Evaluation of miR-148a-3p and miR-106a-5p as Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer: Pilot Study.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that may function as tumor suppressors or oncogenes. Alteration of their expression levels has been linked to a range of human malignancies, including cancer. The objective of this investigation is to assess the relative expression levels of certain miRNAs to distinguish between prostate cancer (PCa) from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Blood plasma was collected from 66 patients diagnosed with BPH and 58 patients with PCa. Real-time PCR technology was used to evaluate the relative expression among the two groups for miR-106a-5p and miR-148a-3p. The significant downregulation of both miRNAs in plasma from PCa versus BPH patients suggests their potential utility as diagnostic biomarkers for distinguishing between these conditions. The concurrent utilization of these two miRNAs slightly enhanced the sensitivity for discrimination among the two analyzed groups, as shown in ROC curve analysis. Further validation of these miRNAs in larger patient cohorts and across different stages of PCa may strengthen their candidacy as clinically relevant biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis.

Post-Pandemic Aftermath: A Two-Year Follow-Up of the Effect of COVID-19 on Oncological Outcomes after Radical Prostatectomy for Prostate Cancer.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the indirect effect of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the surgical outcomes and oncological results of patients who underwent surgery during the lockdown period. METHODS: We analysed data from 423 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy between 2016 and 2022, with a cut-off date of March 16, 2020. Patients were categorised into two groups, namely, pre-lockdown (n = 289) and during lockdown (n = 134). Perioperative variables, histopathological findings and oncological outcomes, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and biochemical recurrence (BCR), were assessed. RESULTS: The number of radical prostatectomy increased by 24.26% during lockdown. The study included patients with a mean follow-up of 21 months. A nonsignificant trend towards a higher PSA level at presentation was found (14.22 vs. 12.53 ng/dL, p = 0.216). The International Society of Urological Pathology grade was not significantly different among radical prostatectomy specimens (p = 0.669). Lymph node involvement increased during the COVID-19 period (p = 0.046). The pT classification in prostatectomy specimens increased during the pandemic, but the difference from the pre-pandemic value was not statistically significant. The BCR rates were 24.6% pre-lockdown and 29.9% during lockdown (p = 0.136). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic led to poor postoperative results. Through a 2-year follow-up, this research investigated the effect of the pandemic on the oncological outcomes, particularly BCR, of patients who underwent radical prostatectomy. Further extended investigations and multi-institutional studies should be conducted to quantify the effect of the pandemic on various cancer outcomes and inform crisis management strategies.

Comprehensive Analysis of Perioperative Factors Influencing the Risk of Biochemical Recurrence in Patients with Radical Prostatectomy.

PURPOSE: To analyze the perioperative factors that influence the risk of biochemical recurrence (BCR) in patients with localized PCa undergoing radical prostatectomy Materials and Methods: A total of 457 patients, operated by 2 surgeons in our high-volume oncological center were included in the initial database. Patients who underwent RP for clinically localized PCa in our clinic from 2016 to 2021 were included in the study. Perioperative data were retrospectively reviewed for this study. Follow-up data including post-operative PSA and adjuvant treatment was prospectively gathered by contacting the patients or from the follow-up consultation. Final database was composed of 366 patients who underwent open or 3D laparoscopic RP. Statistical analysis was performed to emphasize the most powerful parameters that influence the BCR.  Results: Accounting for multivariable analysis, 4 parameters were statistically significant: initial PSA (iPSA), Gleason score, vascular involvement and positive surgical margins. For the group of patients with no positive margins, 3 parameters were statistically significant: iPSA above 10,98 ng/mL (AUC=0,71); lymph node involvement and Gleason score. Multivariable Cox regression showed that positive margins and iPSA had a significant impact on the time to BCR. Patients that received adjuvant therapy were excluded from the study. Out of the whole cohort, 27,3% of patients presented BCR. CONCLUSION: Perioperative factors need to be carefully analyzed and a detailed follow-up needs to be conducted in order to assess the risk of biochemical recurrence, resulting in the optimal time for adjuvant treatment implementation.

TP53 gene implications in prostate cancer evolution: potential role in tumor classification.

