Circ_0067934 correlates with poor prognosis and promotes laryngeal squamous cell cancer progression by sponging miR-1324

OBJECTIVE: As a kind of non-coding RNA, circular RNA (circRNA) plays a regulatory role in many tumors. Our intention was to investigate the clinical significance, biological function, and molecular regulation mechanisms of circ_0067934 in laryngeal squamous cell cancer (LSCC) progression. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expression levels of circ_0067934 in LSCC tumor samples and cells were determined by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). The associations of circ_0067934 expression with clinicopathological features and overall survival in LSCC patients were statistically analyzed. The biological function of circ_0067934 in LSCC cells was analyzed by CCK-8, colony formation, EdU, and transwell assays. Dual-Luciferase reporter assay was conducted to verify that circ_0067934 may sponge miR-1324 to regulate proliferation and migration of LSCC. RESULTS: Circ_0067934 expression was remarkably upregulated in LSCC tissues and cells. High level of circ_0067934 was significantly related to tumor size, lymph node status, and distant metastasis of LSCC. Furthermore, highly expressed circ_0067934 could result in notably worse survival. In vitro experiments showed that down-regulation of circ_0067934 inhibited proliferation and migration of LSCC cells. Mechanism analysis revealed that circ_0067934 regulated LSCC development by sponging miR-1324. CONCLUSIONS: Circ_0067934 may function as an oncogene in LSCC, which provided a feasible prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for LSCC.