Table 2.

Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis of the clinicopathologic characteristics and integrated microRNA signature with PFS

	Training set (n = 67)		Internal testing set (n = 40)		Independent validation set (n = 44)
	HR (95% CI)	p	HR (95% CI)	p	HR (95%CI)	p
Gender	1.034 (0.584–1.830)	0.910	1.410 (0.661–3.007)	0.374	0.898 (0.456–1.769)	0.757
Age (<60-year-old vs ≥ 60 year-old)	0.771 (0.441–1.347)	0.361	0.667 (0.269–1.657)	0.383	0.726 (0.370–1.426)	0.353
Tumour location (colon vs rectum)	1.185 (0.651–2.160)	0.578	1.084 (0.505–2.325)	0.836	1.388 (0.669–2.880)	0.379
Tumour grade (low vs median/high)	0.531 (0.232–1.215)	0.134	2.743 (1.020–7.383)	0.046	1.576 (0.475–5.229)	0.457
Metastatic location (without vs with liver metastasis)	1.004 (0.569–1.770)	0.989	2.446 (0.908–6.587)	0.077	2.086 (0.842–5.171)	0.112
Metastatic site number (one vs more than one)	1.601 (1.119–2.290)	0.010	1.192 (0.792–1.792)	0.400	1.853 (1.070–3.210)	0.028
Metastatic type (synchronous vs metachronous)	0.617 (0.315–1.209)	0.159	1.099 (0.481–2.512)	0.823	1.235 (0.624–2.444)	0.544
Chemotherapy strategy (FOLFOX vs FOLFIRI)	1.151 (0.577–2.299)	0.690	0.756 (0.304–1.877)	0.546	0.741 (0.372–1.478)	0.395
Response for chemotherapy (CR + PR + SD vs PD)	4.608 (2.337–9.083)	<0.001	12.033 (4.008–36.130)	<0.001	2.802 (1.276–6.152)	0.010
miR-125b-2-3p (low vs high expression)	0.526 (0.29–0.952)	0.034	0.443 (0.203–0.969)	0.041	0.487 (0.244–0.971)	0.041
miR-933 (low vs high expression)	0.875 (0.490–1.565)	0.653	0.834 (0.434–1.941)	0.340	0.616 (0.309–1.229)	0.169
miRNA signature (low vs high risk)	2.817 (1.584–5.009)	<0.001	7.797 (2.525–24.089)	<0.001	3.153 (1.444–6.887)	0.004