Expression of MicroRNA-141 in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Non-small-cell Lung Cancer Patients

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRs) play a crucial role in the pathogenesis, progression, and prognosis of cancer, including non-small-cell lung cancer. The purpose of this present study was to investigate the correlation between ‎MIR141‎ expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and serum levels of interleukins (IL-6 and IL-8) and CXCL10 in non-small-cell lung cancer patients. Forty-six patients diagnosed with primary non-small-cell lung cancer and 30 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were recruited in this prospective cohort study. Two 3-mL samples of systemic blood were collected into tubes either containing or without an anticoagulant from all patients before treatment and from healthy controls. PBMCs were isolated, total RNA extracted, and microRNA expression measured using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Serum cytokine levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. MIR141‎ expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was significantly higher in non-small-cell lung cancer patients (4.124 [3.259–4.944]) compared to healthy controls (2.181 [1.036–2.946]). The area under the Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, AUC for MIR141,‎ was 0.695 (95% CI, 0.603–0.787), indicating statistically significant diagnostic performance. Serum levels of IL-6, IL-8, and CXCL10 were also markedly elevated in non-small-cell lung cancer patients compared to healthy controls. Increased expression of MIR141 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is associated with non-small-cell lung cancer and elevated systemic inflammatory mediators. These findings suggest that peripheral blood MIR141 may serve as a promising non-invasive biomarker for the diagnosis of non-small-cell lung cancer.