Background and aims: Prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) is a complex disease that can be driven by alterations in both coding and noncoding genes. Recent research has identified coding and non-coding genes that are considered to play important roles in prostate cancer evolution and which may be used as biomarkers for disease diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. TP53 is a critical hub gene in prostate cancer. Advanced studies have demonstrated the crosstalk between coding and non-coding RNAs, particularly microRNAs (miRNAs). Methods: In this study, we investigated the roundabout of TP53 and their regulatory miRNAs (miR-15a-5p, miR-34a-5p, and miR-141-3p) based on the TCGA data set. We validated an additional patient cohort of 28 matched samples of patients with PRAD at tissue and plasma level. Results: Therefore, using the UALCAN online database, we evaluated the expression level in PRAD of these genes revealing overexpression of TP53. qRT-PCR validation step endorsed the expression level for these genes. Additionally, we evaluated the expression level of the four key miRNAs (miR-15a-5p, miR-34a-5p, and miR-141-3p) interconnected as a network at tissue and plasma levels. Conclusions: Through these results, we demonstrated the essential function of TP53 and its associated miRNAs that play a significant role in tumor control, highlighting miRNAs' potential as future therapeutic targets and biomarkers with important implications in managing prostate cancer.

Technical challenges of lymphadenectomy in renal carcinoma performed with a 3D laparoscopic approach at a low pressure pneumoperitoneum due to associated pulmonary pathology - case report.

We report the case of a 63-year-old male patient presenting left renal cell carcinoma (75/70/60 mm) associated with retroperitoneal lymph node masses (peri hilar of 15 mm; lombo-aortic of 50/40/30 mm), known also with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease GOLD4, sleep apnea and asthma with oxygen-dependent chronic obstructive respiratory insufficiency, a BMI of 37 with grade III obesity. Surgical treatment was performed using a 3D transperitoneal laparoscopic approach. The surgery lasted 131 minutes, with 400 ml blood loss and grade 1 Clavien-Dindo post operative complications. An optimal pulmonary ventilation of the patient during surgery required a low intra-abdominal pressure (10 mmHg) which raised technical difficulties due to the lymph node mass dissection from the great vessels in a small operative field on an already obese patient with a voluminous renal tumor. The 3D transperitoneal laparoscopic approach was feasible within safe oncologic parameters.

Robotic and 3D laparoscopic radical nephroureterectomy with en bloc specimen excision (kidney, ureter, bladder cuff excision and extended lymphadenectomy) - Case report.

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a highly systemic aggressive disease with a tendency of rapid lymph node invasion and metastasis presenting poor oncologic outcomes. Ureteral localization of tumors leads to hydronephrosis and early invasion of the muscle wall, being categorized as high risk tumors. CASE PRESENTATION: A 70 years old female was diagnosed with lower left ureteral urothelial tumor associated with hydronephrosis and paraaortic and iliac enlarged lymph nodes. The disease was stratified as high risk upper tract urothelial carcinoma. Treatment consisted in en bloc radical nephroureterectomy, bladder cuff excision and wide lymph node dissection using a combined robotic and 3D laparoscopic approach. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Surgical challenges are surpassed by the use of minimal invasive approaches that offer precise dissection and tissue manipulation with a fast postoperative recovery and early adjuvant oncologic treatment. Comprehensive and complete lymph node dissection along with precise bladder cuff excision offers improved staging, possibly impacting disease prognosis. CONCLUSION: En bloc minimal invasive radical nephroureterectomy, bladder cuff excision and wide lymph node dissection offer improved surgery time and lymph node dissection, better management of distal ureteral and bladder cuff excision, watertight cystorrhaphy and optimal disease staging. The experience of the main surgeon with 3D laparoscopy was used in the hereby case to optimize operatory time for the renal step of the surgery. The gentle and precise movements of the Da Vinci robot allowed an accurate en bloc dissection (pN2, N4+/15) with implications in staging and possibly also in oncologic outcomes.

