Downregulation of lncRNA TUBA4B is Associated with Poor Prognosis for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

A host of studies have revealed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are critically involved in the development and progression of epithelial ovarian cancer. LncRNA TUBA4B is recently identified to be a critical mediator in non-small cell lung cancer. However, the clinical roles and biological functions of lncRNA TUBA4B in epithelial ovarian cancer have yet to be fully clarified. The present study was conducted to explore the expression of lncRNA TUBA4B in human epithelial ovarian cancer tissues and potential roles of lncRNA TUBA4B in ovarian cancer cells. The matched epithelial ovarian cancer specimens and adjacent normal tissues were employed to detect the expression of lncRNA TUBA4B. The prognostic value of lncRNA TUBA4B for tumor progression and survival rate was investigated. The effects of lncRNA TUBA4B on ovarian cancer cell proliferation and migration were also explored. The expression of lncRNA TUBA4B was significantly decreased in epithelial ovarian cancer tissue specimens. The low lncRNA TUBA4B level was closely related with pathological grade, FIGO stage and lymph node metastases, and serum CA125 level. Enforced expression of lncRNA TUBA4B obviously reduced the proliferation of SKOV3 cells, and attenuated the activation of ERK and Akt signaling pathways. Our data demonstrate for the first time that lower lncRNA TUBA4B may be a novel independent prognostic biomarker for overall survival of epithelial ovarian cancer. Overexpression of lncRNA TUBA4B inhibits the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells. LncRNA TUBA4B may be an important target for therapeutic intervention in ovarian cancer.