ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of microRNA(miR)-21 and miR-125 in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its relationship with clinicopathological features.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Quantitative real-time PCR was applied to examine the expression of miR-21 and miR-125 in 100 primary CRC specimens which were diagnosed and operated in West China Hospital between 2006 and 2007, in comparison with the corresponding normal mucosa specimens. The relationship between the expression of miRNAs and clinicopathological features was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of miR-21 in CRC was up-regulated by 2.3 times compared to normal mucosa (P =0.025), while the expression of miR-125 was down-regulated by 3.3 times in comparison with normal mucosa (P =0.005). Furthermore, the expression of miR-21 was related to TNM stage (P =0.028) and local invasion (P =0.023). On the other hand, no significant relationship was found between the expression of miR-125 and clinicopathological features (P >0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The over-expression of miR-21 may play a role in the development and progression of CRC, while miR-125 may not be related to the pathogenesis of CRC.</p>