ObjectiveTo investigate the expressions of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) NEAT1, H19 and MALAT1 in plasma of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients and their values in the diagnosis of NPC.MethodsThe plasma samples were collected from 91 primary NPC patients and 100 healthy controls. The expression levels of NEAT1, H19 and MALAT1 were detected by quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction (qTRPCR) in all samples. Associations between lncRNAs expressions and clinicopathological features of NPC were analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and the area under ROC (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the lncRNAs for NPC.ResultsThe plasma levels of lncRNA NEAT1, H19 and MALAT1 were significantly upregulated in NPC patients compared with healthy control group (all P<0.001). The plasma MALAT1 level was associated with N classification. The AUCs of NAET1, H19 and MALAT1 were 0.715, 0.708 and 0.704, respectively. Combination of NEAT1 and H19 could provide a more effective diagnostic performance (AUC: 0.734).ConclusionThe plasma lncRNA NEAT1, H19 and MALAT1 may be potential biomarkers for NPC serological diagnosis.