The NANCI lncRNA-NKX2-1 gene duplex impacts prognosis in stage I NSCLC.

Background: NANCI is an intergenic long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) located in the genomic region of the NKX2-1 gene. It is essential for buffering NKX2-1 expression (also known as TTF-1), lung epithelial cell identity, and tissue homeostasis. To date, there is no prognostic information for NANCI or the NANCI-NKX2-1 duplex in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: NANCI and NKX2-1 expression was assessed by TaqMan assays in paired tumor (TT) and normal tissue (NT) of 73 stage I NSCLC resected patients. The cohort was molecularly characterized including TP53, EGFR and KRAS mutational status. Results: NANCI expression was higher in TT (p Conclusion: In our cohort the NANCI-NKX2-1 is an independent OS marker in stage I NSCLC. Funding: AECC-Catalunya 2017