Work

Application of abnormal expression of serum LINC00968 in early identification of childhood obesity risk

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Objectives This study investigates the dysregulated expression of long non-coding RNA LINC00968 in pediatric populations with early-onset obesity or metabolic syndrome (MS), while evaluating its potential utility as a clinical biomarker. Methods The study enrolled children with obesity (classified as simple obesity or obesity-MS) and healthy controls. The level of serum LINC00968 and miR-17-5p were quantified by RT-qPCR. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was employed to assess the serum LINC00968’s capacity for risk identification in obese children and the prediction of obesity-MS. Dual luciferase reporter ( DLR) and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) experiments confirmed that LINC00968 can target miR-17-5p. Logistic regression analysis was employed to evaluate the potential risk factors influencing the occurrence of obesity-MS. Results Serum LINC00968 levels were significantly higher in children with obesity compared to controls, with the higher expression observed in those with obesity-MS. In contrast, miR-17-5p expression was significantly downregulated. LINC00968 demonstrated a sensitivity of 86.67 % and a specificity of 90.28 % in distinguishing obese children from healthy controls. In children with obesity, LINC00968 exhibited a significant positive correlation with TG and BMI, and a negative correlation with HDL-C. Molecularly, LINC00968 directly targets miR-17-5p, which is negatively correlated with miR-17-5p in children with obesity. Conclusions Our findings suggest that elevated serum LINC00968 levels could serve as a biomarker for pediatric obesity and MS, potentially driving disease progression via miR-17-5p targeting.

Source: Turkish Journal of Biochemistry

DOI: 10.1515/tjb-2025-0349

Authors: Hongbo Wu, Wei Liu, Zhenni Lu, Lihua Li

Institutions: Capital Medical University, Beijing Luhe Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Changzhi Medical College

Language: English

Topic: Cancer-related molecular mechanisms research

Subfield: Cancer Research

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $848