Upregulation of long noncoding RNA PVT1 predicts unfavorable prognosis in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma

An Updated Review of Contribution of Long Noncoding RNA-NEAT1 to the Progression of Human Cancers

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) present pivotal roles in cancer tumorigenesis and progression. Recently, nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) as a lncRNA has been shown to mediate cell proliferation, migration, and EMT in tumor cells. NEAT1 by targeting several miRNAs/mRNA axes could regulate cancer cell behavior. Therefore, NEAT1 may function as a potent biomarker for the prediction and treatment of some human cancers. In this review, we summarized various NEAT1-related signaling pathways that are critical in cancer initiation and progression.

An immune infiltration-related prognostic model of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma with two valuable markers: CAPN12 and MSC

Background

Since its discovery, clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has been the most prevalent and lethal kidney malignancy. Our research aims to identify possible prognostic genes of ccRCC and to develop efficient prognostic models for ccRCC patients based on multi-omics investigations to shed light on the treatment and prognosis of ccRCC.

Methods

To determine a risk score for each patient, we screened out differentially expressed genes using data from tumor samples, and control samples mined from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GTEx datasets. Somatic mutation and copy number variation profiles were analyzed to look for specific genomic changes connected to risk scores. To investigate potential functional relationships of prognostic genes, gene set variation analysis (GSVA) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were carried out. We created a prognostic model by fusing risk ratings with other clinical variables. For validation, the 786-O cell line was used to carry out the dual-gRNA approach to knock down CAPN12 and MSC. This was followed by qRT-PCR to verify the knockdown of CAPN12 and MSC.

Results

For ccRCC, seven predictive genes were discovered: PVT1, MSC, ALDH6A1, TRIB3, QRFPR, CYS1, and CAPN12. The most enriched pathways in the GSVA study and GSEA analysis promote tumorigenesis and immune system modulation. The risk score derived from prognostic genes corresponds with immune infiltration cells and helps predict how well a medicine will work. The mutation of numerous oncogenes was also linked to a high-risk score. A prognostic model with a high ROC value was created for the risk score. An in vitro study demonstrates that the suppression of CAPN12 and MSC dramatically reduced the ability of 786-O cells to proliferate in the CCK-8 proliferation assay and plate clonality assays.

Conclusions

A thorough prognostic model with good performance has been developed for ccRCC patients using seven prognostic genes that were discovered to be related to ccRCC prognosis. In ccRCC, CAPN12 and MSC were significant indicators and would make good therapeutic targets.

A Computationally Constructed lncRNA-Associated Competing Triplet Network in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are revealed to be involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of human malignancies mediated by microRNA (miRNA) via the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism, a newly proposed “RNA language.” However, the lncRNA-associated competing triplet (lncACT) network among ceRNA transcripts in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is currently lacking. We carried out differential expression analysis to identify aberrantly expressed lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs by analyzing the RNA-seq data of 420 ccRCC tissues and 71 noncancerous kidney tissues obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Then, a ccRCC-specific ceRNA network was built using computational algorithms, including miRcode, TargetScan, miRanda, and miRTarBase. In total, 1491 dysregulated lncRNAs were found between normal renal tissues and ccRCC (fold $\text{change}>4$ and false discovery $\text{rate}<0.01$ ). A ceRNA network that comprised of 46 DElncRNAs, 11 DEmiRNAs, and 55 DEmRNAs was established by integrating the lncRNA/miRNA and miRNA/mRNA interactions into lncACTs. Several lncRNAs were identified to be significantly associated with clinical features of ccRCC patients. Notably, four key lncRNAs (TCL6, HOTTIP, HULC, and PCGEM1) were tightly correlated with both patients’ clinical characteristics and overall survival (log-rank $P<0.05$ ), indicating their potential important roles in ccRCC. HOTTIP may be a potential prognostic and therapeutic molecular marker for ccRCC patients. Collectively, our results provide a comprehensive view of the lncRNA-associated ceRNA regulatory network for a better understanding of the mechanisms and prognosis biomarkers for ccRCC.

