Table 1.
MiRs used in the detection of CRC and mCRC.
| MiRs Used in the Diagnosis of Primary CRC | Sample Source | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| miR-20a | MiR-20a was upregulated in patients with CRC (relative to controls) and may be a valid biomarker for CRC detection but may not be a strong prognostic indicator. | Feces, serum, and tumor tissue | [62] |
| miR-21 | The high expression of miR-21 was significantly correlated with advanced clinical stage and poor cell differentiation. | Tumor tissue | [64] |
| miR-29a, miR-223, miR-224 |
The expression levels of miR-29a, miR-223, and miR-224 from patients with CRC were significantly lower than those from health volunteers. | Feces | [61] |
| miR-106a, miR-125b |
MiR-106a and miR-125b were associated with the pathogenesis and invasion of CRC and may be used as significant prognostic markers of early-stage CRC. | Tumor | [63] |
| miR-129-1-3p, miR-566 |
A urinary biomarker panel combining miR-129-1-3p and miR-566 could accurately detect stage 0/I CRC. | Urinary samples | [48] |
| MiRs Used in the Prediction of Early Relapse of CRC | Sample Source | Ref. | |
| miR-21 | Lower serum miR-21 expression was associated with higher local recurrence (p = 0.025) and mortality (p = 0.029). | Serum | [65] |
| miR-29c | miR-29c expression in the early relapse group was significantly lower than that in the non–early relapse group. | Tumor tissue | [66] |
| miR-93 | The miR-93 expression levels of the early relapse group were significantly lower than those of the non–early relapse group. The in vitro and in vivo effects of miR-93 overexpression were inhibited by CRC proliferation and migration, and miR-93 decreased CRC recurrence. | Tumor tissue | [60] |
| miR-148a | miR-148a expression levels in the early relapse group were significantly lower than those in the non–early relapse group. MiR-148a inhibits VEGF secretion by indirectly targeting hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF-1α). | Tumor tissue and serum | [67,68] |
| Lower miR-148a expression was positively associated with advanced TNM stage, poor tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis. | Tumor tissue | [69] | |
| MiRs Used in the Diagnosis of mCRC | Sample Source | Ref. | |
| miR-17/92a-1, miR-106a/363, miR-106b/93/25, miR-183/96/182 clusters |
The miR-17/92a-1, miR-106a/363, miR-106b/93/25, and miR-183/96/182 clusters were strongly associated with metastasis and poor patient survival. | Tumor tissue, blood, and feces | [70] |
| miR-20b, miR-29b, miR-155 |
A multivariate analysis of patients with mCRC receiving bevacizumab-based treatment revealed that circulating expression levels of miR-20b, miR-29b, and miR-155 were significantly associated with progression-free survival (p < 0.05) and overall survival (p < 0.05). | Serum | [71] |
| miR-96/miR-99b | Plasma miR-96/miR-99b expression levels may serve as a promising biomarker for the early detection of mCRC. | Plasma | [72] |
| miR-210-3p, miR-191-5p, miR-141-3p, miR-1307-5p, miR-155-5p |
Five miRNAs—miR-210-3p, miR-191-5p, mir-141-3p, miR-1307-5p, and miR-155-5p—were determined to be upregulated at multiple metastatic sites according to an analysis of new and previously published next-generation sequencing data sets of samples of primary CRC and mCRC (liver, lung, and peritoneal metastases) and tumor-adjacent tissues. | Tumor tissue | [73] |
| miR-762 | The circulating miR-762 levels of patients with CRC with distant metastasis were higher than those of patients with CRC without distant metastasis. | Serum | [74] |