Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40753402›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of medical research2025

Expression of the novel serum biomarker of testicular germ cell tumours miR-371a-3p in serum of pregnant women: a case-control study.

K P Dieckmann, M Hubert, V Ragosch, C Kern, B Hansen, M Klemke, G Belge

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European journal of medical research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

K P DieckmannDepartment of Urology, Asklepios Klinik Altona, Hamburg, Germany.
M HubertFaculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
V RagoschMaternity Department, Asklepios Klinik Altona, Hamburg, Germany.
C KernMaternity Department, Asklepios Klinik Altona, Hamburg, Germany.
B HansenDepartment of Urology, Asklepios Klinik Altona, Hamburg, Germany.
M KlemkeFaculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
G BelgeFaculty of Biology and Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany. belge@uni-bremen.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe microRNA-371a-3p (M371) is a sensitive novel serum biomarker of testicular germ cell tumours (GCTs) and a certified test is available for consistent clinical testing. In view of the well-known biological analogies of GCTs and embryogenesis, we hypothesized that the marker substance M371 is also present in serum of pregnant women. The goal of this report was to analyse maternal serum for M371. MATERIALS AND

methodsM371 serum levels were measured in 36 third-trimester pregnant women. Control groups consisted of 12 non-pregnant young women, 12 healthy young males, and 12 patients with GCTs. M371 levels were measured by quantitative real time PCR using the certified M371 test with the standard cutoff of RQ = 5. Statistical methods involved receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis with Youden index analysis, and statistical comparisons of median serum levels of patients with those of controls as well as for comparisons of subgroups of patients according to age and infant sex.

resultsAll pregnant women had measurable M371 levels, with 83.3% of the patients having elevated levels above the cutoff, while traces below cutoff were detected in the remainder. Healthy female and male controls were both below cutoff. ROC analysis revealed a 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity of the test when the cutoff of RQ = 0.4 defined by Youden index analysis was employed. The median level in pregnant women was significantly lower than that in GCT patients (10.8 [interquartile range 6.1-20.3] versus RQ = 139.5 [IQR 54.9-630.3], p < 0.001). Individual M371 levels were not associated with patient age and with infant sex.

conclusionsThe evidence for elevated levels of microRNA-371a-p in maternal serum is a novel finding. This result accords with the various analogies between GCTs and embryogenesis documented previously. The finding supports the view that cells involved in human reproduction share epigenetic features with human embryonic stem cells. Further studies are required to explore if this finding could be utilized clinically.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorMicroRNAsNeoplasms, Germ Cell and EmbryonalTesticular NeoplasmsAdultCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansMalePregnancyROC CurveYoung AdultBiomarkers, TumorMicroRNAsMIRN371 microRNA, humanEmbryogenesisMicroRNA-371PregnancyStem cellsTesticular germ cell tumourTumour marker

Identifiers

PMID40753402
PMCPMC12317637

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.