Serum miR-29b as a novel biomarker for glioblastoma diagnosis and prognosis.

Altered expression of serum microRNAs (miRNA) has been reported to correlate with carcinogenesis and progression of glioblastoma (GBM). This study assessed the potential diagnostic and prognostic value of serum miR-29b for GBM. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression levels of serum miR-29b in 107 patients with GBM patients, 40 patients with anaplastic astrocytoma (AA) and 80 healthy volunteers. The results showed that serum miR-29b levels were much lower in patients with GBM than in those with AA or healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that serum exosomal miR-29b could effectively distinguish GBM patients from AA patients or normal controls. In addition, serum exosomal miR-29b level was significantly increased after treatment. Low serum exosomal miR-29b expression was strongly associated with aggressive clinical findings and shorter survival. Moreover, the Cox regression analysis demonstrated that serum exosomal miR-29b was an independent prognostic indicator. Collectively, serum exosomal miR-29b might be a promising biomarker for predicting prognosis of GBM. IJCEP