Serum Exosomal lncRNA DLX6-AS1 Is a Promising Biomarker for Prognosis Prediction of Cervical Cancer

OBJECTIVE: Deregulation of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is involved in the initiation and progression of cancer. LncRNA DLX6-AS1 is regarded as an oncogene in many cancer types. However, the clinical role of serum exosomal lncRNA DLX6-AS1 in cervical cancer (CC) is poorly known. This study aimed to analyze the diagnostic and prognostic value of serum exosomal lncRNA DLX6-AS1 in CC. METHODS: A total of 114 patients with CC, 60 patients with CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia), and 110 healthy women were enrolled in this study. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to measure the serum exosomal lncRNA DLX6-AS1 levels in all participants. RESULTS: Serum exosomal lncRNA DLX6-AS1 level was significantly elevated in CC patients compared with CIN patients and normal controls. In addition, high serum exosomal lncRNA DLX6-AS1 expression was positively associated with lymph node metastasis, differentiation, FIGO stage, and shortened survival. Patients with high serum exosomal lncRNA DLX6-AS1 expression were more prone to have a relapse. Furthermore, univariate and multivariate analyses suggested that serum exosomal lncRNA DLX6-AS1 was a potential prognostic indicator for overall survival of CC patients. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrated that serum lncRNA DLX6-AS1 might serve as a promising marker for the diagnosis and prognosis prediction of CC.