MicroRNAs in Prediction of Response to Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer Patients – Pilot Study

Česká verzia

Authors: P. Ahmad ¹; M. Slavik ²; J. Šána ¹; M. Hermanová ³; P. Šlampa ²; P. Smilek ⁴; T. Kazda ^1,2; O. Slabý ¹
Authors place of work: CEITEC – Středoevropský technologický institut, MU, Brno ¹; Klinika radiační onkologie LF MU a Masarykův onkologický ústav, Brno ²; I. patologicko-anatomický ústav, LF MU a FN u sv. Anny v Brně ³; Klinika otorinolaryngologie a chirurgie hlavy a krku LF MU a FN u sv. Anny v Brně ⁴
Published in the journal: Klin Onkol 2018; 31(Supplementum1): 137-139
Category: Article

Summary

Background:
Radiotherapy plays a key role in the treatment of squamous cell head and neck cancers (HNSCC). The effectivity of radiation therapy is often limited by radioresistance of these tumours. microRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, evolutionary conserved, small non-coding RNAs involved in regulation of cellular processes associated with radioresistance. The objective of this study was to identify miRNA profile enabling to predict the radiation treatment outcomes in HNSCC patients.

Material and Methods:
The retrospective study included HNSCC patients who underwent a definitive radiotherapy. Patients were divided into two groups according to loco-regional control (LRC) as follows – short LRC (n = 22; median 5.1 months (min. 1.3, max, 18.6)) vs. long LRC (n = 21; 60.4 (min. 46.8, max. 98.8)) group. Global miRNA expression profiles were obtained by use of Affymetrix microarray technology (GeneChip miRNA 4.0 Array).

Results:
We identified 24 miRNAs to be significantly associated with LRC (p < 0.05), all of these miRNAs were upregulated in patients with short LRC. Out of these miRNAs, 12 miRNAs with p < 0.025 and 4 miRNAs with p < 0.01 have been identified.

Conclusion:
miRNAs seems to be promising as potential biomarkers predicting radiotherapy treatment outcomes in patients with HNSCC.

Key words:
microRNAs – radiotherapy – head and neck cancer

The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study.

The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE recommendation for biomedical papers.

Supported by Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, grant No. 15-31627A. All rights reserved.

Submitted:
19. 3. 2018

Accepted:
20. 3. 2018

Zdroje

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