Long non-coding RNAs PCAT-1 and FENDRR: diagnostic and prognostic potential in papillary thyroid carcinoma

Abstract Background Thyroid cancer is the most prevalent endocrine cancer worldwide. Certain histological subtypes of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) exhibit aggressive behavior, with poor clinical outcomes. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of various biological p...

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Main Authors: Aya A. El-Hanafy, Omar A. Ammar, Doaa A. El-Hanafy, Sherine Refat, Amr Sameer, Osama Bahy, Maha O. Hammad
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-06-01
Series:World Journal of Surgical Oncology
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12957-025-03863-6
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author Aya A. El-Hanafy
Omar A. Ammar
Doaa A. El-Hanafy
Sherine Refat
Amr Sameer
Osama Bahy
Maha O. Hammad
author_facet Aya A. El-Hanafy
Omar A. Ammar
Doaa A. El-Hanafy
Sherine Refat
Amr Sameer
Osama Bahy
Maha O. Hammad
author_sort Aya A. El-Hanafy
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Thyroid cancer is the most prevalent endocrine cancer worldwide. Certain histological subtypes of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) exhibit aggressive behavior, with poor clinical outcomes. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of various biological processes, making them promising candidates for cancer biomarkers. Purpose This study aimed to investigate the roles of lncRNAs, specifically prostate cancer-associated transcript 1 (PCAT-1) and Fetal-lethal non-coding developmental regulatory RNA (FENDRR), in the pathogenesis of thyroid carcinoma. Additionally, we evaluated their potential as diagnostic and prognostic markers in PTC. Methods Forty fresh thyroid cancer samples and 36 control goiter tissue samples were analyzed for gene expression levels of PCAT-1 and FENDRR via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Associations with clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate diagnostic accuracy, and the Kaplan-Meier technique was used to analyze survival. A Cox proportional-hazards regression model was used to assess the effects of several risk variables on survival. Results Compared with controls, PTC patients predented significantly increased PCAT-1 expression and decreased FENDRR expression, with high diagnostic accuracy according to ROC curve analysis. Patients with lower FENDRR expression had shorter recurrence-free survival, according to Kaplan-Meier analysis. Low FENDRR gene expression, a tumor size greater than 2 cm, invasion into the capsule, and other lobe malignancies remained significant independent prognostic factors for PTC recurrence according to Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Conclusion This study is the first to investigate the expression patterns of PCAT-1 and FENDRR in thyroid cancer. These results indicate that both lncRNAs could be used as diagnostic biomarkers to differentiate PTC from benign thyroid tumors. Furthermore, decreased expression of FENDRR might be used as an independent prognostic factor for predicting PTC recurrence.
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spelling doaj-art-ee0b9c6e5d9f4d3c876d26d0dc32ca6f2025-08-20T03:10:36ZengBMCWorld Journal of Surgical Oncology1477-78192025-06-0123111510.1186/s12957-025-03863-6Long non-coding RNAs PCAT-1 and FENDRR: diagnostic and prognostic potential in papillary thyroid carcinomaAya A. El-Hanafy0Omar A. Ammar1Doaa A. El-Hanafy2Sherine Refat3Amr Sameer4Osama Bahy5Maha O. Hammad6Department of Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura UniversityBasic Science Department, Faculty of Applied Health Science Technology, Delta University for Science and TechnologyDepartment of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura UniversityDepartment of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura UniversityEndocrine Surgery Unit, General Surgery Department, Mansoura UniversityDepartment of Surgical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura UniversityDepartment of Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura UniversityAbstract Background Thyroid cancer is the most prevalent endocrine cancer worldwide. Certain histological subtypes of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) exhibit aggressive behavior, with poor clinical outcomes. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as critical regulators of various biological processes, making them promising candidates for cancer biomarkers. Purpose This study aimed to investigate the roles of lncRNAs, specifically prostate cancer-associated transcript 1 (PCAT-1) and Fetal-lethal non-coding developmental regulatory RNA (FENDRR), in the pathogenesis of thyroid carcinoma. Additionally, we evaluated their potential as diagnostic and prognostic markers in PTC. Methods Forty fresh thyroid cancer samples and 36 control goiter tissue samples were analyzed for gene expression levels of PCAT-1 and FENDRR via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and Associations with clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate diagnostic accuracy, and the Kaplan-Meier technique was used to analyze survival. A Cox proportional-hazards regression model was used to assess the effects of several risk variables on survival. Results Compared with controls, PTC patients predented significantly increased PCAT-1 expression and decreased FENDRR expression, with high diagnostic accuracy according to ROC curve analysis. Patients with lower FENDRR expression had shorter recurrence-free survival, according to Kaplan-Meier analysis. Low FENDRR gene expression, a tumor size greater than 2 cm, invasion into the capsule, and other lobe malignancies remained significant independent prognostic factors for PTC recurrence according to Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Conclusion This study is the first to investigate the expression patterns of PCAT-1 and FENDRR in thyroid cancer. These results indicate that both lncRNAs could be used as diagnostic biomarkers to differentiate PTC from benign thyroid tumors. Furthermore, decreased expression of FENDRR might be used as an independent prognostic factor for predicting PTC recurrence.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12957-025-03863-6Long non-coding RNAPCAT-1FENDRRReal-time PCRPapillary thyroid carcinoma
spellingShingle Aya A. El-Hanafy
Omar A. Ammar
Doaa A. El-Hanafy
Sherine Refat
Amr Sameer
Osama Bahy
Maha O. Hammad
Long non-coding RNAs PCAT-1 and FENDRR: diagnostic and prognostic potential in papillary thyroid carcinoma
World Journal of Surgical Oncology
Long non-coding RNA
PCAT-1
FENDRR
Real-time PCR
Papillary thyroid carcinoma
title Long non-coding RNAs PCAT-1 and FENDRR: diagnostic and prognostic potential in papillary thyroid carcinoma
title_full Long non-coding RNAs PCAT-1 and FENDRR: diagnostic and prognostic potential in papillary thyroid carcinoma
title_fullStr Long non-coding RNAs PCAT-1 and FENDRR: diagnostic and prognostic potential in papillary thyroid carcinoma
title_full_unstemmed Long non-coding RNAs PCAT-1 and FENDRR: diagnostic and prognostic potential in papillary thyroid carcinoma
title_short Long non-coding RNAs PCAT-1 and FENDRR: diagnostic and prognostic potential in papillary thyroid carcinoma
title_sort long non coding rnas pcat 1 and fendrr diagnostic and prognostic potential in papillary thyroid carcinoma
topic Long non-coding RNA
PCAT-1
FENDRR
Real-time PCR
Papillary thyroid carcinoma
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12957-025-03863-6
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