title: Expression of long non-coding RNA ZEB1-AS1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its correlation with tumor progression and patient survival.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  LncRNA ZEB1-AS1 has been identified as a tumor oncogene in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the clinical significance in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is still unknown. The aim of this study was to explore ZEB1-AS1 expression levels and evaluated its clinical significance in ESCC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  LNCRNA ZEB1-AS1 expression was determined by quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR) in 87 pairs of ESCC specimens and adjacent non-tumor tissues. Then, the association of ZEB1-AS1 expression with clinicopathological factors or survival of ESCC patients were determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LNCRNA ZEB1-AS1 was found up-regulated in ESCC tissues compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues. Increased lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 expression was significantly associated with tumor grade, depth of invasion, and lymph node metastasis. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that ESCC patients with high ZEB1-AS1 expression had a poorer overall survival and disease-free survival. Furthermore, multivariate analysis suggested that ZEB1-AS1 expression was identified as an independent prognostic factor in patients with ESCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicated that lncRNA ZEB1-AS1 was associated with tumor progression and could be an independent prognostic factor for ESCC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University Weihui 453100, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Lian
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Xinxiang Medical University Xinxiang 453000, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University Weihui 453100, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Jian
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University Weihui 453100, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University Weihui 453100, China.
authors.forename: Zhong-Min
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000235:genetics*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; C000610978:long non-coding RNA ZEB1-AS1, human
keywords: Esophageal cancer; disease-free survival; lncRNA ZEB1-AS1; overall survival