Plasma miR-145 as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis and radiosensitivity prediction of human cervical cancer

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate levels of plasma miR-145 in patients with cervical cancer (CC) and investigate its biomarker potential. METHODS: Using qRT-PCR, we compared plasma miR-145 levels in 120 patients with CC, 120 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and 120 healthy volunteers. The association between plasma miR-145 expression and clinicopathological factors, including radiation response, was also analyzed. RESULTS: Plasma miR-145 levels were lower in CC patient than in CIN patients and healthy controls. Low levels were significantly associated with poor cancer differentiation, lymph node metastasis, HPV, and advanced FIGO stage. CC patients who achieved complete response to radiotherapy had higher plasma miR-145 levels than incomplete responders. ROC analysis confirmed that plasma miR-145 is a candidate biomarker for detecting CC and differentiating complete responders from incomplete responders. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma miR-145 is reduced in CC and is a novel candidate biomarker for diagnosing CC and predicting radiosensitivity.