Role of miR-15b and miR-130b as Non-Invasive Biomarkers in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Ibrahim, Noha H; Elshazly, Ahmad Samir; Ghareeb, Mohamed; Elkhashab, Dina M.; Elnaggar, Ghada Nabil

doi:10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.7.2479

Role of miR-15b and miR-130b as Non-Invasive Biomarkers in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Document Type : Research Articles

Authors

¹ Department of Clinical Pathology, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.

² Department of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Institute Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.

10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.7.2479

Abstract

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers, and the second cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. MicroRNAs play a role in regulating gene expression transcriptionally and post-transcriptionally. Accordingly, they can affect cancer risk. This study aimed to highlight the diagnostic role of miR-15b and miR-130b as non-invasive biomarkers in Egyptian HCC patients. Materials and Methods: This study included 70 patients with confirmed HCC, 35 cirrhotic patients with chronic hepatitis B or C virus infection, and 35 apparently healthy persons. Plasma miR-15b and miR-130b levels were measured by TaqMan RT-PCR assay. Results: Significant higher expression levels of plasma miR-15b and miR-130b were observed in HCC patients compared to hepatitis group or control group or the non-malignant group (P <0.0001 each). Combining miR-15b with AFP markedly raised the sensitivity to 91.4%, while combination of miR-130b with AFP significantly improved the specificity to 97.1 %. Combining the three markers showed excellent discriminatory power with AUC 0.959 and overall diagnostic accuracy 92.6% for differentiation between HCC from the non-malignant cases. Conclusion: MiR-15b and miR-130b could serve as possible biomarkers for HCC detection, and combining these markers with AFP could markedly improve the diagnostic accuracy for HCC.

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