In recent years, scientists have found evidence confirming the aberrant expression of miRNAs in cancer patients compared to healthy individuals. The growing interest in the identification of non-invasive and specific diagnostic and prognostic molecular markers has identified microRNAs as potential candidates in cancer diagnosis, prognosis and treatment response. In the present study, we have analyzed the expression profile of circulating miR-21, -191 and -421 in peripheral blood of head and neck cancer patients (HNC) to investigate a possible modulation of mRNA levels by radiation and to identify the role of mRNA as biomarkers of cancer prognosis. Results showed a modulation of the microRNA expression at different time points after radiotherapy, suggesting that treatment may influence the release of circulating miRNAs depending also on the time interval elapsed since radiotherapy. The expression levels of miR-21, -191 and -421 were higher in blood of patients treated with radiotherapy alone after 6 months from the end of therapy and high levels of them seemed to correlate with the remission of the disease. The trends shown in this study confirmed that miRNAs could be useful prognosis markers and could provide preliminary data for further evaluation in predicting patients' response to radiotherapy by developing miRNA-based treatments to improve the sensitivity of cancer cells to radiotherapy.

中文翻译：

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辐射诱发的头颈癌患者血液中的循环miRNA表达。

近年来，科学家发现证据证实与健康个体相比，miRNA在癌症患者中的异常表达。对鉴定非侵入性和特异性诊断及预后分子标记物的兴趣日益浓厚，已将microRNAs鉴定为癌症诊断，预后和治疗反应的潜在候选者。在本研究中，我们分析了头颈癌患者（HNC）外周血中循环miR-​​21，-191和-421的表达谱，以研究辐射可能对mRNA水平的调节并鉴定其作用。 mRNA作为癌症预后的生物标志物。结果显示放疗后不同时间点的microRNA表达有所调节，提示治疗可能还会影响循环miRNA的释放，具体取决于放疗后的时间间隔。从治疗结束后的6个月后，仅接受放疗的患者血液中miR-21，-191和-421的表达水平较高，它们的高水平似乎与疾病的缓解相关。这项研究显示的趋势证实，miRNAs可能是有用的预后标志物，并且可以通过开发基于miRNA的治疗方法来提高癌症对放射治疗的敏感性，从而为进一步评估患者对放射治疗的反应提供初步数据。从治疗结束起六个月后，仅接受放射治疗的患者血液中的-191和-421更高，它们的高水平似乎与疾病的缓解相关。这项研究显示的趋势证实，miRNAs可能是有用的预后标志物，并可以通过开发基于miRNA的治疗方法来提高癌症对放射治疗的敏感性，从而为进一步评估患者对放射治疗的反应提供初步数据。从治疗结束起六个月后，仅接受放射治疗的患者血液中的-191和-421更高，它们的高水平似乎与疾病的缓解相关。这项研究显示的趋势证实，miRNAs可能是有用的预后标志物，并且可以通过开发基于miRNA的治疗方法来提高癌症对放射治疗的敏感性，从而为进一步评估患者对放射治疗的反应提供初步数据。