MicroRNA Dysregulation in Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer biology is complex, and needs to be deciphered. The latest evidence reveals the significant role of non-coding RNAs, particularly microRNAs (miRNAs), as key regulatory factors in cancer. Therefore, the identification of altered miRNA patterns involved in prostate cancer will allow them to be used for development of novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a miRNAs transcriptomic analysis, using microarray (10 matched pairs tumor tissue versus normal adjacent tissue, selected based on inclusion criteria), followed by overlapping with TCGA data. A total of 292 miRNAs were differentially expressed, with 125 upregulated and 167 downregulated in TCGA patients' cohort with PRAD (prostate adenocarcinoma), respectively for the microarray experiments; 16 upregulated and 44 downregulated miRNAs were found in our cohort. To confirm our results obtained for tumor tissue, we performed validation with qRT-PCR at the tissue and plasma level of two selected transcripts, and finally, we focused on the identification of altered miRNAs involved in key biological processes. RESULTS: A common signature identified a panel of 12 upregulated and 1 downregulated miRNA, targeting and interconnected in a network with the TP53, AGO2, BIRC5 gene and EGFR as a core element. Among this signature, the overexpressed transcripts (miR-20b-5p, miR-96-5p, miR-183-5p) and the downregulated miR-542-5p were validated by qRT-PCR in an additional patients' cohort of 34 matched tumor and normal adjacent paired samples. Further, we performed the validation of the expression level for miR-20b-5p, miR-96-5p, miR-183-5p plasma, on the same patients' cohort versus a healthy control group, confirming the overexpression of these transcripts in the PRAD group, demonstrating the liquid biopsy as a potential investigational tool in prostate cancer. CONCLUSION: In this pilot study, we provide evidence on miRNA dysregulation and its association with key functional components of the PRAD landscape, where an important role is acted by miR-20b-5p, miR-542-5p, or the oncogenic cluster miR-183-96-182.

Hsa-miR-125b Therapeutic Role in Colon Cancer Is Dependent on the Mutation Status of the TP53 Gene.

Colon cancer is the third most common cancer type worldwide and is highly dependent on DNA mutations that progressively appear and accumulate in the normal colon epithelium. Mutations in the TP53 gene appear in approximately half of these patients and have significant implications in disease progression and response to therapy. miR-125b-5p is a controversial microRNA with a dual role in cancer that has been reported to target specifically TP53 in colon adenocarcinomas. Our study investigated the differential therapeutic effect of miR-125b-5p replacement in colon cancer based on the TP53 mutation status of colon cancer cell lines. In TP53 mutated models, miR-125b-5p overexpression slows cancer cells' malignant behavior by inhibiting the invasion/migration and colony formation capacity via direct downregulation of mutated TP53. In TP53 wild type cells, the exogenous modulation of miR-125b-5p did not significantly affect the molecular and phenotypic profile. In conclusion, our data show that miR-125b-5p has an anti-cancer effect only in TP53 mutated colon cancer cells, explaining partially the dual behavior of this microRNA in malignant pathologies.

Long Noncoding RNA NEAT1 as a Potential Candidate Biomarker for Prostate Cancer.

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality in men worldwide, mainly due to unsatisfactory diagnostic methods used at present, which lead to overdiagnosis, unnecessary biopsies and treatment, or misdiagnosis in early asymptomatic stages. New diagnostic biomarkers are needed for a correct and early diagnosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been broadly studied for their involvement in PCa biology, as well as for their potential role as diagnostic biomarkers. Methods: We conducted lncRNA profiling in plasma and microdissected formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues of PCa patients and attempted validation for commonly dysregulated individual lncRNAs. Results: Plasma profiling revealed eight dysregulated lncRNAs, while microarray analysis revealed 717 significantly dysregulated lncRNAs, out of which only nuclear-enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1) was commonly upregulated in plasma samples and FFPE tissues. NEAT1's individual validation revealed statistically significant upregulation (FC = 2.101, p = 0.009). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.7298 for NEAT1 (95% CI = 0.5812-0.8785), suggesting a relatively high diagnostic value, thus having a potential biomarker role for this malignancy. Conclusions: We present herein data suggesting that NEAT1 could serve as a diagnostic biomarker for PCa. Additional studies of larger cohorts are needed to confirm our findings, as well as the oncogenic mechanism of NEAT1 in the development of PCa.

Indocyanine green use in Urology.

