Selection of reference genes for quantitative analysis of microRNA expression in three different types of cancer

PLoS One. 2022 Feb 17;17(2):e0254304. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254304. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are promising biomarkers in cancer research. Quantitative PCR (qPCR), also known as real-time PCR, is the most frequently used technique for measuring miRNA expression levels. The use of this technique, however, requires that expression data be normalized against reference genes. The problem is that a universal internal control for quantitative analysis of miRNA expression by qPCR has yet to be known. The aim of this work was to find the miRNAs with stable expression in the thyroid gland, brain and bone marrow according to NanoString nCounter miRNA quantification data. As a results, the most stably expressed miRNAs were as follows: miR-361-3p, -151a-3p and -29b-3p in the thyroid gland; miR-15a-5p, -194-5p and -532-5p in the brain; miR-140-5p, -148b-3p and -362-5p in bone marrow; and miR-423-5p, -28-5p and -532-5p, no matter what tissue type. These miRNAs represent promising reference genes for miRNA quantification by qPCR.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
  • Bone Marrow Neoplasms / genetics
  • Bone Marrow Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Brain Neoplasms / genetics
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Gene Expression Profiling / standards*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Prognosis
  • Reference Standards
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / genetics
  • Thyroid Neoplasms / pathology*

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • MicroRNAs

Grants and funding

The work of S. Titov was financially supported by the Russian Science Foundation (project No. 20-14-00074). The work of Y. Veryaskina was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project No. 19-34-60024). The work of P. Ruzankin and A. Tarasenko was supported by the Mathematical Center in Akademgorodok under agreement No. 075-15-2019-1675 with the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.