Fig. 2.

The association of miR-338-5p and PIK3C3 with tumour staging and patient survival. Expression of miR-338-5p or PIK3C3 mRNA was assayed using real-time QPCR. (a) Expression of miR-338-5p (T/N ratio) was calculated in benign polyps and tumour tissue of CRC (n = 95). (b) Expression of miR-338-5p (the ratio of T/N) was calculated in benign polyps and CRC specimens cross different stages (n = 95). Expression of miR-338-5p (T/N ratio) was calculated and compared in relation to stage I, II vs. stage III, IV (c), M0 vs. M1 (d) and overall survival (e) of CRC (n = 66). (f) RNA expression of PIK3C3 (T/N ratio) was calculated in benign polyps and tumour tissue of CRC (n = 95). (g) RNA expression of PIK3C3 (T/N ratio) was calculated in benign polyps and CRC specimens cross all stages (n = 95). Data are presented as median (IQR) (P values were analysed using Mann-Whitney test). (h) The correlation of miR-338-5p with PIK3C3 mRNA expression (the ratio of T/N) was estimated in polyps and CRC specimens (n = 95) using linear regression (Data were analysed by Spearman tests). (i) The miR-338-5p/PIK3C3 ratio was calculated in benign polyps, early stage (stage I) and late-stages (stages II-IV) of CRC specimens (n = 95). Data are presented as median (IQR) (P values were analysed using Mann-Whitney tests). (j) AUCs of ROC curves, cutoff values, specificity, and sensitivity are shown for benign polyps and for stage I and stage II-IV CRC specimens. An AUC between 0.5 and 0.6 was defined as nondiscriminatory, between 0.6 and 0.7 as acceptable, between 0.7 and 0.8 as excellent, and between 0.8 and 0.9 as outstanding (n = 95). (k) Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate the overall survival of polyps and CRC patients (n = 95) at 6 years after surgery (P values were analysed using Log Rank tests). The cut-off of miR-338-5p/PIK3C3 ratio set at 4.405 was a practical prognostic biomarker for CRC patients.