PURPOSE: Indocyanine green (ICG) is being used more and more in Urology along with advances in minimal invasive surgery, guiding excision and reconstruction, highlighting anatomic structures and functional features with oncologic guidance still being debatable. The purpose of this paper was to explore ICG use in urologic procedures. METHODS: We present our experience (37 cases) of using ICG fluorescence guidance in urologic operations performed using 3D laparoscopy and FireFly® fluorescence imaging mode of Da Vinci X robot. The operations were the following: pelvic lymphadenectomy in radical prostatectomy, totally intracorporeal orthotopic ileal neobladder reconstruction, vesicovaginal fistula repair, partial nephrectomy and pyeloplasty. Barnard's test was used to compare postoperative complications (digestive fistula, ureteral stricture) for totally intracorporeal ileal neobladders performed with (group e, 27 cases) vs. without (group 2, 28 cases) ICG guidance. RESULTS: ICG under near-infrared fluorescence offered a precise identification of ischemic structures- vaginal wall, distal ureteral end, ileal loop, along with vascularized tissues allowing an optimal pyeloplasty and nephron sparing surgery with partial unclamping. It also allowed the identification of a lymph node during radical prostatectomy that otherwise would not have been excised during the routinely performed pelvic lymphadenectomy. There were no complications of ICG usage and the complication rate (digestive fistula, ureteral strictures) was significantly lower (p=0.002716) for group 1 compared with group 2. CONCLUSIONS: ICG facilitates the identification of key elements (anatomy and pathological structures) in the laparoscopic and robotic treatment of both malignant and benign urologic diseases, with possible impact on perioperative complications, along with oncologic and functional postoperative outcomes.

Laparoscopic radical cystectomy and nephroureterectomy en bloc resection with lomboaortic and pelvic lymph node dissection.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In patients with recurrent high grade or muscle-invasive bladder cancer and concomitant upper urinary tract tumors or non-functional kidney laparoscopic radical cystectomy and nephroureterectomy with lomboaortic and pelvic lymph node dissection can be performed. We present our initial experience. METHODS: Between 2018 and 2019, 4 patients underwent laparoscopic radical cystectomy and unilateral nephroureterectomy en bloc resection with lomboaortic and pelvic lymph node dissection. The nephroureterectomy was the first part of the surgery. It was followed by radical cystectomy with lymphadenectomy. All the specimens were removed en bloc in an endobag through a midline incision. RESULTS: The patients' demographic characteristics and perioperative outcomes were retrospectively collected and evaluated. All surgeries were completed laparoscopically. There was no need for conversion to open surgery. The mean operative time was 286,25 min with minimal blood loss (260 ml). No major complications were reported. The mean follow-up period was 8.75 months. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic radical cystectomy and nephroureterectomy en bloc resection with lomboaortic and pelvic lymph node dissection can be safe and feasible in selected cases as an alternative approach to the open surgery, offering good oncological and functional results.

PSA Based Biomarkers, Imagistic Techniques and Combined Tests for a Better Diagnostic of Localized Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer represents the most encountered urinary malignancy in males over 50 years old, and the second most diagnosed after lung cancer globally. Digital rectal examination and prostatic specific antigen were the long-time standard tools for diagnosis but with a significant risk of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. Magnetic resonance imaging recently entered the diagnosis process, but to this date, there is no specific biomarker that accurately indicates whether to proceed with the prostate biopsy. Research in this area has gone towards this direction, and recently, serum, urine, imagistic, tissue biomarkers, and Risk Calculators promise to help better diagnose and stratify prostate cancer. In order to eliminate the comorbidities that appear along with the diagnosis and treatment of this disease, there is a constant need to implement new diagnostic strategies. Important uro-oncology associations recommend the use of novel biomarkers in the grey area of prostate cancer, to better distinguish the next step in the diagnostic process. Although it is not that simple, they should be integrated according to the clinical policies, and it should be considered that statistical significance does not always equal clinical significance. In this review, we analyzed the contribution of prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based biomarkers (PHI, PHID, 4Kscore, STHLM3), imagistic techniques (mp-MRI and mp-US), and combined tests in the early diagnosis process of localized prostate cancer.

Laparoscopic cytoreductive nephrectomy and adrenalectomy for metachronous RCC metastases-Case report.

INTRODUCTION: We report the case of a 69 y.o. man with a left solitary kidney presenting 3 tumoral masses and suspicion of a left adrenal nodular tumor. PRESENTATION OF CASE: 48 months previously, the patient underwent laparoscopic right radical nephrectomy and adrenalectomy for a clear cell renal carcinoma, with a tumor free adrenal gland. 3D laparoscopic transperitoneal left cytoreductive nephrectomy and left adrenalectomy were performed within 23 min warm ischemia with no need of post operatory hemodialysis. The pathology exam reported metachronous metastases on left adrenal gland and on a left multifocal tumoral solitary kidney from the contralateral clear cell renal carcinoma prior diagnosed and treated at this patient. DISCUSSION: Cytoreductive nephrectomy on a solitary kidney brings technical challenges for the laparoscopic approach, especially when the tumor presents as multifocal lesions. Contralateral metachronous metastases and adrenal involvement in case of renal carcinoma are scarcely presented in the literature. CONCLUSION: The "en bloc" excision of the tumoral masses optimized warm ischemia time and improved the technical approach, even if the endophytic presentation imposed difficulty.

