miR-486-5p expression pattern in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, gastric cancer and its prognostic value

Abstract

Micro RNA (miR)-486-5p is often aberrantly expressed in human cancers. The aim of this study was to identify the prognostic value of miR-486-5p expression in digestive system cancers. Tissue microarrays were constructed with 680 samples including 185 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCCs), 90 gastric adenocarcinomas (GCs), and 60 digestive system cancer tissues from 10 ESCC, 10 GC, 10 colon, 10 rectum, 10 liver, 10 pancreatic cancer, and corresponding normal tissues. Twenty normal digestive system mucosa tissues from healthy volunteers were included as normal controls. In GC, miR-486-5p expression was decreased in 62.8% of cases (59/94), increased in 33.0% (31/94), and unchanged in 4.2% (4/94); in ESCC its expression was decreased in 66.2% (129/195), increased in 32.3% (63/195), and unchanged in 1.5% (3/195). Expression of miR-486-5p was decreased in 12, and increased in 8, of 20 cases of colon or rectum cancer; decreased in 6, and increased in 4, of 10 cases of liver cancer; and decreased in 8, and increased in 2, of 10 cases of pancreatic cancer. Multivariate and univariate regression analysis demonstrated that low/unchanged miR-486-5p predicted poor prognosis in ESCC (hazard ratio [HR], 4.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.62-7.14; P < 0.001; HR, 3.88; 95% CI, 2.43-6.22; P < 0.001, respectively) and GC (HR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.35-4.50; P = 0.003; HR, 2.55; 95% CI, 1.39-4.69; P = 0.002, respectively). MiR-486-5p might therefore be an independent tumor marker for evaluating prognosis in patients with ESCC or GC.

Keywords: digestive system cancers; esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; gastric adenocarcinoma; micro RNA-486-5p; prognosis.

Figure 1. miRNA-486–5p levels were stained by in situ hybridization in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) and gastric carcinoma (GC)

a. miR-486–5p expression in ESCC. b. miR-486–5p expression in ESCC neighboring normal tissue. c. miR-486–5p expression in GC. d. miR-486–5p expression in GC neighboring normal tissue.

Figure 2. Survival curves in patients with ESCC and GC according to miRNA-486-5p levels

a. Overall survival curves in patients with ESCC according to miRNA-486-5p levels (P < 0.001). b. Survival curves in stage II ESCC according to miRNA-486-5p levels (P < 0.001). c. Survival curves in stage III GC according to miRNA-486-5p levels (P = 0.001). d. Survival curves in patients with GC according to miRNA-486-5p levels (P = 0.002).