Elevated miR-483-3p expression is an early event and indicates poor prognosis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

The role and mechanism of action of miR-483-3p in mediating the effects of IGF-1 on human renal tubular epithelial cells induced by high glucose

This study aimed to elucidate the influence of miR-483-3p on human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) under high glucose conditions and to understand its mechanism. Human proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) were exposed to 50 mmol/L glucose for 48 h to establish a renal tubular epithelial cell injury model, denoted as the high glucose group (HG group). Cells were also cultured for 48 h in a medium containing 5.5 mmol/L glucose, serving as the low glucose group. Transfection was performed in various groups: HK-2 + low glucose (control group), high glucose (50 mM) (HG group), high glucose + miR-483-3p mimics (HG + mimics group), high glucose +miR-483-3p inhibitor (HG + inhibitor group), and corresponding negative controls. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assessed the mRNA expression of miR-483-3p, bax, bcl-2, and caspase-3. Western blot determined the corresponding protein levels. Proliferation was assessed using the CCK-8 assay, and cell apoptosis was analyzed using the fluorescence TUNEL method. Western blot and Masson's staining were conducted to observe alterations in cell fibrosis post miR-483-3p transfection. Furthermore, a dual-luciferase assay investigated the targeting relationship between miR-483-3p and IGF-1. The CCK8 assay demonstrated that the HG + mimics group inhibited HK-2 cell proliferation, while the fluorescent TUNEL method revealed induced cell apoptosis in this group. Conversely, the HG + inhibitor group promoted cell proliferation and suppressed cell apoptosis. The HG + mimics group upregulated mRNA and protein expression of pro-apoptotic markers (bax and caspase-3), while downregulating anti-apoptotic marker (bcl-2) expression. In contrast, the HG + inhibitor group showed opposite effects. Collagen I and FN protein levels were significantly elevated in the HG + mimics group compared to controls (P < 0.05). Conversely, in the HG + inhibitor group, the protein expression of Collagen I and FN was notably reduced compared to the HG group (P < 0.05). The dual luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-483-3p could inhibit the luciferase activity of IGF-1's 3'-UTR region (P < 0.05). miR-483-3p exerts targeted regulation on IGF-1, promoting apoptosis and fibrosis in renal tubular epithelial cells induced by high glucose conditions.

The Prospective Application of Melatonin in Treating Epigenetic Dysfunctional Diseases

In the past, different human disorders were described by scientists from the perspective of either environmental factors or just by genetically related mechanisms. The rise in epigenetic studies and its modifications, i.e., heritable alterations in gene expression without changes in DNA sequences, have now been confirmed in diseases. Modifications namely, DNA methylation, posttranslational histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs have led to a better understanding of the coaction between epigenetic alterations and human pathologies. Melatonin is a widely-produced indoleamine regulator molecule that influences numerous biological functions within many cell types. Concerning its broad spectrum of actions, melatonin should be investigated much more for its contribution to the upstream and downstream mechanistic regulation of epigenetic modifications in diseases. It is, therefore, necessary to fill the existing gaps concerning corresponding processes associated with melatonin with the physiological abnormalities brought by epigenetic modifications. This review outlines the findings on melatonin’s action on epigenetic regulation in human diseases including neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. It summarizes the ability of melatonin to act on molecules such as proteins and RNAs which affect the development and progression of diseases.

High Expression of miR-483-5p Predicts Chemotherapy Resistance in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

BACKGROUND

Ovarian cancer is the most deadly that requires novel diagnostics and therapeutics. MicroRNAs are viewed as essential gene regulatory elements involved in different pathobiological mechanisms of many cancers, including ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the relationship between microRNA (miRNA) expression and response to platinum-based chemotherapy.

METHODS

Genome-wide miRNA expression analysis was conducted using epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) tissues from 25 patients with 17 malignant tumors and eight benign ovarian tumors. Candidate miRNAs that respond to platinum-based chemotherapy were selected for validation by quantitative RT-PCR.

