Serum miR-335 level is associated with the treatment response to trans-arterial chemoembolization and prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Aim: To identify the role of serum MicroRNA-335 (miR-335) in determining the treatment response to Trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and their prognosis after TACE. Methods: A total of 125 HCC patients were enrolled in this study. All these patients underwent TACE and the treatment response was evaluated. All patients were followed for prognosis analyses. Serum miR-335 levels immediate before and 30 days after TACE were determined. Results: HCC patients had significantly lower miR-335 levels than hepatitis patients and healthy controls. Lower serum miR-335 levels were closely associated with more progressive clinical features, including a higher mean serum AFP level, more vascular invasion, cirrhosis and larger tumor size. Response rates were higher in patients with high miR-335 compared to those with low miR-335 level. Patients with lower serum miR- 335 levels had significantly poorer prognosis than patients with higher serum miR-335 levels. Conclusion: Our data suggest that serum miR-335 can be used as a molecular marker to predict the treatment response and clinical outcome in HCC patients receiving TACE.