Circulating exosomal miR-17-92 cluster serves as a novel noninvasive diagnostic marker for patients with gastric cancer

Figure 1 Characterization of exosomes derived from the serum of patients with gastric cancer and healthy controls. A: Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of serum exosomes; B: The size distribution of the exosomes was examined through nanoparticle tracking analysis; C: The exosome samples were derived from patients with gastric cancer (GC) and healthy controls; D: Western blot analysis of exosomal protein markers, including CD9 and CD81, in the exosome-depleted supernatant (EDS) and exosomes from the serum of patients with GC and healthy controls. ^aP < 0.05; EDS: Exosome-depleted supernatant; E-GC: Exosomes from the serum of patients with gastric cancer; E-Ctrl: Exosomes from the serum of healthy controls.

Figure 2 Expression levels of the exosomal miR-17-92 cluster members in the serum samples of patients with gastric cancer and healthy controls. A: Expression level of miR-17; B: Expression level of miR-18; C: Expression level of miR-19a; D: Expression level of miR-19b; E: Expression level of miR-20; F: Expression level of miR-92. ^aP < 0.05; ^bP < 0.01; GC: Gastric cancer.

Figure 3 Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis using the serum exosomal miR-17-92 cluster for distinguishing patients with gastric cancer from healthy controls. A: Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curve for miR-17; B: ROC curve for miR-18; C: ROC curve for miR-19a; D: ROC curve for miR-92; E: ROC curve for miR-17 + miR-18; F: ROC curve for miR-17 + miR-18 + miR-19a + miR-92. AUC: The area under the curve.

Figure 4 Expression levels of carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 in serum samples of patients with gastric cancer and healthy controls and their clinical diagnostic values alone or with serum exosomal miRNAs. A: Expression level of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA); B: Expression level of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9); C: Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curve for CEA; D: ROC curve for CA19-9; E: ROC curve for CEA + CA19-9; F: ROC curve for miR-17 + miR-18 + miR-19a + miR-92 + CEA + CA19-9. ^aP < 0.05; AUC: The area under the curve; CEA: Carcinoembryonic antigen; CA19-9: Carbohydrate antigen 19-9.