RESULTS

Among 2,578 mature human miRNAs, high expression of miR-483-5p correlated with poor responses to platinum-based chemotherapy in EOC patients. Furthermore, high levels of miR-483-5p in the resistant group suppressed expression of the apoptotic regulator TAOK-1.

CONCLUSION

A possible marker for the prediction of chemotherapy response and resistance in patients may be miR-483-5p. Choosing the right treatment for each patient with EOC can avoid the risk of developing chemotherapy resistance.

Upregulated MicroRNA-483-3p is an Early Event in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and as a Powerful Liquid Biopsy Biomarker in PDAC

Background

There is an urgent need for the development of effective noninvasive biomarkers for early pancreatic cancer diagnosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are promising candidates that can be identified in peripheral blood and can act as "liquid biopsy" biomarkers. miR-483-3p is overexpressed in the tumor tissue of pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma, but its potential as noninvasive biomarker remains unknown.

Methods

We conducted locked nucleic acid in situ hybridization (LNA-ISH) for miR-483-3p in archival tissues of 107 patients with PDAC. We also used immunohistochemistry to evaluate SMAD4 expression, the putative miR-483-3p target gene. miR-483-3p expression level was also assessed using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in serum and serum exosome samples from 63 patients with PDAC and 22 healthy individuals.

Results

LNA-ISH showed that miR-483-3p was overexpressed in PDAC and PanIN tissues compared to normal pancreatic duct cells. miR-483-3p expression levels correlated with increases in PanIN lesion grade. miR-483-3p expression negatively correlated with Smad4 expression (γ=-0.770, p<0.0001) in PDAC and PanIN tissues. Circulating miR-483-3p levels were significantly elevated in the serum and serum exosomes of PDAC patients compared to healthy controls (p<0.0001 and p<0.01, respectively). Specifically, serum miR-483-3p levels were able to distinguish patients with early stage (≤2cm) PDAC from healthy controls with an AUC of 0.83 [95% CI, 0.70-0.96]. Higher serum exosomal miR-483-3p levels predicted worse survival in PDAC patients and serum exosomal miR-483-3p also proved to be an independent prognostic factor for PDAC (hazard ratio = 3.307; 95% CI=1.104 to 9.903; p=0.033). In vitro studies also showed that miR-483-3p promoted pancreatic cancer cell migration and invasion.

Conclusion

miR-483-3p overexpression occurs early in PDAC development and is present in premalignant PanIN lesions. Serum miR-483-3p may act as an early PDAC diagnostic biomarker and serum exosomal miR-483-3p may be a PDAC prognostic biomarker.

miR-483-3p promotes cell proliferation and suppresses apoptosis in rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes by targeting IGF-1

Accumulating evidence suggests that miR-483-3p is implicated in maintaining biological properties in human cancers. However, its biological roles in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remain unknown. miR-483-3p levels in synovial tissue samples and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) were determined using quantitative real-time PCR. The CCK-8 assay and EdU staining were performed to assess cell proliferation in RA FLSs after transfection with miR-483-3p mimics or inhibitor. Flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC staining or PI staining was performed to assess apoptosis or cell cycle progression in RA FLSs, respectively. miR-483-3p was upregulated in RA, which markedly promoted cell proliferation, induced the G0/G1-to-S phase transition, and suppressed apoptosis in RA FLSs, whereas miR-483-3p silencing yielded opposite results. Moreover, insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1) was detected as a direct miR-483-3p target. IGF-1 silencing partially restored cell proliferation, the G0/G1-to-S phase transition, and apoptosis suppression in RA FLSs via miR-483-3p inhibition. Our results showed that miR-483-3p promotes RA FLSs proliferation by targeting IGF-1, suggesting a potential strategy for diagnostic and treatment strategy for RA.

Prognostic value of microRNAs in pancreatic cancer: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The prognostic impact of microRNA (miRNA) expression levels in pancreatic cancer (PC) has been estimated for years, but the outcomes are controversial and heterogeneous. Therefore, we comprehensively reviewed the evidence collected on miRNA expression in PC to determine this effect.

