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Blood-based circulating microRNAs as potential biomarkers for predicting the prognosis of head and neck cancer—a systematic review

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Abstract

Objective

The aim of the present study was to systematically review the role of circulating miRNAs as potential prognostic biomarkers in head and neck cancer patients.

Materials and methods

PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and gray literature from January 1990 up to and including September 2019 were searched. The study selection was performed by two independent reviewers according to eligibility criteria.

Results

A total of 13 studies that met the eligibility criteria were included. Significant number of studies were executed majorly in China and predominant number of them were case-control in nature. A total of 22 different miRNAs were found to be concomitant with very poor prognosis in cancers of the head and neck region. Of these, eighteen miRNAs (miR-375, miR-1234, miR-103, miR-638, miR-200b-3p, miR-191-5p, miR-24-3p, miR-572, miR-483-5p, miR-20a, miR-22, miR-29a, miR-29b, mir-let-7c, miR-17, miR-374b-5p, miR-425-5p, and miR-196a) were upregulated and four miRNAs (miR-9, miR-29c, miR-223, and miR-187∗) were downregulated. The hazard ratio (HR) ranged from twofold to fivefold.

Conclusion

Based on the results, circulating miRNA may assist in the prediction of prognosis of head and neck cancer. Further multi-center randomized controlled clinical trials with large sample size are required to validate the results of the present review.

Clinical relevance

Decoding the circulating miRNA profile could aid in accurate prognostication of head and neck cancer.

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Abbreviations

mRNA:

messenger ribonucleic acid

MeSH:

Medical Subject Headings

HR:

hazard ratio

DFS:

disease-free survival

OS:

overall survival

NOS:

Newcastle-Ottawa scale

κ :

Cohen’s kappa coefficient

OSCC:

oral squamous cell carcinoma

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Kamran Habib Awan for his contribution in reviewing the systematic review.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, Division of Oral Pathology, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia

    Shankargouda Patil

  2. Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK

    Saman Warnakulasuriya

  3. WHO Collaborating Centre for Oral Cancer, London, UK

    Saman Warnakulasuriya

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Correspondence to Shankargouda Patil.

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Patil, S., Warnakulasuriya, S. Blood-based circulating microRNAs as potential biomarkers for predicting the prognosis of head and neck cancer—a systematic review. Clin Oral Invest 24, 3833–3841 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-020-03608-7

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