Development and validation of a nomogram for specific survival in osteosarcoma patients less than 60 years old: a population-based study.

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to develop a nomogram to predict the overall survival of patients with osteosarcoma, especially those less than 60 years old. METHODS: 903 osteosarcoma patients less than 60 years old were collected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.Univariate and multivariate analyses identified the independent prognostic factors of osteosarcoma. Nomogram was used to predict 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) of osteosarcoma.The accuracy of the model was determined using the concordance index (C­index), calibration curves, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC),as well as decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULTS: Osteosarcoma patients less than 60 years old were randomly assigned into a training cohort (n=635) or validation cohort (n=268). Age, tumor site, tumor grade, tumor size, and tumor stage were identified as independent prognostic factors via univariate and multivariate Cox analyses (all p<0.05) and then included in the prognostic nomogram. The concordance indices(C-index) for OS prediction in the training cohort was 0.788 (95% CI 0.751-0.852) and in the external validation cohort was 0.779 (95% CI 0.712-0.846). Calibration plots and the area under the ROC revealed excellent consistency between actual survival and nomogram prediction. Finally, DCA demonstrated that the prognostic nomogram was clinically meaningful. CONCLUSION: A nomogram could accurately predict the OS of osteosarcoma patients less than 60 years old and contribute to making better clinical treatment decisions for the treating doctors.

Identification of lncRNA and mRNA Biomarkers in Osteoarthritic Degenerative Meniscus by Weighted Gene Coexpression Network and Competing Endogenous RNA Network Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in varieties of biological processes. This study is aimed at investigating meniscal degeneration-specific lncRNAs and mRNAs and their related networks in knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: The dataset GSE98918, which included 24 meniscus samples and related clinical data, was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs in the meniscus between KOA and control groups were identified. Based on the enriched differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs, we constructed the coexpression network using WGCNA (weighted correlation network analysis) and identified the critical module related to KOA. For mRNAs in the key module, gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were carried out using the DAVID database. A competing endogenous RNA network (ceRNA) based on the screened mRNAs, lncRNAs, and related miRNAs was constructed to reveal presumptive biomarkers further. Finally, the hub lncRNAs and mRNAs were screened, and the diagnostic value was evaluated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Hub mRNAs were validated using the dataset GSE113825. RESULTS: We screened 208 significantly differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs in menisci between the KOA and non-KOA samples, which were enriched in sixteen modules using WGCNA, especially the green module. Coexpression network based on the enriched differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs in the green module uncovered 5 lncRNAs and 56 mRNAs. The lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network revealed that lnc-HLA-DQA1-5, lnc-RP11-127H5.1.1-1, lnc-RTN2-1, IGFBP4 (insulin-like growth factor binding protein 4), and KLF2 (Kruppel-like factor 2) were significantly correlated with the meniscus degeneration of KOA. ROC curve analysis revealed that these hub lncRNAs and mRNAs showed excellent diagnostic value for KOA. CONCLUSIONS: These hub lncRNAs and mRNAs were potential prognostic biomarkers for the meniscus degeneration of KOA. Further studies are required to validate these new biomarkers and better understand the pathological process of the meniscus degeneration of KOA.