RESULTS

PC patients with high miR-21 (HR=2.61, 95%CI=1.68-4.04), miR-451a (HR=2.23, 95%CI=1.23-4.04) or miR-1290 (HR=1.43, 95%CI=1.04-1.95) levels in blood had significantly poorer OS (P<0.05). Furthermore, PC patients with high miR-10b (HR=1.73, 95%CI=1.09-2.76), miR-17-5p (HR=1.91, 95%CI=1.30-2.80), miR-21 (HR=1.90, 95%CI=1.61-2.25), miR-23a (HR=2.18, 95%CI=1.52-3.13), miR-155 (HR=2.22, 95%CI=1.27-3.88), miR-203 (HR=1.65, 95%CI=1.14-2.40), miR-221 (HR=1.72, 95%CI=1.08-2.74), miR-222 levels (HR=1.72, 95%CI=1.02-2.91) or low miR-29c (HR=1.39, 95%CI=1.08-1.79), miR-126 (HR=1.55, 95%CI=1.23-1.95), miR-218 (HR=2.62, 95%CI=1.41-4.88) levels in tissues had significantly shorter OS (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, blood miR-21, miR-451a, miR-1290 and tissue miR-10b, miR-17-5p, miR-21, miR-23a, miR-29c, miR-126, miR-155, miR-203, miR-218, miR-221, miR-222 had significant prognostic value.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews to recognize eligible studies, and 57 studies comprising 5445 PC patients and 15 miRNAs were included to evaluate the associations between miRNA expression levels and overall survival (OS) up to June 1, 2019. Summary hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess the effect.

Analysis of microRNA expression in peripheral blood monocytes of three Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome types in psoriasis patients

Background

To analyze the expression of miRNA (microRNA) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with Psoriasis vulgaris with different TCM syndromes by miRNA chip. It further revealed the micromaterial basis of different syndrome types of psoriasis at the miRNA level.

Methods

Peripheral blood monocytes were collected and prepared from 30 patients with Psoriasis vulgaris (including 9 patients of blood heat syndrome, 8 patients of blood stasis syndrome, and 13 patients of blood dry syndrome) and 9 healthy controls. The miRNA expression profile of peripheral blood monocytes was detected by Agilent Hum miRNA chip.

Results

Compared to the healthy control group, 156 upregulated and 242 downregulated miRNAs were detected in all psoriasis patients. Compared to the healthy control group, 40 miRNAs were upregulated and 44 were downregulated in the blood heat syndrome group. Furthermore, there were 49 upregulated miRNAs and 44 downregulated miRNAs in the dry syndrome group as compared to the healthy control group. Also, 67 miRNAs were upregulated and 154 miRNAs were downregulated in the blood stasis syndrome group as compared to the healthy control group.

Conclusions

There are common different miRNAs and pathways, as well as specific miRNAs between the psoriasis and the healthy control groups.

Trial registration ChiCTR-TRC-14005185 registered on August 8, 2014.

Genome-wide analysis of prognostic-related lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs forming a competing endogenous RNA network in lung squamous cell carcinoma

PURPOSE

As a type of cancer with the highest morbidity and mortality, lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) has a very poor prognosis. Long-non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has recently attracted attentions because it can play the role of competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to inhibit microRNA (miRNA) functions. In this study, we aimed to find prognosis-related lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs and construct a prognosis-related ceRNA network.

METHODS

The original LUSC RNA-sequencing data and miRNA profiles data were downloaded from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database. Differentially expressed lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs were then identified between patients with lymph node metastasis and no lymph node metastasis. Univariate Cox regression analysis was performed to find the survival-associated lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs. Subsequently, prognostic-related ceRNA network was established. By multivariate Cox regression analysis, three lncRNA signatures and three mRNA signatures were developed and used for predicting LUSC patients' survival.

