EMT-related miRNAs as a potential markers for prediction and early detection of metastasis in renal cell carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) belongs among the most common adult kidney neoplasm. Because of the lack of early warning signals, a high percentage of patients with metastatic RCC occur. Nowadays, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as a crucial event of the tumor progression resulting in metastasis is intensively studied. EMT is a biological process in which polarized epithelial cells undergo multiple biochemical changes altering their phenotype from epithelial to mesenchymal. This phenotype change observed during the tumor metastasis development is also accompanied on a molecular level by miRNAs deregulation. In our study, we try to identify EMT-related miRNAs that can be used in clinical practice as a predictors of metastatic risk and early relapse of the RCC. Five EMT-related miRNAs were studied on 3 different groups of RCC patients. Using Kruskal-Wallis test, miR-192 (p=0,0003), miR-200b (p=0,0145) a miR-215 (p<0,0001) showed significantly different miRNAs expression level between studying groups of RCC patients. Our primary data suggest that EMT-related tissue miRNAs (miR-192, miR-200b, miR-215) could potentially serve as a markers of RCC for differenciation between patiens without/with progression and primary metastatic patiens. No signifiant differences between patiens with and without progression were observed, however miR-192 showed decreasing level of expression depending on higher metastatic potential of the tumor. Further studies are needed to confirm suitability of these miRNA markers for individualisation of RCC therapy and their potential use in the clinical practice.