Microarray expression profile analysis of long non-coding RNAs in human breast cancer: a study of Chinese women

Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death among women. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression. Numerous lncRNAs have performed critical roles in cancer biology including breast cancer (BC). The expression levels of certain lncRNAs are associated with tumor development, recurrence, metastasis, and prognosis. However, the potential roles that lncRNAs regulate breast cancer tumorigenesis and tumor progression are still poorly understood. To investigate the potential roles of lncRNAs in the breast cancer, we constructed BC related lncRNA libraries by using microarray. Microarray expression profiling suggests 790 up-regulated and 637 down-regulated (log fold-change>2.3) lncRNAs were differently expressed between BC tissues and its paired adjacent tissues. Furthermore, we found differently expressed lncRNAs associated with immune regulation. RP4-583P15.10, an up-regulated lncRNA, was found to be located downstream of the natural antisense of the ZBTB46 gene, which may regulated breast cancer through influence immune system. In conclusion, our results for the first time indicate that distinct lncRNAs expression profiles of BC, which related to the immune network, may provide information for further research on immune regulation during the BC process.