RESULTS

A total of 224 lncRNAs, 160 miRNAs, 913 mRNAs were identified between samples with lymph node metastasis and no lymph node metastasis. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that, among them, 28 lncRNAs, 8 miRNAs, 105 mRNAs were significantly associated with patients' overall survival time. Further pathway and enrichment analysis suggested that these mRNAs were associated with the regulation of transmembrane transport, regulation of blood circulation, plasma lipoprotein particle organization. Then we constructed a survival-related ceRNA network including 9 lncRNAs, 8 miRNAs and 23 mRNAs. Additionally, a multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that three lncRNAs (AL161431.1, LINC02389, APCDD1L.DT) and three mRNAs (KLK6, SLITRK5, CCDC177) had a significant prognostic value. Risk score indicated that lncRNA signature and mRNA signature could independently predict overall survival in LUSC patients.

CONCLUSION

The current study provided a better understanding of the ceRNA network in the progression of LUSC and laid a theoretical foundation for LUSC prognosis.

Increased Expression of miR-483-3p Impairs the Vascular Response to Injury in Type 2 Diabetes

Aggravated endothelial injury and impaired endothelial repair capacity contribute to the high cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), but the underlying mechanisms are still incompletely understood. Here we describe the functional role of a mature form of miRNA (miR) 483-3p, which limits endothelial repair capacity in patients with T2D. Expression of human (hsa)-miR-483-3p was higher in endothelial-supportive M2-type macrophages (M2MΦs) and in the aortic wall of patients with T2D than in control subjects without diabetes. Likewise, the murine (mmu)-miR-483* was higher in T2D than in nondiabetic murine carotid samples. Overexpression of miR-483-3p increased endothelial and macrophage apoptosis and impaired reendothelialization in vitro. The inhibition of hsa-miR-483-3p in human T2D M2MΦs transplanted to athymic nude mice (NMRI-Foxn1^ν/Foxn1^ν ) or systemic inhibition of mmu-miR-483* in B6.BKS(D)-Lepr^db /J diabetic mice rescued diabetes-associated impairment of reendothelialization in the murine carotid-injury model. We identified the endothelial transcription factor vascular endothelial zinc finger 1 (VEZF1) as a direct target of miR-483-3p. VEZF1 expression was reduced in aortae of diabetic mice and upregulated in diabetic murine aortae upon systemic inhibition of mmu-483*. The miRNA miR-483-3p is a critical regulator of endothelial integrity in patients with T2D and may represent a therapeutic target to rescue endothelial regeneration after injury in patients with T2D.

The Glucose-Regulated MiR-483-3p Influences Key Signaling Pathways in Cancer

The hsa-mir-483 gene, located within the IGF2 locus, transcribes for two mature microRNAs, miR-483-5p and miR-483-3p. This gene, whose regulation is mediated by the the CTNNB1/USF1 complex, shows an independent expression from its host gene IGF2. The miR-483-3p affects the Wnt/β-catenin, the TGF-β, and the TP53 signaling pathways by targeting several genes as CTNNB1, SMAD4, IGF1, and BBC3. Accordingly, miR-483-3p is associated with various tissues specific physiological properties as insulin and melanin production, as well as with cellular physiological functions such as wounding, differentiation, proliferation, and survival. Deregulation of miR-483-3p is observed in different types of cancer, and its overexpression can inhibit the pro-apoptotic pathway induced by the TP53 target effectors. As a result, the oncogenic characteristics of miR-483-3p are linked to the effect of some of the most relevant cancer-related genes, TP53 and CTNNB1, as well as to one of the most important cancer hallmark: the aberrant glucose metabolism of tumor cells. In this review, we summarize the recent findings regarding the miR-483-3p, to elucidate its functional role in physiological and pathological contexts, focusing overall on its involvement in cancer and in the TP53 pathway.

