Diagnostic Value of Circulating Long Non-Coding RNAs HOTAIR, NEAT1, and CCAT1 for Colorectal Cancer: A Vietnamese Case–Control Study

Circulating long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as promising non-invasive biomarkers for colorectal cancer (CRC) detection; however, data in Vietnamese populations remain limited. In this study, a total of 218 participants (106 CRC, 80 adenomas, and 32 healthy controls) were included. Relative expression levels and diagnostic performance of three circulating lncRNAs—CCAT1, HOTAIR, and NEAT1—were quantified using RT-qPCR and analyzed by the 2−ΔΔCt method. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of individual lncRNAs and their combinations. CCAT1, HOTAIR, and NEAT1 were significantly upregulated in CRC patients compared with adenoma patients and healthy controls (all p < 0.001). Expression levels were higher in advanced-stage (TNM III–IV) CRC than in early-stage disease. Among individual markers, HOTAIR demonstrated the highest diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.918), followed by CCAT1 (AUC = 0.908) and NEAT1 (AUC = 0.890). Combined biomarker models showed improved performance, with the CCAT1 + HOTAIR combination achieving the highest AUC (0.944). Overall, circulating CCAT1, HOTAIR, and NEAT1 demonstrated favorable diagnostic performance in a Vietnamese population and outperformed conventional markers (CEA and CA19-9). These findings support the potential utility of multi-lncRNA panels as non-invasive biomarkers for CRC detection, warranting further validation in larger, independent cohorts.