Three CircRNAs Function as Potential Biomarkers for Colorectal Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide.
• Early diagnosis of CRC significantly improves treatment outcomes and patient survival.
• Novel biomarkers are crucial for accurate and timely CRC detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of circ-FMN2, circ-LMNB1, and circ-ZNF609 as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for colorectal cancer.
• To analyze the expression levels of these circRNAs in CRC patients and healthy individuals.
• To correlate circRNA expression with clinicopathological features and patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Serum samples from 88 CRC patients and 68 healthy volunteers were analyzed.
• Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to measure circRNA expression levels.
• Correlation analysis, ROC curve analysis, and survival analysis were performed.

Main Results:

• Circ-FMN2, circ-LMNB1, and circ-ZNF609 were significantly upregulated in CRC patients compared to healthy controls (p < 0.01).
• Elevated circRNA levels correlated positively with histological grade, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage.
• ROC analysis demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy (AUCs: 0.9153, 0.9627, 0.8711).
• High circRNA expression was associated with significantly worse patient outcomes (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Circ-FMN2, circ-LMNB1, and circ-ZNF609 are promising diagnostic biomarkers for colorectal cancer.
• These circRNAs also hold potential as prognostic indicators for CRC patients.
• Further research can validate their clinical utility in CRC management.