Clinical significance of long non-coding RNA ZEB2-AS1 in locally advanced colorectal cancer.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of differential expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) ZEB2-AS1 in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: mRNA expression of lncRNA ZEB2-AS1 was evaluated by real-time quantitative PCR on eighty-seven cancerous tissues and adjacent normal mucosal tissues from patients with CRC tissue. Correlation between the lncRNA ZEB2-AS1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics of the colorectal cancer patients was evaluated, and five-year overall survival (OS) was also analyzed according to the lncRNA ZEB2-AS1 expression of the CRC patients. Moreover, Cox Regression Analysis was performed in screening prognosis factors.

Results: A significantly upregulated lncRNA ZEB2-AS1 expression, with a fold change of 18.75, was found in CRC tissue compared to the normal tissue. lncRNA ZEB2-AS1 expression in CRC was correlated with death (<0.001). The five-year OS was 43.2% and 76.7%, respectively, in patients with higher and lower lncRNA ZEB2-AS1 expression. Cox regression analysis showed that location (=0.020), N1 staging (=0.021) and lncRNA ZEB2-AS1 lower expression (<0.001) were independent prognosis factors associated with a better OS.

Conclusion: Expression of lncRNA ZEB2-AS1 was significantly upregulated in stage III CRC patients and affects the prognosis.