Identification of prognostic and subtype-specific potential miRNAs in thymoma

Abstract

Aim: We performed a study to identify the role of microRNA in thymoma. Patients & methods: One hundred twenty-three thymoma patients with clinical information and miRNA expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas were included in the study. Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was integrated in our analysis. Results & conclusion: Seven miRNAs were found to be associated with overall survival (p < 0.001). Another four miRNAs were found to be associated with disease-free survival (p < 0.001). Type C thymoma can be distinguished from nontype C thymoma by miRNAs. Interestingly, seven miRNAs showed both prognostic and subtype-specific potential. Our findings suggest that miRNAs can be used for prognostic prediction and subtype stratification.

Keywords::

• miRNA
• subtype
• survival
• thymoma

Supplementary data

To view the supplementary data that accompany this paper please visit the journal website at: www.tandfonline.com/doi/Full/10.2217/nnm-2016-0161

Authors’ contributions

JM Wei and ZG Liu performed the experiments. KM Wu, DJ Yang, YL He, GG Chen, J Zhang and JH Lin analyzed the data. J Zhang and JH Lin wrote the manuscript. J Zhang conceived and designed the experiments. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. The results published or shown here are in whole or part based upon data generated by the TCGA Research Network: http://cancergenome.nih.gov/.

J Zhang and JH Lin confirmed that the study objectives and procedures were honestly disclosed. Moreover, they have reviewed study execution data and confirmed that procedures were followed to an extent that convinces all authors that the results were valid and generalizable to a population similar to that enrolled in this study.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 81401307). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 81401307). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.