Accurate detection of benign and malignant renal tumor subtypes with MethylBoostER: An epigenetic marker-driven learning framework

Current gold standard diagnostic strategies are unable to accurately differentiate malignant from benign small renal masses preoperatively; consequently, 20% of patients undergo unnecessary surgery. Devising a more confident presurgical diagnosis is key to improving treatment decision-making. We therefore developed MethylBoostER, a machine learning model leveraging DNA methylation data from 1228 tissue samples, to classify pathological subtypes of renal tumors (benign oncocytoma, clear cell, papillary, and chromophobe RCC) and normal kidney. The prediction accuracy in the testing set was 0.960, with class-wise ROC AUCs >0.988 for all classes. External validation was performed on >500 samples from four independent datasets, achieving AUCs >0.89 for all classes and average accuracies of 0.824, 0.703, 0.875, and 0.894 for the four datasets. Furthermore, consistent classification of multiregion samples (N = 185) from the same patient demonstrates that methylation heterogeneity does not limit model applicability. Following further clinical studies, MethylBoostER could facilitate a more confident presurgical diagnosis to guide treatment decision-making in the future.

CASC11 and PVT1 spliced transcripts play an oncogenic role in colorectal carcinogenesis

Cancer is fundamentally a genetic disorder that alters cellular information flow toward aberrant growth. The coding part accounts for less than 2% of the human genome, and it has become apparent that aberrations within the noncoding genome drive important cancer phenotypes. The numerous carcinogenesis-related genomic variations in the 8q24 region include single nucleotide variations (SNVs), copy number variations (CNVs), and viral integrations occur in the neighboring areas of the MYC locus. It seems that MYC is not the only target of these alterations. The MYC-proximal mutations may act via regulatory noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). In this study, gene expression analyses indicated that the expression of some PVT1 spliced linear transcripts, CircPVT1, CASC11, and MYC is increased in colorectal cancer (CRC). Moreover, the expression of these genes is associated with some clinicopathological characteristics of CRC. Also, in vitro studies in CRC cell lines demonstrated that CASC11 is mostly detected in the nucleus, and different transcripts of PVT1 have different preferences for nuclear and cytoplasmic parts. Furthermore, perturbation of PVT1 expression and concomitant perturbation in PVT1 and CASC11 expression caused MYC overexpression. It seems that transcription of MYC is under regulatory control at the transcriptional level, i.e., initiation and elongation of transcription by its neighboring genes. Altogether, the current data provide evidence for the notion that these noncoding transcripts can significantly participate in the MYC regulation network and in the carcinogenesis of colorectal cells.

LncRNA PVT1 is increased in renal cell carcinoma and affects viability and migration in vitro

Background

Renal cell carcinoma is difficult to diagnose and unpredictable in disease course and severity. There are no specific biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis estimation feasible in clinical practice. Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as potent regulators of gene expression in recent years. Aside from their cellular role, their expression patterns could be used as a biomarker of ongoing pathology.

Methods

In this work, we used next‐generation sequencing for global lncRNA expression profiling in tumor and non‐tumor tissue of RCC patients. The four candidate lncRNAs have been further validated on an independent cohort. PVT1, as the most promising lncRNA, has also been studied using functional in vitro tests.

Results

Next‐generation sequencing showed significant dysregulation of 1163 lncRNAs; among them top 20 dysregulated lncRNAs were AC061975.7, AC124017.1, AP000696.1, AC148477.4, LINC02437, GATA3‐AS, LINC01762, LINC01230, LINC01271, LINC01187, LINC00472, AC007849.1, LINC00982, LINC01543, AL031710.1, and AC019197.1 as down‐regulated lncRNAs; and SLC16A1‐AS1, PVT1, LINC0887, and LUCAT1 as up‐regulated lncRNAs. We observed statistically significant dysregulation of PVT1, LUCAT1, and LINC00982. Moreover, we studied the effect of artificial PVT1 decrease in renal cell line 786–0 and observed an effect on cell viability and migration.

Conclusion

Our results show not only the diagnostic but also the therapeutic potential of PVT1 in renal cell carcinoma.

