lncRNA MALAT-1 Predicts Prognosis of Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Objective To evaluate the association of MALAT-1 and the prognosis of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Materials and Methods A total of 87 SLE patients and 50 healthy controls were recruited. The expression levels of MALAT-1 were measured by quantitative PCR at baseline. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to assess the association of MALAT-1 levels with survival after adjusting for potential confounding factors. Results The MALAT-1 levels in patients with SLE were significantly higher compared with healthy controls (p <0.01). The 10-year survival of patients with a higher MALAT-1 level was significantly lower than that of patients with a lower MALAT-1 level (HR = 5.54; 95% CI: 1.49-20.55; p = 0.01). Multivariate Cox regression indicated that the MALAT-1 level was significantly associated with a risk of mortality (HR= 10.02, 95% CI: 1.14-88.14, p = 0.04). Conclusion The expression levels of MALAT-1 may be a promising biomarker for evaluating the prognosis of SLE patients.