047-2927.2014.00269.x
Subject(s) - biomarker , orchiectomy , medicine , urine , pleural effusion , body fluid , microrna , real time polymerase chain reaction , pathology , gastroenterology , malignant pleural effusion , biology , gene , biochemistry
Summary As only 60% of the patients with germ cell tumour ( GCT ) express the classical markers, new markers as for example micro RNA s (mi RNA s) are required. One promising candidate is miR‐371a‐3p, but data are sparse to date. We measured serum levels of miR‐371a‐3p in GCT patients, in controls, and in cases with other malignancies. We also assessed the expression in other body fluids and we looked to the decline of serum miR‐371a‐3p levels after treatment. miR‐371a‐3p levels were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in serum samples of 25 GCT patients, 6 testicular intraepithelial neoplasia ( TIN ) patients, 20 healthy males and 24 non‐testicular malignancies ( NTM s). Testicular vein blood ( TVB ) was examined in five GCT patients and five controls. Five GCT patients had serial daily measurements after orchiectomy. Five seminal plasma samples, three urine specimens and one pleural effusion fluid were processed likewise. GCT patients had significantly higher miR‐371a‐3p serum levels than controls and NTM s. Serum levels of controls, TIN s and NTM s were not significantly different. TVB samples of GCT patients had 65.4‐fold higher serum levels than peripheral blood. Malignant pleural effusion fluid had extremely high levels of miR‐371a‐3p, seminal plasma had strongly elevated levels by comparison with serum levels of controls. In urine of GCT patients, no miR‐371a‐3p expression was detected. Daily measurements after orchiectomy in stage 1 patients revealed a decline by 95% within 24 h. Serum levels of miR‐371a‐3p appear to be a promising specific biomarker of GCT s as is suggested by high serum levels in GCT patients, the rapid return of elevated levels to normal range after treatment, the association of serum levels with tumour bulk, the non‐expression in NTM s and the much higher levels of miR‐371a‐3p in TVB . This potential marker deserves further exploration in a large‐scale clinical study.