The ceRNA Network Has Potential Prognostic Value in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Study Based on TCGA Database

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Genomics
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a prevalent urological malignancy.
• Complex pathway alterations are implicated in ccRCC development, but underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in ccRCC compared to normal tissues.
• To explore the functional roles of DEGs using enrichment analyses.
• To construct a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network and identify survival-associated genes.

Main Methods:

• Differential gene expression analysis of mRNAs, miRNAs, and lncRNAs from TCGA database.
• Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses.
• Univariate Cox regression for overall survival (OS) analysis and ceRNA network construction.

Main Results:

• Identified 1652 mRNAs, 1534 lncRNAs, and 173 miRNAs differentially expressed in ccRCC.
• Enrichment analyses highlighted roles in immune cell activation, kidney development, and cancer pathways.
• A network of 5 mRNAs, 1 miRNA, and 4 lncRNAs associated with ccRCC patient OS was established.

Conclusions:

• The study established a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network offering insights into ccRCC molecular mechanisms.
• This network may provide novel diagnostic viewpoints for ccRCC.