Evaluation of GAS5 and MEG3 LncRNAs Expression Changes in Patients with Gastric Cancer

Evaluation of GAS5 and MEG3 LncRNAs Expression Changes in Patients with Gastric Cancer
Vahid Asghariazar,¹ Seyedeh Fahimeh Razavi,² Elham Safarzadeh,^3,*
1. Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University, Tabriz, Iran
3. Department of Microbiology, Parasitology, and Immunology, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
Introduction: Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death. Gastric cancer is characterized by a growth of cancerous cells within the lining of the stomach. This type of cancer is difficult to diagnose because most people typically don't show symptoms in the earlier stages. Gastric cancer is directly linked to tumors in the stomach. However, some factors might increase the risk of developing these cancerous cells. These risk factors include certain diseases and conditions, such as H. pylori bacterial infections, tumors in other parts of the digestive system, Stomach lymphoma, stomach polyps, smoking, Geography, and Diet. Gastric carcinogenesis is an elaborate multistep process involving genetic dysregulation of proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes and has recently entered the era of Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a group of transcripts that modulate many cellular functions. With a total length of > 200 nucleotides, they regulate the expression of genes through chromatin remodeling and transcriptional and post-transcriptional alterations. Aberrant expression of lncRNAs in various human malignancies has implied their role in the pathogenesis of cancer. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as regulators of gene expressions at different genomic, transcriptomic, and post-transcriptomic levels are among putative biomarkers and therapeutic targets in gastric cancer.
Methods: In this study, 40 tissue (including 25 gastric cancer tissue and 15 control tissue) were obtained from patients with a definite diagnosis of gastric cancer by specialists and pathologists, and people referred to "Shahid Ghazi Tabatabaie Hospitals of Tabriz, Iran". RNA was extracted from tissue samples, and cDNA was synthesized from RNA. Real-time PCR was used to determine the lncRNAs (GAS5, MEG3) gene expression in gastric cancer patients. The samples were taken after the acquisition of a written consent form signed by all the patients. Statistical calculation of data was done by applying the SPSS software. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant.
Results: Our findings revealed that the lncRNA GAS5 and lncRNA MEG3 expression level was significantly decreased in gastric cancer tissue compared with healthy tissue.
Conclusion: Investigating the expression level changes of these lncRNAs provides novel and exciting possibilities for mastering the treatment of gastric cancer.
Keywords: Long non-coding RNA; Stomach; Gastric; GAS5; MEG3