Cancer Biomarkers - Volume 26, issue 2

Authors: Gupta, Chhavi | Su, Jian | Zhan, Min | Stass, Sanford A. | Jiang, Feng

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Analysis of molecular changes in sputum may help diagnose lung cancer. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play vital roles in various biological processes, and their dysregulations contribute to the development and progression of lung tumorigenesis. Herein, we determine whether aberrant lncRNAs could be used as potential sputum biomarkers for lung cancer. METHODS: Using reverse transcription PCR, we measure expressions of lung cancer-associated lncRNAs in sputum of a discovery cohort of 67 lung cancer patients and 65 cancer-free smokers with benign diseases and a validation cohort of 59 lung cancer patients and 60 cancer-free smokers with …benign diseases . RESULTS: In the discovery cohort, four of the lncRNAs displayed a significantly different level in sputum of lung cancer patients vs. cancer-free smokers with benign diseases (all P < 0.001). From the four lncRNAs, three lncRNAs (SNHG1, H19, and HOTAIR) are identified as a biomarker panel, producing 82.09% sensitivity and 89.23% specificity for diagnosis of lung cancer. Furthermore, the biomarker panel has a higher sensitivity (82.09% vs. 52.24%, P = 0.02) and a similar specificity compared with sputum cytology (89.23% vs. 90.77%, P = 0.45). In addition, the lncRNA biomarker panel had a higher sensitivity (87.50% vs. 70.07%, p = 0.03) for diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma compared with adenocarcinoma of the lung, while maintaining the same specificity (89.23%). The potential of the sputum lncRNA biomarkers for lung cancer detection is confirmed in the validation cohort. CONCLUSION: We have for the first time shown that the analysis of lncRNAs in sputum might be a noninvasive approach for diagnosis of lung cancer. Show more

Keywords: Diagnosis, lung cancer, sputum, lncRNA, biomarkers

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-190161

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 219-227, 2019

Authors: Huang, Ying | Xiao, Wenfeng | Jiang, Xiuli | Li, Honglei

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. MicroRNA-935 (miR-935) has been reported to be involved in several cancers. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of miR-935 in the progression of CRC. The expression levels of miR-935 in CRC tissues and cells were detected using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The prognostic significance of miR-935 was identified using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression assay. Cell proliferation capacity was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Cell migration and invasion capacities were determined by Transwell assay in CRC cells. Bioinformatics analysis and …luciferase reporter assays were used to confirm the direct target of miR-935. The expression of miR-935 was increased in CRC tissues and cells. Overexpression of miR-935 was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis and TNM stage. Overexpression of miR-935 in patients predicted shorter overall survival compared to low miR-935 expression. The expression of miR-935 was indicated to be an independent prognostic factor for CRC patients. In addition, overexpression of miR-935 in CRC cells promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, whereas inhibition of miR-935 suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Bioinformatics and luciferase assays revealed that INPP4A is a direct target of miR-935. Our findings suggest that miR-935 functions as an oncogene and promotes CRC progression. INPP4A is a potential target of miR-935. And miR-935 may represent a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic strategy for CRC treatment. Show more

Keywords: Colorectal cancer, microRNA-935, prognosis, proliferation, migration, invasion

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-190183

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 229-237, 2019