Local staging of prostate cancer with multiparametric-MRI: accuracy and inter-reader agreement.

BACKGROUND: The accuracy of prostate cancer local staging at the time of diagnosis directly influences patient prognosis and treatment. AIM: To evaluate the diagnostic performance and interobserver variability of mp-MRI in local staging of prostate cancer, using the histopathologic findings at prostatectomy as the reference standard. METHODS: Fifty patients (mean age 64.4±7.2) with biopsy confirmed prostate cancer were included in this prospective study. All patients were examined with mp-MRI before radical prostatectomy and images were read by three independent radiologists. Sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy rate were calculated and compared for all three readers. Interobserver agreement was evaluated using Kappa Cohen coefficient of agreement. RESULTS: The overall Se, Sp, PPV, NPV and accuracy rates for detecting extraprostatic tumor extension (EPE) ranged between 76.5-94.1%, 45.5-84.9%, 43.8-76.2%, 83.3-96.6% and 58-88%. For evaluation of seminal vesicle invasion (SVI), the overall Se, Sp, PPV, NPV and accuracy rates ranged between 57.1-85.7%, 86.1-97.7%, 40.0-85.7%, 92.5-97.7% and 82-96%, respectively. The overall Kappa Cohen coefficient of agreement varied between 0.349-0.638 for EPE and between 0.507-0.668 for SVI. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that 1.5T mp-MRI is a reliable method for local staging of prostate cancer, with good diagnostic performance in detecting EPE and SVI. The overall interobserver agreement rates between readers with the same level of experience in prostate MRI ranged from fair to good in the evaluation of EPE and from moderate to good for the assessment of SVI.

Totally intracorporeal 3D laparoscopic orthotopic neobladder reconstruction following radical cystectomy for infiltrative bladder tumors: the experience of modified Studer and modified Y-shaped ileal reconstruction techniques.

PURPOSE: We report our experience with 23 cases in utilizing ileum to perform totally intracorporeal 3D laparoscopic neobladder reconstruction using two different surgical techniques. METHODS: Patients candidates for reconstructive surgery were in a good biological status with a body mass index (BMI) in the range of 18.5-25 and presented a muscle-infiltrative bladder tumor with negative nodal frozen sections performed during the operation. Twenty-one modified Studer neobladder and 2 modified Y-shaped neobladder techniques for totally intracorporeal 3D laparoscopic ileal neobladder cases were performed using drawings and intra-operative images. An emphasis was made on different tips and tricks that can be applied when using ileum for the neobladder reconstruction, to avoid surgical complications and obtain optimal functional results. RESULTS: The operations were performed in a mean time of 5 h, with a mean blood loss of 350 ml and grade II postoperative Clavien Dindo complications. The 23 patients were discharged after a mean hospital stay of 21 days and had a functional ileal neobladder after a mean of 30 days. The results were monitored also on the long-term, taking into account functional results and possible complications from utilizing ileum as a urinary reservoir. CONCLUSION: Resecting a digestive segment and using it as a urinary reservoir may lead to multiple complications. Therefore, laparoscopic technical adaptations and highly skilled surgical teams are required for performing a totally intracorporeal 3D laparoscopic orthotopic ileal neobladder reconstruction.

MiRNA-Based Inspired Approach in Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer is one of the most encountered cancer diseases in men worldwide and in consequence it requires the improvement of therapeutic strategies. For the clinical diagnosis, the standard approach is represented by solid biopsy. From a surgical point of view, this technique represents an invasive procedure that may imply several postoperative complications. To overcome these impediments, many trends are focusing on developing liquid biopsy assays and on implementing them in clinical practice. Liquid samples (blood, urine) are rich in analytes, especially in transcriptomic information provided by genetic markers. Additionally, molecular characterization regarding microRNAs content reveals outstanding prospects in understanding cancer progression mechanisms. Moreover, these analytes have great potential for prostate cancer early detection, more accurate prostate cancer staging and also for decision making respecting therapy schemes. However, there are still questionable topics and more research is needed to standardize liquid biopsy-based techniques.

Mental Fatigue Evaluation of Surgical Teams during a Regular Workday in a High-Volume Tertiary Healthcare Center.

