Background and Aim: Breast cancer (BC), the most common cancer among females worldwide, is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Moreover, it is the most common neoplasm among Iranian women, with an average age of ۴۶ to ۴۹ years. Luminal subtype of BC, including luminal A and B, accounts for nearly two-thirds of this cancer. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of RNAs with more than ۲۰۰ nucleotides. They play significant roles in the regulation of diverse molecular and cellular processes. They are also associated with the development of various cancers, including BC. This study aims to determine the possible role of lncRNA
LINC۰۰۹۶۱ in BC.Methods:
LINC۰۰۹۶۱ expression was evaluated in ۷۹ luminal A and B BC tissues and adjacent non-tumoral tissues, as well as BC cell lines (MCF۷ and T۴۷D) and a non-tumorigenic cell line (MCF۱۰A), by qRT-PCR. Then, the correlation of
LINC۰۰۹۶۱ expression with clinicopathological features was evaluated by χ۲ test and independent t-test. Moreover, various databases, such as, GEPIA web server, GENEVESTIGATOR, DAVID and REVIGO, were used to investigate the possible role of
LINC۰۰۹۶۱ in BC.Results:
LINC۰۰۹۶۱ was significantly downregulated in luminal BC tissues and luminal A cell lines, compared to adjacent non-tumoral tissues and a normal cell line, respectively (p-value<۰.۰۰۱). Also, low expression of
LINC۰۰۹۶۱ was significantly associated with smoking status and age of menarche. According to co-expression analysis,
LINC۰۰۹۶۱ was significantly co-expressed with ۴۱۷ genes across various BC datasets (R>۰.۵). Gene ontology terms enrichment analysis of the co-expressed genes suggested that
LINC۰۰۹۶۱ might be involved in several biological processes, including, G-protein coupled receptor signaling pathway, neurological system process and regulation of JAK-STAT cascade. It also might be involved in various molecular functions, like, transmembrane signaling receptor activity, and structural molecule activity. According to cellular component terms, it is possibly located in the neuron part, and extracellular matrix.Conclusion: We found that the expression of
LINC۰۰۹۶۱ was significantly decreased in luminal BC. Also, exploration of the association of
LINC۰۰۹۶۱ with its co-expressed genes and the analysis of their potential roles in BC datasets may help to better understand the function of
LINC۰۰۹۶۱ in this cancer.