Association of long noncoding RNA and c-JUN expression in hepatocellular carcinoma

The role of long non-coding RNA in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent liver malignancy with complex etiology and generally poor prognosis. Recently, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), non-protein-coding RNA molecules exceeding 200 nucleotides, have emerged as pivotal players in HCC, influencing its initiation, progression, invasion, and metastasis. These lncRNAs modulate gene expression at epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-transcriptional levels, actively participating in the pathological and physiological processes of HCC. Understanding the intricate relationship between lncRNAs and HCC is important for improving prognosis and reducing mortality. This review summarizes advancements in elucidating the role of lncRNAs in HCC pathogenesis.

Combinatorial Gene Expression Profiling of Serum HULC, HOTAIR, and UCA1 lncRNAs to Differentiate Hepatocellular Carcinoma from Liver Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presents a significant global health challenge due to limited early detection methods, primarily relying on conventional approaches like imaging and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Although non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) show promise as potential biomarkers in HCC, their true utility remains uncertain. We conducted a comprehensive review of 76 articles, analyzing 88 circulating lncRNAs in 6426 HCC patients. However, the lack of a standardized workflow protocol has hampered holistic comparisons across the literature. Consequently, we herein confined our meta-analysis to only a subset of these lncRNAs. The combined analysis of serum highly upregulated in liver cancer (HULC) gene expression with homeobox transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) and urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1) demonstrated markedly enhanced sensitivity and specificity in diagnostic capability compared to traditional biomarkers or other ncRNAs. These findings could have substantial implications for the early diagnosis and tailored treatment of HCC.

Serum LINC00152 and UCA1 in HCV-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Clinical Significance and Prognostic Value

Background

Despite significant advancements in the molecular characterization of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), no oncogene addiction has been discovered. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have a lot of promise as cancer biomarkers. LINC00152 and UCA1 have shown potential as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets for human cancers.

Aim

To investigate the diagnostic and prognostic potential of serum LINC00152 and UCA1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

The expression levels of LINC00152 and UCA1 in blood samples from 120 patients (60 with HCC, 60 with liver cirrhosis) and 40 healthy subjects were assessed using real-time qRT-PCR.

Results

Serum LINC00152 and UCA1 expression were considerably higher in HCC patients compared to patients with liver cirrhosis and the healthy controls (p<0.001 and p<0.001 respectively). And their expressions in the liver cirrhosis group were significantly higher than in healthy controls. Both lncRNAs performed well in the ROC analysis, distinguishing HCC patients from patients with liver cirrhosis. Higher levels of LINC00152 expression were linked to lesions in both lobes of the liver (p=0.02), while higher levels of UCA1 expression were linked to vascular invasion and the late stage (p=0.01, p=0.03 respectively). The multivariate analysis showed that a high level of LINC00152 in the blood was an independent indicator of a bad outcome for HCC patients (HR=2.23, 95% CI= 1.30-5.29, p=0.03).

Conclusion

Serum LINC00152 and UCA1 expression were upregulated in patients with HCC, suggesting their use as non-invasive biomarkers for HCC. Furthermore, LINC00152 has the potential to serve as a prognostic indicator.

Non-coding RNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma: Insights into regulatory mechanisms, clinical significance, and therapeutic potential

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex and heterogeneous malignancy with high incidence and poor prognosis. In addition, owing to the lack of diagnostic and prognostic markers, current multimodal treatment options fail to achieve satisfactory outcomes. Tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, metastasis, metabolism, and drug resistance are important factors influencing tumor development and therapy. The intercellular communication of these important processes is mediated by a variety of bioactive molecules to regulate pathophysiological processes in recipient cells. Among these bioactive molecules, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), account for a large part of the human transcriptome, and their dysregulation affects the progression of HCC. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the potential regulatory mechanisms of ncRNAs in HCC, summarize novel biomarkers from somatic fluids (plasma/serum/urine), and explore the potential of some small-molecule modulators as drugs. Thus, through this review, we aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of the regulatory mechanisms, early diagnosis, prognosis, and precise treatment of HCC.

