Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. Many studies have reported that alterations in miRNA expression are involved in several human tumors. We have previously identified a circulating miRNA signature classifier (MSC) able to discriminate lung cancer with more aggressive features. In the present work, microarray miRNA profiling of tumor tissues collected from 19 lung cancer patients with an available MSC result were perform in order to find a possible association between miRNA expression and the MSC risk level. Eleven tissue mature miRNAs and six miRNA precursors were observed to be associated with the plasma MSC risk level of patients. Not one of these miRNAs was included in the MSC algorithm. A pathway enrichment analysis revealed a role of these miRNA in the main pathways determining lung cancer aggressiveness. Overall, these findings add to the knowledge that tissue and plasma miRNAs behave as excellent diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, which may find rapid application in clinical settings.
Keywords: liquid biopsy; lung cancer; microRNA; microarray.