Decreased expression of miR-490-3p in osteosarcoma and its clinical significance.

OBJECTIVE: Increasing evidence has revealed that miRNAs play a key role in the development and progression of tumor and are being explored as a prognostic biomarker. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of miR-490-3p expression in osteosarcoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to evaluate miR-490-3p level in osteosarcoma tissues. We also analyzed the correlations between the expression level of miR-490-3p and the clinical characteristics in cases of osteosarcoma. Also, Kaplan-Meier curve and the log-rank test were conducted to detect the prognostic value of miR-490-3p. Finally, univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate independent prognostic factors.
RESULTS: MiR-490-3p expression level was significantly downregulated in osteosarcoma tissues in comparison with noncancerous bone tissues. Moreover, low miR-490-3p expression was significantly associated with distant metastasis, advanced clinical stage and poor overall survival and relapse-free survival. Univariate and multivariate analysis results indicated that miR-490-3p was an independent prognostic factor in osteosarcoma.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that miR-490-3p plays critical roles in osteosarcoma progression and serves as a novel prognostic indicator and a potential therapeutic target for osteosarcoma.