Original Article


Exosomal miR-196b-5p is a potential diagnostic marker for colorectal cancer with metachronous liver metastasis

Jinhua Wu, Bihua Lin, Shuaishuai Yu, Yingjie Chen, Jianyong Chen, Caihong Li, Xiangyong Li, Xin Zhang, Yangfang Liang, Keyuan Zhou, Jincheng Zeng

Abstract

Background: Accumulating data indicate that exosome-delivered microRNAs (miRNAs) play a key role in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. However, little is known about the influence of exosomal miR-196b-5p in the liver metastases of colorectal cancer (CRC).
Methods: A total of 49 patients with non-liver metastases (NLM) CRC, 51 patients with synchronous liver metastases (SLM) and 50 patients with metachronous liver metastases (MLM) were enrolled and followed up in this study. Serum exosomal miR-196b-5p was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CA199 levels were detected by electrochemiluminescence. Then, outcomes of overall survival (OS) of CRC patients were estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Finally, the areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of serum exosomal miR-196b-5p, CEA and carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199) levels in CRC patient with liver metastases were assessed.
Results: Serum exosomal miR-196b-5p was elevated in CRC patients and associated with liver metastases. Moreover, exosomal miR-196b-5p was positively correlated with CEA and CA199 in CRC patient with MLM. Additionally, CRC patients with higher levels of both serum exosomal miR-196b-5p and CEA, or both serum exosomal miR-196b-5p and CA199 showed a shorter OS. ROC analysis of serum exosomal miR-196b-5p in patients with SLM and MLM showed that the area under curve (AUC) were 0.6743 (95% CI: 0.5666–0.7820), higher than CEA [0.6294 (95% CI: 0.5197–0.7391)] and CA199 [0.5559 (95% CI: 0.4428–0.6689)], respectively.
Conclusions: Our results suggest that serum exosomal miR-196b-5p could be a good diagnostic marker for CRC patient with MLM.

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