Combined detection of plasma miR-127-3p and HE4 improves the diagnostic efficacy of breast cancer

OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnostic value of combined detection of plasma miR-127-3p and HE4 for breast cancer (BC). METHODS: Included in this study were 102 patients with pathologically confirmed BC who received treatment in the affiliated hospital of Nantong University between March 2015 and April 2016, 87 patients with benign breast tumors, and 90 healthy volunteers as control. Plasma miR-127-3p was detected by SYBR Green RT-qPCR, and plasma HE4 was detected by chemiluminescent immunoassay. The diagnostic efficacy of miR-127-3p alone, HE4 alone and combined detection of miR-127-3p and HE4 in BC women patients was evaluated by ROC curve analysis. RESULTS: The relative expression quantity (RQ) of plasma miR-127-3p and HE4 in BC patients was 13.561 (3.345 similar to 18.281) pmol/L and 105.42 (40.28 similar to 156.31) pmol/L. The RQ of plasma miR-127-3p in BC patients was significantly higher than that in benign breast tumor patients and healthy individuals (both P < 0.001), and there was no significant difference between benign breast tumor patients and healthy individuals (P > 0.05). There was no significant correlation between plasma miR-127-3p and HE4 levels (r(2) = 0.086, P = 0.471). ROC curve analysis on the diagnostic efficacy of plasma miR-127-3p and HE4 in BC diagnosis showed that the cut-off value of miR-127-3p and HE4 in BC diagnosis was 3.471 and 63.21 pmol/L; AUC was 0.767 and 0.670; sensitivity was 78.2% and 64.6%; specificity was 79.1% and 69.3%; accuracy was 73.2% and 65.1%, respectively. Prediction probability (P) obtained from the miR-127-3p and HE4 model established by logistic regression was P = 1/[1 + exp (-0.142miR-127-3p-0.024HE4 + 2.875)]. AUC calculated from ROC was 0.825 and the sensitivity was increased to 87.4%. CONCLUSION: Combined detection of plasma miR-127-3p and HE4 greatly improved the sensitivity of BC diagnosis and may prove to be a candidate biomarker for early detection and diagnosis of BC.