Abstract
AIM: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is marked by high mortality and resistance to conventional therapies, largely due to a dense desmoplastic stroma that promotes drug resistance and metastasis. This highlights the need for specific non-invasive diagnostic markers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), known for regulating gene expression and influencing tumor behavior, have emerged as promising biomarkers. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of circulating miR-6875 and miR-1307 in PC patients to explore their diagnostic potential. METHODS: Blood, urine, and saliva samples were collected from 20 PC patients and 12 healthy controls. RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were performed following standard protocols, and quantitative real-time PCR assays were used to quantify miR-6875 and miR-1307 expression levels. Statistical analysis was performed to predict their diagnostic potential and association with clinical and biochemical parameters of PC patients. RESULTS: Our results revealed significantly elevated levels of miR-6875 and miR-1307 in plasma, urine samples, and saliva samples from PC patients compared to controls. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated the potential of miR-6875 and miR-1307 in plasma as diagnostic biomarkers for PC, with AUC values of 0.79 and 0.83, respectively. CONCLUSION: Plasma levels of miR-6875 and miR-1307 show potential as non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers for pancreatic cancer.