Down-regulation of Fecal miR-143 and miR-145 as Potential Markers for Colorectal Cancer

Author: Jin-Ming Li, Rong-Hua Zhao, Shao-Tang Li, Cai-Xia Xie, Hong-Hua Jiang, Wen-Jun Ding, Peng Du, Wei Chen, Ming Yang, Long Cui

Objectives: To detect 4 MicroRNA (miRNA) in the stool samples of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients to determine whether these miRNAs could be biomarkers in CRC screening or treatment.

Methods: A retrospective comparison study was carried out in the Department of Colorectal Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China from September 2009 to March 2011. We detected 4 miRNAs (miR-143, miR-145, miR-21, and miR-106a) in the stool samples of 38 CRC patients and 13 healthy individuals. Total RNA from the stool samples was extracted using the EZNA TM stool RNA kit R6828-01. The miRNA quantification was carried out using TaqMan miRNA assays and the TaqMan Gene Expression Master Mix.

Results: The expression levels of miR-143 and miR-145 in the stool of the CRC patients were lower than in those of the healthy persons (p0.05).

Conclusion: The detection of fecal miRNAs is a potential method for CRC diagnosis or screening. Particularly, the down-regulation of fecal miR-143 and miR-145 could be a potential marker for CRC.