ObjectiveTo understand advances in diagnostic value of long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to find a useful tumor marker for early diagnosis of HCC.MethodThe recent literatures relevant the LncRNA in the HCC were reviewed and summarized.ResultsThe LncRNA could be detected in the blood and urine of the patients by the RNA immunoprecipitation, sequencing technology, gene chip, real-time quantitative PCR, and other techniques. With the rise of RNA sequencing technology, the number of identified LncRNAs had increased rapidly, and the remarkable progress had been made in the field of liver diseases. At present, the LncRNA related to HCC mainly included the urothelial cancer associated 1, highly up-regulated in liver cancer, metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1, HOXA transcript at the distal tip, H19, SPRY4 intronic transcript 1, plasma-cytoma variant translocation gene 1, uc002mbe.2, uc007biz.1, etc., which were stable in the blood or urine and abnormally expressed in the HCC, alone or as a supplement to alpha-fetoprotein could obviously improve the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis of HCC, even increased the sensitivity to 100%.ConclusionsLncRNA is specifically expressed in HCC and is expected to be a novel biomarker for early diagnosis of HCC. However, LncRNA has many types, diverse structures, and complex molecular regulation mechanisms. It is very difficult to find a strong combination or combinations to replace or supplement traditional biomarkers and to be clinically useful further efforts. It is believed that with deepening of LncRNA research in HCC, it will have a broader prospect in early screening, diagnosis, and prognosis of HCC.
Objective
To explore relationship between long non-coding RNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) polymorphisms and risk of gastric cancer.
Methods
One hundred and seventy-two Han patients with gastric cancer (gastric cancer group) and 224 Han individuals for physical examination (control group) in the Yunnan Cancer Hospital from March 2013 to October 2017 were selected as subjects. The rs7158663 and rs4081134 polymorphisms of the MEG3 were genotyped by using a TaqMan technique. The associations between the 2 polymorphisms and the risk of the gastric cancer and its clinical features were analyzed using the SPSS software.
Results
The frequencies of the AG+AA genotype and the A allele of the MEG3 rs7158663 in the gastric cancer group were significantly higher than those in the control group using the GG genotype and G allele as a reference respectively ［adjusted OR=1.71, 95%CI (1.14, 2.56), P=0.010; adjusted OR=1.58, 95%CI (1.15, 2.19), P=0.005］ after the Chi-square test and the adjustment of age and gender. The frequencies of the AG+AA genotype and the A allele of the MEG3 rs4081134 had no significant differences between the gastric cancer group and the control group (P>0.017). Moreover, the polymorphisms of the MEG3 rs7158663 and rs4081134 were not associated with the clinical features of the gastric cancer (P>0.017).
Conclusion
MEG3 rs7158663 AG+AA genotype might be one of susceptibility gene of gastric cancer in Chinese Han population.
ObjectiveCombined with long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) to find a regression model that can be used to predict the survival rate of patients with colon cancer before operation.MethodsThe clinical information and gene expression information of patients with colon cancer were downloaded by using TCGA database. The differentially expressed lncRNAs in tumor and paracancerous tissues were screened out, and then combined with the clinical information of patients to construct Cox proportional hazard regression model.ResultsA total of 26 kinds of lncRNAs with statistical difference in gene expression between paracancerous tissues and tumor tissues were selected (P<0.05). Through repeated screening and comparison of prediction efficiency, the prediction model was finally selected, which was constructed by patients’ age, M stage, N stage, and three kinds of lncRNAs (ZFAS1, SNHG25, and SNHG7) gene expression level: age [HR=4.00, 95%CI: (1.48, 10.84), P=0.006], M stage [HR=3.96, 95%CI: (2.23, 7.04), P<0.001], N stage [HR=1.87, 95%CI: (1.24, 2.84), P=0.003], ZFAS1 gene expression level [HR=0.60, 95%CI: (0.41, 0.86), P=0.006], SNHG25 gene expression level [HR=0.85, 95%CI: (0.73, 1.00), P=0.045], and SNHG7 gene expression level [HR=2.32, 95%CI: (1.53, 3.52), P<0.001] were all independent risk factors for postoperative survival of patients with colon cancer. The area under the ROC curves for predicting 1, 3, and 5-year overall survival were 0.802, 0.828, and 0.771, respectiely, which had a good prediction ability.ConclusionThe predictive model constructed by the combination of ZFAS1, SNHG25, SNHG7 genes expression level with M stage, N stage, and age can better predict the overall survival rate of patients before operation, which can effectively guide clinical decision-making and choose the most suitable treatment method for patients.