Novel long noncoding RNAs upregulation may have synergistic effects on the CYP24A1 and PFDN4 biomarker role in human colorectal cancer.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as the master regulators of tumor initiation, proliferation, and metastasis; however, their diagnostic value as potential biomarkers should be clarified. Vitamin D influences the expression of several genes in various pathways, including the CYP24A1 gene in the vitamin D metabolism pathway. In the present research, we surveyed the expression levels and clinical significance of novel lncRNAs related to CYP24A1 and PFDN4 genes in colorectal cancer (CRC) using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, we assessed the expression of these genes after vitamin D treatment in HCT-116 and HT-29 colon cancer cell lines. Our results indicated that the transcription of CYP24A1, PFDN4, and nearby lncRNAs was affected by vitamin D treatment in HCT-116 and HT-29 cell lines. Moreover, CYP24A1, PFDN4, lnc-CYP24A1-3:1, and lnc-TSHZ2-19:1 were upregulated and had the potential to distinguish colorectal cancer tissues from the adjacent tissues by the large area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.94, 0.66, 0.70, and 0.60, respectively). lnc-TSHZ2-19:1 expression level significantly correlated with gender (p = .03). In conclusion, CYP24A1, PFDN4, lnc-CYP24A1-3:1, and lnc-TSHZ2-19:1 can be used as potential diagnostic biomarkers in the specific and sensitive assessment of CRC. Besides this, vitamin D treatment may modulate the expression of these genes in a cell-specific manner.