A three-snoRNA signature: SNORD15A, SNORD35B and SNORD60 as novel biomarker for renal cell carcinoma

Background Accumulating evidence has confirmed the role of snoRNAs in a variety of cancer, but rare in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). This study aims to clarify the role of snoRNAs in RCC tumorigenesis and their potential as novel tumor biomarkers. Materials and methods The snoRNA expression matrix was obtained from the public TCGA and SNORic databases. SNORD15A, SNORD35B and SNORD60 were selected and validated by qPCR, then analyzed combined with related clinical factors using T-test and ROC curve. Results All three snoRNAs: SNORD15A, SNORD35B and SNORD60 were significantly upregulated in cancer tissues compared to adjacent tissues from TCGA or FFPE detection. These three snoRNAs were also increased in urinary sediment (US) of RCC as well as the early-stage RCC patients compared with the healthy controls. In addition, RNase stability experiments confirmed their stable existence in US. Meanwhile, the ROC curve shows that SNORD15A, SNORD35B and SNORD60 could effectively distinguish RCC (AUC = 0.7421) and early-stage RCC (AUC = 0.7465) from healthy individuals. Conclusion SNORD15A, SNORD35B and SNORD60 were upregulated in tissues and US of RCC, serving as novel potential biomarkers for RCC diagnosis.