Low expression of miRNA-224 predicts poor clinical outcome in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with R-CHOP.

OBJECTIVE:To investigate the expression and prognostic value of miR-224 expression in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who underwent R-CHOP. MATERIALS AND METHODS:RT-PCR was used to determine the relative expression of miR-224, in 258 DLBCL patients and 40 normal lymphoid tissue specimens. RESULTS:MiR-224 expression in DLBCL patients was significantly down-regulated compared to that in negative controls (p < 0.05). The 5-year progression-free survival and overall survival rates were significantly higher in the high-expression level group compared to the low-expression level group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS:MiR-224 expression level is implicated as a prognostic marker for DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP.