Background
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) at early stages can be misdiagnosed as an oral ulcer (OU) due to similar symptoms, such as chronic and indurated ulcer. LncRNA NCK1-AS1 has been characterized as a key player in cervical cancer, while its role in OSCC is unknown.
Conclusions
Therefore, NCK1-AS1 may promote the metastasis of OSCC by downregulating miR-100.
Methods
All participants were selected at Jiangxi Province Tumor Hospital from December 2016 to December 2018. Expression levels of NCK1-AS1 and miR-100 in plasma from both OSCC and OU patients were measured by RT-qPCR. Diagnostic analysis was performed through ROC curve. Potential interactions between NCK1-AS1 and miR-100 were detected by cell transfection experiments. Cell invasion and migration were assessed by Transwell assays.
Results
The expression of NCK1-AS1 was upregulated in early-stage OSCC patients but not in OU patients. Upregulation of NCK1-AS1 distinguished OSCC patients from OU patients. The expression of miR-100 was inversely correlated with the expression of NCK1-AS1. Overexpression of NCK1-AS1 was followed by promoted OSCC cell invasion and migration. Overexpression of miR-100 did not affect the expression of NCK1-AS1 but inhibited the role of NCK1-AS1. Conclusions: Therefore, NCK1-AS1 may promote the metastasis of OSCC by downregulating miR-100.