Open Access

The four‑microRNA signature identified by bioinformatics analysis predicts the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

  • Authors:
    • Siwei Zhang
    • Wenxing Yue
    • Yan Xie
    • Lingzhi Liu
    • Shen Li
    • Wei Dang
    • Shuyu Xin
    • Li Yang
    • Xingyu Zhai
    • Pengfei Cao
    • Jianhong Lu
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: September 16, 2019     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2019.7316
  • Pages: 1767-1780
  • Copyright: © Zhang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) that predict the prognosis of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma by integrated bioinformatics analysis. First, the original microarray dataset GSE32960, including 312 nasopharyngeal carcinomas and 18 normal samples, was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. In addition, 46 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were screened. Then, four miRNAs, including hsa‑miR‑142‑3p, hsa‑miR‑150, hsa‑miR‑29b, and hsa‑miR‑29c, were obtained as prognostic markers by combining univariate Cox regression analysis with weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). Subsequently, the risk score of 312 NPC patients from the signature of miRNAs was calculated, and patients were divided into high‑risk or low‑risk groups. Notably, compared with patients with low‑risk scores, high‑risk groups had shorter disease‑free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and distant metastasis‑free survival (DMFS). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis indicated that the risk score was a very effective prognostic factor. Moreover, the Search Tool for the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID), Cytoscape, starBase, and Retrieval of Interacting Genes database (STRING) were used to establish the miRNA‑mRNA correlation network and the protein‑protein interaction (PPI) network. In addition, the shared genes superimposing 888 protein‑coding genes targeted by four hub miRNAs and 1,601 upregulated differentially expressed mRNAs accounted for 127 and were used for subsequent gene functional enrichment analysis. In particular, biological pathway analysis indicated that these genes mainly participate in some vital pathways related to cancer pathogenesis, such as the focal adhesion, PI3K/Akt, p53, and mTOR signalling pathways. In summary, the identification of NPC patients with a four‑miRNA signature may increase the prognostic value and provide reference information for precision medicine.
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November-2019
Volume 42 Issue 5

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

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Copy and paste a formatted citation
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Spandidos Publications style
Zhang S, Yue W, Xie Y, Liu L, Li S, Dang W, Xin S, Yang L, Zhai X, Cao P, Cao P, et al: The four‑microRNA signature identified by bioinformatics analysis predicts the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Oncol Rep 42: 1767-1780, 2019
APA
Zhang, S., Yue, W., Xie, Y., Liu, L., Li, S., Dang, W. ... Lu, J. (2019). The four‑microRNA signature identified by bioinformatics analysis predicts the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Oncology Reports, 42, 1767-1780. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2019.7316
MLA
Zhang, S., Yue, W., Xie, Y., Liu, L., Li, S., Dang, W., Xin, S., Yang, L., Zhai, X., Cao, P., Lu, J."The four‑microRNA signature identified by bioinformatics analysis predicts the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients". Oncology Reports 42.5 (2019): 1767-1780.
Chicago
Zhang, S., Yue, W., Xie, Y., Liu, L., Li, S., Dang, W., Xin, S., Yang, L., Zhai, X., Cao, P., Lu, J."The four‑microRNA signature identified by bioinformatics analysis predicts the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients". Oncology Reports 42, no. 5 (2019): 1767-1780. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.2019.7316