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of LOC103693069 on hypoxic apoptosis of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Methods BMSCs from 1-week-old Sprague Dawley rat bone marrow were isolated, cultured, and passaged by the whole bone marrow adherent culture method. After identification of adipogenic, chondrogenic, and osteogenic differentiation, the 3rd generation cells were treated with hypoxia under 5%O2, 1%O2, and anaerobic conditions. After 48 hours, the cell viability, apoptosis, and apoptosis-related proteins [hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), Caspase-3, B cell lymphoma/leukemia 2 (Bcl-2)] expressions were detected, and normal BMSCs were used as controls. Based on the research results, the concentration group with the most obvious apoptosis was selected and used for subsequent experiments. After 48 hours of hypoxia treatment, BMSCs were taken and analyzed by gene chip and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) to screen the most significantly down-regulated gene and construct their high-expression, low-expression, and negative control lentiviruses; BMSCs were transfected with the different lentiviruses, respectively. After qRT-PCR detection confirmed that the transfection was successful, the BMSCs were treated with hypoxia for 48 hours to observe the cell viability and the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins. ResultsAfter cell viability, apoptosis, and apoptosis-related proteins were detected, cell apoptosis was the most significant under anaerobic conditions after 48 hours. The above indicators were significantly different from other groups (P<0.05), and this group was used for treatment conditions for subsequent experiments. Gene chip analysis showed that after 48 hours of hypoxia treatment, AC125847.1, LOC102547753, AABR07017208.2, and LOC103693069 were significantly down-regulated in BMSCs, and the expressions of LOC103693069 was the most significant down-regulation detected by qRT-PCR (P<0.05). It was selected to construct lentivirus and transfect BMSCs. Afterwards, qRT-PCR detection showed the successful transfection into the cells. After hypoxia treatment, the apoptosis rate and the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins of BMSCs overexpressed by the gene were significantly reduced (P<0.05). Conclusion LOC103693069 can relieve the hypoxic apoptosis of BMSCs.
ObjectiveTo summarize the latest research of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) as competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) and its targeting technology in pancreatic cancer, so as to provide new ideas for lncRNA targeted intervention or as an early diagnostic marker of pancreatic cancer. MethodThe domestic and foreign literature on researches of lncRNA as ceRNA and its targeting technology in the pancreatic cancer was searched and reviewed. ResultsAt present, the growing number of evidences showed that in pathological states such as tumors, the abundance of intracellular lncRNAs was sufficient to trigger ceRNA crosstalk. The lncRNA played a role like “sponge” through the complementary binding of incomplete base of miRNA with miRNA response elements, then adsorbed miRNA, and thus changed the activity and effectiveness of miRNA. It also regulated the expression of downstream target genes. Moreover, a large number of studies had identified that the lncRNA-mediated ceRNA regulatory network, namely lncRNA/miRNA/mRNA axis, played a role in promoting or inhibiting the occurrence and progression of pancreatic cancer through a variety of cellular functions. In addition, many technologies targeting lncRNA, such as small interfering RNA, antisense oligonucleotides, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9, and small molecule inhibitors, etc. had been widely studied and acquired important results in preclinical research. ConclusionsThe ceRNA hypothesis is a functional complex composed by non-coding RNAs and mRNAs with non-coding properties, forming a ceRNA network of multi-level and cross-regulatory on the transcriptome. Epigenetic modification and key post-transcriptional regulation of lncRNA have been achieved through ceRNA network mechanism, which has become a successful paradigm for exploring the function of lncRNA. The tumor suppressive and promoting effects and mechanisms of many lncRNAs in the occurrence and development of pancreatic cancer are explored in many studies. Moreover, the continuous progress of targeted lncRNA technology provides conditions for study of lncRNA. LncRNA has a potential to be used as a biomarker for precancerous diagnosis and prognosis of pancreatic cancer.
