MicroRNA signature obtained from the comparison of aggressive with indolent non-Hodgkin lymphomas: potential prognostic value in mantle-cell lymphoma.

Purpose: Mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL) has a variable natural history but is incurable with current therapies. MicroRNAs (miRs) are useful in prognostic assessment of cancer. We determined an miR signature defining aggressiveness in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL) and assessed whether this signature aids in MCL prognosis.
Methods: We assessed miR expression in a training set of 43 NHL cases. The miR signature was validated in 44 additional cases and examined on a training set of 119 MCL cases from four institutions in Canada. miRs significantly associated with overall survival were examined in an independent cohort of 114 MCL cases to determine association with patient outcome. miR expression was combined with current clinical prognostic factors to develop an enhanced prognostic model in patients with MCL.
Results: Fourteen miRs were differentially expressed between aggressive and indolent NHL; 11 of 14 were validated in an independent set of NHL (excluding MCL). miR-127-3p and miR-615-3p were significantly associated with overall survival in the MCL training set. Their expression was validated in an independent MCL patient set. In comparison with Ki-67, expression of these miRs was more significantly associated with overall survival among patients with MCL. miR-127-3p was combined with Ki-67 to create a new prognostic model for MCL. A similar model was created with miR-615-3p and Mantle Cell Lymphoma International Prognostic Index scores.
Conclusion: Eleven miRs are differentially expressed between aggressive and indolent NHL. Two novel miRs were associated with overall survival in MCL and were combined with clinical prognostic models to generate novel prognostic data for patients with MCL.