Circulating miRNA-30a and miRNA-221 as Novel Biomarkers for the Early Detection of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Detecting non-small-cell lung cancer at an early stage has become a great challenge due to the lack of a specific non-invasive marker. MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNA molecules that play a role in carcinogenesis and cancer progression, as indicated by their abnormal expression in the patients’ plasma. Herein, we investigated the plasma level of circulating miRNA-30a and miRNA-221 as noninvasive markers for an early detection of non-small-cell lung cancer.

A cross-sectional study was conducted at Assiut University Hospital, Egypt, to investigate miRNA-30a and miRNA-221 expression via quantitative realtime PCR in the plasma of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (n=70) and healthy controls (n=34). Receiver operating curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of miRNA-221 and miRNA-30a in non-small-cell lung cancer. The relationship between both markers and patient clinical parameters was further assessed.

Circulating plasma miRNA-30a and miRNA-221 levels were significantly higher in the non-small-cell lung cancer patients compared with those in the healthy controls (P<0.05). There was a significant difference regarding the plasma miRNA30a level among the three groups (the highest levels were recorded in adenocarcinoma, followed by large cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma). ROC curve analysis of miRNA-30a and miRNA-221 showed that specificity and sensitivity were 60% and 80%, and 40% and 75%, respectively.

miRNA-30a and miRNA-221 may be non-invasive biomarkers for early detection and screening or therapeutic targets in patients with NSCLC. Future studies are warranted regarding the use of biomarkers as therapeutic targets