Dysregulated lncRNAs in mesothelioma and their potential use in diagnosis: A systematic review

Background: Malignant mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive form of cancer caused by uncontrolled growth and proliferation of pleural mesothelial cells. Mesothelioma is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, leading to significant challenges in treatment and prognosis. The absence of a reliable and routine screening test for mesothelioma further contributes to late diagnosis. The quest for new diagnostic tools imposes a need to improve early detection and enhance patient outcomes. Biomarkers are biological indicators of a biological state or disease. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as potential diagnostic markers for mesothelioma. Researchers have identified specific lncRNAs that show differential expression patterns in mesothelioma tissues compared to healthy tissues, making them attractive candidates for diagnostic purposes. Aim: Our aim is to assess the potential of using lncRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers in mesothelioma. Data extraction will be performed to collect information on the different lncRNAs studied, their expression patterns, and diagnostic accuracy measures. We will also analyze the methodologies employed for lncRNA detection and quantification. This review will follow a rigorous and transparent methodology, adhering to established guidelines for systematic reviews. Methods: In this review, we systematically searched multiple databases to identify relevant studies that investigated lncRNAs as diagnostic markers in mesothelioma. Four databases were used in our search, namely, PubMed, JStor, Mdpi and ScienceDirect, for articles published between 2010 and 2022. The search criteria were based on the keywords “mesothelioma”, “lncRNA” or “long noncoding RNA”. The study was independently evaluated by 2 researchers. After screening 1141 articles, only 3 articles were included for fulfilling the criteria. Quality assessment was carried out using Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS)-2 Results: Three studies analyzed and confirmed the expression and diagnostic value of four lncRNAs (GAS5, lncRNA?RP1 86D1.3, SNHG8, POT1-AS1) by RT?qPCR in 96 patients of various ethnic backgrounds and gender groups. Conclusion: The findings of this systematic review will contribute valuable insights to the field, inform future research directions, and potentially guide the development of lncRNA based diagnostic approaches for mesothelioma.