Molecular and genetic markers in hepatocellular carcinoma: In silico analysis to clinical validation (current limitations and future promises)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second cause of cancer-related mortality. The diagnosis of HCC depends mainly on -fetoprotein, which is limited in its diagnostic and screening capabilities. There is an urgent need for a biomarker that detects early HCC to give the patients a chance for curative treatment. New targets of therapy could enhance survival and create future alternative curative methods. In silico analysis provides both; discovery of biomarkers, and understanding of the molecular pathways, to pave the way for treatment development. This review discusses the role of in silico analysis in the discovery of biomarkers, molecular pathways, and the role the author has contributed to this area of research. It also discusses future aspirations and current limitations. A literature review was conducted on the topic using various databases (PubMed, Science Direct, and Wiley Online Library), searching in various reviews, and editorials on the topic, with overviewing the author's own published and unpublished work. This review discussed the steps of the validation process from in silico analysis to in vivo validation, to incorporation into clinical practice guidelines. In addition, reviewing the recent lines of research of bioinformatic studies related to HCC. In conclusion, the genetic, molecular and epigenetic markers discoveries are hot areas for HCC research. Bioinformatics will enhance our ability to accomplish this understanding in the near future. We face certain limitations that we need to overcome.

Diagnostic value of RNA for hepatocellular carcinoma: a network meta-analysis

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of RNA in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: A systematic review was conducted from PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE and Web of Science databases via well-designed retrieval strategy. Subsequently, the network meta-analysis was performed by the STATA software. Results: Through statistical analysis, the three hypotheses of the network meta-analysis were established. In view of these hypotheses, the diagnostic efficacy of the three markers in HCC (HCC vs healthy people) may be consistent, and the cumulative ranking results showed such a trend: circular RNA >long noncoding RNA >microRNA. Conclusion: Circular RNA may be most effective for diagnosing HCC across the three types of RNA.

The Diagnostic Performance of lncRNAs from Blood Specimens in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are widely involved in the carcinogenesis and development of cancers. We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic performance of lncRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

After the inclusion and exclusion process, relevant information was extracted. Heterogeneity between studies was evaluated, and data synthesis was conducted by employing a bivariate random-effects model.

RESULTS

In total, 20 eligible studies were enrolled. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.86 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80-0.90) and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.82-0.92), respectively. The pooled positive likelihood ratio, pooled negative likelihood ratio, and pooled diagnostic odds ratio were 7.1 (95% CI, 4.9-10.2), 0.16 (95% CI, 0.11-0.23), and 44 (95% CI, 25-79), respectively. The results of the linear regression method and visual inspection of the Deeks funnel plot did not indicate significant publication bias.

CONCLUSION

Our meta-analysis suggested that lncRNAs have high diagnostic performance for HCC and have the potential for clinical application.

Functional roles of non-coding RNAs regulated by thyroid hormones in liver cancer

Recent reports have shown the important role of the non-coding part of human genome RNA (ncRNA) in cancer formation and progression. Among several kinds of ncRNAs, microRNAs (miRNA) play a pivotal role in cancer biology. Accumulating researches have been focused on the importance of non-coding genes in various diseases. In addition to miRNAs, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have also been extensively documented. Recently, the study of human liver cancer has gradually shifted to these non-coding RNAs that were originally considered "junk". Notably, dysregulated ncRNAs maybe influence on cell proliferation, angiogenesis, anti-apoptosis, and metastasis. Thyroid hormones play critical roles in human development and abnormalities in thyroid hormone levels are associated with various diseases, such as liver cancer. Thyroid hormone receptors (TR) act as ligand-activated nuclear transcription factors to affect multiple functions through the gene-level regulation in the cells and several studies have revealed that thyroid hormone associated with ncRNAs expression. TR actions are complex and tissue- and time-specific, aberrant expression of the various TR isoforms have different effects and are associated with different types of tumor or stages of development. In this review, we discuss various aspects of the research on the thyroid hormones modulated ncRNAs to affect the functions of human liver cells.

