The expression level of miRNA-601 in the serum of Iranian lung cancer patients and its association with smoking

Abstract

Introduction: Lung cancer is a devastating disease that is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, leading to poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Therefore, the identification of reliable biomarkers for early detection and monitoring of lung cancer is critical. In this study, we investigated the expression level of miRNA-601 in the serum of Iranian lung cancer patients and its relation to smoking.

Methods: This study analyzed serum samples of 40 patients with lung cancer, and serum samples of 40 healthy individuals. Patient samples consisted of individuals who were at all stages, stages one, two, three, and four. In this study, miRNA was extracted from serum with Trizol solution. Then, using a cDNA synthesis kit, cDNA was constructed, and using the Rael Time PCR method, the expression of this miRNA was investigated.

Results: There was no significant difference in the expression level of miRNA-601 between control and patients with tumor stage I, II and III, but miRNA-601 expression was significantly downregulated in patients with tumor stages IV (P<0.05). A significant, negative relationship was found between miRNA-601 expression and tumor stage (P<0.001). We observed that 72% of patients with stages III and IV NSCLC had a positive smoking history.

Conclusion: our study underscores the importance of identifying reliable biomarkers for the detection and monitoring of lung cancer.