Background: To explore the value of serum miR-139-3p expression level in predicting postoperative survival of colon cancer patients.
Methods: We selected 158 cases enrolled in our hospital from January 2017 to December 2019. Using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, the expression extents of serum miR-139-3p among patients suffering from colon cancer were detected. The enrollment of patients was performed in the high or low miR-139-3p group on the basis of the cutoff value determined by ROC curve analysis. The risk elements influencing the postoperative survival of colon cancer patients were analyzed by the Kaplan–Meier approach and univariate and multivariate Cox regression models.
Results: Compared with control group, significantly lower expression level of serum miR-139-3p was shown in colon cancer group (P < 0.05). Its low expression of miR-139-3p was associated with TNM stage, degree of differentiation, tumor sizes, lymph node metastasis and vascular infiltration in patients with colon cancer (all P < 0.05), which was also significantly associated with short survival time of colon cancer patients (P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression model analysis displayed that TNM phase, lymph node metastasis and miR-139-3p < 2.17 were independent risk elements affecting postoperative survival (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: The low expression level of miR-139-3p is related to the short survival time of colon cancer patients, and it is expected to be used as a biological indicator to predict the postoperative survival of colon cancer.
Keywords: colon cancer, miR-139-3p, prognostic evaluation