Peripheral Blood Genetic Biomarkers for the Early Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and has high mortality. Biomarkers related to HCC, such as alpha-fetoprotein, and imaging technology, such as ultrasound and computed tomography, have been used to screen and monitor HCC, but HCC is still difficult to diagnose effectively in the early stage due to the low sensitivity of the above mentioned traditional methods. There is an urgent need for noninvasive biomarkers to facilitate the screening and early diagnosis of HCC. With the advancement of next-generation sequencing, genetic biomarkers are becoming the core of cancer diagnosis. Genetic biomarkers such as peripheral blood circulating tumor DNA, microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, circular RNAs, and exosomes have become the focus of early HCC diagnostics. HCC genetic biomarkers have been implemented in clinical practice. In this review, we describe the available literature on peripheral blood genetic biomarkers in the diagnosis of early HCC.

Circulating Long and Circular Noncoding RNA as Non-Invasive Diagnostic Tools of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death worldwide, partially due to late diagnosis of the disease. Growing evidence in the field of biomarker discovery has shown the promising use of nucleic acid in the early detection of many cancers, including HCC. Here, we review data on how various long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) could be used as a diagnostic tool for HCC being differentially expressed in HCC compared to non-HCC patients. These non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) showed high stability in the blood being present as free-circulating molecules or encapsulated into exosomes. This review reports some recent evidence on the use of lncRNAs and circRNAs as possible diagnostic biomarkers for HCC. Further, their pathophysiological mechanism in liver carcinogenesis was also described, elucidating the complex regulatory networks making these ncRNAs of particular relevance for the study of liver malignancy cancer.

Serum small extracellular vesicle-derived LINC00853 as a novel diagnostic marker for early hepatocellular carcinoma

This study aimed to identify novel long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using publicly available tissue genomic datasets and validate their diagnostic utility for early-stage HCC. Differentially expressed lncRNAs between 371 HCC and 50 nontumor tissues were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas liver hepatocellular carcinoma (TCGA_LIHC) project. Subsequently, the expression of the serum- and extracellular vesicle (EV)-derived lncRNA was assessed in 10 patients with HCC and 10 healthy controls using RT-qPCR. The candidate lncRNAs were validated in 90 HCC and 92 non-HCC (29 healthy control, 28 chronic hepatitis, 35 liver cirrhosis) patients. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were calculated for the candidate lncRNAs and the current HCC biomarker, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). SFTA1P, HOTTIP, HAGLROS, LINC01419, HAGLR, CRNDE, and LINC00853 were markedly upregulated in HCC in TCGA_LIHC dataset. Among them, LINC00853 has not been reported in relation to HCC before. In patients with HCC, only expression of small EV-derived LINC00853 (EV-LINC00853) was increased. EV-LINC00853 showed excellent discriminatory ability in the diagnosis of all-stage HCC (AUC = 0.934, 95% confidence interval = 0.887-0.966). Moreover, using a 14-fold increase and 20 ng·mL^-1 as cutoffs for EV-LINC00853 expression and AFP level, respectively, EV-LINC00853 was found to have a sensitivity of 93.75% and specificity of 89.77%, while AFP showed only 9.38% sensitivity and 72.73% specificity for the diagnosis of early-stage HCC (mUICC stage I). EV-LINC00853 had a positivity of 97% and 67% in AFP-negative and AFP-positive early HCC, respectively. Serum EV-derived LINC00853 may be a novel potential diagnostic biomarker for early HCC, especially for AFP-negative HCC.

A Circulating Long Noncoding RNA Panel Serves as a Diagnostic Marker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

Circulating long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been demonstrated to serve as diagnostic biomarkers for various cancers. We aimed to elucidate the diagnostic efficacy of eight serum lncRNAs HULC, MALAT1, Linc00152, PTENP1, PTTG3P, SPRY4-IT1, UBE2CP3, and UCA1 and their combinations for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

A total of 129 patients with HCC, 49 patients with liver cirrhosis, 27 patients with chronic hepatitis B, and 93 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The levels of serum lncRNAs were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The correlations between serum lncRNAs and clinicopathological characteristics were further analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under curve (AUC) were utilized to estimate the diagnostic capacity of serum lncRNAs and their combination with AFP for HCC. A logistic regression model was performed to establish a multiple-lncRNA panel.

