Dysregulation of tissue and serum microRNAs in organ transplant recipients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas

Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are considered as promising biomarkers for skin cancer. By next generation sequencing (NGS), we measured and compared miRNA expression profiles of tumor, peri-lesional, and control tissue of immunosuppressed organ transplant recipients (OTR), suffering from localized cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). Out of 490 miRNAs detected in cSCC tissue, 23 significantly regulated miRNAs were selected for quantitative targeted analysis in serum samples of our patients and control sera from OTR without cSCC. Two onco-miRNAs (mir-1290, mir-1246), previously identified as crucial drivers for tumor initiation and cancer progression, were significantly and exclusively upregulated in both tumor tissue and serum. This finding suggests that miRNA dysregulation in cSCC tissue is reflected in serum even in patients without advanced disease and highly differentiated cSCCs.