Investigation of MicroRNA-30d-5p Expression and SOCS3 Levels in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for most lung cancer cases and has high mortality, especially in advanced stages. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and immunoregulatory genes such as suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) play critical roles in cancer progression and immune evasion. miR-30d-5p is known to act as a tumor suppressor by down-regulating oncogenic pathways, while SOCS3 modulates immune responses and tumor microenvironment interactions. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical relevance of circulating miR-30d-5p and serum SOCS3 protein levels in patients with NSCLC versus healthy controls and to assess their potential as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.

Serum samples were collected from 35 patients with NSCLC and 26 healthy individuals. miR-30d-5p expression was measured using RT-qPCR, and SOCS3 protein levels were determined using ELISA. Statistical comparisons were performed, and diagnostic performance was evaluated using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis. The correlation between SOCS3 and miR-30d-5p was assessed with Spearman's rank test.

SOCS3 levels were significantly elevated in patients with NSCLC (120.84±117.62 pg/ml) compared to controls (16.88±11.91 pg/ml, p<0.0001). Contrarily, miR-30d-5p expression was significantly decreased (fold change: 0.24, p<0.002). A moderate negative correlation was observed between SOCS3 and miR-30d-5p levels (ρ=-0.439, p=0.025). ROC analysis displays good diagnostic accuracy for both SOCS3 [area under curve (AUC)=0.821] and miR-30d-5p (AUC=0.878). SOCS3 levels increased significantly with clinical stage.

Increased SOCS3 and decreased miR-30d-5p expression were observed in patients with NSCLC, indicating their involvement in tumor progression and immune disruption. The inverse correlation between these biomarkers suggests a regulatory interaction that may influence the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. These findings highlight the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of targeting the miR-30d-5p/SOCS3 axis in NSCLC.