Identification of LncRNA ZNF252P-AS1 as a Novel Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker for Breast Cancer Patients: An Integrated Bioinformatics and Experimental Analysis.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as useful diagnostic and prognostic markers as well as therapeutic targets in cancer. Dysregulated levels of lncRNAs have been described in various cancers including breast cancer (BC). Our study aims to screen novel lncRNAs involved in BC and investigate any possible role in helping diagnosis and determining prognosis of BC patients. Methods: Bioinformatic tools were used to explore lncRNA expression profiles using publicly available datasets of BC and to predict any potential involvement in a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network. A total of 100 serum samples of BC patients and healthy controls were collected to measure and experimentally validate expression level of the chosen novel lncRNA using RTqPCR. Results: The bioinformatic study identified a novel BC-related lncRNA called ZNF252P antisense RNA 1 (ZNF252P-AS1), which was one of the upregulated lncRNAs in our study, and its function in BC has not been investigated yet. LncRNA ZNF252P-AS1 was found to be overexpressed in BC patients relative to controls (p < 0.01). Analysis of Kaplan-Meier curve showed that high ZNF252P-AS1 expression was correlated with shorter rates of overall survival, disease/relapse-free survival, and distant metastasis-free survival in BC patients with different subtypes. Furthermore, receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated the potential ability of serum ZNF252P-AS1 to discriminate BC patients from healthy controls (AUC: 0.852, p = 0.000). We also found that lncRNA ZNF252P-AS1 had a significant positive correlation with TNM stage, tumor size, and distant metastasis of BC. To explore its regulatory role, a ceRNA network centered on ZNF252P-AS1 was constructed, identifying 14 interacting miRNAs and their 5983 mRNA targets. Conclusions: Our study is the first to address the abnormal level of lncRNA ZNF252P-AS1 in BC. Our findings highlight its potential as a non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, and suggest a possible mechanistic role in BC pathogenesis through a lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA regulatory network.

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