Differential expression profiling of microRNAs and their potential involvement in renal cell carcinoma pathogenesis

ObjectiveWe seek to identify the differentially expressed miRNAs in the clear cell subtype (ccRCC) of kidney cancer.Design and methodsWe performed a miRNA microarray analysis to compare the miRNA expression levels between ccRCC tissues and their normal counterpart. The top dysregulated miRNAs were validated by quantitative RT-PCR analysis. Bioinformatics analysis was also performed.ResultsA total of 33 dysregulated miRNAs were identified in ccRCC, including 21 upregulated miRNAs and many of these miRNAs have been reported to be dysregulated in other malignancies and have a potential role in cancer pathogenesis. The miRNAs showed a significant correlation with reported chromosomal aberration sites. We also utilized target prediction algorithms to identify gene targets. Preliminary analyses showed these targets can be directly involved in RCC pathogenesis.ConclusionWe identified miRNAs that are dysregulated in ccRCC and bioinformatics analysis suggests that these miRNAs may be involved in cancer pathogenesis and have the potential to be biomarkers.