Investigating the Association between LncRNA NR2F2-AS1, miR-320b, and BMI1 in Gastric Cancer: Insights into Expression Profiles as Potential Biomarkers for Disease Management.

AIM: This study aims to investigate the potential role of lncRNA NR2F2-AS1 in the development of gastric cancer by affecting the levels of miR-320b and BMI1. BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is a high-mortality malignancy, and understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms is crucial. Non-coding RNAs play an important role in gene expression, and their dysregulation can lead to tumor initiation and progression. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine the pathological role of LncRNA NR2F2-AS1 in gastric cancer progression and its association with the clinicopathological characteristics of patients. METHODS: Bioinformatics databases were used to predict the expression levels and interactions between the studied factors to achieve this objective. The expression pattern of NR2F2-AS1/miR- 320b/BMI1 in 40 pairs of tumor and adjacent normal tissues was examined using RT-PCR, IHC, and western blot. The correlation, ROC curve, and survival analyses were also conducted for the aforementioned factors. RESULTS: The results showed an increase of more than 2-fold for BMI-1 and lncRNA NR2F2-AS1 in lower stages, and the elevation continued with the increasing stage of the disease. This correlated with significant downregulation of miR-320b and PTEN, indicating their association with gastric cancer progression and decreased patient survival. LncRNA NR2F2-AS1 acts as an oncogene by influencing the level of miR-320b, altering the amount of BMI1. A reduction in the amount of miR-320b against lncRNA NR2F2-AS1 and BMI1 directly correlates with a reduced overall survival rate of patients, especially if this disproportion is more than 3.0. ROC curve analysis indicated that alteration in the lncRNA NR2F2-AS1 level showed more than 98.0% sensitivity and specificity to differentiate the lower from higher stages of GC and predict the early onset of metastasis. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, these results suggest that NR2F2-AS1/miR-320b/BMI1 has the potential to be a prognostic as well as diagnostic biomarker for gastric cancer.

The Effect of HBB: c.-121C>T Variant [-71 (C>T)] on the ß-Globin Promoter: Case Series Study.

One of the effective strategies in controlling thalassemia is recognition of carriers, followed by prenatal diagnosis (PND) to prevent the occurrence of new cases. There are some rare mutations and variants, for which there are not enough evidences of their effects, and can lead to misdiagnosis and even cause confusion in decision about termination of pregnancy. That is why it is very critical to know the effect of each mutation on the ß chain gene. The variant of HBB: c.-121C>T [-71 (C>T)] located in the CAAT box of the promoter region, is a rare mutation. We report seven patients in Hormozagn Province, Iran, who were referred to the PND Center of Hormozgan University of Medical Science (HUMS), Bandar Abbas, Iran during 10 years (2010-2020). Briefly, this mutation causes minor changes in blood indices [mean corpuscular volume (MCV): 75.0 ± 4.0 fL; mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH): 25.8 ± 2.5 pg; Hb A2: 3.4 ± 0.5%] showed anemia with a trait milder than minor ß-thalassemia (ß-thal). Though the existence of α mutations (deletions/point mutations) along with HBB: c.-121C>T can change blood indices due to the changes in α/ß ratio. The phenotype of ß-thal intermedia (ß-TI) was observed in one case, who was a compound heterozygosity for codon 15 (G>A)/-71(C>T) (HBB: c.48G>A/HBB: c.-121C>T. The analysis of transcription level by real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) confirmed that this allele induces a mild ß+ phenotype due to a decrease in the transcription level.

The outstanding role of miR-132-3p in carcinogenesis of solid tumors.

MicroRNAs are a group of short non-coding RNAs (miRNAs), which are epigenetically involved in gene expression and other cellular biological processes and can be considered as potential biomarkers for cancer detection and support for treatment management. This review aims to amass the evidence to reach the molecular mechanism and clinical significance of miR-132 in different types of cancer. Dysregulation of miR-132 level in various types of malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, osteosarcoma, pancreatic cancer, and ovarian cancer have reported, significantly decrease in its level, which can be indicated to its function as a tumor suppressor. miR-132 is involved in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through cell cycle pathways, such as PI3K, TGFß or hippo signaling pathways, or on oncogenes such as Ras, AKT, mTOR, glycolysis. miR-132 could be potentially a candidate as a valuable biomarker for prognosis in various cancers. Through this study, we proposed that miR-132 can potentially be a candidate as a prognostic marker for early detection of tumor development, progression, as well as metastasis.