identified as a precancerous lesion for colorectal cancer. Up-to-date genomic research revealed the value of many
noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in UC pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prognosis.
Aim: The present study was aimed at measuring both MALAT-1 and CCAT-1 in the sera of UC patients as
diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and correlating them with the Mayo score which is a novel predictive
indicator of malignant transformation as well as with clinicopathological characteristics of the disease.
Patients and methods: Sixty-six UC patients and 80 healthy individuals participated in this study, the serum fold
changes of MALAT-1 and CCAT-1 were measured by using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).
Results: The current study findings include overexpressed lncRNAs MALAT-1 and CCAT-1 in the sera of ulcerative
colitis patients [(median (IQR) = 2.290 (0.16–9.36), mean ± SD = 3.37 ± 3.904 for MALAT-1, and median
(IQR) = 7.305 (0.57–16.96), mean ± SD = 6.81 ± 4.002 for CCAT-1 than controls, ROC curve analysis reported
that these genes could predict UC. Both genes were positively correlated with each other which enforces their
synergistic effects. Both genes are diagnostic for UC patients.
We related studied genes to the severity of the disease. In addition to a significant positive correlation between
each gene with ESR and Mayo score, we further classified the patients according to severity (according to Mayo
score to remission, mild, moderate, and severe groups) with the following results; lower levels of MALAT-1 and
CCAT-1 were significantly associated with mild disease and increased gradually with more severe forms of the
disease (p < 0.05). Linear regression analysis with Mayo Score as a dependent variable revealed that only the
predictive power of CCAT-1 and ESR are significant. Moreover, ROC curve analysis when compared to that of the
Mayo score revealed that CCAT-1 reached 99 % accuracy. In summary, both genes are prognostic factors for UC
patients.
Conclusion: MALAT-1 and CCAT-1 are diagnostic and prognostic serum biomarkers of ulcerative colitis.