Hsa_circ_0001649: A circular RNA and potential novel biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma

Cancer Biomark. 2016;16(1):161-9. doi: 10.3233/CBM-150552.

Abstract

Background: It has been shown that circular RNA (circRNA) is associated with human cancers, however, few studies have been reported in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Objective: To estimate clinical values of a circular RNA, Hsa_circ_0001649, in HCC.

Methods: Expression level of hsa_circ_0001649 was detected in HCC and paired adjacent liver tissues by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions (qRT-PCRs). Differences in expression level of hsa_circ_0001649 were analyzed using the paired t-test. Tests were performed between clinical information and hsa_circ_0001649 expression level by analysis of variance (ANOVA) or welch t-test and a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was established to estimate the value of hsa_circ_0001649 expression as a biomarker in HCC.

Results: hsa_circ_0001649 expression was significantly downregulated in HCC tissues (p = 0.0014) based on an analysis of 89 paired samples of HCC and adjacent liver tissues and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.63. Furthermore, hsa_circ_0001649 expression was correlated with tumor size (p = 0.045) and the occurrence of tumor embolus (p = 0.017) in HCC.

Conclusions: We first found hsa_circ_0001649 was significantly downregulated in HCC. Our findings indicate hsa_circ_0001649 might serve as a novel potential biomarker for HCC and may function in tumorigenesis and metastasis of HCC.

Keywords: Circular RNA; biomarker; hepatocellular carcinoma; hsa_circ_0001649; hsa_circ_001599.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Biomarkers
  • Biomarkers, Tumor*
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / diagnosis
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / genetics*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • DNA Helicases / genetics
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Liver Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • RNA / chemistry
  • RNA / genetics*
  • RNA, Circular
  • ROC Curve
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / genetics

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • RNA, Circular
  • RNA
  • SHPRH protein, human
  • Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases
  • DNA Helicases