Zhao Guomiao, Fu Yaru, Su Zhifang, Wu Rongling
Center for Computational Biology, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
Department of Public Health Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA.
Cell Physiol Biochem. 2018;50(1):332-341. doi: 10.1159/000494009. Epub 2018 Oct 3.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) act as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to compete for microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer metastasis. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common human cancers and rare biomarkers could predict the clinical prognosis of this disease and its therapeutic effect.
Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to identify differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) that might be key genes. GO enrichment and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses were performed to identify the principal functions of the DEmRNAs. An lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed to understand the regulatory mechanisms in HNSCC. The prognostic signatures of mRNAs, miRNAs, and lncRNAs were determined by Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and using Kaplan-Meier survival curves for patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma.
We identified 2,023 DEmRNAs, 1,048 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), and 82 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs). We found that eight DEmRNAs, 53 DElncRNAs, and 16 DEmiRNAs interacted in the ceRNA network. Three ceRNAs (HCG22, LINC00460 and STC2) were significantly correlated with survival. STC2 transcript levels were significantly higher in tumour tissues than in normal tissues, and the STC2 expression was slightly upregulated at different stages of HNSCC.
LINC00460, HCG22 and STC2 exhibited aberrant levels of expression and may participate in the pathogenesis of HNSCC.
背景/目的：长链非编码RNA（lncRNA）作为竞争性内源性RNA（ceRNA）在癌症转移中竞争微小RNA（miRNA）。头颈部鳞状细胞癌（HNSCC）是最常见的人类癌症之一，而能够预测该疾病临床预后及其治疗效果的生物标志物却很罕见。
进行加权基因共表达网络分析（WGCNA）以鉴定可能是关键基因的差异表达mRNA（DEmRNA）。进行基因本体论（GO）富集和蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用（PPI）分析以确定DEmRNA的主要功能。构建lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA网络以了解HNSCC中的调控机制。通过基因表达谱交互式分析（GEPIA）并使用肺鳞状细胞癌患者的Kaplan-Meier生存曲线确定mRNA、miRNA和lncRNA的预后特征。
我们鉴定出2023个DEmRNA、1048个差异表达lncRNA（DElncRNA）和82个差异表达miRNA（DEmiRNA）。我们发现8个DEmRNA、53个DElncRNA和16个DEmiRNA在ceRNA网络中相互作用。三个ceRNA（HCG22、LINC00460和STC2）与生存显著相关。STC2转录水平在肿瘤组织中显著高于正常组织，并且在HNSCC的不同阶段STC2表达略有上调。
LINC00460、HCG22和STC2表现出异常的表达水平，可能参与HNSCC的发病机制。