Targeted Methylation of the LncRNA NEAT1 Suppresses Malignancy of Renal Cell Carcinoma

Long-chain non-coding RNA (LncRNA) has been found to play an important role in the regulation of the occurrence and progression of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In this study, we demonstrated that LncRNA NEAT1 expression and m6A methylation level was decreased in RCC tissues. Further, the downregulated expression level of LncRNA NEAT1 was associated with poor prognosis for RCC patients. Then we used CRIPSR/dCas13b-METTL3 to methylate LncRNA NEAT1 in RCC cells. The results showed that the expression level of LncRNA NEAT1 was upregulated after methylated by dCas13b-METTL3 in RCC cells. And the proliferation and migration ability of RCC cells was decreased after methylated LncRNA NEAT1. Finally, we examined the effect of LncRNA NEAT1 hypermethylation on the transcriptome. We found differentially expressed genes in RCC cells were associated with “cGMP-PKG signaling pathway”, “Cell adhesion molecules” and “Pathways in cancer”. In conclusion, CRISPR/Cas13b-METTL3 targeting LncRNA NEAT1 m6A methylation activates LncRNA NEAT1 expression and provides a new target for treatment of RCC.

Comprehensive analysis of lncRNAs as biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common histological type of renal carcinoma and has a high recurrence rate and poor outcome. Accurate patient risk stratification based on genetic markers can help to identify the high-risk patient for early and further treatments and would promote patient survival. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have attracted widespread attention as biomarkers for early diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis because of their high specificity and sensitivity. Here, we performed a systematic search in NCBI PubMed and found 44 lncRNAs as oncogenes, 18 lncRNAs as tumor suppressors, 199 lncRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers, 62 lncRNAs as prognostic biomarkers, and 3 lncRNAs as predictive biomarkers for ccRCC. We also comprehensively discuss the biological functions and molecular regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs in ccRCC. Overall, the present study is a systemic analysis to assess the expression and clinical value of lncRNAs in ccRCC, and lncRNAs hold promise to be diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers.

LncPVT1 promotes cartilage degradation in diabetic OA mice by downregulating miR-146a and activating TGF-β/SMAD4 signaling

INTRODUCTION

To investigate the role of LncRNA PVT1 (plasmacytoma variant translocation 1) in hyperglycemia-triggered cartilage damage using the diabetic osteoarthritis (OA) mice model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Streptozotocin (STZ) was used to induce mouse diabetes. Knee OA model was induced through transection of anterior cruciate ligament (ACLT). Severity of arthritis was assessed histologically by Safranin O-Fast Green Staining using Mankin Scores. LncRNA PVT1 and miR-146a were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in cartilage tissue. Moreover, the interaction among PVT1, miR-146a, and SMAD4 was examined by luciferase reporter assays. Mice were injected intra-articularly with ad-siRNA-PVT1 and ad-siRNA scramble control. Articular concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6 and TGF-β1 were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Levels of type II Collagen (COL2A1), TGF-β1, p-SMAD2, SMAD2, p-SMAD3, SMAD3, SMAD4 and nuclear SMAD4 were detected by western blot analysis.

RESULTS

PVT1 expression was significantly increased, whereas miR-146a was markedly decreased in diabetic OA mice than in non-diabetic OA and control. Increased PVT1 expression in diabetic OA mice was significantly associated with Mankin score and reduced miR-146a as well as Collagen alpha-1(II) (COL2A1) expressions. In vivo, intra-articular injection of ad-siRNA-PVT1 efficiently increased miR-146a and COL2A1 expressions, alleviated joint inflammation, decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory mediators, and suppressed TGF-β/SMAD4 pathway in diabetic OA mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate LncRNA PVT1 is involved in cartilage degradation in diabetic OA and correlated with disease severity. Efficiency of ad-siRNA-PVT1 in controlling joint inflammation in diabetic OA mice is associated with the suppression of the expression of miR-146a, pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of TGF-β/SMAD4 pathway.

