miRNAs: Prognostic Biomarkers in Multiple Myeloma?
Posted: Tuesday, December 10, 2019
According to the recent findings of a systematic review and meta-analysis, presented in Medicine, microRNA (miRNA) may prove to be a useful prognostic biomarker for patients with multiple myeloma, although the clinical application of these results has not been verified, according to Peipei, Xu, PhD, of the Nanjing University Medical School, China, and colleagues. miRNAs such as miR-16, miR-25, miR-744, miR-15a, miR-92a, and let-7e were found to be closely related to the outcome in multiple myeloma.
“Further studies are needed to understand the molecular mechanism underlying the effect of miRNAs in multiple myeloma,” the authors said. “Future integrated analyses of several RNA signatures will allow further characterization of biology and prognosis in relation to given therapies.”
The investigators performed a literature search and review, identifying 10 relevant studies that included 1,214 cases of multiple myeloma. These studies also used blood or tissue samples, investigated the prognostic value of miRNA, had a clearly defined cutoff, and described the miRNA measurement method. A meta-analysis was used to estimate the pool hazard ratios and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals for the associations between levels of miRNA expression and outcomes.
The analysis revealed that unregulated miR-92a level and downregulated miR-16, miR-25, miR-744, miR-15a, let-7e, and miR-19b expression were associated with a poor prognosis in these patients with multiple myeloma. Lower expression of miR-15a, miR-16, miR-25, miR-744, and let-7e predicted a worse overall survival, and the downregulation of miR-15a, miR-16, and miR-25 and upregulation of miR-92a were all associated with shorter progression-free survival.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
