Background and objetives: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNAs that are involved in carcinogenesis through postranscriptional gene regulatory activity. The current study aimed to measure serum miR-21 expression levels and to evaluate their association with the outcome of colorectal cancer (CRC) and correlate it with carcinoemberyonic antigen level.
Methods: Blood samples were collected from 48 CRC patients and 48 healthy controls. The expression levels of miR-21 were measured using a quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).The results were analysed to assess the relationship between serum miR-21 levels and clinic pathological and prognostic factors.
Results: A univariate analysis revealed that high expression levels of serum miR-21 were associated with higher local recurrence , TNM staging, PT staging ,venous invasion ,liver metastasis and recurrane (p=0.004),positively correlated with CEA.
Conclusion: The expression level of serum miR-21 correlates with CEA, recurrence and some pathological parameters of CRC patients. Our results suggest that circulating serum miR-21 is a promising prognostic tumour marker, and they highlight the potential clinical utility of miR-21 expression as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for CRC prognosis.