Identification of candidate plasma miRNA biomarkers for the diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Aim: Current head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) diagnostic tools are limited, so this study aimed to identify diagnostic microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers from plasma. Materials & methods: A total of 76 HNSCC and 76 noncancerous control (NC) plasma samples underwent microarray analysis and quantitative reverse transcription PCR to screen for diagnostic plasma miRNAs. The diagnostic potential of the miRNAs was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: miR-95-3p and miR-579-5p expression was shown to be significantly upregulated, and that of miR-1298-3p to be downregulated in HNSCC patients compared with controls. The final diagnostic panel included miR-95-3p, miR-579-5p and miR-1298-3p with an area under the curve of 0.83. Conclusion: This three-miRNA panel has potential for the diagnosis of HNSCC. Early detection of head and neck cancer is crucial. In this study, we established a diagnostic model based on blood samples. This is a convenient diagnostic and screening tool that can help people early detect head and neck cancer.