Evaluation of miR-27a-5p and miR-449a as potential serum biomarkers for breast cancer: a combined bioinformatics and experimental study.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most prevalent malignancies among women worldwide, and early detection is crucial for improving patient outcomes. Among the key signaling pathways involved in BC, the MAPK signaling pathway plays a significant role in tumor progression.

Methods: Through bioinformatics analysis, we identified miRNAs associated with the MAPK signaling pathway. Differential expression analysis using microarray data from the GSE106817 and GSE113486 datasets further refined our selection. Based on these analyses, we identified two candidate miRNAs, hsa-miR-27a-5p and hsa-miR-449a, as potential biomarkers for BC. We then examined the expression levels of these two serum miRNAs in women with BC (n = 100) and healthy controls (n = 100) using RT-PCR.

Results: Our results demonstrated that both miRNAs were significantly upregulated in women with BC compared to healthy individuals (p < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis further confirmed that these miRNAs exhibit strong diagnostic potential for BC.

Conclusion: Overall, our findings suggest that hsa-miR-27a-5p and hsa-miR-449a, identified through bioinformatics and microarray-based expression analyses, could serve as promising biomarkers for BC detection. Their significant association with the MAPK signaling pathway was determined through bioinformatics analysis.