Differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs and the prognostic potential in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease with high incidence, especially in developed countries. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are new research hotspots for their vital roles in regulating gene expression. This study aims to investigate the prognostic value of lncRNAs in CRC patients. A total of 21 cancer-related lncRNAs were detected by PCR array to reveal their expression changes in CRC tissue. A 120-week-long follow-up was performed in 30 CRC patients to analyze the relationship between lncRNA levels and CRC prognosis. Most of the 21 lncRNAs were differentially expressed in CRC tissue compared to the adjacent normal tissue, among which seven lncRNAs were significantly changed: AFAP1-AS1, BCAR4, H19, HOXA-AS2, MALAT1 and PVT1 were up-regulated, and ADAMTS9-AS2 was down-regulated in CRC tissue samples. No obvious correlation was found between lncRNA levels and the age, gender, tumor size or TNM stage of these patients. Log-rank test indicated that higher levels of AFAP1-AS1, BCAR4, H19, HOXA-AS2, MALAT1 or PVT1 and lower level of ADAMTS9-AS2 might predict the poor prognosis of CRC patients. This study suggests the potential value of the seven lncRNAs in the prognosis of CRC, providing reference information for future research on CRC prognostic and treatment strategy.