LINC01123 is associated with prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma and involved in tumor progression by sponging miR-34a-5p

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a malignant tumor. This study aimed to investigate the role of a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), LINC01123, in OSCC prognosis and progression and to explore the underlying mechanisms. OSCC tissues were collected from 102 patients, and 4 OSCC cell lines were analyzed. The expression levels of LINC01123 and miR-34a-5p were estimated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assays were used to assess the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OSCC cells. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to analyze the prognostic value of LINC01123 in OSCC. The analysis results showed that LINC01123 was overexpressed in OSCC tumor tissues; also, the prognosis of patients with OSCC with high LINC01123 expression levels was poor. The knockdown of LINC01123 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OCSS cells. MiR-34a-5p was a target of LINC01123, and its inhibitor could reverse the effect of silenced LINC01123 on the progression of OSCC. Highly expressed LINC01123 was associated with poor prognosis of OSCC and regulated OSCC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration by sponging miR-34a-5p. Therefore, the LINC01123/miR-34a-5p axis may provide new ideas for the prognosis and treatment of OSCC.