Results

The levels of serum HULC, MALAT1, Linc00152, PTTG3P, SPRY4-IT1, UBE2CP3, and UCA1 were significantly higher in HCC patients than in patients with benign liver diseases and healthy controls, whereas serum PTENP1 was significantly decreased in HCC patients compared with healthy participants. Positive correlations between serum Linc00152 and GGT, serum PTTG3P and GGT, and serum SPRY4-IT1 and ALT were noted in HCC patients. ROC analysis revealed that all these lncRNAs had a significantly predictive value for HCC except for PTENP1. The best performance of single lncRNA was obtained by Linc00152 with an AUC of 0.877. When combined with AFP, the combination of Linc00152 and AFP gained the highest accuracy, yielding an AUC of 0.906. Through logistic regression analysis, the panel consisting of serum linc00152, UCA1, and AFP provided the greatest predictive ability, obtaining an AUC of 0.912 with 82.9% sensitivity and 88.2% specificity.

Conclusion

The panel of serum Linc00152, UCA1, and AFP demonstrates a novel and noninvasive biomarker with relatively high sensitivity and specificity for HCC diagnosis.

Elevated expression of cellular SYNE1, MMP10, and GTPase1 and their regulatory role in hepatocellular carcinoma progression

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver malignancy resulting in high mortality. HCC progression is associated with abnormal signal transduction that changes cell signaling pathways and ultimately leads to dysregulation of cell functions and uncontrolled cell proliferation. Present study was undertaken with the objective to identify differentially expressed proteins and quantify their transcript expression in the liver of HCC-bearing rats vis-à-vis controls and to decipher the network involving interaction of genes coding for the characterized proteins to an insight into mechanism of HCC tumorigenesis. 2D-Electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF-MS/MS were used to characterize differentially expressed proteins in DEN (diethylnitrosamine)-induced HCC tissue using the protocol reported by us earlier. Real-time PCR was performed to quantify the expression of transcripts for the identified proteins. GENEMANIA, an interacting network of genes coding for selected proteins, was deciphered that provided the functional role of these proteins in HCC progression. Upregulation of proteins SYNE1, MMP10, and MTG1 was observed. The mRNA quantification revealed elevated expression of their transcripts at HCC initiation, progression, and tumor stages. Network analysis showed the involvement of the genes coding for these proteins in dysregulation of signaling pathways during HCC development. The elevated expression of SYNE1, MMP10, and MTG1 suggests the role of these proteins as potential players in HCC progression and tumorigenesis.

Small Nucleolar RNA Host Gene 18 Acts as a Tumor Suppressor and a Diagnostic Indicator in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Noncoding RNAs are crucial regulators acting as either tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes in human cancer progression. The aberrant expression of noncoding RNAs has been confirmed in different kinds of cancers. Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, characterized by insidious onset, great malignancy, and high rates of recurrence and metastasis. Due to lack of early predictive markers, numerous patients are diagnosed in the late stages. As therapeutic options for advanced patients are quite limited, great efforts have been made to screen patients at early stages. A previous study reported that small nucleolar RNA host gene 18 played crucial role in glioma. However, its functions and roles in hepatocellular carcinoma are unknown.

PURPOSE

To explore its functional role and diagnostic value in hepatocellular carcinoma, we investigated its expression level.

METHODS

We performed real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction in tumor tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues derived from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma as well as in plasma, including samples from the healthy control, patients with hepatitis B, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma.

RESULTS

Small nucleolar RNA host gene 18 was downregulated in liver tissues compared to paired adjacent noncancerous tissues ( P < .0001). Meanwhile, plasma small nucleolar RNA host gene 18 showed a relatively high sensitivity and specificity (75.61% and 73.49%) for distinguishing patients with hepatocellular carcinoma whose α-fetoprotein levels were below 200 ng/mL from the healthy controls.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggested that small nucleolar RNA host gene 18 might act as a tumor suppressor gene in hepatocellular carcinoma and potentially a diagnostic indicator to distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma from the healthy control and cirrhosis.

circRNA_104075 stimulates YAP-dependent tumorigenesis through the regulation of HNF4a and may serve as a diagnostic marker in hepatocellular carcinoma

