Background: Increasing evidence shows that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in many biological processes, functioning as microRNA (miRNA) sponges. The aim of this study is to identify differentially expressed circRNAs in bladder cancer (BCa).
Methods: The transcriptome of circRNAs in BCa was assayed by microarray. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to verify the results. Then, potential miRNA response elements (MREs) between circRNAs and miRNAs were predicted. Pathway and ontology enrichment analyses were performed to identify mechanisms related to the gene regulation of differentially expressed circRNAs.
Results: Three hundred and eighty-six up-regulated and 394 down-regulated circRNAs were identified, and their potential MREs were predicted in BCa.
Conclusion: The differentially expressed circRNAs indicate that circRNAs could play important roles in the molecular pathogenesis of BCa.
Keywords: bladder cancer, microarray, noncoding RNAs, circular RNAs, bioinformatics analysis