Epigenetic silencing of miR-483-3p promotes acquired gefitinib resistance and EMT in EGFR-mutant NSCLC by targeting integrin β3

All lung cancers patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation inevitably develop acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). In up to 30% of cases, the mechanism underlying acquired resistance remains unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) is a group of small non-coding RNAs commonly dysregulated in human cancers and have been implicated in therapy resistance. The aim of this study was to understand the roles of novel miRNAs in acquired EGFR TKI resistance in EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we reported the evidence of miR-483-3p silencing and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype in both in vitro and in vivo EGFR-mutant NSCLC models with acquired resistance to gefitinib. In those tumor models, forced expression of miR-483-3p efficiently increased sensitivity of gefitinib-resistant lung cancer cells to gefitinib by inhibiting proliferation and promoting apoptosis. Moreover, miR-483-3p reversed EMT and inhibited migration, invasion, and metastasis of gefitinib-resistant lung cancer cells. Mechanistically, miR-483-3p directly targeted integrin β3, and thus repressed downstream FAK/Erk signaling pathway. Furthermore, the silencing of miR-483-3p in gefitinib-resistant lung cancer cells was due to hypermethylation of its own promoter. Taken together, our data identify miR-483-3p as a promising target for combination therapy to overcome acquired EGFR TKI resistance in EGFR-mutant NSCLC.

Candidate diagnostic miRNAs that can detect cancer in prostate biopsy

BACKGROUND

While histopathological evaluation remains the gold standard for diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa), sampling errors remain a frequent problem; therefore, use of tissue biomarkers that can distinguish between benign and malignant prostate disease is a potentially beneficial diagnostic strategy.

METHODS

Deep sequencing of the miRNA transcriptome of 14 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and 60 cancerous and non-cancerous prostate samples extracted from 34 cancer-bearing prostates removed by prostatectomy was performed; of the latter 60 samples, 16, 21, and 23 samples contained <10%, >30%, and no dysplastic cells, respectively. The predictive value of selected miRNAs was then tested by quantitative reverse-transcribed PCR (qRT-PCR), using two separate chemistries, Exiqon and Taqman, to evaluate the tissue samples obtained by prostatectomy. Validation experiments were also performed for a subset of miRNAs by qRT-PCR of 87 prostate core biopsies.

RESULTS

We identified 123 miRNAs significantly dysregulated in PCa (adjusted P-values <0.05); 110 and 13 miRNAs were dysregulated only in cancerous samples and non-cancerous samples extracted from cancer-bearing prostates, respectively, while 31 were dysregulated regardless of the dysplastic cell content of the studied specimens. The clinical utility of eight selected miRNAs was analyzed using the same sample set with two qRT-PCR chemistries. Measurable qRT-PCR signals were obtained for seven and six miRNAs using the Exiqon and Taqman chemistries, respectively, and expression levels of six and four of these miRNAs differed significantly between BPH and PCa samples, regardless of dysplastic cell content. Validation experiments on core biopsies using qRT-PCR confirmed differential expression between BPH and PCa of four miRNAs (miR-187-3p, miR-183-5p, miR-32-5p, and miR-141-5p) using the Exiqon and one miRNA (miR-187-3p) with the Taqman chemistry.

CONCLUSIONS

Our sequencing analyses identified several candidate diagnostic miRNAs and confirmed some which have previously been reported as diagnostic in prostate malignancy. The results of this study suggest also that some of selected miRNAs can differentiate between non-malignant and malignant prostates even when neoplastic cells are missing from the studied specimen.

Role of miR-483 in digestive tract cancers: from basic research to clinical value

Digestive tract cancers (DTCs) is the most common malignant tumors in the world. Despite surgery and medical technology have witnessed the increasing development and sharp advancement in the past decade, DTCs remain a critical concern with high morbidity and mortality. Since a class of small noncoding RNAs termed miRNAs were identified several years ago, increasing studies have attempted to illustrate the relationship between the specific miRNAs dysregulated expression levels and the diseases phenotypic changes. For example, microRNA-483 (miR-483) aberrant expression plays a pivotal part in tumor biology in a variety of human cancer, including DTCs. In this review, we focus on the present key findings from recent profiling studies, discuss the use of miR-483 as a novel biomarker for DTCs. At the same time, we emphasize the significant diversities and technical difficulties must be overcome before clinically relevant signatures arose. It is believed that this might provide researchers an insight into the molecular targeting cancer treatment.

