Decreased levels of circulating and tissue miR-107 in human esophageal cancer

Context: Aberrant expression of miRNAs has emerged as an important hallmark of cancer. Objectives: We evaluated the clinical significance of circulating and tissue miR-107 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients. Materials and methods: Quantitative real-time PCR was used to analyze the expression of miR-107 and its bioinformatically identified targets, PIM-1 and CDC42. Results: Significant downregulation of miR-107 was observed in neoplastic and preneoplastic esophageal tissues (p = 0.004). Relative levels of circulating miR-107 significantly distinguished ESCC patients from normal subjects (p = 0.007). Significant inverse correlation was observed between miR-107 and PIM1 expression (r = -0.398; p = 0.015) suggesting PIM1 to be the downstream target of miR-107. Discussion and conclusion: Our results, for the first time, document that the miR-107 levels may discriminate ESCC patients from healthy individuals emphasizing its diagnostic potential.