Integrative in silico and clinical validation of urinary lncRNAs (SNHG7 & LINC00675) and β-catenin mRNA as molecular markers for early bladder cancer detection.

BACKGROUND

Bladder cancer (BC) is a prevalent malignancy worldwide with a higher propensity for recurrence and progression despite advancements in clinical treatment. The low sensitivity of urine cytology in detecting low-grade tumors underscores the need for reliable urinary biomarkers for early detection of BC with high sensitivity and specificity.

METHODS

This study assessed the diagnostic potential of urinary long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), specifically small nucleolar RNA host gene 7 (SNHG7) and long intergenic non-coding RNA 00675 (LINC00675), along with β-catenin mRNA (CTNNB1). Bioinformatic analysis identified differential expression of these targets, which were clinically validated using real-time PCR in a case-control study. Our cohort comprised 97 subjects, divided into three groups: healthy controls (n = 25), benign cases (n = 20), and malignant BC cases (n = 52).

RESULTS

The case-control study revealed significant upregulation of SNHG7 and CTNNB1, and significant downregulation of LINC00675 in the BC group compared to the benign and healthy control groups. The sensitivity and specificity of SNHG7, LINC00675, and CTNNB1 were 80.8%, 90.4%, and 73.1%, and 86.7%, 80%, and 75.6%, respectively.Correlation analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between CTNNB1 and SNHG7 in BC (r = 0.77, p < 0.001), while an inverse trend with LINC00675.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that SNHG7 and LINC00675 lncRNAs may regulate β-catenin mRNA expression, highlighting their potential as diagnostic biomarkers for bladder cancer. These results emphasize the necessity of further research to validate the diagnostic utility of these lncRNAs in bladder cancer management.