INTRODUCTION: Considering the complex set of manual and psychological tasks a surgeon has to perform during the day, it is very important to assess the surgeon's fatigability, reaction time, attention, and memory. OBJECTIVE: Here, we wanted to determine the mental fatigue status of surgeons and how their abilities are affected through a regular workday. METHODS: We included 3 senior urologists and 6 urology residents. In a set period of time, we assessed their fatigue through self-assessed fatigue, Samn-Perelli score, and Karolinska sleepiness scale score. Further, reaction time, attention, and memory correlated with the number of the operations in the day, and total number of operations in that day were assessed. RESULTS: As the number of tasks increases, and as the surgeons advance to the end of the workday, they become more fatigued, reaction time ultimately increases, and attention and memory become slightly altered. CONCLUSIONS: Complications resulting from the fatigue of surgeons could be serious. Their performance status and skills decrease as they perform more tasks or advance through the day.

Connecting the dots between different networks: miRNAs associated with bladder cancer risk and progression.

BACKGROUND: Bladder cancer (BC) is a common urothelial malignancy, characterized by a high recurrence rate. The biology of bladder cancer is complex and needs to be deciphered. The latest evidence reveals the critical role of the non-coding RNAs, particularly microRNAs (miRNAs), as vital regulatory elements in cancer. METHOD: We performed a miRNAs microarray using paired tissues (tumor and adjacent normal bladder tissue), followed by the validation with qRT-PCR of five selected transcripts. Additional next-generation sequencing investigation established the interconnection among the altered miRNAs and mutated genes. Based on the overlapping between TCGA data and data obtained in the study, we focused on the systematic identification of altered miRNAs and genes mutated involved in bladder cancer tumorigenesis and progression. RESULTS: By overlapping the miRNAs expression data, the two patient cohorts, we identified 18 miRNAs downregulated and, 187 miRNAs upregulated. qRT-PCR validation was completed using a selected panel of two downregulated (miR-139-5p and miR-143-5p) and three up-regulated miRNAs (miR-141b, miR-200 s or miR-205). Altered miRNAs patterns are interrelated to bladder tumorigenesis, allowing them to be used for the development of novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Three EMT-related upregulated miRNAs have an essential role in the molecular mechanisms, specifically key processes underlying tumorigenesis, invasion and metastasis. Using the Ampliseq Cancer Panel kit and Ion Torrent PGM Next-Generation Sequencing an increased mutation rate for TP53, FGFR3, KDR, PIK3CA and ATM were observed, but the mutational status for only TP53 was correlated to the survival rate. The miRNAs pattern, along with the gene mutation pattern attained, can assist for better patient diagnosis. CONCLUSION: This study thereby incorporates miRNAs as critical players in bladder cancer prognosis, where their altered gene expression profiles have a critical biological function in relationship with tumor molecular phenotype. The miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks identified in BC are ripe for exploitation as biomarkers or targeted therapeutic strategies.

Biomarker Potential of Plasma MicroRNA-150-5p in Prostate Cancer.

Background and Objectives: Over decades, prostate cancer (PCa) has become one of the leading causes of cancer mortality in men. Extensive evidence exists that microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are key players in PCa and a new class of non-invasive cancer biomarkers. Materials and Methods: We performed miRNA profiling in plasma and tissues of PCa patients and attempted the validation of candidate individual miRs as biomarkers. Results: The comparison of tissue and plasma profiling results revealed five commonly dysregulated miRs, namely, miR-130a-3p, miR-145-5p, miR-148a-3p, miR-150-5p, and miR-365a-3p, of which only three show concordant changes-miR-130a-3p and miR-150-5p were downregulated and miR-148a-3p was upregulated in both tissue and plasma samples, respectively. MiR-150-5p was validated as significantly downregulated in both plasma and tissue cancer samples, with a fold change of -2.697 (p < 0.001), and -1.693 (p = 0.035), respectively. ROC analysis showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.817 (95% CI: 0.680-0.995) for plasma samples and 0.809 (95% CI: 0.616-1.001) for tissue samples. Conclusions: We provide data indicating that miR-150-5p plasma variations in PCa patients are associated with concordant changes in prostate cancer tissues; however, given the heterogeneous nature of previous findings of miR-150-5p expression in PCa cells, additional future studies of a larger sample size are warranted in order to confirm the biomarker potential and role of miRNA-150-5p in PCa biology.