Potential Role of Melatonin-Modulated Circulating miR-24, miR-152, and miR-497 as Early Liquid Biopsy Biomarkers in Egyptian Breast Cancer Patients

Background: Liquid biopsy shows huge prospects for breast cancer (BC). MicroRNA (miRNA) dysregulation is implicated in breast cancer (BC) development, and thus, their role as early BC biomarkers is under investigation. Melatonin has been studied for its roles in cancer development via miRNAs modulation. Here, we investigate the expression of some miRNAs previously reported to be related to BC pathogenesis and to be linked to melatonin, aiming to assess their potential as early BC biomarkers. Methods: 35 newly diagnosed BC patients and 15 healthy controls were included. Clinicopathological characteristics were assessed for all BC patients. Plasma expression of miR-24, miR-152, and miR-497 were evaluated via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Serum melatonin was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: We found significant upregulation of miRNAs and higher melatonin levels in BC patients compared to control subjects. We showed a positive correlation between miR-152 and miR-497. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) demonstrated the utility of target miRNAs for distinguishing early BC, both as standalone or together in a diagnostic panel. Conclusions: The investigated miRNAs demonstrated good discriminatory power in distinguishing BC patients from healthy subjects.