Long noncoding RNA HOTAIR is a prognostic marker for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression and survival

PLoS One. 2013 May 23;8(5):e63516. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063516. Print 2013.

Abstract

Background: It is currently unclear whether the expression of HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) correlates with the progression of esophageal cancer. The aim of this study was to examine HOTAIR expression in patients with esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) and explore its clinical significance.

Methods: Differences in the expression of HOTAIR were examined via in situ hybridization (ISH) and quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). The prognostic significance was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. Proliferation, colony formation and migration assays were performed in ESCC cell lines to determine the function of HOTAIR in the progression of ESCC in vitro.

Results: A notably higher level of HOTAIR expression was found in ESCC tissues. High expression levels of HOTAIR in ESCC patients correlated positively with clinical stage, TNM classification, histological differentiation and vital status. HOTAIR expression was found to be an independent prognostic factor in ESCC patients. ESCC patients who expressed high levels of HOTAIR had substantially lower overall 5-year survival rates than HOTAIR-negative patients. In vitro assays of ESCC cell lines demonstrated that HOTAIR mediated the proliferation, colony formation and migratory capacity of ESCC cells.

Conclusion: HOTAIR is a potential biomarker for ESCC prognosis, and the dysregulation of HOTAIR may play an important role in ESCC progression.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / metabolism*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / mortality
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / secondary
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / mortality
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Female
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Prognosis
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / genetics
  • RNA, Long Noncoding / metabolism*
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • HOTAIR long untranslated RNA, human
  • RNA, Long Noncoding
  • RNA, Small Interfering

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81102023 and 30973505) (http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/Portal0/default152.htm), the Foundation of Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China (20120171110075), the Guangdong Natural Science Foundation (S2011040004481and 7001618), the Foundation of Guangzhou Science and Technology Bureau (2009Y-C011-1 and 2008B030301135) and the Sun Yat-Sen University Training Project (12ykpy32). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.