The miR-21-5p, miR-30c-5p, and miR-182-5p as Biomarkers in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Southeastern Romanian Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the expression and clinical relevance of three mature miRNAs (miR-21-5p, miR-30c-5p, and miR-182-5p) in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) from southeast Romania, and to explore their potential as non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.

METHODS

miRNA expression levels were measured using TaqMan MGB and qRT-PCR in paired tumor and adjacent non-cancerous tissues, as well as in serum-derived exosomes, from 26 ccRCC patients. Statistical analysis included the Wilcoxon test for group comparisons and non-parametric tests for correlations with clinicopathological features. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess diagnostic performance, and miRNA panels were constructed for improved accuracy.

RESULTS

Significant dysregulation of the investigated miRNAs was observed. miR-21-5p was markedly overexpressed in both tumor tissues (3.46-fold, < 0.001) and serum exosomes (3.26-fold, < 0.001). miR-182-5p showed modest overexpression in tissues (0.56-fold, < 0.001) and serum (0.85-fold, < 0.001), whereas miR-30c-5p was significantly downregulated in both tissues (2.48-fold decrease, < 0.001) and serum exosomes (2.29-fold decrease, = 0.0003). Elevated miR-182-5p expression correlated with tumor localization in the right kidney ( = 0.02) and lymph node involvement ( = 0.04). Similarly, higher miR-21-5p levels in serum exosomes were associated with right-sided tumors ( = 0.01). ROC analysis revealed distinct expression profiles for all three miRNAs between ccRCC and normal tissue, both in tissue and exosomal samples (all < 0.05). Combined biomarker panels yielded high diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.94 for tissue, AUC = 0.93 for exosomes).

CONCLUSIONS

This study underscores the potential of miR-21-5p, miR-30c-5p, and miR-182-5p as non-invasive biomarkers for ccRCC diagnosis and prognosis. The use of serum exosomal miRNA panels offers a promising alternative to tissue-based diagnostics in Romanian ccRCC patients.