Objectives: This study was performed to investigate microRNA (miRNA) expression in cytological specimens processed under clinical conditions to determine the potential of miRNA detection as a diagnostic biomarker of uterine endometrial cancer. Methods: We collected 40 lysates from cytology (LBC) specimens obtained during screening for endometrial cancer and normal endometrium, 18 surgically resected tissue specimens containing endometrial cancer and normal endometrium, and 14 LBC specimens of equivocal diagnosis at Hiroshima University Hospital. We compared the expression of four miRNAs (miR-96, miR-182, miR-183, and miR-143) and selected two (miR-96 and miR-143) that we predicted would be useful. Results: We confirmed that miR-96 expression was significantly elevated and miR-143 expression was significantly depressed in cancer samples relative to normal endometrial samples. Among the 14 LBC specimens diagnosed with equivocal results, seven were pathologically diagnosed with cancer and showed the same profile as described above. Conclusions: Our data suggest that miRNA analysis of LBC samples may be useful for endometrial cancer screening.

This study aimed to investigate the clinical utility of Duke pancreatic monoclonal antigen type 2 (DUPAN-2) in addition to carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) and carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) in biliary tract cancers (BTCs). Patients who underwent surgery for BTC were investigated. BTCs included five types: intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC), distal cholangiocarcinoma (DC), gall bladder carcinoma (GBC), and ampullary carcinoma (AC). The percentages of patients with elevated and normal tumor marker levels (high and normal groups) were determined across five BTC types, and recurrence-free survivals (RFSs) were compared between the two groups. Forty, 67, 56, 51, and 51 patients had ICC, HC, DC, GBC, and AC, respectively. In all patients, the percentages of patients with elevated tumor marker levels decreased in the order of CA19-9 (44.9%), DUPAN-2 (36.6%), and CEA (17.0%). This trend was consistent across four cancer types: ICC, HC, DC and GBC. In all patients, the high groups in three markers exhibited significantly poorer RFSs compared to the normal groups (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P < 0.01, respectively). DUPAN-2 is a useful marker for recurrence in patients with resectable BTC.