Hsa_circ_001659 serves as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for colorectal cancer

Abstract

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is prevalent worldwide and novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers are needed to improve precision medicine. Circulating circular RNAs (circRNAs) are currently being considered as emerging tumor biomarkers. Methods: Candidate circRNA was selected by integrating analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database using GEO2R program. The expression data of serum circ_001659 were obtained from the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Receiver operating characteristic curves were applied to evaluate the clinical applications of circ_001659. Finally, biological functions and potential mechanisms of circ_001659 in tumor progression were investigated in CRC progression. Results: The results showed that the diagnostic performance of serum circ_001659 were excellent for CRC detection. The predictive values and likelihood ratios were satisfactory for the diagnosis of CRC, including patients in early-stage disease or patients with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-negative status. Serum levels of circ_001659 declined significantly 3 months after surgery in both preoperative CEA-positive and CEA-negative patients. Functionally, circ_001659 influenced tumor cell metastasis via regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cytoskeleton organization. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that circ_001659 could be a useful serum biomarker for CRC diagnosis and prognosis. Targeting circ_001659 and its pathway may be meaningful for treating patients with CRC.