Circulating Long Noncoding RNAs as Biomarkers for Predicting Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Background/Aims: The anatomical complexity of the head and neck region and the lack of sufficiently specific and sensitive biomarkers often lead to the diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) at advanced stages. To identify novel biomarkers for early diagnosis of primary HNSCC through a minimally invasive method, we investigated circulating long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) levels in plasma of HNSCC patients. Methods: The global lncRNA expression profiles of HNSCC patients were measured using microarray and next-generation RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data from both circulating and tissue samples. The diagnosis prediction model based on the lncRNA signatures and clinical features was evaluated by multi-stage validation and risk score analysis. Results: The data showed that 432 lncRNA transcripts were differentially expressed by fold changes of > 4 in circulating samples and 333 in tissues samples, respectively. Only 12 lncRNAs consistently emerged in these two kinds of samples. After the risk score analysis including a multistage validation, we identified three lncRNAs, namely, HOXA11-AS, LINC00964 and MALAT1, which were up-regulated in the plasma of HNSCC patients compared with those in healthy controls with merged areas under the curve (AUCs) in training and validation sets of 0.925 and 0.839, respectively. Conclusion: HOXA11-AS, LINC00964 and MALAT1 might be potential circulating biomarkers for the early detection of HNSCC in the future.

Prognostic value of novel immune-related genomic biomarkers identified in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

“…4 14 The genomic features of tumors and their microenvironments represent promising candidates for use as predictive and prognostic biomarkers. [15][16][17] RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has been an indispensable tool for the investigation of gene networks associated with immunomodulatory mechanisms and the identification of candidate biomarkers. 18 19 Although the molecular profiles of immune components and certain indicators can improve the accuracy of predicting tumor progression for risk stratification, the heterogeneity of HNSCC, which derives from the different tissue origins, suggests that rather than a single biomarker, a pooled gene panel will be necessary to accurately detect multiple tumor histotypes and determine prognosis.…”

lncRNA MALAT1 promotes cell proliferation and invasion by regulating the miR‑101/EZH2 axis in oral squamous cell carcinoma

“…MALAT1 is an important lncRNA in tumor progression. Previous studies have shown that MALAT1 is upregulated in colorectal cancer (CRC), pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (19)(20)(21). Moreover, Xu et al displayed that MALAT1 overexpression promoted the viability and migration of CRC (22).…”

Circulating lncRNA DANCR as a potential auxillary biomarker for the diagnosis and prognostic prediction of colorectal cancer

“…The above data indicate that DANCR plays an important role in the molecular mechanism of CRC and suggest that it may have a potential value for CRC diagnosis. Other than its stability in plasma or serum lncRNAs, DANCR is also closely related to the development and progression of cancer [14][15][16], showing a promising perspective of serum DANCR as a novel biomarker for the clinical diagnosis of CRC.…”