LncRNA AC007255.1, an immune-related prognostic enhancer RNA in esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence has suggested that enhancer RNAs (eRNAs), a set of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that were derived from active enhancer regions, play critical roles in regulating gene expression in human cancers. Nevertheless potential functions of eRNAs in esophageal cancer ESCA have not yet been expounded. Here, this study aimed to explore key prognostic eRNAs in ESCA. METHODS: LncRNAs that were transcribed from active enhancer regions were analyzed utilizing the PreSTIGE algorithm, followed by prediction of their target genes. Based on the ESCA RNA-seq data from the TANRIC database, overall survival (OS)-related eRNAs were determined. The correlation between AC007255.1 expression and various clinical traits of ESCA was calculated. Functional enrichment analysis was presented based on its co-expressed genes. Based on the TIMER database, we analyzed correlations between AC007255.1 expression and immune infiltration levels. qRT-PCR was utilized to validate the expression of AC007255.1 and PRR15 in ESCA and normal tissues. RESULTS: Totally, 2,695 lncRNAs were transcribed from active enhancer regions. Among them, 33 were significantly related to OS. AC007255.1 was a key eRNA. PRR15 was a target gene of AC007255.1 (correlation coefficient r = 0.936). Patients with high AC007255.1 expression indicated poor OS time. There were significant correlations between AC007255.1 expression and clinical characteristics like pathological TNM, grade and stage. AC007255.1 was closely related to tight junction and neutrophil activation involved in immune response. Moreover, AC007255.1 expression was related to the infiltration levels of B cell, dendritic cell and neutrophil. qRT-PCR results confirmed that AC007255.1 and PRR15 were both up-regulated in ESCA tissues, and there was a positive correlation between the two. CONCLUSION: Our findings identified a novel immune-related eRNA AC007255.1 in ESCA, which could be a promising prognostic factor for ESCA.