Comprehensive analysis of long non-coding RNA using an associated competitive endogenous RNA network in Wilms tumor

Wilms tumor (WT) is the most common malignant renal neoplasm in children; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not well understood. According to the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) theory, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can regulate the expression of target genes by adsorbing microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs). However, the role of lncRNAs in WT has not been fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to construct a ceRNA network to identify the potential lncRNAs involved in WT. The expression profiles of lncRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs in 120 WT and six normal tissues were obtained from the Therapeutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treatments database. A total of 442 lncRNAs, 214 miRNAs and 4,912 mRNAs were identified as differentially expressed in WT and were enriched in 472 Gene Ontology terms (355 biological processes, 89 cellular components and 29 molecular functions) and 18 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. A lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network of WT consisting of with 32 lncRNAs, 14 miRNAs and 158 mRNAs was constructed, based on the bioinformatics analysis of the miR target prediction database and the miRNAcode, miRTarBase and TargetScan databases. Subsequently, three lncRNAs, three miRNAs and 17 mRNAs, which had a significant effect on the overall survival rate of patients with WT, were identified based on the survival analysis. The three lncRNAs were also differentially expressed in the late and early stages of WT and were validated using the GSE66405 dataset obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. In conclusion, the present study generated a specific lncRNA-related ceRNA network of WT, which may provide a novel perspective on the molecular mechanisms underlying the progression and prognosis of the disease.