Circulating long non-coding RNA PCGEM1 as a novel biomarker for gastric cancer diagnosis

Aim: Previous studies have confirmed that overexpression of the long non-coding RNA prostate cancer gene expression marker 1 (PCGEM1) contributes to the invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer (GC) cells. However, the expression of circulating PCGEM1 in the plasma of GC patients and its clinical value remain unclear. Methods: A total of 317 patients with GC and 100 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Circulating PCGEM1 was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The diagnostic value of plasma PCGEM1 was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curves and the area under the curve (AUC) value. Results: The expression level of PCGEM1 in the GC group was significantly higher than that in the healthy control subjects. In addition, the PCGEM1 expression level was associated with tumor differentiation and TNM stage. The AUC value of PCGEM1 was higher than that of other conventional tumor markers (CEA, CA12-5, CA72-4, AFP, and CA19-9), although the combination of all markers showed the highest predictive value. Conclusion: Plasma PCGEM1 may be a potential novel circulating biomarker for GC diagnosis and prognosis.