The clinical prognostic significance of Micro-RNA 141 in patients with colon cancer

The Clinical Prognostic Significance of Micro-RNA 141 in Patients With Colon Cancer Background and Aims: Colorectal cancer is the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. MicroRNAs (MiRNAs) are approximately 18-24 nucleotide lengthened small RNA molecules which are coded from highly protected DNA regions but they are not translated to proteins. miRNAs play important roles in homeostatic processes including cell proliferation, differentiation and cell death. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the clinical prognostic significance of circulating miRNA-141 and the use of miRNA 141 as a tumor biomarker at an early stage of colon carcinoma. Methods: In this study 40 patients with pathologically proven colorectal cancer who did not receive chemoterapy or radiotherapy were enrolled. Written informed concent was received from the patients at the beginning of the study. Patients?s age, sex, lymph node involvement, perineural invasion, vascular invasion, metastatic status, stages of colorectal cancer and CEA levels were recorded. Plasma samples from patients and age-gender matched healthy controls were taken. miRNA-141 levels were determined by using real-time-PCR method. SPSS.19 statistical programme was used to compare the parameters recorded and miRNA-141 levels. Results: miRNA-141 and disease stage, lymph node involvement, vascular invasion, perineural invasion, CEA level, local tumor invasion, metastasis and sex were compared. As a result of this study we did not find a statistically significant difference between the patients? and controls? miRNA-141 levels. No significant differences were found for levels of miRNA-141 according to stages. The levels of miRNA-141 were compared with prognostic factors of colorectal cancer (lymphovascular invasion, metastasis, perineural invasion, lymph node metastasis). We found a statistically significant relationship between local tumor invasion (T) and the level of miRNA-141. (P = 0.034) Conclusion: Serume miRNA-141 may not be a good biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis. The small number of patients may have negatively affected the results of our study. Future efforts are still needed to identify circulating microRNAs as biomarkers that can accurately detect colorectal carcinoma at its early stage.