miR-200b-3p in plasma is a potential diagnostic biomarker in oral squamous cell carcinoma

CONTEXT: Circulating MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as novel biomarkers for tumour. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the diagnostic potential of plasma miR-200b-3p in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: miR-200b-3p was detected by qRT-PCR in paired pre-operative and post-operative plasmas from 80 OSCC patients and 80 healthy controls. RESULTS: Plasma miR-200b-3p was significantly upregulated in OSCC, and it was higher in WHO II/III grade than WHO I grade. The AUC of miR-200b-3p for OSCC was 0.9173. miR-200b-3p was significantly downregulated after surgery. High miR-200b-3p expression was associated with poor prognosis. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Plasma miR-200b-3p could be a potential diagnostic biomarker for OSCC.