[Lung cancer: progress in diagnosis and treatments. Topics: I. Epidemiology and pathogenesis; 2. The etiology of lung cancer]

[MicroRNA and Lung Cancer: A Mini Review]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) a class of non-coding RNAs about 22 nt in size that are found in a wide range of organisms from plants, viruses to humans. MicroRNA has a wide range of biological functions. It can recruit related RNA enzymes and lead to mRNA degradation after binding to mRNA specificity, thus blocking the expression of protein encoding genes and then affecting their biological functions. In recent years, microRNA has been found to be closely related to the biological behaviors, such as the occurrence, development, invasion and metastasis of multiple human malignant carcinomas, and play a regulatory role in the above biological phenotypes. Lung cancer is the highest incidence of malignancy. The exact molecular mechanism of its occurrence and development has not been fully elucidated. Previous studies have shown that microRNA plays an important role in lung tumor suppressor gene inactivation, oncogene activation and epigenetics. At the same time, there are also reports that there is a significant difference in the expression of microRNA in patients with lung cancer and benign lung diseases. This differential expression provides a basis for the feasibility of microRNA as a diagnostic and pre biological marker for lung cancer.
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Correlation of genetic polymorphism of vascular endothelial growth factor gene with susceptibility to lung cancer

The aim of the study is to study the correlation of genetic polymorphism of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene with susceptibility to primary lung cancer. A total of 414 patients with primary lung cancer and 338 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this case-control study from September 2008 to October 2011. Gene identification with PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism) was used to detect in white blood cells from the subjects the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of VEGF gene, including +405G/C, -460 T/C, -1154G/A, -2578C/A sites. Association of genotypes or haplotypes with susceptibility of lung cancer was analyzed with unconditional logistic regression adjusted by gender and age. Smoking was significantly associated with increased risk of lung cancer. Gene phenotypic analysis demonstrated that C allele of +405G/C in VEGF gene was significantly associated increased risk of lung cancer in males (P=0.0094, odds ratio=1.634.3), as that with carrying GCTC haplotype (odds ratio=1.349), whereas carrying GACG had decreased risk for lung cancer (odds ratio=0.044). No relationship existed between 460 T/C, -1154G/A, -2578C/A alleles of VEGF gene and risk of lung cancer. VEGF gene polymorphism may have a role in the development of lung cancer.