Long non‑coding RNA ZEB1‑AS1 predicts a poor prognosis and promotes cancer progression through the miR‑200a/ZEB1 signaling pathway in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Jiao,Mingwen; Ning,Shanglei; Chen,Jingbo; Chen,Lili; Jiao,Meng; Cui,Zhonghui; Guo,Lingyu; Mu,Wentao; Yang,Hui

doi:10.3892/ijo.2020.5023

Long non‑coding RNA ZEB1‑AS1 predicts a poor prognosis and promotes cancer progression through the miR‑200a/ZEB1 signaling pathway in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Authors:
- Mingwen Jiao
- Shanglei Ning
- Jingbo Chen
- Lili Chen
- Meng Jiao
- Zhonghui Cui
- Lingyu Guo
- Wentao Mu
- Hui Yang
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Affiliations: Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China, Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China, Department of Pathology, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China, Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Tai'an, Shandong 271600, P.R. China
Published online on: March 20, 2020 https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2020.5023
Pages: 1455-1467
Copyright: © Jiao et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

Emerging evidence suggests that long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play pivotal roles in cancer progression, including in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC). The overexpression of lncRNA ZEB1 antisense 1 (ZEB1‑AS1) has been discovered in several types of cancer; however, the clinical significance and functional role of ZEB1‑AS1 in IHCC have not yet been determined. In the present study, ZEB1‑AS1 was found to be upregulated in IHCC cell lines and tissues. A high ZEB1‑AS1 expression was associated with clinical progression and a poor survival of patients with IHCC, and was identified as an independent risk factor for a poor prognosis. In addition, ZEB1‑AS1 promoted the proliferation and metastasis of IHCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. ZEB1‑AS1 was demonstrated to increase the expression of ZEB1 by sponging miR‑200a and to thereby accelerate epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT). On the whole, the findings of the present study demonstrate that ZEB1‑AS1 promotes proliferation and metastasis in IHCC, and induces EMT through the miR‑200a/ZEB1 signaling pathway. ZEB1‑AS1 may thus be a promising prognostic biomarker and essential therapeutic target for IHCC.

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