Retrospective Study
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World J Gastroenterol. May 28, 2014; 20(20): 6314-6321
Published online May 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i20.6314
LncRNAs expression signatures of hepatocellular carcinoma revealed by microarray
Wu-Tao Liu, Xin Lu, Guang-Hua Tang, Jin-Jun Ren, Wen-Jun Liao, Peng-Lei Ge, Jie-Fu Huang
Wu-Tao Liu, Xin Lu, Guang-Hua Tang, Jin-Jun Ren, Wen-Jun Liao, Peng-Lei Ge, Jie-Fu Huang, Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
Author contributions: Liu WT contributed to the conception and design of the study, and wrote the manuscript; Tang GH, Ren JJ, Liao WJ and Ge PL performed the research; Huang JF contributed to the conception and design of the study, and approved the final version to be published; Lu X collected the conception and designed the study, revised the article and approved the final version to be published.
Supported by Grants from the China Medical Board of New York, No. 11-045; and National Key Technology Research and Development Program of China, No. BAI06B01
Correspondence to: Xin Lu, MD, Professor of Surgery, Department of Liver Surgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, No.1 Shuaifuyuan, Beijing 100730, China. luxinln@gmail.com
Telephone: +86-10-69156042 Fax: +86-10-69156043
Received: March 7, 2014
Revised: April 25, 2014
Accepted: May 12, 2014
Published online: May 28, 2014
Abstract

AIM: To analyze the expression profiles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODS: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and matched adjacent non-tumor (NT) liver tissues were collected from 29 patients with HCC, immediately after liver resection, between March 2011 and July 2013. The diagnosis of HCC was made based on histological examination. Differentially expressed lncRNAs between HCC and NT tissues were revealed through microarray-based lncRNAs expression profiling. Further, quantification of selected lncRNAs was performed using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).

RESULTS: Six hundred and fifty-nine lncRNAs were differentially expressed between HCC and NT tissues, of which five [TCONS_00018278, AK093543, D16366, ENST00000501583, NR_002819 (MALAT1)] were selected for validation. Four of them were significantly downregulated in HCC tissues compared with NT tissues (P = 0.012, 0.045, 0.000 and 0.000, respectively), and the expression level of MALAT1 showed no significant difference (P = 0.114).

CONCLUSION: This study identified a set of lncRNAs differentially expressed in HCC tissues and provided useful information for exploring potential therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers of this cancer.

Keywords: Long non-coding RNA, Hepatocellular carcinoma, MALAT1, Expression signature, Microarray

Core tip: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) possess prominent and diverse regulatory functions in cancer processes. In this study, the expression profiles of lncRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were analyzed using a microarray-based method. One hundred and seventy-one lncRNAs were significantly downregulated and 488 were upregulated in HCC tissues. Validation was performed in 29 subjects with HCC using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and the expressions of four lncRNAs were significantly downregulated in HCC, whereas the expression of lncRNA MALAT1 showed no significant difference. The same result was obtained in a subset of patients with hepatitis B virus-related HCC.