Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

High serum microRNA-122 level is independently associated with higher overall survival rate in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Tumor Biology

    We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.

    Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that some microRNAs (miRs) are intensively involved in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. We analyzed the prognostic role of serum microRNA (miR-122) levels in hepatocellular carcinoma patients using a retrospective design. MiR-122 levels in 122 hepatocellular carcinoma patients were measured, and Cox regression analysis was performed to analyze the prognostic role of miR-122 in hepatocellular carcinoma, and the hazard ratio (HR) with 95 % confidence interval (95 %CI) was used to evaluate its prognostic role. Patients with large tumor size had lower levels of serum miR-122 (P = 0.04). However, there was no significant association of serum miR-122 levels with other clinical characteristics. Kaplan-Meier method showed that there was higher overall survival rate in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with high serum miR-122 levels compared with those with low miR-122 level (P < 0.01). When using Cox regression analysis, high serum miR-122 level was independently associated with better overall survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients (HR = 0.26; 95 %CI 0.14–0.47, P < 0.01). Subgroup analysis by gender showed that high serum miR-122 level was independently associated with better overall survival in male patients (HR = 0.08; 95 %CI 0.03–0.22, P < 0.01), but not in female patients (HR = 0.48; 95 %CI 0.18–1.32, P = 0.16). Thus, the outcomes in the analysis suggest that high serum miR-122 level is independently associated with higher overall survival rate in hepatocellular carcinoma patients, and it is a good biomarker of better prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lafaro KJ, Demirjian AN, Pawlik TM. Epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma. Surg Oncol Clin N Am. 2015;24:1–17.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. El-Serag HB, Kanwal F. Epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma in the United States: where are we? Where do we go? Hepatology. 2014;60:1767–75.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Bosetti C, Turati F, La Vecchia C. Hepatocellular carcinoma epidemiology. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2014;28:753–70.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Hoshida Y, Fuchs BC, Bardeesy N, Baumert TF, Chung RT. Pathogenesis and prevention of hepatitis C virus-induced hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol. 2014;61:S79–90.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Nault JC. Pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma according to aetiology. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2014;28:937–47.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Yki-Jarvinen H. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as a cause and a consequence of metabolic syndrome. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2014;2:901–10.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Walker JJ, Johnson JA, Wild SH. Diabetes treatments and cancer risk: the importance of considering aspects of drug exposure. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2013;1:132–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Scheen AJ, Van Gaal LF. Combating the dual burden: therapeutic targeting of common pathways in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2014;2:911–22.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Bolland MJ, Grey A, Gamble GD, Reid IR. The effect of vitamin d supplementation on skeletal, vascular, or cancer outcomes: a trial sequential meta-analysis. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2014;2:307–20.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Rich N, Singal AG. Hepatocellular carcinoma tumour markers: current role and expectations. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 2014;28:843–53.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Shenoy A, Blelloch RH. Regulation of microRNA function in somatic stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2014;15:565–76.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Ha M, Kim VN. Regulation of microRNA biogenesis. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol. 2014;15:509–24.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Hayes J, Peruzzi PP, Lawler S. MicroRNAs in cancer: biomarkers, functions and therapy. Trends Mol Med. 2014;20:460–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Jasinski-Bergner S, Mandelboim O, Seliger B. The role of microRNAs in the control of innate immune response in cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2014;106.

  15. Zhu Z, Zhang X, Wang G, Zheng H. Role of microRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepat Mon. 2014;14:e18672.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Lanford RE, Hildebrandt-Eriksen ES, Petri A, Persson R, Lindow M, Munk ME, et al. Therapeutic silencing of microrna-122 in primates with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Science. 2010;327:198–201.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Jopling C. Liver-specific microRNA-122: biogenesis and function. RNA Biol. 2012;9:137–42.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Waidmann O, Koberle V, Brunner F, Zeuzem S, Piiper A, Kronenberger B. Serum microRNA-122 predicts survival in patients with liver cirrhosis. PLoS One. 2012;7:e45652.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Xu J, Zhu X, Wu L, Yang R, Yang Z, Wang Q, et al. Microrna-122 suppresses cell proliferation and induces cell apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma by directly targeting wnt/beta-catenin pathway. Liver Int. 2012;32:752–60.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Tsai WC, Hsu SD, Hsu CS, Lai TC, Chen SJ, Shen R, et al. Microrna-122 plays a critical role in liver homeostasis and hepatocarcinogenesis. J Clin Invest. 2012;122:2884–97.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  21. Qi P, Cheng SQ, Wang H, Li N, Chen YF, Gao CF. Serum microRNAs as biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma in Chinese patients with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. PLoS One. 2011;6:e28486.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Thibault PA, Huys A, Dhillon P, Wilson JA. Microrna-122-dependent and -independent replication of hepatitis c virus in hep3b human hepatoma cells. Virology. 2013;436:179–90.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Gupta P, Cairns MJ, Saksena NK. Regulation of gene expression by microRNA in HCV infection and HCV-mediated hepatocellular carcinoma. Virol J. 2014;11:64.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  24. Li C, Wang Y, Wang S, Wu B, Hao J, Fan H, et al. Hepatitis b virus mRNA-mediated mir-122 inhibition upregulates pttg1-binding protein, which promotes hepatocellular carcinoma tumor growth and cell invasion. J Virol. 2013;87:2193–205.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  25. Koberle V, Kronenberger B, Pleli T, Trojan J, Imelmann E, Peveling-Oberhag J, et al. Serum microRNA-1 and microRNA-122 are prognostic markers in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Eur J Cancer. 2013;49:3442–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflicts of interest

None

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hepatobiliary and Spleen Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 100004, China

    Yongqing Xu, Xianmin Bu & Chaoliu Dai

  2. Department of Neural Biology, Basic Medical College of China Medical University, Shenyang, 100004, China

    Chao Shang

Authors
  1. Yongqing Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xianmin Bu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Chaoliu Dai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Chao Shang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chaoliu Dai.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xu, Y., Bu, X., Dai, C. et al. High serum microRNA-122 level is independently associated with higher overall survival rate in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Tumor Biol. 36, 4773–4776 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-015-3128-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-015-3128-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation