Expression analysis of LINC00671 and LINC01913 long non-coding RNAs in gastric cancer patients and their correlation with EMT markers.

Abstract

Background: Long-chain non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play various roles in the regulation of gene expression at the levels of transcription and translation, and epigenetic modification. Dysregulation of lncRNAs is associated with various malignancies, including cancer. lncRNAs have been demonstrated to regulate critical biological processes in cancer cells, such as apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and invasion. They also play essential roles in the development of gastric cancer (GC). However, the clinical significance and biological function of many lncRNAs remain unexplored in GC progression. This study aimed to evaluate the expression profiles of LINC00671 and LINC01913 in GC patients and investigate their correlation with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers.

Method: The real-time PCR technique was applied to measure the expression levels of the selected lncRNAs (LINC01913 and LINC00671) and EMT-related mRNAs (MAMLs and MMP-13) in 83 tumor and adjacent normal tissues obtained from GC patients.

Result: A significant reduction in LINC00671 expression was observed in 55.4% of tumor tissues, while elevated expression of LINC01913 (41%), MMP13 (56.6%), and MAML1 (44.6%) was detected, representing the proportion of samples with dysregulated expression relative to matched normal tissues. Dysregulation of these genes was significantly associated with various clinicopathological features (P < 0.05), supporting a potential link between these lncRNAs and EMT processes in GC.

Conclusion: The observed associations between LINC00671, LINC01913, and EMT-related genes suggest their potential as prognostic biomarkers for treatment response in GC patients.