Four microRNAs identified as pancreatic cancer biomarkers

A panel of four microRNAs that can be detected in blood — miR-21, miR-210, miR-155 and miR-196a — was able to help researchers identify patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

“Our results demonstrate proof of principle in developing a blood test based on miRNA signatures for pancreatic cancer,” Subrata Sen, PhD, associate professor, department of molecular pathology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, said in a press release.

Levels of these four microRNAs, which have all been previously identified as being associated with pancreatic cancer, were measured in blood samples from 29 patients with pancreatic cancer and 19 patients without disease.

For all four miRNAs combined, using the optimal cut-point, sensitivity was 64% and specificity was 89% after cross-validation.

Individually, sensitivity was 46% for miR-21, 42% for miR-210, 53% for miR-155 and 43% for miR-196a. Specificity was 89% for miR-21, 73% for miR-210, 78% for miR-155 and 84% for miR-196a.

The individual area-under-the-curve values for each miRNA were 0.62 (95% CI, 0.45-0.77) for miR-21, 0.65 (95% CI, 0.49-0.80) for miR-210, 0.67 (95% CI, 0.51-0.82) for miR-155, and 0.69 (95% CI, 0.53-0.84) for miR-196a.

The area under the curve value for all four microRNAs combined was higher at 0.82 (95% CI, 0.70-0.94).

“More work is needed to evaluate this strategy in different grades and stages of the disease; we are in the process of initiating such studies in collaboration with members of the Early Detection Research Network,” Sen said.

Wang J. Cancer Prev Res. 2009;doi:10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-09-0094.