Prognostic microRNAs and their potential molecular mechanism in pancreatic cancer: A study based on The Cancer Genome Atlas and bioinformatics investigation

Although certain biomarkers that are directly associated with the overall survival (OS) of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) have been identified, the efficacy of a single factor is limited to predicting the prognosis. The aim of the present study was to identify a combination micro (mi)RNA signature that enhanced the prognostic prediction for PAAD. Following analysis of the data available from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), 175 PAAD samples were selected for the present study, and the associations between 494 miRNAs and OS were investigated. The prognostic value of all miRNAs was analyzed by multivariate Cox regression, and the miRNAs were ranked according to the hazard ratio (HR) and P-values. The top 5 miRNAs (miR-1301, miR-125a, miR-376c, miR-328 and miR-376b) were significantly associated with OS (HR=0.139; 95% confidence interval, 0.043–0.443; P<0.001), thus demonstrating that this panel was able to serve as an independent prognostic factor for PAAD. In addition, the present study also predicted the target genes of the top 10 miRNAs with the highest prognostic values using 12 different prediction software, and enrichment signaling pathway analyses elucidated that several pathways may be markedly associated with these miRNAs, including ‘Pathways in cancer’, ‘Chronic myeloid leukemia’, ‘Glioma’ and ‘MicroRNAs in cancer’. Lastly, ubiquitin C, epidermal growth factor receptor, estrogen receptor 1, mitogen-activated protein kinase 1, mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 and androgen receptor may be the hub genes revealed by STRING analysis. The present study identified several miRNAs, particularly a five-miRNA-pool, that may be reliable, independent factors for predicting survival in patients with PAAD. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms require further investigation in the future.

Surgical and molecular pathology of pancreatic neoplasms

BACKGROUND

Histologic characteristics have proven to be very useful for classifying different types of tumors of the pancreas. As a result, the major tumor types in the pancreas have long been classified based on their microscopic appearance.

MAIN BODY

Recent advances in whole exome sequencing, gene expression profiling, and knowledge of tumorigenic pathways have deepened our understanding of the underlying biology of pancreatic neoplasia. These advances have not only confirmed the traditional histologic classification system, but also opened new doors to early diagnosis and targeted treatment.

CONCLUSION

This review discusses the histopathology, genetic and epigenetic alterations and potential treatment targets of the five major malignant pancreatic tumors - pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor, solid-pseudopapillary neoplasm, acinar cell carcinoma and pancreatoblastoma.

Clinical potential of miR-3651 as a novel prognostic biomarker for esophageal squamous cell cancer

Accumulating evidence indicates that dysregulated microRNA-3651(miR-3651) is involved in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. In this study, we investigated the expression of miR-3651 in esophageal squamous cell cancer(ESCC) and its relationship with tumor progression and clinical prognosis. The expression level of miR-3651 was examined by quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in fresh ESCC tissues and FFPE tissues. The correlation between miR-3651 expression and clinical features and prognosis were statistically analyzed. The results showed that the miR-3651 expression was significantly down-regulated in tumor tissues compared with the paracancerous tissues. Moreover, miR-3651 expression was negatively correlated with T stage of ESCC (P = 0.022) and tumor length (P = 0.015). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that low miR-3651 expression level was associated with poorer overall survival (OS) (P = 0.004) and disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified miR-3651 expression as independent prognostic factor for OS and DFS (P = 0.001 and P = 0.001, resp.). Further stratified analysis revealed the significant association between low miR-3651 expression and worse survival in early patients, but not in the advanced patients. Taken together, miR-3651 was down-regulated in cancerous tissues of ESCC. It may play an important role in cancer progression and could be used as an independent prognostic biomarker for ESCC patients.