Glycosylation-associated plasma SNORD99 as a novel diagnostic biomarker for early-stage lung adenocarcinoma

The role of glycosylation-associated small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the newly identified glycosylation-associated SNORD99 as a potential diagnostic biomarker for LUAD.

Differentially glycosylation-associated RNAs in LUAD were screened by bioinformatics analysis platform. The identified glycosylation-associated SNORD99 was validated in LUAD plasma using RT-qPCR. The stability of SNORD99 was determined by RNase A treatment. Diagnostic potential was evaluated via the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, comparing SNORD99 to traditional markers (CYFRA21-1, NSE, CEA).

Glycosylation-associated SNORD99 was significantly upregulated in early-stage LUAD patients. Its expression correlated markedly with CYFRA21-1 (P = 0.0380). SNORD99 demonstrated relative stability in plasma. ROC analysis revealed plasma SNORD99 had superior diagnostic capability, particularly for early-stage LUAD, compared to CYFRA21-1, NSE, and CEA. Combining SNORD99 with traditional markers significantly enhanced overall diagnostic accuracy (AUC: 0.9618, P = 0.0020, sensitivity = 0.9306, specificity = 1.0000).

The upregulation of plasma glycosylation-associated SNORD99 in early-stage LUAD shows significant promise as a novel liquid biopsy biomarker. Its superior and supplementary diagnostic performance suggests its potential to enhance early detection strategies for LUAD.