Despite advances in cancer treatment, breast cancer (BC) remains one of the most common cancers affecting women worldwide. This study aimed to determine serum circFBXW7, circABCB10, and circ0103552 levels and compare BC patients and healthy controls to investigate their roles in the molecular mechanism of BC and the significance of these circRNAs in BC diagnosis. The study group consisted of 92 patients with BC and 31 healthy controls. Total RNA was isolated from serum samples. Following total RNA, complementary DNA was synthesized from this material. Following complementary DNA analysis, the circRNA levels were analyzed by the qRT-PCR method. Expression levels were evaluated in ΔCt values. High ΔCt values of circFBXW7 and circ0103552 and low ΔCt values of circABCB10 were correlated with BC diagnosis (circFBXW7, p = 0.043, r = 0.183, circ0103552, p < 0.001, r = 0.321, circABCB10, p = 0.001, r = −0.291). According to Fold Change (FC) values, circFBXW7 (FC = 0.30) and circ0103552 (FC = 0.26) showed low expression in the patient group compared to the control group, while circABCB10 (FC = 11.09) showed high expression (p < 0.05, for all comparisons). We think that our study is one of the rare studies investigating the relationship between BC and serum circRNA levels. This study concludes that the significant downregulation of circFBXW7 and circ0103552 and the upregulation of circABCB10 are directly related to the diagnosis of BC and can be used for diagnosis, but further studies are needed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of the relationship between circRNAs and BC.
Early detection of breast cancer (BC) remains a challenge despite advances in screening, leading to poor prognosis in late-stage disease. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as promising non-invasive biomarkers for early diagnosis. The study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of serum miR-197-3p, miR-1236, and miR-1271 levels in distinguishing BC patients from healthy individuals. Serum samples from 92 BC patients and 31 healthy controls were analyzed. Total RNA was extracted, and miRNA expression levels were quantified using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Expression differences were assessed using the ΔCt method. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis evaluated diagnostic performance. Serum miR-197-3p levels were significantly upregulated (fold change = 8.939, p = 0.0048), while miR-1236 was downregulated (fold change = 0.112, p = 0.0029) in BC patients. miR-1271 showed no significant association. miR-1236 demonstrated superior diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.731, sensitivity = 80.7%, specificity = 51.3%) compared to miR-197-3p (AUC = 0.667, sensitivity = 67.0%, specificity = 45.6%). The combination of miR-197-3p and miR-1236 improved diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.842, CI: 0.764–0.936). Serum miR-197-3p and miR-1236 hold promise as complementary biomarkers for early BC detection. Larger multicenter studies are warranted to validate their clinical utility.
Non-small cell lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and identifying molecular markers associated with tumor progression and metastasis is important for improving patient management. This study investigated serum ELMO-3 levels in patients with NSCLC and evaluated their relationship with clinicopathological characteristics. Serum samples from 50 NSCLC patients and 20 healthy controls were analyzed. ELMO-3 concentrations were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Statistical analyses included non-parametric group comparisons, receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression. The mean ELMO-3 level was 0.409 ± 0.543, which was used as the cutoff value to categorize patients into low- and high-ELMO-3 groups; 76% of patients were classified as low-ELMO-3 and 24% as high-ELMO-3. The results showed that serum ELMO-3 levels did not differ significantly between NSCLC patients and healthy controls and were not associated with metastatic status. However, a significant association was observed between ELMO-3 expression status and tumor histopathology. Survival analysis demonstrated that distant metastasis and radiotherapy were significantly associated with overall survival. In multivariate analysis, age, operability, distant metastasis, and serum ELMO-3 levels were identified as independent factors associated with survival. These findings suggest that circulating ELMO-3 may have potential prognostic relevance; however, the results should be interpreted with caution and require validation in larger, independent cohorts.
In addition to the tumor suppressor role of Cullin 7 (Cul7), one of the proteins belonging to the Cullin (Cul) family, studies have also suggested that Cul7 may act as an oncogene under certain conditions. The role of the Cul7 molecule in breast cancer is still unclear, and understanding its function could have significant implications for identifying novel therapeutic targets or improving diagnostic strategies in breast cancer management. In this study, the levels of the Cul7 molecule in plasma and noninvasive material saliva were investigated, and its possibility as a marker for breast cancer was discussed. Protein levels of blood and saliva samples taken from breast cancer patients and a healthy control group were measured by the ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) method. Gene expression levels between the two groups were analyzed by the qPCR (quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction) method. In our study, Cul7 mRNA and protein expression levels were examined in 60 breast cancer patients and 20 healthy female controls, and a statistically insignificant difference was found between the patient and control groups in both plasma and saliva samples (p > 0.05). No correlation was found between the clinical characteristics of the patients and plasma and saliva Cul7 gene expression and protein levels (p > 0.05). Considering the possibility of Cul7 being a biomarker at the protein and mRNA levels, plasma is thought to be a better study material for Cul7. Our findings suggest that in the context of a study on salivary material, the expression of Cul7 at the mRNA level may have better potential utility as a biomarker.