Evaluation of expression levels of Micro-RNA-378, Micro-RNA -103, and Micro-RNA-497 in melanoma

Abstract

Background. The aim of this study was to investigate the relative changes in the expression levels of these genes in melanoma tumor samples. Methods. During this study, 40 tumor samples and 40 samples of marginal tissue around the tumor were collected as control samples. After collecting RNA, the samples were extracted and the expression of the desired gene was evaluated using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Differences in the expression levels of the three groups were assessed by appropriate statistical tests. In statistical tests, P<0.05 was considered significant. Results. The expression level of all three genes in the tumor samples was significantly different from marginal samples. In addition, the genes were significantly associated with patients’ clinical features such as metastasis and lymph node involvement. Conclusion. Our findings revealed that microRNA expression can be used as a pathological biomarker in melanoma. However, it is better to perform more research in this regard among different communities with larger sample sizes. Practical Implications. This biomarker is effective in the early diagnosis of melanoma, causing higher survival rates in patients.

Keywords

• mir-497
• mir-378
• mir-103
• melanoma