OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to investigate the role of lncRNA-Neighboring Enhancer of FOXA2 (NEF) in esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: Tumor tissues and adjacent tissues were obtained from esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma patients, and blood samples were extracted from both patients with esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma and healthy volunteers. The expression of NEF was detected by quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). All patients were followed-up for 5 years and ROC curve analysis and survival analysis were performed to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic values of serum NEF for esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma. NEF expression vector was transfected into cells of esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma cell lines. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were detected by CCK-8 assay, transwell migration assay, and transwell invasion assay, respectively. The interaction between NEF and wnt/β-catenin pathway were explored by Western blot and qRT-PCR.
RESULTS: Expression of NEF was significantly downregulated in tumor tissues than in adjacent tissues in most patients. Serum level of NEF was higher in esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma patients than in healthy controls, and was significantly correlated with tumor size and tumor distant tumor metastasis. Serum NEF is a promising diagnostic and prognostic marker for esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma. NEF overexpression inhibited cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion. NEF overexpression decreased the expression levels of wnt/β-catenin pathway-related proteins, while Wnt activator showed no significant effects on NEF. However, Wnt inhibitor reduced the effects of NEF overexpression on cell proliferation, migration and invasion.
CONCLUSIONS: LncRNA NEF may inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma cells by inactivating with wnt/β-catenin pathway.
