Baharak Balalaei - Department of Molecular Genetics,Faculty of Biological Sciences,Tarbiat Modares University,Tehran, Iran
Mahshid Malakootian - Cardiogenetic research lab, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center,Iran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran, Iran
Reza Sahebi - Department of Molecular Genetics,Faculty of Biological Sciences,Tarbiat Modares University,Tehran, Iran
Abdolvahab Moradi - Golestan Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Golestan University of Medical Sciences,Gorgan, Iran
Mohammad vasei - Tehran University of Medical Sciences,Tehran, Iran
Seyed Javad Mowla - Department of Molecular Genetics,Faculty of Biological Sciences,Tarbiat Modares University,Tehran, Iran

Long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs) are a major class of RNA molecules with emerging roles in stem cell pluripotency, cellular reprogramming, cellular transformation, and tumorigenesis. Anti-differentiation non-coding RNA, ANCR, is suppressed upon terminal differentiation of multiple cell types. The broad expression pattern of ANCR, in combination with its reduced expression levels in a number of terminally differentiated cell types raised the possibility of a potential functional role for ANCR in the tumorigenesis.At the present study, To identify a potential expression alteration of ANCR during tumorigenesis, we initially have examined the expression pattern of lncRNA-ANCR in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The quantitative real-time RT-PCR results revealed a significant upregulation of ANCR(P value= 0.0161) in tumor samples of ESCC and in high-grade tumor samples, in comparison to the low-grade ones (P value= 0.0371). Moreover, the presense of amplified fragment of ANCR was detected in serum samples and we found a significant up-regulation of ANCR in serum samples with ESCC compared to normal samples(P value= 0.0392). Furthermore, Based on the results of sequencing،We found two variants of ANCR in ESCC samples and KYSE-30 cells. In conclusion, our data suggest a possible role of ANCR in tumorigenesis of esophageal tissues and demonstrate the expression different variants of ANCR in ESCC samples.

esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, non-coding RNA, lncRNA-ANCR, variants