piRNAs and circRNAs acting as diagnostic biomarkers in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

The discovery of diverse functions and mechanisms in cancer has underscored the significance of emerging non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), within the clinical context of cancer. Understanding their role in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is imperative and necessitates comprehensive investigation. This study aims to further explore the diagnostic potential of piRNAs and circRNAs for ccRCC. The dysregulated piRNAs and circRNAs in ccRCC were identified using small RNA (sRNA) high-throughput sequencing technology, while their expression in clinical samples was assessed by RT-qPCR. A paired t-test was performed to compare the expression levels of piRNAs and circRNAs between ccRCC and adjacent tissues. Additionally, ROC curve analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic specificity, sensitivity, and area under the curve (AUC) of piRNAs and circRNAs. High-throughput sequencing revealed a significant downregulation of 17 piRNAs and 694 circRNAs in ccRCC tissues, accompanied by a significant upregulation of 5 piRNAs and 490 circRNAs. RT-qPCR analysis demonstrated markedly lower expression levels of piR-has-150997, 133872, 132556, 154502, and uniq-84737 in the ccRCC group compared to the adjacent tissue group (p < 0.05). When considering the combined detection of piR-hsa-150997, piR-hsa-133872, piR-hsa-132556, piR-hsa-154502, uniq_84737, circABCC1, circNETO2_006, and circARID1B_037, the diagnostic AUC for ccRCC was found to be high at an approximate value of AUC = 0.878. The diagnostic performance of piR-has-150997, 133872, 132556, 154502, uniq-84737, circABCC1, circNETO2_006, and circARID1B_037 demonstrates promise for ccRCC. A model incorporating piR-hsa-150997, uniq_84737, circABCC1, circNETO2_006, and circARID1B_037 could serve as an ideal diagnostic marker system with significant clinical utility.