microRNA-196b-5p expression in cancer tissues is closely associated with clinical and pathological characteristics and prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Objective: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) poses great mortality globally. Aberrant microRNA (miRNA/miR) expression is linked to the progression of many cancers. Herein, this study explored the association of miR-196b-5p in NSCLC tissues with the clinical features and prognosis of patients.

Methods: Totally 166 NSCLC patients were retrospectively enrolled. Cancer and normal adjacent tissues (NAT) were attained for miR-196b-5p expression measurement. Clinical baseline data were attained, followed by the analysis of the relation of miR-196b-5p expression with clinical pathological features of NSCLC patients. The 3-year postoperative mortality risk was assessed in NSCLC patients with different miR-196b-5p levels, and independent risk factors (IRFs) for 3-year postoperative mortality were screened using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox multivariate regression analysis.

Results: miR-196b-5p levels were higher in cancer tissues than in NAT. Compared with stage I-II patients, miR-196b-5p in cancer tissues was upregulated in stage III patients. Patients with high/low miR-196b-5p expression showed statistically significant differences in age, capsule invasion, lymph node metastasis (LNM), maximum tumor diameter, and clinical staging. The survival and death groups were markedly different regarding age, capsule invasion, LNM, and clinical TNM staging. High miR-196b-5p expression in cancer tissues in NSCLC patients increased 3-year postoperative mortality risk. Age, clinical TNM stage, and miR-196b-5p expression in cancer tissues were IRFs for 3-year postoperative mortality in NSCLC patients.

Conclusion: High miR-196b-5p expression in cancer tissues of NSCLC patients was closely linked to capsule invasion, LNM, maximum tumor diameter, and clinical TNM stage and was an IRF for 3-year postoperative mortality in NSCLC patients.