OBJECTIVETo evaluate the diagnostic value of serum miR-103 for breast cancer and its correlation to the clinicopathological features of the patients.

METHODSWe collected the serum samples and corresponding formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) surgical specimens from 50 breast cancer patients, using the serum samples from 50 healthy women as the control. The total RNA was extracted from the samples for quantitative analysis of miR-103 using real-time RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe serum levels of miR-103 expression were significantly higher in the cancer patients than in the healthy control group (P<0.01). In the cancer patients, high miR-103 expression was significantly correlated to advanced clinical stage (P<0.05) and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). miR-103 showed a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve area of 84.3%, and a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 70% in discriminating breast cancer patients from the control subjects.

CONCLUSIONSerum miR-103 can serve as a potential diagnostic marker for breast cancer and provides useful information of the clinicopathological features of the patients.

Adult ; Aged ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; blood ; Breast Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; blood ; Middle Aged ; Sensitivity and Specificity