title: Plasma LncRNA-ATB, a Potential Biomarker for Diagnosis of Patients with Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis: A Case-Control Study.
abstract: LncRNA-ATB (lncRNA was activated by transforming growth factor-β) has been reported to be involved in specific physiological and pathological processes in human diseases, and could serve as biomarkers for cancers. However, the role of lncRNA-ATB in coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) is still unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association between lncRNA-ATB and CWP. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect plasma lncRNA-ATB expression in 137 CWP patients, 72 healthy coal miners and 168 healthy controls. LncRNA-ATB was significantly upregulated in CWP (p < 0.05). Compared with the healthy controls and healthy coal miners, the odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence interval (CI)) for CWP were 2.57 (1.52-4.33) and 2.17 (1.04-4.53), respectively. LncRNA-ATB was positively associated with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) (r = 0.30, p = 0.003) and negative correlated with vital capacity (VC) (r = -0.18, p = 0.033) and forced vital capacity (FVC) (r = -0.18, p = 0.046) in CWP patients. Compared with healthy controls, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.84, resulting in a 71.17% sensitivity and 88.14% specificity. When compared with healthy coal miners, the AUC was 0.83, the sensitivity and specificity were 70.07% and 86.36%, respectively. LncRNA-ATB expression is commonly increased in CWP and significantly correlates with the TGF-β1 in CWP patients. Furthermore, elevated lncRNA-ATB was associated with CWP risk and may serve as a potential biomarker for CWP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational & Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. xjmajixuan@163.com.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. xjmajixuan@163.com.
authors.forename: Jixuan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational & Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. cuixiuqing2008@163.com.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. cuixiuqing2008@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiuqing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Long Hua Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen 518109, China. rongyi1007@126.com.
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rong
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational & Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. sarayunzhou@gmail.com.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. sarayunzhou@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational & Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. hustghkan@126.com.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. hustghkan@126.com.
authors.forename: Yanjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational & Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. mzhou90@126.com.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. mzhou90@126.com.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational & Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. Yeyushunong@163.com.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. Yeyushunong@163.com.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational & Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. wchen@mails.tjmu.edu.cn.|Key Laboratory of Environment and Health, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Environmental Protection, and State Key Laboratory of Environmental Health (Incubating), School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China. wchen@mails.tjmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Weihong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D055008:Anthracosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000097:blood; D024061:Collagen Type III / Q000097:blood; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 / Q000097:blood; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000097:blood*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D024042:Collagen Type I; D024061:Collagen Type III; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D020778:Matrix Metalloproteinase 2; D020780:Matrix Metalloproteinase 9
keywords: biomarker; coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP); epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT); lncRNA-ATB; long noncoding RNA