An eight-mRNA signature outperforms the lncRNA-based signature in predicting prognosis of patients with glioblastoma

Background The prognosis of the glioblastoma (GBM) is dismal. This study aims to select an optimal RNA signature for prognostic prediction of GBM patients. Methods For the training set, the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and mRNA expression profiles of 151 patients were downloaded from the TCGA. Differentially expressed mRNAs (DEGs) and lncRNAs (DE-lncRNAs) were identified between good prognosis and bad prognosis patients. Optimal prognostic mRNAs and lncRNAs were selected respectively, by using univariate Cox proportional-hazards (PH) regression model and LASSO Cox-PH model. Subsequently, four prognostic scoring models were built based on expression levels or expression status of the selected prognostic lncRNAs or mRNAs, separately. Each prognostic model was applied to the training set and an independent validation set. Function analysis was used to uncover the biological roles of these prognostic DEGs between different risk groups classified by the mRNA-based signature. Results We obtained 261 DEGs and 33 DE-lncRNAs between good prognosis and bad prognosis patients. A panel of eight mRNAs and a combination of ten lncRNAs were determined as predictive RNAs by LASSO Cox-PH model. Among the four prognostic scoring models using the eight-mRNA signature or the ten-lncRNA signature, the one based on the expression levels of the eight mRNAs showed the greatest predictive power. The DEGs between different risk groups using the eight prognostic mRNAs were functionally involved in calcium signaling pathway, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway, and Wnt signaling pathway. Conclusion The eight-mRNA signature has greater prognostic value than the ten-lncRNA-based signature for GBM patients based on bioinformatics analysis.