Plasma lncRNA GAS8-AS1 as a Potential Biomarker of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in Chinese Patients

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) were recently shown to have potential in the diagnosis and prognosis for numerous cancers. lncRNA GAS8-AS1 is decreased in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) tissue, but its plasma expression and clinical value in patients with PTC remain unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We investigated the expression profile of plasma GAS8-AS1 in 97 patients with PTC and 39 patients with nodular goiter by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: GAS8-AS1 expression in plasma was downregulated in patients with PTC in comparison with those in nodular goiters (P < 0.001). A low level of plasma GAS8-AS1 expression was correlated with lymph node metastasis (LNM) (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that a reduced GAS8-AS1 level in plasma was associated with LNM (P < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for GAS8-AS1 was 0.746 in LNM prediction (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The present study indicates that circulating GAS8-AS1 is a potential biomarker for PTC diagnosis and LNM prediction.