Serum exosomal miR-1275 as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and prognostic assessment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major global health burden, with limited tools for early diagnosis and prognosis. This study explores serum-derived exosomal miR-1275 as a potential non-invasive biomarker for HCC. Methods Exosomes were isolated from serum samples of 50 HCC patients and 50 matched healthy controls. miR-1275 expression was quantified by qRT-PCR and compared with traditional biomarkers (AFP, CEA, CA199, DCP, AFP-L3%). Diagnostic performance was evaluated using ROC curves. Bioinformatic analyses, including TCGA pan-cancer data, target gene prediction, and pathway enrichment, were performed to explore regulatory mechanisms. Results Exosomal miR-1275 levels were significantly reduced in HCC patients and correlated with advanced clinical stage, tumor burden, and metastasis. miR-1275 showed strong diagnostic value (AUC = 0.869), outperforming CEA and CA199, and improved significantly when combined with other biomarkers (AUC = 0.982). UBE2V1 was identified as a key miR-1275 target involved in cancer-related pathways, including ubiquitination and mTOR signaling. Conclusion Serum exosomal miR-1275 is a promising biomarker for early diagnosis and prognosis of HCC. Its integration into multimarker panels could enhance clinical decision-making and patient management.