Serum miR-21, miR-26a and miR-101 as potential biomarkers of hepatocellular carcinoma

SummaryAimThis study aimed to investigate the expressions of serum miR-21, miR-26a and miR-101 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their diagnostic value.MethodsSerum levels of miR-21, miR-26a and miR-101 were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in 52 HCC patients, 42 chronic hepatitis (CH) patients and 43 healthy controls. ROC curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic value. Clinical parameters were collected.ResultsSerum level of miR-21 was higher while miR-26a and miR-101 were significantly lower in HCC patients than those in healthy controls (P < 0.05, P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively). Serum levels of miR-26a and miR-101 were significantly lower in HCC patients than those in CH patients (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05). ROC curve analyses revealed that miR-21, miR-26a and miR-101 could differentiate HCC patients from healthy controls, the area under ROC curve (AUC) were 0.621 (67.4% sensitivity and 55.8% specificity), 0.754 (51.9% sensitivity and 95.2% specificity) and 0.631 (47.1% sensitivity and 81% specificity), respectively. Combination of miRNAs and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) yielded an AUC of 0.914 with 87.0% sensitivity and 78.0% specificity. miR-26a and miR-101 had diagnostic potential for differentiating HCC from CH with AUC of 0.762 (75% sensitivity and 70% specificity) and 0.623 (54.9% sensitivity and 76.9% specificity). Combination of miR-26a, miR-101 and AFP yielded an improved AUC than AFP alone (0.854 vs. 0.683). Notably, miR-26a could differentiate small tumors HCC (≤ 3 cm) from CH with an AUC of 0.753 (80% sensitivity and 62.5% specificity).ConclusionsSerum miR-21, miR-26a and miR-101 are deregulated in HCC and can serve as potential biomarkers. Combination of these miRNAs and AFP provide a better detection than AFP alone. Serum miR-26a is a promising biomarker for early detection of HCC.