Abstract
BACKGROUND: To explore the value of serum miR-139-3p expression level in predicting postoperative survival of colon cancer patients. METHODS: We selected 158 cases enrolled in our hospital from January 2017 to December 2019. Using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR, the expression extents of serum miR-139-3p among patients suffering from colon cancer were detected. The enrollment of patients was performed in the high or low miR-139-3p group on the basis of the cutoff value determined by ROC curve analysis. The risk elements influencing the postoperative survival of colon cancer patients were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier approach and univariate and multivariate Cox regression models. RESULTS: Compared with control group, significantly lower expression level of serum miR-139-3p was shown in colon cancer group (P < 0.05). Its low expression of miR-139-3p was associated with TNM stage, degree of differentiation, tumor sizes, lymph node metastasis and vascular infiltration in patients with colon cancer (all P < 0.05), which was also significantly associated with short survival time of colon cancer patients (P < 0.05). Multivariate Cox regression model analysis displayed that TNM phase, lymph node metastasis and miR-139-3p <2.17 were independent risk elements affecting postoperative survival (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The low expression level of miR-139-3p is related to the short survival time of colon cancer patients, and it is expected to be used as a biological indicator to predict the postoperative survival of colon cancer.