Stem-loop RT-qPCR-based
Plasma MicroRNA Profiling as a Potential Diagnostic Method for Cancer: A Meta-analysis
Thuy Duong Thi Chung, Thanh Nguyen Thi Ngoc, Luan Huynh Huu, Hoang Phan Ngo and
Hue Nguyen Thi
Res. J. Biotech.; Vol. 20(8); 74-90;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/208rjbt074090; (2025)
Abstract
Dysregulated microRNAs in plasma have been associated with cancer and the most broadly
applied method for miRNA expression analysis is stem-loop quantitative reverse transcription
PCR (RT-qPCR). However, the diagnostic role of stem-loop RT-qPCR-based plasma microRNA
profiling remains uncertain in cancer. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the effectiveness
of this method in diagnosing cancer. A comprehensive search was conducted through
the PubMed, EMBASE and ScienceDirect databases to collect the relevant studies.
Each eligible study was assessed for bias risk using QUADAS-2. By estimation of
the pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratios (DOR) and area under
the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), the diagnostic accuracy of stem-loop-based
plasma miRNA was measured in cancer. All measurements were estimated using R statistical
software version 4.1.3.
127 studies from 41 articles, comprising of 10,218 cancer patients and 8,990 controls,
were included in the diagnostic analysis data. The overall sensitivity, specificity
and DOR were 0.77, 0.79 and 11.44 respectively. The stem-loop RT-qPCR-based plasma
miRNA profiling yielded very good accuracy with 0.81 AUC; especially, the plasma
miRNA panel showed excellent accuracy (AUC = 0.91) for distinguishing cancer patients
from healthy individuals. Substantial heterogeneity and publication bias were observed
in this study. Using stem-loop RT-qPCR, plasma miRNA profiling, especially miRNA
panels, serves as a potential method for diagnosing cancer.
