Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To do the differential expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in pterygium was screened by gene chip technology, and the differentially expressed lncRNAs HOTTIP and RP1-261G23.7 were studied to explore their possible mechanisms in the pathogenesis of pterygium. METHODS: Collected 40 specimens from June 2016 to May 2017 that underwent surgery in the Ophthalmology Department of Yanjishan Hospital of Wannan Medical College, including 20 pterygium tissue specimens (6 males and 14 females, aged 47-84 years, mean age 68.1 years), 20 cases of normal nasal bulbar conjunctival tissue in patients with strabismus (9 males and 11 females, aged 41-88 years, mean age 61.6 years). Four samples from each group were randomly selected to detect lncRNA expression by high-throughput gene chip detection technology; lncRNA HOTTIP, RP1-261G23.7 and corresponding target genes HOXA13, VEGFA were screened by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to verify whether there is a significant difference between the two groups, and to analyze the correlation between the expression of the target genes HOXA13 and VEGFA. RESULTS: (1) SPSS17.0 software was used for data processing in the experimental group and the control group. Gender and age were analyzed by the chi-square test. The statistical results were all P > 0.05, and there was no significant difference in statistics, (2) A total of 8271 differential lncRNAs were detected by high-throughput gene chip detection and compared with normal nasal bulbar conjunctival tissue in patients with strabismus. Among them, lncRNAs with a P-value < 0.05 and log fold change > 2 and Benjamini-Hochberg FDR correction (FDR < 0.05) had 612 upregulated genes and 743 downregulated genes. (3) The two highly differential lncRNAs were selected and verified by qRT-PCR. The results showed that lncRNAs HOTTIP and RP1-261 G23.7 and the corresponding target genes HOXA13 and VEGFA were highly consistent and highly expressed in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: (1) LncRNAs are differentially expressed in pterygium; (2) Key lncRNA HOTTIP, RP1-261G23.7 may be new gene targets for pterygium.