An insight into the potential role of LINC00968 in luminal breast cancer: Case-control study and bioinformatics analysis

Maedeh Arabpour; Sepideh Mehrpour Layeghi; Keivan Majidzadeh-A; Javad Tavakkoly Bazzaz; Ali Mamivand; Mohammad Mehdi Naghizadeh; Abbas Shakoori

doi:10.1016/j.bbrep.2023.101531

An insight into the potential role of LINC00968 in luminal breast cancer: Case-control study and bioinformatics analysis

Biochem Biophys Rep. 2023 Aug 21:35:101531. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2023.101531. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Maedeh Arabpour¹, Sepideh Mehrpour Layeghi¹, Keivan Majidzadeh-A², Javad Tavakkoly Bazzaz¹, Ali Mamivand¹, Mohammad Mehdi Naghizadeh³, Abbas Shakoori¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
² Genetics Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
³ Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran.

Abstract

Background: Luminal A and B subtypes of breast cancer (BC) comprises up to 70% of all BC patients. LncRNAs can affect many biological and pathological processes, and dysregulation of them is related to human cancers. The potential role of lncRNA LINC00968 in luminal BC is still unclear.

Materials and methods: We analyzed the LINC00968 expression across 44 paired luminal BC tissues from the TCGA-BRCA RNA sequencing dataset. Besides, we used the GEPIA2 web server and GENEVESTIGATOR software, as well. Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) assay was performed to confirm the LINC00968 expression in 71 paired luminal BC tissues and two luminal A cell lines (MCF7 and T47D). Moreover, to better understanding the potential role of LINC00968 in luminal BC, computational data analyses including co-expression analysis, functional annotation analysis, and genetic alteration analysis have been done.

Results: The results of data analyses retrieved from BRCA dataset and databases revealed the significant downregulation of LINC00968 in luminal A and B BC. Also, the results of qRT-PCR in luminal BC tissues and cell lines confirmed the earlier data. LINC00968 expression was negatively associated with tumor stage and lymph node metastasis. Additionally, functional annotation analyses revealed that LINC00968 might be involved in vascular development and angiogenesis, extracellular matrix organization, and cell motility and migration. LINC00968 might play role in some cancer-related signaling pathways.

Conclusion: Our study found that downregulation of LINC00968 might promote tumorigenesis, invasion, and metastasis of luminal BC.

Keywords: Breast cancer (BC); In silico analysis; LINC00968; Long non-coding RNAs; Luminal subtypes.