Chen Yuanmei, Huang Xinyi, Zhu Kunshou, Li Changkun, Peng Haiyan, Chen Lin, Huang Zhengrong, Zhang Yangfan, Weng Guibin, Xiao Tianya, Chen Junqiang, Xu Yuanji
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
Department of Radiation Oncology, Fujian Medical University Cancer Hospital, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China.
Front Genet. 2021 Nov 18;12:774432. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2021.774432. eCollection 2021.
Globally, esophageal cancer (ECA) is the seventh most common cancer and sixth most common cause of cancer-associated mortality. However, there are no reliable prognostic and predictive molecular markers for ECA; in addition, the pathogenesis of ECA is not fully elucidated. The expressions of circular RNAs (circRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) of ECA and control groups were obtained from the RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data of our hospital, the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets. Analyses of differentially expressed genes, the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA-competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network, and functional/pathway enrichment were conducted. The key targets in the ceRNA network that showed significant results in survival Cox regression analyses were selected. Furthermore, analyses of immune infiltration and autophagy genes related to the key targets were performed. Seven circRNAs, 22 miRNAs, and 34 mRNAs were identified as vital genes in ECA; the nuclear factor-κ-gene binding (NF-κB) and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K-Akt) signaling were identified as the most enriched pathways. In addition, the LIM domain containing 2 () was an independent predictor of prognosis in ECA patients and closely associated with immunity and autophagy. Moreover, quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) revealed significant upregulation of expression in ECA tissues. ECA may be closely correlated with NF-κB and PI3K/Akt signaling. In addition, could be a potential prognostic and predictive marker of ECA.
在全球范围内，食管癌（ECA）是第七大常见癌症，也是癌症相关死亡的第六大常见原因。然而，目前尚无可靠的食管癌预后和预测分子标志物；此外，食管癌的发病机制尚未完全阐明。从我院的RNA测序（RNA-seq）数据、基因表达综合数据库（GEO）和癌症基因组图谱（TCGA）数据集中获取了食管癌组和对照组的环状RNA（circRNA）、微小RNA（miRNA）和信使RNA（mRNA）的表达情况。进行了差异表达基因分析、circRNA-miRNA-mRNA竞争性内源RNA（ceRNA）网络分析以及功能/通路富集分析。选择了在生存Cox回归分析中显示出显著结果的ceRNA网络中的关键靶点。此外，还对与关键靶点相关的免疫浸润和自噬基因进行了分析。在食管癌中，7种circRNA、22种miRNA和34种mRNA被鉴定为关键基因；核因子κ基因结合（NF-κB）和磷脂酰肌醇-3激酶/蛋白激酶B（PI3K-Akt）信号通路被确定为最富集的通路。此外，含LIM结构域2（）是食管癌患者预后的独立预测因子，且与免疫和自噬密切相关。此外，定量逆转录聚合酶链反应（qRT-PCR）显示食管癌组织中表达显著上调。食管癌可能与NF-κB和PI3K/Akt信号通路密切相关。此外，可能是食管癌潜在的预后和预测标志物。
