LncRNA H19 promotes the development of hepatitis B related hepatocellular carcinoma through regulating microRNA-22 via EMT pathway

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 expression and prognosis of hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-related HCC), and its underlying mechanism. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Expression level of lncRNA H19 in 36 HBV-related HCC tissues and para-cancerous tissues was detected by quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The relationship between lncRNA H19 expression and prognosis of HBV-related HCC was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method. Serum DNA levels of HBV were detected by fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (FQ-PCR). For in vitro experiments, lncRNA H19 expression in HCC cell line, HBV-related HCC cell line and normal liver cell line was detected by qRT-PCR. After plasmids construction. the effects of lncRNA H19 on cell viability, migration, and invasion were detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation and transwell assay, respectively. Finally. protein levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway-related genes were detected by Western blot. RESULTS: LncRNA H19 was highly expressed in HBV-related HCC tissues. The expression of IncRNA H19 was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis, whereas negatively correlated with the overall survival of HBV-related HCC patients. Results of in vitro experiments showed that lncRNA H19 knockdown significantly downregulated cell proliferation and invasion. However, lncRNA H19 knockdown significantly upregulated apoptosis of HBV-related HCC cells. Western blot results demonstrated that lncRNA H19 remarkably decreased the protein expressions of EMT pathway-related genes. including N-cadherin, Vimentin, beta-catenin and MMP-9. In addition, rescue experiments demonstrated that lncRNA H19 remarkably promoted malignant development of HBV-related HCC via regulating microRNA-22. CONCLUSIONS: LncRNA H19 promotes malignant development of HBV-related HCC through regulating microRNA-22 via EMT pathway.