Involvement of blood lncRNA UCA1 in sepsis development and prognosis, and its correlation with multiple inflammatory cytokines

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is a highly life‐threatening disease. Long non‐coding RNA urothelial carcinoma associated 1 (lncRNA UCA1) participates in the processes of inflammation and organ injury in several diseases, whereas its role in sepsis patients is still unclear. The aim was to explore the clinical value of lncRNA UCA1 in sepsis patients. METHODS: One hundred seventy‐four sepsis patients and 100 age and gender‐matched controls were enrolled. LncRNA UCA1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cell samples was examined, and the level of inflammatory cytokines in serum samples was assessed. RESULTS: LncRNA UCA1 was highly expressed in sepsis patients compared with controls. LncRNA UCA1 was positively correlated with tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐17, intercellular adhesion molecule 1, and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 in sepsis patients, while it was not correlated with these inflammatory cytokines in controls. lncRNA UCA1 upregulation was related to raised APACHE II score and SOFA score in sepsis patients. Moreover, lncRNA UCA1 was increased in sepsis deaths compared with sepsis survivors and was independently correlated with increased 28‐day sepsis mortality risk. Further receiver operating characteristic curves presented that lncRNA UCA1 had a good value to predict 28‐motality risk, while its combination with other independent factors (including age, history of chronic kidney disease, G+ bacterial infection, Fungus infection, C‐reactive protein, and APACHE II score) exerted a great predictive value for 28‐day mortality risk. CONCLUSION: LncRNA UCA1 is upregulated and correlates with multiple pro‐inflammatory cytokines, terrible disease severity, and poor prognosis in sepsis patients.