A Systematic Analysis of Dysregulated Long Non-Coding RNAs/microRNAs/mRNAs in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background: Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) accounts up for approximately 30% of all lung cancers with a high mortality. The study was aimed at fnding genes critical in the diagnosis and prognosis of LUSC. Materials and Methods: The differentially expressed (DE) genes (DEGs) and DE lncRNAs (DELs) from 501 LUSC and 49 normal lung tissues, and DE miRNAs (DEMs) from 478 LUSC and 45 normal lung tissues were respectively obtained via the TCGA database. Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, and co-expression network analyses were performed. Survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve of hub mRNAs were also analyzed. Competitive endogenous RNA networks of lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs were constructed. Results: A total of 5747 DEGs, 378 DEMs and 3141 DELs in LUSC were identifed in LUSC. The DEGs including AUARK, CDK1, KIF11 and EXO1 were proven to be signifcant metastatic indicators in LUSC, and 2 DEGs were signifcantly associated with the survival in LUSC patients. Some genes might have connections with many other gene nodes through a coexpression network. Four lncRNAs, 2 mRNAs and 2 miRNAs were identifed as the candidates for the competitive miRNAmRNA-lncRNA network and might serve as prognostic markers in LUSC. Conclusions: We identifed the differentially expressed lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs in LUSC, providing further insights into the molecular mechanism of LUSC tumorigenesis and the potential prognostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets for LUSC.