Epigenetically silenced long noncoding-SRHC promotes proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE:To investigate the expression of SRHC and the role of SRHC in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS:We analyzed HCC samples and matched non-tumor liver tissues (controls) collected from 81 patients who underwent hepatectomy in Shanghai, China. The expression levels of SRHC were determined by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Statistical analyses were used to associate the levels of SRHC with tumor features and patient outcomes. RESULTS:We found that a lower SRHC expression level was significantly more frequent in tissues with a high serum a-fetoprotein level (positive, >20 µg/L, P = 0.004) and a low degree of differentiated tumors (poorly differentiated, P = 0.017). Furthermore, we found that the promoter region of SRHC contains a CpG-rich island and that SRHC is down-regulated in tumors by DNA methylation. CONCLUSION:Here, we identified a new long noncoding RNA designated as SRHC that is capable of inhibiting cancer proliferation and is down-regulated in tumors at least partly by DNA methylation.

KEYWORDS: {{ getKeywords(articleDetailText.words) }}