MicroRNA-411 represents an innovative bio-marker in breast cancer detection
Abstract Background: MicroRNA-411 (MiR-411) has been reported to play an important role in tumorigenesis. This study was aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of serum miR-411 in breast cancer.Methods: The serum level of miR-411 was determined in breast cancer patients using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Chi-square was applied to evaluate the association between miR-411 expression and clinical characteristics. The diagnostic value of serum miR-411 for breast cancer was estimated using receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis.Results: Serum miR-411 in patients with breast cancer was markedly decreased compared with healthy controls (P < 0.001). The level of miR-411 was correlated with clinical stage (P = 0.019), histological grade (P = 0.014), and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.036). ROC curve showed that serum level of miR-411 could discriminate between breast cancer patients and healthy controls, with the AUC of 0.796, combing with the sensitivity of 82.1% and the specificity of 83.2%. The cut-off value of miR-411 for breast cancer diagnosis was 1.245.Conclusions: MiR-411 plays inhibitory roles in aggressive progression of breast cancer. Serum miR-411 may be a potential non-invasive biomarker for breast cancer diagnosis.