Long non-coding RNA SNHG1 as a diagnostic and prognostic marker of bladder cancer

Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most prevalent cancers globally, and it ranks as the fifth most common malignancy among men in Ukraine. Modern diagnostic tools for bladder cancer have significant limitations: some of them are overly invasive and others lack sufficient sensitivity and specificity. Currently, molecular markers are becoming a promising tool for identification of oncogenic processes. Among epigenetic mechanisms involved in malignant cell transformation, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)s are of particular interest, as they can act as either oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Available studies suggest that the lncRNA SNHG1, which is currently understudied, promotes tumor proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in malignant cells. The aim of the current study was to analyze changes in the relative expression of SNHG1 in tumor tissues and its levels in cell-free urine of bladder cancer patients, and to evaluate its diagnostic and prognostic value. There was a statistically significant increase in the SNHG1 gene expression level in tumor tissues compared to conditionally normal tissues. Also, a significant decrease in relative levels of SNHG1 transcripts was observed in urine of BC patients compared to healthy individuals. According to the analysis of ROC curves analysis, the chosen marker can identify bladder cancer with high sensitivity and specificity. A positive correlation was also discovered between SNHG1 expression level in tumor tissue and cancer stage. The obtained data support the relevance of further study on lncRNA SNHG1 as a promising diagnostic and prognostic marker of bladder cancer.