Altered expression of LINC03091 and LINC03090 LncRNAs in bipolar disorder: a case-control study

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are widely expressed and play an essential role in gene regulation through various transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Recent findings have highlighted the role of lncRNAs in sustaining cellular homeostasis and neurogenesis within the brain. An increasing number of reports have identified dysregulated lncRNAs linked to psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder (BD). We analyzed the expression levels of LRRC2-AS1, LINC03091, and LINC03090 lncRNAs in the blood samples of 50 patients with BD and 50 healthy individuals matched by age, sex, and ethnicity. RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were performed, followed by real-time polymerase chain reaction to quantify lncRNA expression levels. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the biomarker potential. Furthermore, the relationship between gene expression levels and BD comorbidities was explored. Our findings revealed a significant enhancement in LINC03091 and LINC03090 expression in patients with BD compared with healthy subjects (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.02, respectively). However, the expression levels of LRRC2-AS1 was not significant (P = 0.69). ROC curve analysis indicated that LINC03091 (AUC = 0.74, P < 0.0001) and LINC03090 (AUC = 0.64, P = 0.01) expression levels could effectively differentiate patients from healthy controls. Considering these results, LINC03091 and LINC03090 may have a crucial role in BD and could serve as biomarkers for diagnostic and predictive applications.