The Functional Characterization of Epigenetically Related lncRNAs Involved in Dysregulated CeRNA-CeRNA Networks Across Eight Cancer Types

Numerous studies have demonstrated that lncRNAs could compete with other RNAs to bind miRNAs, as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), to regulate each other. On the other hand, ceRNAs were found to be recurrently dysregulated in cancer status. However, limited studies considered the upstream epigenetic regulatory factors that disrupted the normal competing mechanism. In the present study, we constructed the lncRNA-associated dysregulated ceRNA networks across eight cancer types. lncRNAs in the individual dysregulated network and pan-cancer core dysregulated ceRNA subnetwork were found to play more important roles than mRNAs. Integrating lncRNA methylation profiles, we identified 49 epigenetically related (ER) lncRNAs involved in the dysregulated ceRNA networks, including 18 epigenetically activated (EA) lncRNAs, 18 epigenetically silenced (ES) lncRNAs, and 13 rewired ER lncRNAs across eight cancer types. Furthermore, we evaluated the epigenetic regulating patterns of these lncRNAs and screened nine pan-cancer ER lncRNAs (six EA and three ES lncRNAs). The nine lncRNAs were found to regulate the cancer hallmarks by competing with mRNAs. Moreover, we found that integrating the expression and methylation profiles of the nine lncRNAs could predict cancer incidence in eight cancer types robustly and the cancer outcome of several cancer types. These results provide an improved understanding of methylation regulation to ceRNA and offer novel potential molecular therapeutic targets for the diagnosis and prognosis across different cancer types.

lncRNA PVT1 in the Pathogenesis and Clinical Management of Renal Cell Carcinoma

LncRNA PVT1 (plasmacytoma variant translocation 1) has become a staple of the lncRNA profile in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Common dysregulation in renal tumors outlines the essential role of PVT1 in the development of RCC. There is already a plethora of publications trying to uncover the cellular mechanisms of PVT1-mediated regulation and its potential exploitation in management of RCC. In this review, we summarize the literature focused on PVT1 in RCC and aim to synthesize the current knowledge on its role in the cells of the kidney. Further, we provide an overview of the lncRNA profiling studies that have identified a more or less significant association of PVT1 with the clinical behavior of RCC. Based on our search, we analyzed the 17 scientific papers discussed in this review that provide robust support for the indispensable role of PVT1 in RCC development and future personalized therapy.

Long Non-coding RNA LINC01094 Promotes the Development of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma by Upregulating SLC2A3 via MicroRNA-184

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common subtype of RCC. Compelling evidence has highlighted the crucial role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in ccRCC. Our current study aims to explore the regulatory mechanism of LINC01094 in the development of ccRCC. Dual-luciferase reporter experiment verified the targeting relationship among miR-184, LINC01094, and SLC2A3. Furthermore, the interaction between LINC01094 and miR-184 was confirmed by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RNA pull-down. Biological behaviors of ccRCC cells were investigated through cell counting kit-8 (CCK8), scratch test, Transwell, and flow cytometry. The effect of SLC2A3 on the tumorigenicity of nude mice was evaluated in vivo. In ccRCC cells and clinical tissues, LINC01094 and SLC2A3 were highly expressed while miR-184 was lowly expressed. Besides, miR-184 was verified to be a direct target of LINC01094. Silencing LINC01094, up-regulating miR-184, or reducing SLC2A3 inhibited the growth, migration, and invasion of ccRCC cells. Tumor growth was suppressed by silenced LINC01215 via reducing the expression of SLC2A3 via miR-184. Taken together, silencing LINC01094 inhibited SLC2A3 expression by up-regulating miR-184, thereby inhibiting the development of ccRCC.

Circulating Non-coding RNAs in Renal Cell Carcinoma-Pathogenesis and Potential Implications as Clinical Biomarkers

Liquid biopsy-the determination of circulating cells, proteins, DNA or RNA from biofluids through a "less invasive" approach-has emerged as a novel approach in all cancer entities. Circulating non-(protein) coding RNAs including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and YRNAs can be passively released by tissue or cell damage or actively secreted as cell-free circulating RNAs, bound to lipoproteins or carried by exosomes. In renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a growing body of evidence suggests circulating non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) such as miRNAs, lncRNAs, and YRNAs as promising and easily accessible blood-based biomarkers for the early diagnosis of RCC as well as for the prediction of prognosis and treatment response. In addition, circulating ncRNAs could also play a role in RCC pathogenesis and progression. This review gives an overview over the current study landscape of circulating ncRNAs and their involvement in RCC pathogenesis as well as their potential utility as future biomarkers in RCC diagnosis and treatment.