ObjectiveTo investigate relationship of long non-coding RNA FoxP4-AS1 expression with lymph node metastasis (LNM) of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).MethodsReal time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression level of FoxP4-AS1 in 52 cases of PTC tissues and corresponding adjacent tissues, PTC cells (TPC-1, B-CPAP, K1), and normal thyroid follicular epithelial cells (Nthy-ori3-1). Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify the influencing factors of LNM in PTC. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the predictive value of influencing factors of LNM in PTC.ResultsThe expression level of FoxP4-AS1 in the PTC tissues was significantly decreased as compared with the corresponding adjacent tissues (t=7.898, P<0.001), which in the different cells had statistical difference (F=29.866, P<0.001): expression levels in the TPC-1 and K1 cells were lower than Nthy-ori3-1 cells (P<0.05) and in the B-CPAP cells and Nthy-ori3-1 cells had no statistical difference (P>0.05) by multiple comparisons. Univariate analysis showed that the extraglandular invasion (χ2=4.205, P=0.040)and low expression of FoxP4-AS1 (χ2=7.144, P=0.008) were the influencing factors of LNM in PTC. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that extraglandular invasion [OR=9.455, 95%CI (1.120, 79.835), P=0.039] and low expression ofFoxP4-AS1[OR=5.437, 95%CI (1.488, 19.873), P=0.010] were risk factors for LNM of PTC. The area under the ROC curve ofFoxP4-AS1,extraglandular invasion alone, and combination of the two were 0.679, 0.656, and 0.785, respectively.ConclusionsFoxP4-AS1 is down-regulated in PTC. Low level of FoxP4-AS1 is a risk factor for LNM of PTC. Combined detection of expression level of FoxP4-AS1 and extraglandular invasion has a high predictive value for LNM of PTC.
ObjectiveTo investigate the expression of growth arrest-specific 5 (GAS5) mRNA and its clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma.MethodsThe expression of GAS5 mRNA in the hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and corresponding adjacent tissues were detected by real time-PCR. The relationship between the expression of GAS5 mRNA and clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed by SPSS 19.0 software.ResultsThe expression of GAS5 mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues was significantly lower than that of the adjacent tissues (P<0.01). The expression of GAS5 mRNA was related to tumor size, tumor number, lymph node metastasis, clinical TNM stage, alpha fetoprotein level, and tumor differentiation (P<0.05). Cox hazard model results showed that low expression of GAS5 mRNA was associated with poor prognosis (P<0.05).ConclusionGAS5 mRNA is expected to be a diagnostic and prognostic marker for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
ObjectiveTo screen long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) relevant to programmed cell death (PCD) and construct a nomogram model predicting prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MethodsThe HCC patients selected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were randomly divided into training set and validation set according to 1∶1 sampling. The lncRNAs relevant to PCD were screened by Pearson correlation analysis, and which associated with overall survival in the training set were screened by univariate Cox proportional hazards regression (abbreviation as “Cox regression”), and then multivariate Cox regression was further used to analyze the prognostic risk factors of HCC patients, and the risk score function model was constructed. According to the median risk score of HCC patients in the training set, the HCC patients in each set were assigned into a high-risk and low-risk, and then the Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw the overall survival curve, and the log-rank test was used to compare the survival between the HCC patients with high-risk and low-risk. At the same time, the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the value of the risk score function model in predicting the 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates of HCC patients in the training set, validation set, and integral set. Then the nomogram was constructed based on the risk score function model and factors validated in clinic, and its predictive ability for the prognosis of HCC patients was evaluated. ResultsA total of 374 patients with HCC were downloaded from the TCGA, of which 342 had complete clinicopathologic data, including 171 in the training set and 171 in the validation set. Finally, 8 lncRNAs genes relevant to prognosis (AC099850.3, LINC00942, AC040970.1, AC022613.1, AC009403.1, AL355974.2, AC015908.3, AC009283.1) were screened out, and the prognostic risk score function model was established as follows: prognostic risk score=exp1×β1+exp2×β2...