Serum microRNA-451a expression and its diagnostic value in glioma

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNA) have been confirmed to act as important diagnostic or prognostic markers in various cancers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of miR-451a in the diagnosis of glioma. Methods: The expression of miR-451a was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. And its relationship with clinicopathologic characteristics was also estimated. Besides, Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (ROC) was designed to evaluate the diagnostic value of miR-451a in glioma. Results: miR-451a was down-regulated in the serum of patients with glioma compared with healthy controls. And its expression was influenced by tumor size, WHO grade, KPS and lesionectomy. ROC curve proved miR-451a could be an independent diagnostic marker with an AUC of 0.816 combining with a sensitivity 81.4% of and specificity of 79.7%, respectively. Conclusion: miR-451a was decreased in patients with glioma and it might a potential diagnostic indicator in this cancer.