Diagnostic and prognostic value of circulating lncRNA H19 in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is among the most frequent malignant diseases. Despite advances in treatment, the clinical outcome of patients with GC remains poor. The establishment of novel biomarkers is urgently required for early detection, treatment evaluation and prognostic assessment. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a key topic of intensive research due to their potential applications in the field of oncology. The long ncRNA H19 has been frequently reported as overexpressed in many cancers including GC. In the present study, the diagnostic and prognostic value of circulating H19 in GC was assessed. Higher levels of circulating H19 were identified in GC patients (n=40) compared with a control group consisting of endoscopy-verified GC-free individuals (n=42; median levels relative to GAPDH, 58.4 vs. 29.9; P=0.027). Patients with smaller tumor sizes (