Differential expression of lncRNAs in lung cancer subgroups

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as promising candidates in lung cancer research. This study aimed to assess the expression of eight autophagy-related lncRNAs in lung cancer tissues compared to matched non-tumor samples and to evaluate their potential as diagnostic biomarkers.

We examined the expression levels of LINC01963, RAB11B-AS1, AC104083.1, PLBD1-AS1, AC005076.1, LOC105376805 (BX284668.5), AL132989.1, and HERPUD2-AS1 (AC018647.2) in lung cancer samples, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and compared them to their matched controls. Subgroup analyses were performed based on sex.

All eight lncRNAs were upregulated in NSCLC samples compared with controls, with AC104083.1 and HERPUD2-AS1 showing the highest ratios of mean expression (19.86 and 14.60, respectively). In male patients, all lncRNAs were significantly overexpressed in tumor samples (p < 0.05), with AC104083.1 exhibiting the highest upregulation (ratio = 26.93). In female patients, although upregulation was observed, none of the lncRNAs reached statistical significance. In SCLC samples, most lncRNAs demonstrated strong upregulation trends; however, p-values ranged from 0.05 to 0.09, indicating borderline significance. PLBD1-AS1 showed the highest upregulation (ratio = 46.28), while LOC105376805 had minimal differential expression (ratio = 2.16, p = 0.23). Expression levels of these lncRNAs may help discriminate lung cancer samples from controls and could differentiate NSCLC from SCLC samples.

These findings suggest that the evaluated lncRNAs have potential as diagnostic biomarkers, but further research is needed to confirm their utility.