No abstract

In more recent years, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been investigated as a new class of regulators of cellular processes, such as cell growth, apoptosis, and carcinogenesis. Although lncRNAs are dysregulated in numerous cancer types, limited data are available on the expression profile and functional role of lncRNAs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the present study, we determined the expression pattern of the growth arrest-specific transcript 5 (GAS5) in 72 NSCLC specimens by qRT-PCR and assess its biological functions in the development and progression of NSCLC. The results revealed that GAS5 expression was down-regulated in cancerous tissues compared to adjacent noncancerous tissues (P < 0.05) and was highly related to tumor size and TNM stage (P < 0.05). This correlation between GAS5 and clinicopathological parameters indicates that GAS5 might function as a tumor suppressor. Furthermore, GAS5 overexpression increased tumor cell growth arrest and induced apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, siRNA-mediated knockdown of GAS5 promoted tumor cell growth. Importantly, through western blot analysis, we found that ectopic expression of GAS5 significantly up-regulated p53 expression and down-regulated transcription factor E2F1 expression. Taken together, these findings suggest that GAS5 is a tumor suppressor in NSCLC, and the action of GAS5 is mediated by p53-dependent and p53-independent pathways. GAS5 could serve as a potential diagnostic marker for NSCLC and may be a novel therapeutic target in patients with NSCLC.

Elevated pretreatment NLR might be a potential biomarker of worse response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy and shorter PFS and OS for advanced NSCLC patients. To confirm these findings, larger, prospective and randomized studies are needed.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), which refer to a group of RNAs with length more than 200 nucleotides and limited protein-coding potential, play a widespread role in regulating biological processes, such as cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. LncRNAs are dysregulated in multiple cancers, playing an either oncogenic or tumor-suppressive role. LncRNA GAS5 is a recently identified tumor suppressor involved in several cancers, like breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and colorectal cancer. The low-expression pattern confers tumor cells elevated capacity of proliferation and predicts poorer prognosis. Existing studies mirror that lncRNA GAS5 promises to be a novel diagnostic biomarker, therapy target, as well as prognostic biomarker. In this review, we will summarize the current knowledge about this vital lncRNA, from its discovery, characteristics, and biological function to molecular mechanism in various neoplasms.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to assess the role of skin rash in predicting the efficacy of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) and the prognosis of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).MethodWe systematically searched for eligible articles investigating the association between rash and the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs and the prognosis of patients with NSCLC. The summary risk ratio (RR) and hazard ratio (HR) were calculated using meta-analysis.ResultsWe identified 33 eligible trials involving 6,798 patients. We used two different standards to group the patients [standard 1: rash vs. no rash, standard 2: rash (≥ stage 2) vs. rash (stage 0, 1)]. For standard 1, the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) of the rash group were significantly higher than the no rash group [RR = 3.28; 95% CI: 2.41–4.47(corrected RR = 2.225, 95% CI: 1.658–2.986); RR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.58–2.43]. The same results were observed for standard 2. For standards 1 and 2, the progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.37–0.53; HR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.50–0.65) and overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.28–0.52; HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.35–0.71) of the rash group were significantly longer than the control group, and the same results were observed in the subgroup analysis.Conclusionsskin rash after EGFR-TKI treatment may be an efficient clinical marker for predicting the response of patients with NSCLC to EGFR-TKIs. Furthermore, skin rash is also the prognostic factor of patients with NSCLC. Patients with skin rash have a longer PFS and OS.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as key regulators of tumor development and progression. The lncRNA HNF1A-antisense 1 (HNF1A-AS1) is a 2455-bp transcript on chromosome 12 with a potential oncogenic role in esophageal adenocarcinoma. Nevertheless, current understanding of the involvement of HNF1A-AS1 in lung adenocarcinoma tumorigenesis remains limited. In this study, we analyzed the roles of HNF1A-AS1 in 40 lung adenocarcinoma tissues and five lung cancer cell lines. Our results showed that HNF1A-AS1 was significantly up-regulated in lung adenocarcinoma tissues compared with corresponding non-tumor tissues, and its expression level was significantly correlated with TNM stage, tumor size, and lymph node metastasis. The UCSC Cancer Genomics Browser's Kaplan-Meier plot suggested that patients in the high HNF1A-AS1 expression subgroup experienced worse overall survival compared to the low expression subgroup. Moreover, HNF1A-AS1 was determined to promote tumor proliferation and metastasis, both in vitro and in vivo, by regulating cyclin D1, E-cadherin, N-cadherin and β-catenin expression. In addition, the binding of HNF1A-AS1 to DNMT1 may explain its regulation of E-cadherin. In conclusions, we demonstrated that increased HNF1A-AS1 expression could regulate cell proliferation and metastasis and identified it as a poor prognostic biomarker in lung adenocarcinoma.

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous lung biopsy for solitary pulmonary nodules. Three hundred and eleven patients (211 males and 100 females), with a mean age of 59.6 years (range, 19–87 years), who were diagnosed with solitary pulmonary nodules and underwent CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy between January 2008 and January 2014 were reviewed. All patients were confirmed by surgery or the clinical course. The overall diagnostic accuracy and incidence of complications were calculated, and the factors influencing these were statistically evaluated and compared. Specimens were successfully obtained from all 311 patients. A total of 217 and 94 cases were found to be malignant and benign lesions, respectively, by biopsy. Two hundred and twenty-five (72.3%) carcinomas, 78 (25.1%) benign lesions, and 8 (2.6%) inconclusive lesions were confirmed by surgery and the clinical course. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy were 92.9%, 95.3%, and 95.7%, respectively. The incidences of pneumothorax and self-limiting bleeding were 17.7% and 11.6%, respectively. Taking account of all evidence, CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy for solitary pulmonary nodules is an efficient, and safe diagnostic method associated with few complications.

BackgroundThe neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was recently shown to be a remarkable prognostic factor in tumors. Moreover, some studies have indicated that the combination of NLR and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) could be a better prognostic factor. As the combined prognostic value of NLR and PLR in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not clear, we conducted this study to explore this further.MethodsA total of 366 primary NSCLC patients with stage III or IV were finally included. The neutrophil, platelet, and lymphocyte counts were recorded before treatment was initiated. NLR and PLR were calculated and NLR > 2.68 or PLR > 119.50 was defined as elevated. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were conducted to test their prognostic value.ResultsThe median of NLR and PLR were 3.14 and 152.63, respectively, in all patients. It was indicated that PLR is linearly associated with NLR. PLR is associated with survival, but is not an independent prognostic factor. Removing NLR, PLR is an independent prognostic factor (overall survival [OS]: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.918, P = 0.003; progression-free survival [PFS]: HR = 1.822, P = 0.007 in condition of NLR ≤ 2.68). It was also indicated that elevated NLR is an independent prognostic factor (OS: HR = 1.778, P = 0.009; PFS: HR = 1.535, P = 0.022) in all patients.ConclusionsPLR is a useful complement of NLR, thus, advanced NSCLC patients could be divided into three prognostic groups prior to treatment: poor: NLR > 2.68; moderate: NLR ≤ 2.68 and PLR > 119.50; and good: NLR ≤ 2.68 and PLR ≤ 119.50.