MicroRNA expression difference between radiosensitive group and radioresistant group in atypical meningioma with gross total resection and adjuvant radiotherapy

For atypical meningiomas (AM), the combination of gross total resection (GTR) and adjuvant radiotherapy (ART) is still a controversial therapeutic strategy to improve prognosis. This study analysed the factors influencing the prognosis on AM patients treated with GTR+ART by investigating both clinical characteristics and the change in microRNA (miRNA) expression.Adult AM patients who were admitted to the Tiantan hospital from 2008 to 2015 and underwent GTR+ART were included. Patients who suffered recurrence within 3 years after operation were considered radioresistant, while the others were considered radiosensitive. Clinical characterizations were compared between these two groups. The miRNAs expression was detected via miRNA microarray in 10 patients, 5 from the radiosensitive group and 5 from the radioresistant group.No significant difference was found in the clinical characteristics. between radiosensitive and radioresistant patients. We found 7 significantly upregulated miRNAs and 7 significantly downregulated miRNAs in patients resistant to radiotherapy. The differentially expressed miRNAs were enriched mostly in the Fatty acid metabolic pathways (hsa00061, hsa01212) and TGF-β signalling pathway (hsa04350). For AM patients treated with GTR+ART, the changes in miRNA expression discovered in this study may be a potential predictor of individual sensitivity to adjuvant radiotherapy. Further research is needed regarding the predictive power and mechanism by which these miRNAs influence prognosis. A total of 55 AM cases with GTR+ART were followed up to at least 3 years. Patients suffered recurrence within 3 years were considered as radioresistant and the others were taken as radiosensitive. 10 tumor samples were detected by miRNA arry test, 5 from radioresistant group and 5 from radiosensitive group. Comparison between the miRNA profiles of the radioresistant and radiosensitive group AM samples revealed 1466 common miRNAs.