+expi×βi (expi was the expression level of target lncRNA, βi was the coefficient of multivariate Cox regression analysis of target lncRNA). According to this prognostic risk score function model, the median risk score was 0.89 in the training set. The patients with low-risk and high-risk were 86 and 85, 86 and 85, 172 and 170 in the training set, validation set, and integral set, respectively. The overall survival curves of HCC patients with low-risk drawn by Kaplan-Meier method were better than those of the HCC patients with high-risk in the training set, validation set, and integral set (P<0.001). The AUCs of the prognostic risk score function model for predicting the 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates in the training set were 0.814, 0.768, and 0.811, respectively, in the validation set were 0.799, 0.684, and 0.748, respectively, and in the integral set were 0.807, 0.732, and 0.784, respectively. The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the prognostic risk score function model was a risk factor affecting the overall survival of patients with HCC [<0.89 points as a reference, RR=1.217, 95%CI (1.151, 1.286), P<0.001]. The AUC (95%CI) of the prognostic risk score function model for predicting the overall survival rate of HCC patients was 0.822 (0.796, 0.873). The AUCs of the nomogram constructed by the prognostic risk score function model in combination with clinicopathologic factors to predict the 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 0.843, 0.839, and 0.834. The calibration curves of the nomogram of 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates in the training set were close to ideal curve, suggesting that the predicted overall survival rate by the nomogram was more consistent with the actual overall survival rate. ConclusionThe prognostic risk score function model constructed by the lncRNAs relevant to PCD in this study may be a potential marker of prognosis of the patients with HCC, and the nomogram constructed by this model is more effective in predicting the prognosis (overall survival) of patients with HCC.
ObjectiveA competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network associated with long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) specific for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) was constructed based on bioinformatics methods, and the functional mechanism of actinfilament-associated protein 1-antisense RNA1 (AFAP1-AS1) in LUAD was analyzed, in order to provide a new direction for the study of LUAD therapeutic targets. MethodsThe gene chip of LUAD was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and lncRNA and mRNA with differential expression between LUAD and normal tissues were screened using GEO2R online software, and their target genes were predicted by online databases to construct ceRNA networks and perform enrichment analysis. In cell experiments, AFAP1-AS1 was genetically knocked down and siRNA was constructed and transfected into LUAD cells A549 by cell transfection. CCK8, transwell, scratch assay and flow cytometry were used to detect the ability of cells to proliferate, invade, migrate and apoptosis. ResultsA total of 6 differentially expressed lncRNA and 494 differentially expressed mRNA were identified in the microarray of LUAD. The ceRNA network involved a total of 6 lncRNA, 22 miRNA, and 55 mRNA. Enrichment analysis revealed that mRNA was associated with cancer-related pathways. In cell assays, knockdown of AFAP1-AS1 inhibited cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, and AFAP1-AS1 promoted apoptosis. ConclusionIn this study, we construct a lncRNA-mediated ceRNA network, which may help to further investigate the mechanism of action of LUAD. In addition, through cellular experiments, AFAP1-AS1 is found to have potential as a therapeutic target for LUAD.
ObjectiveTo summarize research progress of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in acute pancreatitis (AP), so as to provide new ideas for pathogenesis, diagnosis, and therapy of AP.MethodThe literatures on studies of ncRNAs in AP in recent years were read and reviewed.ResultsThe incidence of AP was currently increasing, but its etiology was diverse, and its pathogenesis was still fully unclear. In recent years, a large number of studies had confirmed that the ncRNA played an important role in the occurrence of many cellulars and diseases processes. Through continuous exploration for potential mechanisms of AP based on ncRNA (including long non-coding RNA and microRNA) function, it was found that the specificity and sensitivity of ncRNAs in the diagnosis of AP were better than of the traditional biomarkers. Meanwhile, ncRNAs were involved in the regulation of inflammatory response through a variety of ways.ConclusionsncRNAs are involved in altering gene expression (including up-regulation or down-regulation) in the key physiological functions of AP through a variety of ways, it might provide new ideas for understanding pathogenesis of AP and help to find new therapeutic targets. A variety of ncRNAs closely related to AP are expected to become biomarkers and molecular targets for early diagnosis and treatment of AP, so as to achieve early diagnosis and targeted treatment of AP.