Some types of circular RNA (circRNA) are aberrantly expressed in human diseases including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its regulation mechanism and diagnostic roles are largely unknown. Here, we identified that circRNA_104075 (circ_104075) was highly expressed in HCC tissues, cell lines and serum. Mechanistically, HNF4a bound to the -1409 to -1401 region of the circ_104075 promoter to stimulate the expression of circ_104075. Moreover, circ_104075 acted as a ceRNA to upregulate YAP expression by absorbing miR-582-3p. Interestingly, an N6-methyladenosine (m6A) motif was identified in the 353-357 region of YAP 3'UTR, and this m6A modification was essential for the interaction between miR-582-3p and YAP 3'UTR. Further, the diagnostic performance of circ_104075 was evaluated. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC-ROC) for circ_104075 was 0.973 with a sensitivity of 96.0% and a specificity of 98.3%. Collectively, we determined that circ_104075 was highly expressed in HCC and elucidated its upstream and downstream regulatory mechanisms. circ_104075 additionally has the potential to serve as a new diagnostic biomarker in HCC. Targeting circ_104075 may provide new strategies in HCC diagnosis and therapy.

Diagnostic Value of lncRNAs as Biomarker in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Updated Meta-Analysis

Some long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) display aberrantly high or low expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and have the potential to serve as diagnostic biomarkers. Here, we accomplished a meta-analysis based on current studies to assess the diagnostic value of lncRNAs in HCC. Eligible literatures were systematically selected from PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase (up to January 20, 2018) according to defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. QUADAS scale was applied to the quality assessment of the included studies. Statistical analysis was performed through bivariate random-effects models based on R software. Publication bias was evaluated by funnel plot and Begg's and Egger's tests. 16 articles containing 2,268 cancer patients and 2,574 controls were selected for the final meta-analysis. Random effect model was used for the meta-analysis due to significant between-study heterogeneity. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) were 0.87(0.838-0.897), 0.829(0.794-0.86), 23.085(20.575-25.901), 4.533(4.239-4.847), and 0.176(0.166-0.186), respectively. Summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) was conducted to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of lncRNAs in HCC with the area under curve (AUC) of 0.915. Subgroups analysis showed that lncRNA profiling, sample size, specimen types, and ethnicity might be the sources of heterogeneity. No publication bias existed according to funnel plot symmetry and Begg's (P = 0.187) and Egger's (P = 0.477) tests. In conclusion, lncRNAs can serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers of HCC with high sensitivity and specificity. In addition, lncRNAs panel from serum and plasma has a relatively high diagnostic value for HCC patients from Asia.

The emergence of long non-coding RNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma: an update

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounting for roughly 90% of all primary liver neoplasms is the sixth most frequent neoplasm and the second prominent reason of tumor fatality worldwide. As regulators of diverse biological processes, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in onset and development of neoplasms. With the continuous booming of well-featured lncRNAs in HCC from 2016 to now, we reviewed the newly-presented comprehension about the relationship between lncRNAs and HCC in this study. To be specific, we summarized the overview function and study tools of lncRNAs, elaborated the roles of lncRNAs in HCC, and sketched the molecule mechanisms of lncRNAs in HCC. In addition, the application of lncRNAs serving as biomarkers in early diagnosis and outcome prediction of HCC patients was highlighted.

The prognostic significance of UCA1 for predicting clinical outcome in patients with digestive system malignancies

Background

Urothelial Carcinoma Associated 1 (UCA1) was an originally identified lncRNA in bladder cancer. Previous studies have reported that UCA1 played a significant role in various types of cancer. This study aimed to clarify the prognostic value of UCA1 in digestive system cancers.

Results

The meta-analysis of 15 studies were included, comprising 1441 patients with digestive system cancers. The pooled results of 14 studies indicated that high expression of UCA1 was significantly associated with poorer OS in patients with digestive system cancers (HR: 1.89, 95 % CI: 1.52–2.26). In addition, UCA1 could be as an independent prognostic factor for predicting OS of patients (HR: 1.85, 95 % CI: 1.45–2.25). The pooled results of 3 studies indicated a significant association between UCA1 and DFS in patients with digestive system cancers (HR = 2.50; 95 % CI = 1.30–3.69). Statistical significance was also observed in subgroup meta-analysis. Furthermore, the clinicopathological values of UCA1 were discussed in esophageal cancer, colorectal cancer and pancreatic cancer.

