Four-miRNA Signature to Identify Asbestos-Related Lung Malignancies.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Altered miRNA expression is an early event upon exposure to occupational/environmental carcinogens; thus, identification of a novel asbestos-related profile of miRNAs able to distinguish asbestos-induced cancer from cancer with different etiology can be useful for diagnosis. We therefore performed a study to identify miRNAs associated with asbestos-induced malignancies.

METHODS:

Four groups of patients were included in the study, including patients with asbestos-related (NSCLCAsb) and asbestos-unrelated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), and disease-free subjects (CTRL). The selected miRNAs were evaluated in asbestos-exposed population.

RESULTS:

Four serum miRNAs, that is miR-126, miR-205, miR-222, and miR-520g, were found to be implicated in asbestos-related malignant diseases. Notably, increased expression of miR-126 and miR-222 were found in asbestos-exposed subjects, and both miRNAs are involved in major pathways linked to cancer development. Epigenetic changes and cancer-stroma cross-talk could induce repression of miR-126 to facilitate tumor formation, angiogenesis, and invasion.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study indicates that miRNAs are potentially involved in asbestos-related malignancies, and their expression outlines mechanism(s) whereby miRNAs may be involved in an asbestos-induced pathogenesis.

IMPACT:

The discovery of a miRNA panel for asbestos-related malignancies would impact on occupational compensation and may be utilized for screening asbestos-exposed populations.

• Authors: Lory Santarelli, Simona Gaetani, Federica Monaco, Massimo Bracci, Matteo Valentino, Monica Amati, Corrado Rubini, Armando Sabbatini, Ernesto Pasquini, Nunzia Zanotta, Manola Comar, Jiri Neuzil, Marco Tomasetti, Massimo Bovenzi
• Journal: Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev) Vol. 28 Issue 1 Pg. 119-126 (01 2019) ISSN: 1538-7755 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 30257964 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: ©2018 American Association for Cancer Research.

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Carcinogens
• MIRN126 microRNA, human
• MIRN205 microRNA, human
• MIRN222 microRNA, human
• MicroRNAs
• Asbestos

Topics

• Aged
• Asbestos (toxicity)
• Biomarkers, Tumor (blood)
• Carcinogens (toxicity)
• Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung (chemically induced)
• Female
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
• Humans
• Lung Neoplasms (chemically induced)
• Male
• Mesothelioma (chemically induced)
• Mesothelioma, Malignant
• MicroRNAs (blood, genetics)
• Middle Aged
• Sensitivity and Specificity