Increased Expression of hsa_circ_0002111 and Its Clinical Significance in Papillary Thyroid Cancer.

Gongbo Du,Runsheng Ma,Jiao He,Hongqiang Li,Detao Yin,Dongpeng Niu,Kaixiang Feng

doi:10.3389/fonc.2021.644011

Abstract

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a newly discovered non-coding RNA. Recent reports suggest that circRNAs are key regulators of tumorigenesis because of their special structure. In order to investigate the role of hsa_circ_0002111 in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), we use quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to determine the expression pattern of hsa_circ_0002111 in 82 paired PTC and adjacent non-cancerous thyroid tissues. Cell counting kit-8, colony formation, and transwell assays were conducted to assess the effect of hsa_circ_0002111 on PTC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. We found that the expression of hsa_circ_0002111 was significantly up-regulated in PTC tissues compared with adjacent non-cancerous tissues (P < 0.0001). Expression of hsa_circ_0002111 was also associated with advanced TNM stage and lymph-node metastasis of patients with PTC. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.833. Further, cell function assays showed that hsa_circ_0002111 inhibition significantly suppressed the proliferation and invasion abilities of PTC cells in vitro. In conclusions, the study findings show that the over-expression of hsa_circ_0002111 promotes PTC, and thus hsa_circ_0002111 may be a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for PTC.

Highlights

Thyroid carcinoma (TC) is the most common endocrine cancer, and its morbidity rate has increased over the past several decades [1, 2]
Circular RNAs, which were discovered approximately four decades ago [5], have attracted considerable attention in recent years [6, 7]. circRNAs, which occur in low abundance, are non-coding RNAs that were initially considered as products of mis-splicing, or as by-products of pre-mRNA processing [8]
The cells were cultured in the Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI)-1640 medium with 10% foetal bovine serum (FBS; Gemini, California, USA) in a humidified incubator with 5% CO2 at 37°C

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Thyroid carcinoma (TC) is the most common endocrine cancer, and its morbidity rate has increased over the past several decades [1, 2]. Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) represents the major histopathologic type of TC, and accounts for approximately 90% of all TC cases [3]. In contrast with other types of ncRNAs, circRNAs form covalently closed, continuous loops with neither a 5′-to-3′ polarity nor a poly-adenylated tail. They are not sensitive to digestion by RNases; they are more conserved and stable by nature [9]. We investigated the association between hsa_circ_0002111 expression and clinical features of patients with PTC. In vitro function assays were used to explore the roles of hsa_circ_0002111 in PTC progression

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RESULTS

DISCUSSION

Findings

ETHICS STATEMENT