Open AccessPrognostic significance of serum microRNA-221 expression in human epithelial ovarian cancer
Author(s) -
Fanzhen Hong,
Yuyang Li,
Yu Xu,
Lin Zhu
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of international medical research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.421
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1473-2300
pISSN - 0300-0605
DOI - 10.1177/0300060513475759
Subject(s) - medicine , microrna , oncology , biomarker , ovarian cancer , epithelial ovarian cancer , stage (stratigraphy) , clinical significance , real time polymerase chain reaction , cancer , multivariate analysis , gynecology , gene , biology , paleontology , biochemistry
Objective To evaluate the feasibility of using serum microRNA (miR)-221 as a noninvasive diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).Methods In this retrospective study, real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction was used to measure miR-221 expression in serum samples from patients with EOC and healthy age-matched controls. Correlations between serum miR-221 levels and clinicopathological factors and prognosis were explored.Results Serum miR-221 was upregulated in patients with EOC ( n = 96) compared with healthy controls ( n = 35). The level of serum miR-221 expression was significantly associated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, and tumour grade. Furthermore, multivariate analysis of overall survival showed that high serum miR-221 expression was an independent unfavourable prognostic factor in EOC.Conclusions These findings indicate that serum miR-221 may have a role as a novel diagnostic and prognostic marker, and may have potential as a therapeutic target in EOC.