Role of miRNA-204 as a putative diagnostic marker in nonsmall-cell lung cancer

Background The most common cause of deaths related to cancer worldwide is lung cancer. In the GLOBOCAN 2018 database, two million newly diagnosed cases and 1.7 million deaths from lung cancers were estimated. This study aimed to detect the efficacy of miR-204 as a novel early diagnostic marker in nonsmall-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) via comparing its value in both serum and bronchial tissue samples. Patients and methods Serum and tissue samples were collected from 50 patients who participated in the study. They were subclassified into two groups, including patients with NSCLC (n=25) and nonmalignant patients who resemble the NC group (n=25). The miR-204 expression level was measured using quantitative real-time PCR. Results miR-204 expression was significantly downregulated by twofold in serum and tissue samples of patients with NSCLC compared with nonmalignant patients. Conclusion miR-204-5p is a promising non-invasive blood-based diagnostic biomarker in patients with NSCLC, which reflect its significant diagnostic and prognostic potential; thus, it could be used as a therapeutic biomarker in the near future.