Serum microRNA expression as an early marker for breast cancer risk in prospectively collected samples from the Sister Study cohort.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding, single-stranded RNAs between 18-22 nucleotides long that regulate gene expression. Expression of miRNAs is altered in tumor compared to normal tissue; there is some evidence that these changes may be reflected in the serum of cancer cases compared to healthy individuals. This has yet to be examined in a prospective study where samples are collected before diagnosis.

Methods

We used Affymetrix arrays to examine serum miRNA expression profiles in 410 participants in the Sister Study, a prospective cohort study of 50,884 women. All women in the cohort had never been diagnosed with breast cancer at the time of enrollment. We compared global miRNA expression patterns in 205 women who subsequently developed breast cancer and 2

SUBMITTER: Godfrey AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3706791 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature