An Autophagy-Related Long Noncoding RNA Signature Contributes to Poor Prognosis in Colorectal Cancer.

Jingsun Wei,Kai Jiang,Yang Tang,Kefeng Ding,Yimin Fang,Yucheng Qian,Maxwell Hwang,Qian Xiao,Dongliang Fu,Xiaoxu Ge,Wei Lu,Thomas E Adrian

doi:10.1155/2020/4728947

Jingsun Wei, Kai Jiang + Show 10 more

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https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/4728947

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Abstract

Purpose Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignant primary tumors, prone to metastasis, and associated with a poor prognosis. As autophagy is closely related to the development and treatment of colorectal cancer, we investigated the potential prognostic value of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) associated with autophagy in colorectal cancer. Methods In this study, we acquired information on the expression of lncRNAs in colorectal cancer from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and found that 860 lncRNAs were associated with autophagy-related genes. Subsequently, univariate Cox regression analysis was used to investigate 32 autophagy-related lncRNAs linked to colon cancer prognosis. Subsequently, eight of the 32 autophagy-related lncRNAs (i.e., long intergenic nonprotein coding RNA 1503 [LINC01503], ZEB1 antisense RNA 1 [ZEB1-AS1], AC087481.3, AC008760.1, AC073896.3, AL138756.1, AL022323.1, and TNFRSF10A-AS1) were selected through multivariate Cox regression analysis. Based on these autophagy-related lncRNAs, a risk signature was constructed, and the patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups. Results The high-risk group's overall survival time was significantly shorter than that of the low-risk group (p < 0.0001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to further confirm the validity of the model (area under the curve: 0.689). Moreover, multivariate regression suggested that the risk score was a significant prognostic risk factor in colorectal cancer. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that these gene sets are significantly enriched in cancer-related pathways, such as Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) signaling. Conclusion The risk signature of eight autophagy-related lncRNAs has prognostic potential for colorectal cancer. These autophagy-related lncRNAs may play a vital role in the biology of colorectal cancer.

Highlights

Colorectal cancer, a disease caused by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors, is one of the most common malignancies worldwide [1]
Two expression matrices of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and autophagy-related genes (ATGs) in colorectal cancer were obtained through the the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database
We obtained coexpression results by performing a correlation analysis of lncRNAs and ATGs. e expression network of autophagy lncRNAs was established to discern the lncRNAs associated with autophagy

Summary

Introduction

Colorectal cancer, a disease caused by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors, is one of the most common malignancies worldwide [1]. Statistics show that, in 2017, nearly 140,000 individuals in the United States of America were diagnosed with colon cancer, resulting in 50,000 deaths [2]. In China, colorectal cancer is one of the most common tumors, and its incidence is gradually increasing [3]. E lack of early definitive diagnosis and metastasis is the major cause of death due to colon cancer. E effect of autophagy on cells is dual; it can promote and inhibit the formation and development of tumors and play varied roles in different tumors. In the early stage of tumor development, autophagy plays a role in inhibiting

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