Open Access

Diagnostic value of miR‑21 and miR‑221 as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of prostate cancer

  • Authors:
    • Imane Mharrach
    • Kaoutar Anouar Tadlaoui
    • Mouna Aqerrout
    • Abdelilah Laraqui
    • Ahmed Ameur
    • Anouar El Ghazzaly
    • Khalid Ennibi
    • Moulay Mustapha Ennaji
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: March 11, 2025     https://doi.org/10.3892/mco.2025.2835
  • Article Number: 40
  • Copyright: © Mharrach et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is globally the second most diagnosed malignancy in men, with >1.5 million new cases reported in 2020. Given the limitations of classical detection methods, the discovery of new predictive PCa biomarkers is critical. MicroRNAs (miRs), which are small, single‑stranded, non‑coding RNA molecules, have emerged as potential biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. The present study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of miR‑21 and miR‑221 in PCa and their association with clinicopathological parameters. The expression of miR‑21 and miR‑221 was assessed using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR in 50 tumour and 50 control tissue samples. The results demonstrated that miR‑21 and miR‑221 were significantly upregulated in PCa tissues compared with that of the normal control tissues. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that miR‑21 had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.90, with a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 96%. Similarly, miR‑221 demonstrated an AUC of 0.89, with a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 78%. High expression of miR‑21 and miR‑221 was also demonstrated to be associated with higher Gleason scores and advanced tumour stages. The findings of the present study indicate the potential role of miR‑21 and miR‑221 as biomarkers in the diagnosis of PCa. However, further studies in non‑invasive samples such as serum, blood and urine are needed to support the results of the present study.
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May-2025
Volume 22 Issue 5

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Spandidos Publications style
Mharrach I, Tadlaoui KA, Aqerrout M, Laraqui A, Ameur A, El Ghazzaly A, Ennibi K and Ennaji MM: Diagnostic value of miR‑21 and miR‑221 as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of prostate cancer. Mol Clin Oncol 22: 40, 2025.
APA
Mharrach, I., Tadlaoui, K.A., Aqerrout, M., Laraqui, A., Ameur, A., El Ghazzaly, A. ... Ennaji, M.M. (2025). Diagnostic value of miR‑21 and miR‑221 as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of prostate cancer. Molecular and Clinical Oncology, 22, 40. https://doi.org/10.3892/mco.2025.2835
MLA
Mharrach, I., Tadlaoui, K. A., Aqerrout, M., Laraqui, A., Ameur, A., El Ghazzaly, A., Ennibi, K., Ennaji, M. M."Diagnostic value of miR‑21 and miR‑221 as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of prostate cancer". Molecular and Clinical Oncology 22.5 (2025): 40.
Chicago
Mharrach, I., Tadlaoui, K. A., Aqerrout, M., Laraqui, A., Ameur, A., El Ghazzaly, A., Ennibi, K., Ennaji, M. M."Diagnostic value of miR‑21 and miR‑221 as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of prostate cancer". Molecular and Clinical Oncology 22, no. 5 (2025): 40. https://doi.org/10.3892/mco.2025.2835