Construction of a novel ceRNA network and identification of lncRNA ADAMTS9-AS2 and PVT1 as hub regulators of miRNA and coding gene expression in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Studies on the interactions of single long non-coding RNA, microRNA, and mRNA have many limitations; therefore, it is necessary to study the complex regulatory network of gastric cancer (GC) pathogenesis systematically. METHODS: In this study, gene and miRNA expression data for GC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and used for transcriptome profiling, differential gene analysis, and construction of an lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network in conjunction with an online database to identify the key genes and subnetworks in GC pathogenesis. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of hub lncRNAs in 54 paired GC and matched normal mucosal tissues. RESULTS: We constructed an lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA competitive endogenous RNA regulatory network containing 1,626 network nodes and 2,704 interactions. LncRNA ADAMTS9-AS2 and PVT1 were identified as key node genes in this competitive endogenous RNA network. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed ADAMTS9-AS2 downregulation and PVT1 upregulation in 54 pairs of GC and normal tissues adjacent to the cancer tissues. CONCLUSIONS: This study systematically analysed the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network in GC and identified ADAMTS9-AS2 and PVT1 as key regulatory genes in this network, providing new understanding of GC pathogenesis and insights for its early diagnosis and treatment.