Long Non-coding RNAs in Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

In this study, INSM1 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry in greater than 94% of pulmonary NENs, indicating that it is a highly sensitive marker of pulmonary NENs and is useful to detect poorly differentiated pulmonary NECs. Although there are well-established morphological and immunohistologic criteria to diagnose pulmonary NENs, there is no universal consensus regarding prognostic markers of pulmonary NENs. Studies have shown that non –small cell lung cancers express long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which regulate gene expression, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and carcinogenesis. We characterized expression and function of lncRNAs, including HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR), maternally expressed 3 (MEG3), and prostate cancer antigen 3 (PCA3) in pulmonary NENs, including typical carcinoid tumors, atypical carcinoid tumors, small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC/NEC), and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC/NEC). In situ hybridization and real-time polymerase chain reaction studies showed higher expression (p <  0.01) of all lncRNAs in SCLC/NEC. Small interfering RNA studies indicated a role forMEG3 andPCA3 in tumor proliferation. Therefore, these lncRNAs may serve as prognostic indicators of pulmonary NEN aggressiveness and as possible therapeutic targets.
Source: Endocrine Pathology - Category: Pathology Source Type: research