Conventional serum inflammatory mediators IL-17 combined with exosomal 5'tRF-GlyCCC and i- tRF-AlaCGC are evaluated as a novel biomarker for the early diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer
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Background IL-17, an inflammatory cytokine secreted by Th17 cells, plays a pivotal role in tumor immunity and inflammation. Among its subtypes, IL-17A functions as the principal effector. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (N/L, NLR) serves as a routine clinical indicator for infection screening, and elevated granulocytes in tumor tissues reflect tumorigenic activity. This study investigated the combined diagnostic and prognostic potential of serum exosomal 5'tRF-GlyCCC and i-tRF-AlaCGC in relation to IL-17 and NLR in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods Bioinformatic analyses explored the biological functions of 5'tRF-GlyCCC and IL-17A using TCGA data. Serum IL-17 levels were quantified by flow cytometry, and NLR was calculated from routine blood tests. Exosomes were isolated from serum and characterized via transmission electron microscopy, particle size analysis, and Western blotting. Differentially expressed tRFs were identified by microarray and validated by qPCR in 242 NSCLC patients and 201 healthy controls. Diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results TCGA analysis showed significant differential expression of 5'tRF-GlyCCC and IL17A in cancer patients, with low 5'tRF-GlyCCC expression associated with poor prognosis. NSCLC patients exhibited elevated levels of IL-17 and NLR. Both 5'tRF-GlyCCC and i-tRF-AlaCGC were markedly downregulated in NSCLC (AUC: 0.669 and 0.673) and early-stage disease (AUC: 0.640 and 0.649). The combined AUC for diagnosing NSCLC using all four predictors was 0.926, and for early-stage diagnosis it was 0.901. Abnormally expression of these predictors correlated with poor patient prognosis. Conclusion IL-17 and NLR, combined with serum exosomal 5'tRF-GlyCCC and i-tRF-AlaCGC, show strong diagnostic and prognostic potential for early detection of NSCLC.
