YRNA Expression Profiles are Altered in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Noncoding RNAs play an important role in human carcinogenesis. YRNAs, a novel class of noncoding RNAs, have been identified as biomarkers in breast cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that YRNA expression is dysregulated in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: We first measured the expression of all known YRNAs (hY1, hY3, hY4, and hY5) in a screening cohort (30 ccRCC and 15 normal renal tissues). Subsequently, hY3 and hY4 were validated in an independent cohort (88 ccRCC and 59 normal renal tissues). Finally, hY3 and hY4 levels in serum samples from 30 ccRCC and 15 control individuals were measured. YRNAs were detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Relative expression values were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney-U test and Kaplan Meier estimates.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: Expression of hY3 and hY4 was increased in ccRCC samples compared with normal renal tissue, whereas hY1 and hY5 levels were similar. Expression levels of hY4 correlated with ccRCC stage and the presence of lymph node metastases. Neither hY3 nor hY4 were circulating at different levels in ccRCC patients and control individuals.

CONCLUSIONS: The expression of hY3 and hY4 is altered in ccRCC and associated with advanced disease.

PATIENT SUMMARY: In this report we studied the expression of noncoding YRNA in clear cell renal cell carcinoma tissue. We observed increased hY3 and hY4 expression levels in cancer tissues. However, expression levels were not different in the serum of patients with cancer or benign disease.