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Fecal microRNA profile in patients with colorectal carcinoma before and after curative surgery

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International Journal of Colorectal Disease Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore the potential role of deranged fecal microRNA (miRNA) pattern as a reliable warning signal of colorectal cancer (CRC), a subset of fecal CRC-related miRNAs was evaluated in CRC patients, before and after surgery, and in healthy controls.

Methods

Twenty CRC patients and 20 age/sex-matched healthy volunteers with negative colonoscopy entered the study. Cancer biopsy, colonic mucosa from the resected specimens, and fecal samples from patients and controls were screened for 13 miRNAs involved in CRC onset and progressions by reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Postoperative evaluation of fecal miRNAs was carried out after a median follow-up of 18 months (range 12–30).

Results

Two out 13 miRNAs (RNU6B, miR-16-3p) were used as internal controls leaving 11 available for analysis. Cancer tissue contained significantly higher expression of all miRNAs, compared to normal mucosa (p < 0.05). Expression of preoperative levels of five fecal miRNAs, (miR-19-b-3p, miR-20a-5p, miR-21-3p, miR92a-3p, miR141) was significantly higher in CRC patients compared to controls and significantly decreased after curative surgery. Three out of these five miRNAs (miR20a-5p, miR21-3p, and miR141) returned to values comparable to normal controls.

Conclusions

A set of three specific fecal miRNAs is overexpressed before surgery, and return within the normal range after cancer removal could be considered as an appealing opportunity for a new reliable tool for CRC secondary prevention. However, their role needs to be explored in large prospective trials and compared with the existing screening tools.

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Acknowledgments

The results of this paper have been presented in part at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the European Society of Clinical Investigation, Utrecht (The Netherlands), 1–3 May 2014. This work was supported by a research grant “Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Puglia,” 2012, for the project “Studio dei microRNA sierici e fecali nei pazienti con carcinoma del colon retto.”

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Author contributions

Maria Teresa Rotelli had substantial contributions to the study conception and design, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting of the article, and final approval of the version to be published. Maria Di Lena had substantial contributions to the conception and design of the study, acquisition of data, revising the study critically for important intellectual content, and final approval of the version to be published. Aldo Cavallini and Catia Lippolis also contributed in the data analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article, and final approval of the version to be published. Leonilde Bonfrate contributed in drafting the article and revising it critically for important intellectual content and in the final approval of the version to be published. Nicola Chetta contributed in the acquisition of data, analysis and interpretation of data, and final approval of the version to be published. Piero Portincasa had substantial contributions to the conception and design of the study, revising the paper critically for important intellectual content, and final approval of the version to be published. Donato Francesco Altomare contributed to the conception and design of the study, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article, and final approval of the version to be published.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency and Organ transplantation, University “Aldo Moro” of Bari, Bari, Italy

    M. T. Rotelli, M. Di Lena, N. Chetta & D. F. Altomare

  2. Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University “Aldo Moro” of Bari, Bari, Italy

    L. Bonfrate & P. Portincasa

  3. IRRCS De Bellis, Castellana Grotte, Bari, Italy

    A. Cavallini & C. Lippolis

Authors
  1. M. T. Rotelli
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  2. M. Di Lena
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  3. A. Cavallini
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  5. L. Bonfrate
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  8. D. F. Altomare
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. F. Altomare.

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Rotelli, M.T., Di Lena, M., Cavallini, A. et al. Fecal microRNA profile in patients with colorectal carcinoma before and after curative surgery. Int J Colorectal Dis 30, 891–898 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-015-2248-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00384-015-2248-0

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