Tissue‐specific and plasma microRNA profiles could be promising biomarkers of histological classification and TNM stage in non‐small cell lung cancer

In a previous study, we determined that plasma miRNAs are potential biomarkers for cigarette smoking-related lung fibrosis. Herein, we determine whether tissue-specific and plasma miRNA profiles could be promising biomarkers for histological classification and TNM stage in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Plasma miRNA profiling preoperatively and seven days postoperatively, and cancer and normal tissue miRNA profiling were performed in NSCLC patients and matched healthy controls. There was a > twofold change for all signature miRNAs between the NSCLC patients and controls, with P values of < 0.05. We found that tissue-specific and plasma miR-211-3p, miR-3679-3p, and miR-4787-5p were promising biomarkers of different staging lung squamous cell carcinoma, and miR-3613-3p, miR-3675-3p, and miR-5571-5p were promising biomarkers of different staging lung adenocarcinoma. These results suggest that tissue-specific and plasma miRNAs could be potential biomarkers of histological classification and TNM stage in NSCLC.