Table 1 Synopsis of results of published studies investigating the potential of circulating miRNAs as biomarkers of prostate cancer

From: Circulating microRNAs as potential new biomarkers for prostate cancer

Study design

Upregulated miRNAs

Downregulated miRNAs

Sample type

Method

Patient numbers

Reference

Cancer vs benign

100, 125b, 141, 143, 296

 

Serum

qRT-PCR

25 metastatic PCa vs 25 controls

Mitchell et al, 2008

 

16, 92a, 103, 107, 197, 34b, 328, 485-3p, 486-5p, 92b, 574-3p, 636, 640, 766, 885-5p

 

Serum

MiR microarray

5 PCa vs 8 controls (other cancers tested)

Lodes et al, 2009

 

221

 

Plasma

qRT-PCR

28 PCa vs 20 controls

Zheng et al, 2011

 

141, 298, 346, 375

 

Serum

qRT-PCR

25 metastatic PCa vs 25 controls

Selth et al, 2012

 

346, 622, 940, 1285

let-7e, let-7c

Plasma

Illumina miR microarray

25 PCa vs 17 BPH, then validation in 80 PCa, 44 BPH and 54 HI

Chen et al, 2012

 

375, 141

181a-2

Plasma

qRT-PCR

78 PCa vs 28 controls, then 16 metastatic vs 55 non-metastatic

Bryant et al, 2012

Localised cancer vs metastatic cancer

9*, 141, 200b, 375, 516a

 

Serum

qRT-PCR

7 metastatic PCa vs 14 localised PCa

Brase et al, 2011

 

21

 

Serum

qRT-PCR

50 PCa (20 localised, 20 ADPC, 10 HRPC) vs 6 BPH

Zhang et al, 2011

 

375, 141

181a-2

Plasma

qRT-PCR

78 PCa vs 28 controls, then 16 metastatic vs 55 non-metastatic

Bryant et al, 2012

Cancer at different stage/risks vs benign

21, 221

 

Plasma

qRT-PCR

51 PCa (18 localised, 8 locally advanced, 25 metastatic) vs 20 HI

Yaman Agaoglu et al, 2011

 

93, 106a, 874, 1207

24, 26b, 30c, 223

Serum

Multiplexed qRT-PCR

36 PCa (12 low risk, 12 medium risk, 12 high risk) vs 12 controls

Moltzahn et al, 2011

 

26a, 195, Let7i, 16

 

Serum

qRT-PCR

45 (37 localised, 8 metastatic) PCa vs 38 controls (18 BPH, 20 HI)

Mahn et al, 2011

 

20a, 21

 

Plasma

qRT-PCR

82 PCa assessing association with CAPRA score

Shen et al, 2012

  1. Abbreviations: ADPC=androgen-dependent prostate cancer; HRPC=hormone refractory prostate cancer; BPH=benign prostatic hypertrophy; HI= healthy individuals; PCa=prostate cancer; qRT-PCR=quantitative real-time PCR; miR=microRNA; CAPRA=Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment. *Where one hairpin miR precursor gives rise to two mature miRs, one from each arm, an asterisk is used to denote the least predominant form.