Down-regulation of miR-92 in human plasma is a novel marker for acute leukemia patients - PubMed (original) (raw)

Down-regulation of miR-92 in human plasma is a novel marker for acute leukemia patients

Masami Tanaka et al. PLoS One. 2009.

Abstract

Background: MicroRNAs are a family of 19- to 25-nucleotides noncoding small RNAs that primarily function as gene regulators. Aberrant microRNA expression has been described for several human malignancies, and this new class of small regulatory RNAs has both oncogenic and tumor suppressor functions. Despite this knowledge, there is little information regarding microRNAs in plasma especially because microRNAs in plasma, if exist, were thought to be digested by RNase. Recent studies, however, have revealed that microRNAs exist and escape digestion in plasma.

Methodology/principal findings: We performed microRNA microaray to obtain insight into microRNA deregulation in the plasma of a leukemia patient. We have revealed that microRNA-638 (miR-638) is stably present in human plasmas, and microRNA-92a (miR-92a) dramatically decreased in the plasmas of acute leukemia patients. Especially, the ratio of miR-92a/miR-638 in plasma was very useful for distinguishing leukemia patients from healthy body.

Conclusions/significance: The ratio of miR-92a/miR-638 in plasma has strong potential for clinical application as a novel biomarker for detection of leukemia.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1. Expression profiling of microRNAs in normal plasmas.

A. MicroRNA expression profiles in seven normal samples by microRNA microarray analysis. Y axis represents relative intensity of hybridization signals. B. Comparison of the signal intensities of various microRNAs among normal plasmas. The signal intensity of each microRNA by microarray analysis is evaluated as a rank order among the detected microRNAs. Y axis represents log10 (Rank of signal intensity in each sample/average rank of that in all samples).

Figure 2

Figure 2. Comparison of microRNA expressions in the plasmas of normal and acute leukemia.

A. Comparison of signal intensity ranks of various microRNAs in normal (n = 7) and leukemia (n = 2) plasmas by microarray analysis. Y axis represents mean ratio of the signal intensity rank of leukemia to the rank of normal of each microRNA. B. Comparison of the ratio of miR92a signal intensity to miR-638 signal intensity by _Taq_Man qRT-PCR among the plasmas of normal and leukemia. Mann-Whitney's U test was used to determine statistical significance.

Figure 3

Figure 3. MicroRNA expression in leukemic cells.

In situ hybridization was performed using LNA probes for miR-92a and negative control. Blue signals represent positive for the microRNAs. Bars indicate 50 µm.

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