Materials and methods

A comprehensive retrieval was performed to search studies evaluating the prognostic value of UCA1 in digestive system cancers. Many databases were involved, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang database. Quantitative meta-analysis was performed with standard statistical methods and the prognostic significance of UCA1 in digestive system cancers was qualified.

Conclusions

Elevated level of UCA1 indicated the poor clinical outcome for patients with digestive system cancers. It may serve as a new biomarker related to prognosis in digestive system cancers.

Biological function of UCA1 in hepatocellular carcinoma and its clinical significance: Investigation with in vitro and meta-analysis

Urothelial cancer associated 1 (UCA1) was upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and cell lines, and the expression of UCA1 was associated with several clinical features and malignant behaviours in HCC. However, none of these findings completely interpreted the role of UCA1 in HCC. We conducted this investigation to validate the expression of UCA1 and its relationship with Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) stage in 41 HCC tissues and their paired noncancerous adjacent tissues by real-time qPCR. Furthermore, we also explored the biological functions of UCA1 in vitro with HCC cell lines. Most importantly, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis and bioinformatics investigation based on peer-reviewed literature and in silico approaches to further summarise the clinical value and functions of UCA1 in HCC. UCA1 expression was remarkably upregulated in HCC tissues, and its expression was profoundly higher in advanced stages than in early stages. Reducing the expression levels of UCA1 suppressed the proliferation and induced apoptosis of HCC cells. Furthermore, the present meta-analysis validated that up-regulated UCA1 was closely related to larger tumour size and advanced TNM stages, and the overexpression of UCA1 was significantly correlated with a shorter OS. Additionally, according to GO analysis, the target genes were found concentrated in the following biological processes: extracellular matrix organisation, cilium assembly and cilium morphogenesis. KEGG pathway analysis showed that the UCA1-related genes were significantly enriched in the following pathways: hippo signalling pathway, bile secretion and gastric acid secretion. This evidence hinted that UCA1 could play an indispensable proliferation-related key role in HCC via the hippo signalling pathway. However, the exact molecular mechanism needs to be verified with future functional experiments.

The Role of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Hepatocarcinogenesis

Whole-transcriptome analyses have revealed that a large proportion of the human genome is transcribed in non-protein-coding transcripts, designated as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Rather than being “transcriptional noise”, increasing evidence indicates that lncRNAs are key players in the regulation of many biological processes, including transcription, post-translational modification and inhibition and chromatin remodeling. Indeed, lncRNAs are widely dysregulated in human cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Functional studies are beginning to provide insights into the role of oncogenic and tumor suppressive lncRNAs in the regulation of cell proliferation and motility, as well as oncogenic and metastatic potential in HCC. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms and the complex network of interactions in which lncRNAs are involved could reveal novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Crucially, it may provide novel therapeutic opportunities to add to the currently limited number of therapeutic options for HCC patients. In this review, we summarize the current status of the field, with a focus on the best characterized dysregulated lncRNAs in HCC.

Investigating miRNA-661 and ATG4-B mRNA expression as potential biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM

We aimed to examine the statistical association between serum expression of miRNA 661 (miR-661) and ATG-4B mRNA and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on in silico data analysis followed by clinical validation.

PATIENTS & METHODS

Quantitative reverse-transcriptase real-time PCR was used to examine the expression of miR-661 and ATG-4B mRNA in the sera of HCC patients versus control.

RESULTS

The expression of miR-661 and ATG-4B mRNA was positive in 97.14 and 77.14%, respectively, in HCC patients. The survival analysis showed that ATG-4B mRNA was an independent prognostic factor.

CONCLUSION

Our data are the first report of its kind regarding the considerable clinical significance of miR-661 and ATG-4B mRNA in HCC patients.

