The aim of this study was to investigate the correlations of an Ins/Del polymorphism (rs10680577) in the RERT-lncRNA with the susceptibility, clinicopathological features, and prognosis of lung cancer. A total of 376 patients with lung cancer and 419 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. The genotype of rs10680577 was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure RERT-lncRNA and EGLN2 expressions. Subjects with Del allele of rs10680577 exhibited an elevated risk of lung cancer. The expressions of RERT-lncRNA and EGLN2 in tumor tissues were higher than adjacent normal tissues, manifesting a positive correlation. Compared to patients with Ins/Ins genotype carriers, those with Ins/Del + Del/Del genotype carriers had upregulated expressions of RERT-lncRNA and EGLN2. Moreover, Ins/Del + Del/Del genotype and expressions of RERT-lncRNA and EGLN2 were associated with age, smoking habits, and TNM stage in lung cancer patients. Besides, patients with Ins/Ins genotype of rs10680577 had a longer OS than those with Ins/Del + Del/Del genotype carriers, and patients with lower expressions of RERT-lncRNA and EGLN2 presented a shorter OS than those with higher expressions. COX multivariate analysis demonstrated that Ins/Del + Del/Del genotype and higher expressions of RERT lncRNA and EGLN2 were risk factors affecting the prognosis of lung cancer. The Ins/Del polymorphism (rs10680577) in RERT-lncRNA was correlated with the risk, major clinicopathological features, and prognosis of lung cancer patients, and the patients with Ins/Del + Del/Del genotype carriers had higher expressions of RERT-lncRNA and EGLN2 than those with Ins/Ins carriers.
Keywords: EGLN2; Lung cancer; RERT-lncRNA; rs10680577.