Identification of lncRNAs associated with lung squamous cell carcinoma prognosis in the competitive endogenous RNA network

Abstract

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a role in the formation, development, and prognosis of various cancers. Our study aimed to identify prognostic-related lncRNAs in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), which may provide new perspectives for individualized treatment of patients. Materials and Methods: The RNA sequencing (lncRNA, microRNA (miRNA), mRNA) data and clinical information related to LUSC were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Differentially expressed RNA sequences were used to construct the competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network. In present study, we mainly used two prognostic verification methods, Cox analysis and survival analysis, to identify the prognostic relevance of specific lncRNAs and construct prognostic model of lncRNA. Results: Datasets on 551 samples of lncRNA and mRNA and 523 miRNA samples were retrieved from the TCGA database. Analysis of the normal and LUSC samples identified 170 DElncRNAs, 331 DEmiRNAs, and 417 DEmRNAs differentially expressed RNAs. The ceRNA network contained 27 lncRNAs, 43 miRNAs, and 11 mRNAs. Furthermore, we identified seven specific lncRNAs (ERVH48-1, HCG9, SEC62-AS1, AC022148.1, LINC00460, C5orf17, LINC00261) as potential prognostic factors after correlation analysis, and five of the seven lncRNAs (AC022148.1, HCG9, LINC00460, C5orf17, LINC00261) constructed a prognostic model of LUSC. Conclusion: In present study, we identified seven lncRNAs in the ceRNA network that are associated with potential prognosis in LUSC patients, and constructed a prognostic model of LUSC which can be used to assess the prognosis risk of clinical patients. Further biological experiments are needed to elucidate the specific molecular mechanisms underlying them.