Alcohol and hepatitis virus-dysregulated lncRNAs as potential biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths because of frequent late detection and poor therapeutic outcomes, necessitating the need to identify effective biomarkers for early diagnosis and new therapeutic targets for effective treatment. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as promising molecular markers for diagnosis and treatment. Through analysis of patient samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas database, we identified putative lncRNAs dysregulated in HCC and by its risk factors, hepatitis infection and alcohol consumption. We identified 184 lncRNAs dysregulated in HCC tumors versus paired normal samples, 53 lncRNAs dysregulated in alcohol-drinking patients with hepatitis B, and 5, 456 lncRNAs dysregulated in patients with hepatitis infection. A panel of these candidate lncRNAs’ expressions correlated significantly with patient survival, clinical variables, and known genomic alteration in HCC. Two most significantly dysregulated lncRNAs in our computational analysis, lnc-CFP-1:1 and lnc-CD164L2-1:1, were validated in vitro to be dysregulated by alcohol. Our findings suggest that lncRNAs dysregulated by different etiologies of HCC serve as potential disease markers and can be further investigated to develop personalized prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies.

Long non-coding RNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets: Recent insights into hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent primary liver cancer worldwide, and the survival rates of patients with HCC remains quite low after 5years. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are a novel class of non-coding RNAs that are capable of regulating gene expression at various levels. Recent works have demonstrated that lncRNAs are often dysregulated in HCC, and the dysregulation of some of these lncRNAs are associated with the clinicopathological features of HCC. They regulate cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT), invasion and metastasis of HCC by modulating gene expression and cancer-related signaling pathways, and thus contribute to the onset and progression of HCC. In this review, we provide a comprehensive survey of dysregulated lncRNAs in HCC, with particular focus on the functions and regulatory mechanisms of several essential and important lncRNAs, and discuss their potential clinical application as early diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets for HCC.

Non-coding RNA in hepatocellular carcinoma: Mechanisms, biomarkers and therapeutic targets

The majority of the human genome is not translated into proteins but can be transcribed into RNA. Even though the resulting non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) do not encode for proteins, they contribute to diseases such as cancer. Here, we review examples of the functions of ncRNAs in liver cancer and their potential use for the detection and treatment of liver cancer.

Diagnostic value of long noncoding RNAs for hepatocellular carcinoma: A PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Increasing evidences have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in cancer diagnosis and prognosis. However, the overall diagnostic accuracy of lncRNAs for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. Herein, we perform a meta-analysis to assess diagnostic value of lncRNAs for HCC.

METHODS

The online PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Embase database were searched for eligible studies published until October 5, 2016. Study quality was evaluated with the Quality Assessment for Studies of Diagnostic Accuracy (QUADAS). All statistical analyses were conducted with Stata 12.0 and Meta-Disc 1.4.

RESULTS

We included 19 studies from 10 articles with 1454 patients with HCC and 1300 controls. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and AUC for lncRNAs in the diagnosis of HCC were 0.83 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.76-0.88), 0.80 (95% CI: 0.73-0.86), 4.2 (95% CI: 3.00-5.80), 0.21 (95% CI: 0.15-0.31), 20 (95% CI: 11-34), and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.85-0.91), respectively. Additionally, the diagnostic value of lncRNAs varied based on sex ratio of cases and characteristics of methods (specimen type and reference gen).

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis suggests lncRNAs show a moderate diagnostic accuracy for HCC. However, prospective studies are required to confirm its diagnostic value.

Long noncoding RNAs as novel serum biomarkers for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are outstanding as novel cancer biomarkers with great prospects. Herein, we focused on summarizing the overall diagnostic evaluation of lncRNAs for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

Relevant literature was collected from the online databases. The Quality Assessment for Studies of Diagnostic Accuracy checklist was used to assess the quality of included studies. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were plotted using random-effects models. Summary receiver operating characteristic curve and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to estimate the overall test performance. Statistical analysis was performed by STATA 14.0 and Meta-DiSc 1.4 software.

RESULTS

Ten studies with a total of 820 HCC patients and 785 healthy controls were included. For overall lncRNAs, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and DOR to predict HCC patients were 80% [95% confidence interval (CI) 77-82%], 79% (95% CI 76-81%), and 27.66 (95% CI 14.26-53.63), respectively, corresponding to an AUC of 0.91.

CONCLUSIONS

LncRNAs were a high diagnostic value for HCC and its expression could potentially be used as auxiliary biomarker in confirming HCC.