The Long Noncoding RNAZEB2-AS1Contributes to Proliferation and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition of Osteosarcoma

Background:Long non-coding RNA Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2) antisense RNA 1 (ZEB2-AS1) has been shown to promote tumor progression. However, the clinical significance and fundamental function role ofZEB2-AS1in osteosarcoma (OS) was poorly understood. Methods:The expression ofZEB2-AS1was determined in tumor tissues and matched normal tissues from 67 OS patients using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR analysis. Clinical value ofZEB2-AS1was evaluated by Chi square test and Kaplan-Meier method. Cell proliferation was analyzed using CCK-8 assay, colony formation. Cell apoptosis status was determined by caspase-3 activity assay. Cell migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were investigated by scratch wound healing, transwell invasion assays and western blotting. Results:Clinical association analysis revealed that highZEB2-AS1expression correlated with tumor size, distant metastasis and poor prognosis of OS patients. Moreover,ZEB2-AS1expression was identified as an independent prognostic factor for OS patients. Loss-of-function assays demonstrated thatZEB2-AS1knockdown suppressed the proliferation and induced apoptosis in OS cells. In addition,ZEB2-AS1knockdown inhibited cell migration, invasion, EMT of OS cellsin vitro. Conclusions:Taken together, our data demonstrate thatZEB2-AS1serves a putative oncogenic role and associates with unfavorable prognosis in OS.