Expression of miR-181a in Circulating Tumor Cells of Ovarian Cancer and Its Clinical Application

[Image: see text] Objective: To determine the possibility of early diagnosis and prognosis of ovarian cancer (OC) via detecting miR-181a in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) of OC and to solve clinical difficulties in OC tissue sample collection. Methods: EpCAM liposome magnetic beads (Ep-LMBs) were prepared by the reverse-phase evaporation method, and the performance of EpCAM was characterized. The cytotoxicity assay was detected by the MTT assay, and CTC capture efficiency was determined using OC cell lines. Blood and tissue samples were collected from 30 patients with OC and 30 normal ovarian tissue samples were selected. Expression of miR-181a in CTCs and tissue samples was measured by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) with U6 as an internal reference. Expression of miR-181a was interfered in OC cells and its relative expression was measured. Results: Ep-LMBs were successfully prepared with high stability. Cellular assays showed that these Ep-LMBs could capture up to 80% of OC cells. RT-qPCR showed that the expression of miR-181a was increased in OC tissues compared with that in normal ovarian tissues, and the relative expressions of miR-181a in cancerous tissues and CTCs were comparable. Correlation analysis with clinical characteristics revealed that miR-181a expression was correlated with the stage and metastasis of OC and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion: MiR-181a may be involved in the development and progression of OC as an oncogene. Detection of miR-181a in Ep-LMB-captured CTCs is an effective and feasible alternative method for early diagnosis and prognostic evaluation of OC other than tissue tests.