Importance: The gastric cancer (GC)-associated long noncoding RNA1 (lncRNA-GC1) plays an important role in gastric carcinogenesis. However, exosomal lncRNA-GC1 and its potential role in GC are poorly understood.
Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic value of circulating exosomal lncRNA-GC1 for early detection and monitoring progression of GC.
Design, setting, and participants: We performed a multiphase investigation of circulating exosomal lncRNA-GC1 for early detection of GC involving consecutive patients with GC (n = 522), patients with gastric precancerous lesions (n = 85), and healthy donor individuals (HDs; n = 219) from December 2016 to February 2019 at Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, China. LncRNA-GC1 was measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction by independent researchers who had no access to patients' information. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to calculate diagnostic efficiency in comparison between lncRNA-GC1 and 3 traditional biomarkers (carcinoembryonic antigen [CEA], cancer antigen 72-4 [CA72-4], and CA19-9).
Main outcomes and measures: Assessment of diagnostic efficiency on the basis of area under curve (AUC), specificity, and sensitivity.
Results: Of the 826 patients included in the study, 508 were men (61.5%), and the median age of all patients was 60 years (range, 28-82 years). In the test phase, lncRNA-GC1 achieved better diagnostic performance than the standard biomarkers CEA, CA72-4, and CA19-9 (AUC = 0.9033) for distinguishing between the patients with GC and HDs. Additionally, exosomal lncRNA-GC1 levels were significantly higher in culture media from GC cells compared with those of normal gastric epithelial cells (t = 5.310; P = .002). In the verification phase, lncRNA-GC1 retained its diagnostic efficiency in discriminating patients with GC from those with gastric precancerous lesions as well from HDs. Moreover, lncRNA-GC1 exhibited a higher AUC compared with those of CEA, CA72-4, and CA19-9 for early detection of GC with sufficient specificity and sensitivity, especially for patients with GC with negative standard biomarkers. Moreover, the levels of circulating exosomal lncRNA-GC1 were significantly associated with GC from early to advanced stages (HD vs stage I, t = 20.98; P < .001; stage I vs stage II, t = 2.787; P = .006; stage II vs stage III, t = 4.471; P < .001; stage III vs stage IV, t = 1.023; P = .30), independent of pathological grading and Lauren classification (pathological grading: HD vs G1, t = 21.09; P < .001; G1 vs G2, t = 0.3718; P = .71; G2 vs G3, t = 0.3598; P = .72; Lauren classification: t = 24.81; P <.001). In the supplemental phase, the levels of circulating exosomal lncRNA-GC1 were consistent with those in GC tissues and cells and were higher compared with those in normal tissues and cells. Furthermore, the levels of circulating lncRNA-GC1 were unchanged after exosomes were treated with RNase and remained constant after prolonged exposure to room temperature or after repeated freezing and thawing (t = 1.443; P = .39). Total circulating lncRNA-GC1 was nearly all packaged within exosomes rather than a free form in plasma.
Conclusions and relevence: Circulating exosomal lncRNA-GC1 may serve as a noninvasive biomarker for detecting early-stage GC and for monitoring disease progression. Combining circulating exosomal lncRNA-GC1 detection with endoscopy could improve the early diagnostic rate of GC.