title: Expression and prognostic significance of lncRNA MALAT1 in pancreatic cancer tissues.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been recently observed in various human cancers. However, the role of lncRNAs in pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclarified. The aim of this study was to detect the expression of lncRNA MALAT1 in PDAC formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissues and to investigate the clinical significance of the MALAT1 level.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expression of MALAT1 was examined in 45 PDAC and 25 adjacent non-cancerous FFPE tissues, as well as in five PDAC cell lines and a normal pancreatic epithelium cell line HPDE6c-7, using qRT-PCR. The relationship between MALAT1 level and clinicopathological parameters of PDAC was analyzed with the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The relative level of MALAT1 was significantly higher in PDAC compared to the adjacent normal pancreatic tissues (p=0.009). When comparing the MALAT1 level in the cultured cell lines, remarkably higher expression of MALAT1 was found in aspc-1 PDAC cells compared with the immortal pancreatic duct epithelial cell line HPDE6c-7 (q=7.573, p<0.05). Furthermore, MALAT1 expression level showed significant correlation with tumor size (r=0.35, p=0.018), tumor stage (r=0.439, p=0.003) and depth of invasion (r=0.334, p=0.025). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients with higher MALAT1 expression had a poorer disease free survival (p=0.043). Additionally, multivariate analysis indicated that overexpression of MALAT1, as well as the tumor location and nerve invasion, was an independent predictor of disease-specific survival of PDAC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MALAT1 might be considered as a potential prognostic indicator and may be a target for diagnosis and gene therapy for PDAC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, China E-mail : 13878802796@163.com.
authors.forename: Jiang-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yi-Wu
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.forename: Chun-Jun
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Dian-Zhong
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000235:genetics*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D016707:Tissue Fixation
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C557041:MALAT1 long non-coding RNA, human; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding