An Explorative Analysis for the Role of Serum miR-10b-3p Levels in Predicting Response to Sorafenib in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

• Published in: Journal of Korean medical science Vol. 32; no. 2; pp. 212 - 220
• Main Authors: Yoon, Eileen L., Yeon, Jong Eun, Ko, Eunjung, Lee, Hyun Jung, Je, Ji Hye, Yoo, Yang Jae, Kang, Seong Hee, Suh, Sang Jun, Kim, Ji Hoon, Seo, Yeon Seok, Yim, Hyung Joon, Byun, Kwan Soo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences 01.02.2017; 대한의학회
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - blood; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - mortality; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - pathology; Down-Regulation; Female; Humans; Liver Neoplasms - blood; Liver Neoplasms - drug therapy; Liver Neoplasms - mortality; Liver Neoplasms - pathology; Male; MicroRNAs - blood; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Niacinamide - analogs & derivatives; Niacinamide - therapeutic use; Original; Phenylurea Compounds - therapeutic use; Proportional Hazards Models; Survival Rate; Up-Regulation; 의학일반; Serum MicroRNA; Macrovascular Invasion; Survival; Sorafenib; Hepatocellular Carcinoma
• ISSN: 1011-8934; 1598-6357
• DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2017.32.2.212

The prognostic role of aberrant serum miRNA expression for predicting response to sorafenib treatment in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients has not been well characterized. We aimed to identify specific serum miRNAs that are associated with positive radiologic responses or improved survival in sorafenib-treated HCC patients. miR-18a, miR-21, miR-139-5p, miR-221, miR-224, and miR-10b-3p, were selected for analysis. Serum samples from 24 patients with advanced stage HCC and 25 patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) were analyzed. All of the miRNAs except miR-21 were found to be upregulated in serum samples from HCC patients. None of the miRNAs assayed differed significantly in terms of expression between the responder and non-responder groups among HCC patients. However, miR-10b-3p levels were significantly higher in the subgroup of HCC patients with worse overall survival (fold change = 5.8, P = 0.008). Serum miRNA-10b-3p was upregulated in the presence of macrovascular invasion (MVI), and those with higher serum miRNA-10b-3p had significantly shorter survival during treatment (P = 0.042). Although no single serum miRNA was predictive of response to sorafenib treatment, analysis of serum miR-10b-3p levels may be valuable for diagnosis of HCC and prediction of survival of sorafenib-treated patients.