Serum microRNA as potential biomarker to detect breast atypical hyperplasia and early-stage breast cancer.

Aim: The present study aimed to identify microRNA (miRNA) that can be used for not only detecting early-stage breast cancer (BC) but also diagnosing atypical hyperplasia (AH). Materials & methods: RT-qPCR detected the expression levels of miRNAs and receiver operating characteristic curves were constructed to evaluate sensitivity and specificity of the assay. Results: miR-24 and miR-103a were expressed in an upward trend in serum of benign proliferative tumor subjects, while they were downregulated significantly in serum of AH (p<0.005) and early-stage BC subjects (p<0.005) with high sensitivity and specificity as compared with controls. Bioinformatics analysis also revealed the potential molecular mechanism through which miR-24 and miR-103a regulate tumorigenesis in BC. Conclusion: miR-24 and miR-103a were valuable biomarkers for distinguishing AH and early-stage BC from healthy individuals/benign proliferative tumor patients.