Application of miRNA Biomarkers in Predicting Overall Survival Outcomes for Lung Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND: With the development of research, the importance of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the occurrence, metastasis, and prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) has attracted extensive attention. This study is aimed at predicting overall survival (OS) results through bioinformatics to identify novel miRNA biomarkers and hub genes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data of LUAD-related miRNA and mRNA samples was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Upon screening and pretreatment of initial data, TCGA data were analyzed using R platform and a series of analytical tools to identify biomarkers with high specificity and sensitivity. RESULTS: 7 miRNAs and 13 hub genes that had strong relation to the overall surviving status were identified in patients with LUAD. The expression of seven miRNAs (hsa-miR-19a-3p, hsa-miR-126-5p, hsa-miR-556-3p, hsa-miR-671-5p, hsa-miR-937-3p, hsa-miR-4664-3p, and hsa-miR-4746-5p) could apparently improve the OS rate of patient with LUAD. The 13 hub genes, namely, CCT6A, CDK5R1, CEP55, DNAJB4, EGLN3, HDGF, HOXC8, LIMD1, MKI67, PCP4L1, PPIL1, SCAI, and STK32A, showed a correlation with the OS status. CONCLUSION: 7 miRNAs were identified as novel biomarkers for the prognosis of patients with LUAD. This study offered a deeper comprehension of LUAD treatment and prognosis from the molecular level and helped enhance the understanding of the pathogenesis and potential molecular events of LUAD.