LncRNA PVT1 promotes the growth of HPV positive and negative cervical squamous cell carcinoma by inhibiting TGF-β1.

Background: Our study aimed to investigate the role of lncRNA PVT1 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Materials and methods: A total of 156 patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled in this study and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection was detected by highly sensitive PCR techniques. Serum levels of PVT1 in patients infected with different HPVs and healthy controls was detected by qRT-PCR and compared. Serum levels of PVT1 were also compared among patients with different sizes of tumor. ROC curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic values of serum for cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Survival curves were plotted by Kaplan-Meier method and compared to evaluate the prognostic values of serum PVT1 for this disease. Effects of PVT1 siRNA silencing and overexpression on proliferation of cervical squamous cell carcinoma cells were explored by CCK-8 assay. Western blot was performed to detect the expression of TGF-β1 after PVT1 siRNA silencing and overexpression.

Results: No significant differences in serum levels of PVT1 were detected among patients infected with different HPVs and HPV-negative patients. However, serum levels of PVT1 were significantly higher in all patient groups than in healthy control group. Serum level of PVT1 increased with the increased sizes of primary tumor. Serum PVT1 accurately predicted the disease and its prognosis. PVT1 siRNA silencing inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells and reduced the expression of TGF-β1, while PVT1 overexpression played an opposite role.

Conclusion: LncRNA PVT1 promotes the growth HPV positive and negative cervical squamous cell carcinoma by inhibiting TGF-β1.