Biologics: Targets & Therapy (Oct 2023)

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

  • Shehab-Eldeen S,
  • Essa A,
  • Arafat ES,
  • Sleem AS,
  • Alhosary AA,
  • Darwish E,
  • Essa A,
  • Al-Omair OA,
  • Al-Khoufi EA,
  • Al Abdulqader AK,
  • Nada A

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 17
pp. 137 – 149

Abstract

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Somaia Shehab-Eldeen,1,2 Abdallah Essa,1,2 Eman Salah Arafat,3 Asmaa Shaaban Sleem,4 Amal Abdelrasoul Alhosary,5 Ehab Darwish,6,7 Ali Essa,8 Omar Ahmed Al-Omair,1 Emad Ali Al-Khoufi,1 Abdulrhman Khaled Al Abdulqader,1 Ali Nada9 1Internal Medicine Department, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 2Tropical Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin Elkom, Egypt; 3Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin Elkom, Egypt; 4Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin Elkom, Egypt; 5Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin Elkom, Egypt; 6Tropical Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt; 7Gastroenterology and Infectious Diseases Unit, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; 8Medical Student, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University, Shebin Elkom, Egypt; 9Hepatology and Gastroenterology Department, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebin Elkom, EgyptCorrespondence: Somaia Shehab-Eldeen, Internal Medicine Department, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tel +966507913675 ; +201117251523, Email [email protected]; [email protected]: 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.Keywords: LINC00152, UCA1, hepatocellular carcinoma, predictor, mortality

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