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Circulating miR-27a as a non-invasive diagnostic biomarker to differentiate malignant from benign breast lesions: a
Maryam Jamal1, Shivani Jaswal1, Jasbinder Kaur1
1Department of Biochemistry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India.
Background:
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, with no biomarker validated for reliable early diagnosis. miRNAs have emerged as potential circulating biomarkers for several diseases. miR-27a has shown a multifaceted role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer and may be explored for its diagnostic potential. Similarly, soluble HER-2/neu may reflect the presence of tissue HER2 receptors in breast cancer.
Methods:
Ninety-four patients with breast lumps (BIRADS III or above) were enrolled. Diagnosis and grading were confirmed by biopsy. Serum miRNA was extracted, and miR-27a expression was measured via RT-PCR using RNU6 as a control. sHER-2 levels were assessed using ELISA. Statistical analyses included chi-square, Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and ROC curve analysis.
Results:
MiR-27a expression was significantly higher in breast cancer patients than those with benign tumours (p < 0.0001), correlating with tumour size, grade, lymph node involvement, and metastasis (p < 0.05). ROC analysis revealed a cut-off >10.31 (AUC 0.971, sensitivity 93.0%, specificity 89.2%). sHER-2 levels were significantly elevated in tissue HER-2 positive breast cancer cases (p < 0.0001).
Conclusion:
MiR27a shows strong potential to be used as a biomarker for breast cancer diagnosis and prognosis. sHER-2 effectively differentiated between the HER-2 status of breast cancer. Larger studies with follow-up are needed for clinical validation.
