Diagnostic and prognostic significance of serum miR-24-3p in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma

The aim of this study was to explore the diagnostic and prognostic value of serum microRNAs (miRNAs) in hepatitis B viral (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 84 consecutive patients with HBV-related HCC who underwent curative resection. Additionally, we enrolled 46 healthy controls and 31 patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Serum levels of miR-155-5p, miR-24-3p, miR-490-3p, miR-210-3p, and miR-335-5p were measured. Associations of serum miRNAs with clinicopathological factors were evaluated. Receiver operating characteristic curves were established for discriminating HCC patients from CLD patients, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were examined by the Kaplan–Meier method. Prognostic factors were determined by multivariate Cox analysis. Consequently, serum miR-24-3p levels were significantly greater in HCC patients than healthy controls and CLD patients. Serum miR-24-3p was significantly associated with vascular invasion in HCC patients. Serum miR-24-3p discriminated HCC patients from CLD, with an AUC of 0.636 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.524–0.748]. Combined serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and miR-24-3p had an increased AUC of 0.834 (95 % CI 0.745–0.923; P < 0.001). Elevated serum miR-24-3p was an independent poor prognostic factor for OS and DFS of HCC patients. In conclusion, the combination of serum miR-24-3p and AFP improves the diagnostic accuracy for HCC prediction compared to each biomarker alone. High serum miR-24-3p level is an independent predictor of poor OS and DFS in patients with HBV-related HCC.