Molecular Cancer (Jan 2019)

Low levels of tumour suppressor miR-655 in plasma contribute to lymphatic progression and poor outcomes in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

  • Jun Kiuchi,
  • Shuhei Komatsu,
  • Taisuke Imamura,
  • Keiji Nishibeppu,
  • Katsutoshi Shoda,
  • Tomohiro Arita,
  • Toshiyuki Kosuga,
  • Hirotaka Konishi,
  • Atsushi Shiozaki,
  • Kazuma Okamoto,
  • Hitoshi Fujiwara,
  • Daisuke Ichikawa,
  • Eigo Otsuji

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-018-0929-3
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Abstract Recent studies identified that low levels of tumour suppressor microRNAs (miRNAs) in plasma/serum relate to tumour progression and poor outcomes in cancers. We selected six candidates (miR-126, 133b, 143, 203, 338-3p, 655) of tumour suppressor miRNAs in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) by a systematic review of NCBI database. Of these, miR-655 levels were significantly down-regulated in plasma of ESCC patients compared to healthy volunteers by test- and validation-scale analyses. Low levels of plasma miR-655 were significantly associated with lymphatic invasion, lymph node metastasis and advanced stage. Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that the low level of plasma miR-655 was an independent risk factor of lymphatic progression and a poor prognostic factor. Overexpression of miR-655 in ESCC cells inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Increased plasma miR-655 levels by the subcutaneous injection significantly inhibited lymph node metastasis in mice. Low levels of miR-655 in plasma relate to lymphatic progression and poor outcomes, and the restoration of the plasma miR-655 levels might inhibit tumour and lymphatic progression in ESCC.

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