Identification and analysis of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) associated co-expression and ceRNA regulatory networks in esophageal carcinoma

Background: This study aimed to investigate the role of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) and their host genes (SNHGs) in tumorigenesis and progression of esophageal carcinoma (EC). Methods: RNA-seq data and clinical information for EC patients were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Differentially expressed snoRNAs (DE-snoRNAs) and SNHGs (DE-SNHGs) between EC samples and normal controls were screened with the edgeR package, followed by the trend analysis with STEM. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan–Meier method with the log-rank test. Identification of co-expressed genes and functional enrichment analyses were performed with Pearson’s correlation analysis and enrichment analysis, respectively. Lastly, the co-expression and ceRNA networks were constructed. Results: A total of 19 DE-snoRNAs and nine DE-SNHGs were identified between EC samples and normal controls. Moreover, two snoRNA clusters related to the clinic stage were identified through trend analysis. Survival analysis results demonstrated that SNORA70D was significantly associated with the overall survival of EC patients (P=0.034). In addition, a co-regulation network that included six snoRNAs and 29 mRNAs was constructed. A ceRNA network comprised of five SNHGs, 11 mRNAs, and 38 miRNAs was constructed based on the top 50 relationship pairs. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that SNORA14B, SNORA47, SNORA71C, SNORD12B, and SNORD14E in the co-expression network were mainly enriched in the NOD−like receptor signaling pathway, and neuroactive ligand−receptor interaction pathway. SNHG23, SNHG3, SNHG17, SNHG4, and SNHG8 in the ceRNA regulation network were mainly enriched in calcium signaling pathway, cytokine−cytokine receptor interaction, and the extracellular matrix−receptor interaction pathway. Conclusion: The data revealed a series of snoRNAs, SNHGs, and pathways involved in EC carcinogenesis, which will provide a basis for understanding the underlying molecular mechanism of EC development.