In this study, we aim to evaluate the expression of microRNAs-122 plasma, and combination of microRNAs-122 with alpha-fetoprotein to diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. | Journal of military pharmaco-medicine n09-2018 EXPRESSION OF miR-122 PLASMA AS A BIOMARKER FOR HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA Dang Chieu Dương1; Phan Quoc Hoan2; Le Huu Song2 Nguyen Linh Toan3; Ngo Tat Trung2 SUMMARY Objectives: MicroRNAs participate in cell proliferation, apoptosis and transformation. However, the use of microRNAs-122 in combination with alpha-fetoprotein has not been evaluated. In this study, we aim to evaluate the expression of microRNAs-122 plasma, and combination of microRNAs-122 with alpha-fetoprotein to diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Subjects and methods: Real-time PCR was employed to measure microRNAs-122 expression levels on 250 plasma samples of 101 patients with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma, 46 chronic hepatitis B patients and 103 healthy controls. Results: The relative expression levels of microRNAs-122 in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma patients were higher than chronic hepatitis B and healthy controls (p < ). The individual microRNAs-122 acquired high diagnostic accuracy for hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance (hepatocellular carcinoma vs. chronic hepatitis B, AUC = ; hepatocellular carcinoma vs. healthy controls, AUC = ). When alpha-fetoprotein levels were lower than 20 ng/mL, microRNAs-122 still preserves accuracy to distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma from other groups (chronic hepatitis B, AUC = ; healthy controls, AUC = ). When microRNAs122 were used in combination with alpha-fetoprotein levels, the diagnostic performance was significantly improved in discriminating hepatocellular carcinoma from group chronic hepatitis B (AUC = ). Conclusions: MicroRNAs-122 is a potential biomarker to improve diagnostic in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma patients, especially in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with normal alpha-fetoprotein level. * Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; MicroRNAs-122; Alpha-fetoprotein. INTRODUCTION Liver cancer is