Renal Cell Tumors: Uncovering the Biomarker Potential of ncRNAs

Renal cell tumors (RCT) remain as one of the most common and lethal urological tumors worldwide. Discrimination between (1) benign and malignant disease, (2) indolent and aggressive tumors, and (3) patient responsiveness to a specific therapy is of major clinical importance, allowing for a more efficient patient management. Nonetheless, currently available tools provide limited information and novel strategies are needed. Over the years, a putative role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) as disease biomarkers has gained relevance and is now one of the most prolific fields in biological sciences. Herein, we extensively sought the most significant reports on ncRNAs as potential RCTs' diagnostic, prognostic, predictive, and monitoring biomarkers. We could conclude that ncRNAs, either alone or in combination with currently used clinical and pathological parameters, might represent key elements to improve patient management, potentiating the implementation of precision medicine. Nevertheless, most ncRNA biomarkers require large-scale validation studies, prior to clinical implementation.

The lncRNA SNHG5-mediated miR-205-5p downregulation contributes to the progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma by targeting ZEB1

Recent findings have unraveled the critical functions of the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) SNHG5 in human malignancies. Nevertheless, the role and mechanism of SNHG5 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) are still elusive. In our study, substantially higher abundance of SNHG5 was observed in ccRCC specimens and cell lines, and increased SNHG5 expression was intimately correlated with tumor size, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, lymph node invasion, and distant metastases in patients with ccRCC. SNHG5 knockdown obviously suppressed the proliferative, migratory, and invasive capabilities of ccRCC cells, whereas SNHG5 overexpression induced the opposite effects. Mechanistically, SNHG5 activated the transcription of ZEB1, which exerts a pivotal role in modulation of epithelia-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumor metastasis. SNHG5 was then shown to act as an endogenous sponge for miR-205-5p, which targets ZEB1 in ccRCC. Moreover rescue experiments revealed that SNHG5 promotes ccRCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in a miR-205-5p-dependent manner. Additionally, in vivo assays further indicated that overexpression or silencing of SNHG5 in ccRCC cells promoted or suppressed the tumorigenesis and metastasis, respectively. Altogether, the present data provide the first evidence that the lncRNA SNHG5 has an oncogenic role in ccRCC through the SNHG5/miR-205-5p/ZEB1 signaling axis and represents a novel potential therapeutic regimen against ccRCC.

Prognostic significance of long non-coding RNAs in clear cell renal cell carcinoma: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common form of kidney cancer in adults, and patients with advanced ccRCC have a 5-year survival rate of <30%. The poor prognosis of ccRCC is closely related to its lacking of potential therapeutic and prognostic biomarkers. This meta-analysis aimed to elucidate the precise prognostic value of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in patients with ccRCC.

METHODS

A literature search was performed in related databases up to January 31, 2019. Hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to explore the relationship between special lncRNAs expression and survival in patients with ccRCC.

RESULTS

After literature researching, a total of 16 studies, including 13 lncRNAs were identified. The data from studies that investigated the association between lncRNA expression and survival outcomes in patients with ccRCC were extracted. Results revealed that lncRNAs expression was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) outcome in patients with ccRCC (HR = 1.71, 95%CI = 1.40-2.01 in up-regulated subgroup; HR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.25-0.80 in down-regulated subgroup). The overexpression of PVT1 was significantly associated with poor OS in ccRCC (HR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.02-2.00). Meanwhile, up-regulation of LUCAT1 was significantly related to worse OS in ccRCC patients (HR = 1.51, 95% CI = 1.01-2.00).

