Abstract
BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies and a significant cause of cancer-related mortality among women. Identifying reliable biomarkers for early detection and monitoring is crucial for improving patient outcomes. Therefore, we evaluated circulating miR-6165 and miR-182-3p expression levels in breast cancer patients and explored their potential as biomarkers. METHODS: Plasma samples were collected from diagnosed breast cancer patients and healthy control subjects. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to assess the expression levels of miR-6165 and miR-182-3p. The data were analyzed using GraphPad Prism software (GraphPad Software, USA), and P-values at p < 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Our findings show that both miR-6165 and miR-182-3p are significantly up-regulated in breast cancer patients compared to healthy controls (p < 0.05). These findings were conducted with 50 patients and 50 healthy individuals and were not significant in the age group under 40 years but were substantial between 40 and 60 years (p < 0.05) and over 60 years (p < 0.01). This positive regulation highlights their potential role in diagnosis and monitoring of the disease. A sensitivity of 85% and specificity of 90% were observed for miR-6165, and a sensitivity of 80% and specificity of 88% for miR-182-3p. Furthermore, we provided an analysis of the targets of miR-6165 and miR-182-3p, along with the associated genes, to indicate the underlying mechanisms involved in breast cancer progression. These potential targets as therapeutic biomarkers, may provide overcome the challenges of tumor resistance, and a valuable impact on future research. CONCLUSION: The elevated levels of circulating miR-6165 and miR-182-3p in breast cancer patients suggest their utility as promising non-invasive biomarkers for early detection and monitoring of breast cancer. Further validation studies are warranted to establish their clinical relevance and to explore their functional roles in breast cancer biology.