Expression and clinical significance of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 and IGF2BP1 in liver cancer

ObjectiveTo investigate the expression and clinical significance of long non-coding RNA Fez family zinc finger protein 1 antisense RNA1 (lncRNA FEZF1-AS1) and insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) in liver cancer tissues.

MethodsThe liver cancer tissue and para-cancerous tissue specimens were collected from 60 patients with primary liver cancer.The expression of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 and IGF2BP1 at mRNA levels in liver cancer tissues and adjacent tissues was detected with real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) method, the expression of IGF2BP1 at protein level was detected with immunohistochemical staining method, the relationship between the expression levels of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 and IGF2BP1 in liver cancer tissues and the clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed, the relationship between the expressions of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 and IGF2BP1 in liver cancer tissues and the survival rate of liver cancer patients were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and the correlation between lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 and IGF2BP1 mRNA expression levels in liver cancer tissues was analyzed with Pearson method.

ResultsThe expression of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1, IGF2BP1 at mRNA level and the positive expression rate of IGF2BP1 protein in liver cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent tissues (P < 0.01), and the expression of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 and IGF2BP1 at mRNA level in liver cancer tissues were positively correlated (r=0.602, P < 0.01).There was no significant differences in the expressions of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 and IGF2BP1 among different ages, genders, tumor sizes, cirrhosis or not, and hepatitis B antigen negative and positive levels (P>0.05).The expression levels of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 and IGF2BP1 were higher in patients with clinical stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ, low and moderate differentiation and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05).Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the 3-year cumulative survival rate of patients in lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 high expression group was significantly lower than that in lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 low expression group (31.45% vs 61.40%, P < 0.01), the 3-year cumulative survival rate of patients in IGF2BP1 positive expression group was significantly lower than that in IGF2BP1 negative expression group (31.18% vs 58.25%, P < 0.01).

ConclusionsLncRNA FEZF1-AS1 and IGF2BP1 are highly expressed in liver cancer tissues, and their expressions are related to the pathological characteristics and prognosis of liver cancer patients, which may serve as potential prognostic markers for liver cancer patients.