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that lncRNAs could be used to predict unfavorable prognosis and function as potential prognostic biomarkers in ccRCC.

Comprehensive investigation of the clinical significance and molecular mechanisms of plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 in sarcoma using genome-wide RNA sequencing data

Objective: The present study aims to identify the potential clinical application and molecular mechanism of plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) in patients with sarcomas by mining an RNA sequencing dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) through multiple genome-wide analysis approaches.

Methods: A genome-wide RNA sequencing dataset was downloaded from TCGA, survival analysis was used to evaluate the prognostic value of PVT1 in sarcoma. The potential mechanism was investigated by multiple tools: Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery v6.8, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and Connectivity Map (CMap).

Results: Comprehensive survival analysis indicated that overexpression of PVT1 was significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients with sarcoma, and nomogram demonstrated that PVT1 contributed more than other traditional clinical parameters in sarcoma survival prediction. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified ten hub differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between sarcoma tissues with low and overexpression of PVT1, and substantiated that these DEGs have a complex co-expression network relationship. CMap analysis has identified that antipyrine, ondansetron, and econazole may be candidate targeted drugs for sarcoma patients with PVT1 overexpression. GSEA revealed that overexpression of PVT1 may be involved in the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression, tumor invasiveness and metastasis, osteoblast differentiation and development, apoptosis, nuclear factor kappa B, Wnt, and apoptotic related signaling pathways.

Conclusions: Our findings indicate that PVT1 may serve as a prognostic indicator in patients with sarcoma. Its underlying mechanism is revealed by GSEA, and CMap offers three candidate drugs for the individualized targeted therapy of sarcoma patients with overexpression of PVT1.

Long non-coding RNAs as prognostic biomarkers in papillary renal cell carcinoma

The aim of the present study was to identify long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)-based prognostic biomarkers in papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC). lncRNA expression data and corresponding clinical data from patients with pRCC were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. R software and packages were used for data analysis. Univariate Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression were performed to identify key lncRNAs, which were then used to construct a prognostic model using multivariate Cox regression analysis. Patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups, and Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival curves and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted. The C-index was calculated to estimate the model's prognostic power. The hazard ratio (HR), 95% confidence interval (CI), and statistical significance of each key lncRNA were also calculated by multivariate Cox regression. Based on the result of the multivariate Cox regression analysis, KM survival plots were plotted for each significantly associated lncRNA. The subcellular locations of the prognostic biomarkers were predicted using lncRNAMap and lncLocator. A total of 17 lncRNA signatures were identified as key lncRNAs. Overall survival rate was significantly higher in the low-risk group compared with the high-risk group. The areas under the ROC curve were 0.93 (3-year ROC) and 0.902 (5-year ROC), and the C-index was 0.915. A forest plot was used to illustrate the HR and 95% CI of key lncRNAs. KM survival analysis revealed the prognostic significance of two protective biomarkers, AC024022.1 and GAS6-AS1, and three adverse biomarkers, AC087379.2, AL352984.1, and AL499627.1. It was predicted that AC024022.1 and AC087379.2 may be located in the cytoplasm and GAS6-AS1 may be located in the cytosol. The present study may contribute to the management of pRCC and serve as a foundation for further investigations into the underlying mechanism of tumorigenesis and progression of pRCC.

Prognostic value of long non-coding RNA plasmacytoma variant translocation1 in human solid tumors: A meta-analysis

Plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) is highly expressed in a variety of cancer tissues and is related to the clinicopathological features and prognosis. However, the prognostic value of PVT1 is still controversial. Therefore, this systematic evaluation and meta-analysis were performed to evaluate the relationship between PVT1 expression and clinicopathological features.PubMed, EMBASE, Web of science, and Cochrane library databases were searched for literature collection according to inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) or odds ratios (ORs) were used to evaluate the association between PVT1 expression and overall survival, tumor size, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis.A total of 39 articles including 3974 patients were included in the study. The results showed that the expression of PVT1 was closely related to the overall survival rate of cancers (HR = 1.64, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.50-1.78, P < .000001). Subgroup analysis showed that the high expression of PVT1 was closely related to the low overall survival rate of patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, epithelial ovarian cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, and osteosarcoma. In addition, the high expression of PVT1 was positively correlated with tumor size (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.14-1.96, P = .004), TNM stage (OR = 3.39, 95% CI: 2.73-4.20, P < .00001), lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.60, 95% CI: 1.76-3.84, P < .00001), and distant metastasis (OR = 2.94, 95% CI: 1.90-4.56, P < .00001).PVT1 could serve as a marker for the size, TNM stage, metastasis, and prognosis of different type of cancers.

