Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
Department of Urology, Bundeswehrkrankenhaus Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
J Cancer Res Clin Oncol. 2021 Feb;147(2):435-443. doi: 10.1007/s00432-020-03429-x. Epub 2020 Nov 16.
Serum levels of microRNA-371a-3p (M371) have been shown to be a highly sensitive and specific biomarker for testicular germ cell tumours (TGCT). Little information exists on the expression of this marker in testicular neoplasms deriving from the gonadal stroma or other structures of the gonad. This study presents an expression analysis of the novel TGCT-biomarker M371 in a large cohort of testicular non-germ cell tumours.
The M371 expression was measured by quantitative real time PCR in serum of 99 patients with testicular tumours of non-germ cell origin, thereof 30 patients with malignant testicular lymphomas and 61 patients with gonadal stroma tumours such as Leydig cell tumours, Sertoli cell tumours and 8 cases with miscellaneous benign testicular tumours. Their M371 levels were compared to those of 20 patients with TGCT and to 37 tumour-free male controls.
The median expression levels of benign testicular tumours and testicular lymphoma are close to zero, thus, identical with those of controls and significantly lower than those of TGCT. In summary, this study provides further evidence for the notion that M371 is exclusively expressed by germ cell tumours and not by testicular neoplasms of the non-germ cell subtypes.
Clinically, the test might be of value in preoperative characterization of benign testicular tumours eligible for conservative surgery.
已有研究表明，血清 microRNA-371a-3p（M371）水平是睾丸生殖细胞肿瘤（TGCT）的一种高度敏感和特异的生物标志物。然而，关于这种标志物在源自性腺基质或性腺其他结构的睾丸肿瘤中的表达情况，目前信息有限。本研究对大量非生殖细胞来源的睾丸肿瘤患者的新型 TGCT 生物标志物 M371 进行了表达分析。
采用实时定量 PCR 法检测 99 例非生殖细胞来源的睾丸肿瘤患者（其中 30 例为恶性睾丸淋巴瘤患者，61 例为性腺基质肿瘤患者，如间质细胞瘤、支持细胞瘤，8 例为其他良性睾丸肿瘤患者）血清中的 M371 表达水平，并与 20 例 TGCT 患者和 37 例无肿瘤男性对照者的 M371 水平进行比较。
良性睾丸肿瘤和睾丸淋巴瘤的中位数表达水平接近零，与对照组相同，且显著低于 TGCT。总之，本研究进一步证实了 M371 仅由生殖细胞肿瘤表达，而不由非生殖细胞亚型的睾丸肿瘤表达的观点。
临床上，该检测方法可能有助于术前对适合保留手术的良性睾丸肿瘤进行特征描述。
