LncRNA PAPAS promotes oral squamous cell carcinoma by upregulating transforming growth factor-β1

PAPAS is a recently identified long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) with inhibitory effects on ribosomal RNA synthesis. We studied the role of PAPAS in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In the present study we showed that plasma PAPAS and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) were both upregulated in patients with OSCC, and were positively correlated only in patients with OSCC. Plasma levels of PAPAS were not significantly affected by AJCC stages and upregulation of PAPAS distinguished stage I OSCC patients from healthy controls. High plasma levels of PAPAS were followed by low overall survival rate. PAPAS overexpression led to upregulation of TGF-beta 1 in OSCC cells, while TGF-beta 1 treatment failed to significantly affect PAPAS. PAPAS overexpression and exogenous TGF-beta 1 treatment led to promoted invasion and migration of OSCC cells. In addition, TGF-beta inhibitor attenuated the effects of PAPAS overexpression. Therefore, lncRNA PAPAS may promote OSCC by upregulating TGF-beta 1.