Gender-specific risk factors for renal cell carcinoma: a systematic review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The relationship between gender and kidney cancer incidence/outcomes has been largely evaluated and may significantly impact the management of patients diagnosed with these tumors. We reviewed and summarized the most relevant recent publications reporting about this clinically meaningful relationship.

RECENT FINDINGS

The incidence of kidney cancer is higher in men than in women. Male gender is clearly associated with more aggressive histological characteristics both in terms of tumor stage and grade. Similarly, male gender has been found to be associated with worse perioperative and oncological outcomes. Several genetic and molecular markers that may partly explain these observed differences have been evaluated. However, the impact of these markers on clinical practice has not been clearly demonstrated.

SUMMARY

Gender is significantly associated with kidney cancer incidence, characteristics and outcomes. Future efforts are still needed to explore the biological and molecular basis underlying of this relationship.

LncRNA PVT1 promotes proliferation, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of renal cell carcinoma cells through downregulation of miR-16-5p

Background

LncRNAs have recently emerged as vital regulators in the pathogenesis and development of various cancers. LncRNA PVT1 is reported to function as an oncogene in some tumors. However, the role of PVT1 in RCC remains unknown.

Purpose

To explore the potential effects of lncPVT1 on the development of renal cell carcinoma.

Methods

The expression of PVT1 in renal cancer cell lines and tissues was measured by qRT-PCR. The endogenous PVT1 was silenced by RNAi. Cell viabilities were measured by the MTT assay. The migration and invasion of cells were investigated by the transwell assay. The apoptosis of cells was measured by the Nucleosome ELISA and caspase-3 activity assays. The levels of proteins were measured by the western blot.

Results

We found that PVT1 was upregulated in RCC tissues compared with the adjacent normal tissues. PVT1 expression was closely correlated with TNM stage, Fuhrman grade, lymph node metastasis and tumor size. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that high expression of PVT1 was significantly associated with poor overall survival. In accordance, overexpression of PVT1 was observed in RCC cells comto HK-2 cell. Silencing of PVT1 significantly repressed cell viability, induced apoptosis and inhibited cell migration and invasion in vitro. Furthermore, bioinformatic analysis and luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-16-5p was a target of PVT1. Silencing of miR-16-5p mostly reversed the regulatory effects on RCC cells induced by downregulation of PVT1.

Conclusion

In summary, our study indicates that targeting PVT1 might represent a rational therapeutic strategy for RCC.

Construction and comprehensive analysis of dysregulated long non-coding RNA-associated competing endogenous RNA network in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)-microRNA (miRNA)-messenger RNA (mRNA) regulatory network in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) by gene expression analyses.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

LncRNA, miRNA, and mRNA expression profiles in ccRCC were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Differentially expressed lncRNAs, mRNAs (cut-off: |log 2 [fold change, FC])| > 2.0 and adjusted P < 0.01) and miRNAs (|log 2FC| > 1.5 and adjusted P < 0.01) were unveiled using R. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify prognostic factors of ccRCC related to overall survival (OS). A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed for differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) by Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING). Key hub genes were screened from top 300 DEmRNAs. LncRNA-miRNA and miRNA-mRNA regulatory network were constructed and combined into the competing endogenous RNA regulatory network. Gene ontology biological terms were screened by STRING; Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways were identified using the "clusterProfiler" package in R.

