Expression analysis of long non-coding ATB and its putative target in breast cancer.

Background: A long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) activated by transforming growth factor (TGF)-β (lncRNA-ATB) has been recently shown to promote the invasion-metastasis cascade in various types of cancers via upregulation of some targets including ZEB1.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to elucidate the expression of lncRNA-ATB and ZEB in breast cancer patients.

Methods: The expression of these genes was evaluated by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in tumor samples form 50 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients as well as their corresponding adjacent non-cancerous tissues (ANCTs). Patients were divided into subsequent groups according to the median lncRNA-ATB expression.

Results: LncRNA-ATB has been shown to be downregulated in about two third of tumor samples compared with their ANCTs.A significant association has been found between ZEB1 expression and Ki-67 status. In addition, we demonstrated a correlation between expression of lncRNA-ATB and ZEB1 in tumor samples and not in ANCTs.

Conclusion: Collectively, out data show downregulation of lncRNA-ATB in a significant number of breast tumor tissues compared with ANCTs and imply that lncRNA-ATB might have distinct roles in the pathogenesis of different cancers or even different subtypes of a certain cancer which should be evaluated in future studies.