Decreased miR-198 expression and its prognostic significance in human gastric cancer
Authors: Zhigang Cui
Xin Zheng
Di Kong
Journal: World Journal of Surgical Oncology (2016)
Discipline: CLINICAL MEDICINE
Keywords: MicroRNAs; miR-198; gastric cancer; tumorigenesis; expression levels
Affiliations: Department of Oncology, Tianjin Nankai Hospital, No.6 of Changjiang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300100, People's Republic of China., Department of Oncology, Tianjin Nankai Hospital, No.6 of Changjiang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300100, People's Republic of China. .

Abstract:  Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been proved to play important roles in the tumorigenesis and development of human gastric cancer (GC). Our study aims to investigate the expression and clinical significance of miR-198 in GC patients. Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to evaluate miR-198 levels in 106 pairs of GC specimens and adjacent noncancerous tissues. Then, the associations of miR-198 expression with clinicopathological factors and patient's survival were determined. Results: The expression levels of miR-198 in GC tissues were significantly lower than those in corresponding noncancerous tissues (p&lt;0.01). Decreased miR-198 expression was significantly associated with larger tumor size, deeper invasion depth, positive lymph node metastasis, advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, and shorter overall survival. Moreover, multivariate regression analysis identified low miR-198 expression as an independent predictor of poor survival. Conclusions: These findings suggested that miR-198 downregulation may be associated with progression of GC and that this miR may be an independent prognostic marker for GC patients. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 Expression of Concern [13 June 2019] . ---------------------------------------- The Editor-in-Chief is issuing an editorial expression of concern to alert readers that this article [1] contains substantial overlap with articles published within a close time frame [2u20135]. None of the authors have responded to any correspondence from the editor or publisher about this editorial expression of concern. References - (1). Cui Z, Zheng X, Kong D. Decreased miR-198 expression and its prognostic significance in human gastric cancer. World J Surg Oncol. 2016;14:33. doi: 10.1186 s12957-016-0784-x. - (2). Ye H, Liu K, Qian K. [Overexpression of long noncoding RNA HOTTIP promotes tumor invasion and predicts poor prognosis in gastric cancer] . 2016;9:2081u20138 https: www.dovepress.com overexpression-of-long-noncoding-rna-hottip-promotes-tumor-invasion-an-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-OTT. - (3). Man HB, Bi WP, Man HH. [Decreased microRNA-198 expression and its prognostic significance in human glioma] . Gen Mol Res. 2016; https: www.geneticsmr.com articles 6481. [**Retracted**] - (4). Kai, et al. [Decreased miR-154 expression and its clinical significance in human colorectal cancer] . World J Surg Oncol. 2015;13:195. doi: 10.1186 s12957-015-0607-5. **Retracted** - (5). Zhou, et al. [Increased expression of LncRNA BANCR and its prognostic significance in human hepatocellular carcinoma] . World J Surg Oncol. 2016;14:8. doi: 10.1186 s12957-015-0757-5. [**Expression of Concern**] ----------------------------------------------------- A broader context is available from [a Chinese science-integrity enthusiast] , blogging in 2016 and citing work by the now-vanished site PlagiarismWatch, to reconstruct a network of **11** mutually-plagiarised papers. All presumably the work of a papermill. Some of this series of retractions was [covered by RetractionWatch] . ![] , 
 The similarities with [Ye, Liu Qian (2016)] - not included in the original 11-paper network - are especially convincing. *[right]* Fig 2.  Kaplan-Meier survival curves of 106 gastric cancer patients based on miR-198 expression status . *[left]* Fig 2 from Ye, Liu Qian.  Kaplanu2013Meier survival curves of gastric cancer patients based on HOTTIP expression status. ![file] Table 1 from Ye, Liu Qian, and from the present paper. ![file] Table 2 from Ye, Liu Qian, and from the present paper. ![file] What does [SimTexter] have to say about the similarity of the two papers? ![file] ![file] ![file] ![file] ,