RESULTS

A total of 2331, 1517, and 83 DEmRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs were identified, respectively. Eleven lncRNAs (AC016773.1, HOTTIP, LINC00460, NALCN-AS1, PVT1, TRIM36-IT1, WT1-AS, COL18A1-AS1, LINC00443, LINC00472, and TCL6), three miRNAs (hsa-mir-21, hsa-mir-144, and hsa-mir-155), and three mRNAs (COL4A4, NOD2, and GOLGA8B) were associated with OS. Specifically, four lncRNAs (PVT1, LINC00472, TCL6, and WT1-AS1) and one mRNA (Collagen Type IV Alpha 4 Chain) were verified as independent prognostic factors by Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis. Eleven key hub genes were obtained by PPI analysis. "Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs)," "chemical carcinogenesis," and "cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction" were significantly enriched in the network.

CONCLUSION

The findings clarify the pathogenesis of ccRCC and might provide potential therapeutic targets.

Differential expression of long non-coding RNA and mRNA in children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve an essential role in regulating immunological functions. However, their impact on Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN), has remained elusive. The present study determined the expression of lncRNAs and mRNAs in the peripheral blood of 6 children with HSPN and recruited 4 healthy children for comparative study. High-throughput sequencing revealed outstanding differences in lncRNA and mRNA expression, which were verified through reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses were used to investigate the associated biological functions and possible mechanisms of lncRNAs and mRNAs in HSPN. A total of 820 differentially expressed lncRNAs between the two groups were identified, of which 34 were upregulated and 786 were downregulated. Simultaneously, a total of 3,557 mRNAs were also identified to be differentially expressed, of which 1,232 were upregulated and 2,325 were downregulated. The results revealed that the expression of lncRNAs including ENST00000378432, ENST00000571370, uc001kfc.1 and uc010qna.2 was decreased in HSPN patients compared with that in healthy controls. These lncRNAs were associated with the p53 signaling pathway and apoptosis-associated genes (AKT2, tumor protein 53, phosphatase and tensin homolog and FAS). Further studies of those lncRNAs will be performed to elucidate their functions in apoptosis. Complete raw data files were deposited in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) at National Center for Biotechnology information under the GEO accession no. GSE102114 (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE102114).

LncRNA PVT1 promotes malignant progression in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are potentially critical regulators of cancer malignant behaviours. Aberrant expression and dysfunction of lncRNA PVT1 have been reported in multiple human cancers. However, its role in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) remains largely unknown. Our current study demonstrated that PVT1 expression was increased in SCCHN. High PVT1 expression was positively correlated with SCCHN clinical parameters including T classification, clinical stages and cervical lymph node metastasis. More importantly, high PVT1 expression predicted a poor prognosis in SCCHN patients. Gain-of function and loss-of function studies further indicated that PVT1 promoted the proliferation and invasion of SCCHN both in vitro and in vivo, which was accompanied by epithelial-mesenchymal transition and enhanced cancer stem cell-like properties. Further mechanistic investigation revealed that PVT1 activated Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway, and inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signalling reversed the malignant progression caused by PVT1 overexpression. Together, our study reveals that PVT1 accelerates the malignant progression of SCCHN and represents a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in SCCHN.

LncRNA PVT1 promotes ovarian cancer progression by silencing miR-214

Objective:

Emerging evidence indicates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are critical in carcinogenesis and progression of ovarian cancer. This study aimed to explore the functions and molecular mechanisms of plasmacytoma variant translocation I (PVT1) in ovarian cancer

Methods:

PVT1 and miR-214 were detected by qRT-PCR assays in ovarian cancer tissues and cells. The cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities were detected by cell functional experiments, respectively. Western blot assay was performed to detect epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. MiR-214 expression regulated by PVT1 was studied by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays.

Results:

The expression of PVT1 was up-regulated in ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines. Elevated PVT1 expression was associated with advanced stage and indicated poor prognosis for ovarian cancer patients. The knockdown of PVT1 impaired SKOV3 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. The promotion of ovarian cancer progression by PVT1 involved in regulation of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process and PVT1 interaction with EZH2 represses miR-214 expression in ovarian cancer cells.

Conclusions:

PVT1 plays an important role in ovarian cancer tumorigenesis, which might be as a novel diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.