CircRNA CDR1as: a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for gastric cancer

BackgroundCircular RNA (circRNA) CDR1as is emerging as a vital tumour regulator. This study aimed to investigate its diagnostic and prognostic value and molecular mechanisms for gastric cancer (GC).MethodsCDR1as expression in GC and adjacent normal tissues (n = 82), paired plasma (n = 65) and plasma exosome samples (n = 68) from GC patients and healthy controls were determined by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Correlations between CDR1as level and clinicopathological factors of GC patients were analysed. Its diagnostic and prognostic value was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and Cox regression analysis combined with Kaplan-Meier plots. CDR1as-regulated proteins and signalling pathways were identified by quantitative proteomics and bioinformatic analysis.ResultsCDR1as was downregulated in GC tissues and associated with tumour size and neural invasion. Plasma- and exosome-derived CDR1as was upregulated in GC patients while plasma-derived CDR1as level was related to lymphatic metastasis. Area under ROC curve (AUC) of tissue-, plasma- and exosome-derived CDR1as was 0.782, 0.641, 0.536 while combination of plasma CDR1as, serum CEA and CA19-9 increased AUC to 0.786. Distal metastasis, TNM stage and tissue-derived CDR1as level were independent predictors for overall survival (OS) of patients. MiRNA signalling networks and glycine, serine and threonine metabolism were regulated by CDR1as and HSPE1 might be a key protein.ConclusionsCDR1as is a crucial regulator and promising biomarker for GC diagnosis and prognosis. Clinical significanceCDR1as level in tumour tissues and plasma of GC patients was associated with tumour progression. The findings indicate that CDR1as is involved in GC progression and is a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker.