Integrated analysis reveals five potential ceRNA biomarkers in human lung adenocarcinoma.

backgroundCompeting endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) are a newly identified type of regulatory RNA. Accumulating evidence suggests that ceRNAs play an important role in the pathogenesis of diseases such as cancer. Thus, ceRNA dysregulation may represent an important molecular mechanism underlying cancer progression and poor prognosis. In this study, we aimed to identify ceRNAs that may serve as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

methodsWe performed differential gene expression analysis on TCGA-LUAD datasets to identify differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs at different tumor stages. Based on the ceRNA hypothesis and considering the synergistic or feedback regulation of ceRNAs, a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed. Functional analysis was performed using gene ontology term and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis and KOBAS 2.0 software. Transcription factor (TF) analysis was carried out to identify direct targets of the TFs associated with LUAD prognosis. Identified DE genes were validated using gene expression omnibus (GEO) datasets.

resultsBased on analysis of TCGA-LUAD datasets, we obtained 2,610 DE mRNAs, 915 lncRNAs, and 125 miRNAs that were common to different tumor stages (|log

conclusionOur observations indicate that lncRNA-related ceRNAs and TFs play an important role in LUAD. The present study provides novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying LUAD pathogenesis. Furthermore, our study facilitates the identification of potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis and prognosis of LUAD and therapeutic targets for its treatment.