HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: clinchem.2008.109603v1 54/10/1716    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (3) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Szafranska, A. E. Articles by Tsongalis, G. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Szafranska, A. E. Articles by Tsongalis, G. J.

Analysis of MicroRNAs in Pancreatic Fine-Needle Aspirates Can Classify Benign and Malignant Tissues

¹ Asuragen Inc., Austin, TX; Departments of ² Pathology and ³ Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Norris Cotton Cancer Center and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH; ⁴ Department of Pathology, General Hospital Saarbruecken, Saarbruecken, Germany; Departments of ⁵ Pathology and ⁶ Internal Medicine, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany.

^aAddress correspondence to this author at: Department of Pathology, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Dr., Lebanon, NH 03756. Fax 603-650-8485; e-mail Gregory.j.tsongalis{at}hitchcock.org.

Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are RNA molecules that are involved in the regulation of many cellular processes, including those related to human cancers. The aim of this study was to determine, as a proof of principle, whether specific candidate miRNAs could be detected in fine-needle aspirate (FNA) biopsies of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and could accurately differentiate malignant from benign pancreatic tissues.

Methods: We used TaqMan® assays to quantify miRNA levels in FNA samples collected in RNARetain (n = 16) and compared the results with a training set consisting of frozen macrodissected pancreatic samples (n = 20).

Results: Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR analysis confirmed that miRNA levels are affected in PDAC FNAs and correlate well with the changes observed in the training set of frozen pancreatic samples. Analysis of the amounts produced for a few specific miRNAs enabled identification of PDAC samples. The combination of miR-196a and miR-217 biomarkers further improved the ability to distinguish between healthy tissue, PDAC, and chronic pancreatitis in the training set (P = 8.2 x 10^–10), as well as segregate PDAC FNA samples from other FNA samples (P = 1.1 x 10^–5). Furthermore, we showed that miR-196a production is likely specific to PDAC cells and that its incidence paralleled the progression of PDAC.

Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the diagnostic potential of miRNAs in a clinical setting and has shown that miRNA analysis of pancreatic FNA biopsy samples can aid in the pathologic evaluation of suspicious cases and may provide a new strategy for improving the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases.

The following articles in journals at HighWire Press have cited this article:

				J. Wang, J. Chen, P. Chang, A. LeBlanc, D. Li, J. L. Abbruzzesse, M. L. Frazier, A. M. Killary, and S. Sen MicroRNAs in Plasma of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Patients as Novel Blood-Based Biomarkers of Disease Cancer Prevention Research, September 1, 2009; 2(9): 807 - 813. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. L. Bartels and G. J. Tsongalis MicroRNAs: Novel Biomarkers for Human Cancer Clin. Chem., April 1, 2009; 55(4): 623 - 631. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]