Comparison of Alterations in miRNA Expression in Matched Tissue and Blood Samples during Spinal Cord Glioma Progression

Sci Rep. 2019 Jun 24;9(1):9169. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-42364-x.

Abstract

Abnormal expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) contributes to glioma initiation. However, the expression of miRNAs in tumour tissue or blood of spinal cord glioma (SCG) patients, particularly in high-grade spinal gliomas (Grade IV) known as glioblastoma (GBM), remains largely unknown. In this study we aimed to determine differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) in the tissue and blood between spinal cord glioblastoma (SC-GBM) patients and low grade SCG (L-SCG) patients. Additionally, we predicted key miRNA targets and pathways that may be critical in glioma development using pathway and gene ontology analysis. A total of 74 miRNAs were determined to be differentially expressed (25 upregulated and 49 downregulated) in blood, while 207 miRNAs (20 up-regulated and 187 down-regulated) were identified in tissue samples. Gene ontology analysis revealed multicellular organism development and positive regulation of macromolecule metabolic process to be primarily involved. Pathway analysis revealed "Glioma", "Signalling pathways regulating pluripotency of stem cells" to be the most relevant pathways. miRNA-mRNA analysis revealed that hsa-miRNA3196, hsa-miR-27a-3p, and hsa-miR-3664-3p and their target genes are involved in cancer progression. Our study provides a molecular basis for SCG pathological grading based on differential miRNA expression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Cohort Studies
  • Disease Progression*
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Gene Ontology
  • Glioblastoma / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism*
  • Middle Aged
  • Spinal Cord / metabolism*
  • Spinal Cord / pathology
  • Spinal Cord Neoplasms / metabolism*

Substances

  • MicroRNAs