Long noncoding RNA AWPPH promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression through YBX1 and serves as a prognostic biomarker.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in various cancers. However, the clinical significances and biological roles of lncRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely unknown. In this study, using online-available data sets and quantitative real-time PCR, we identified a novel lncRNA termed lncRNA-AWPPH, which is highly expressed in HCC tissues. Its upregulation is correlated with encapsulation incomplete, microvascular invasion, advanced TNM stage and BCLC stage. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that high lncRNA-AWPPH expression is an independent prognostic factor for poor recurrence-free and overall survival. Functional experiments showed that overexpression of lncRNA-AWPPH promotes HCC cell proliferation and migration in vitro, and tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Conversely, depletion of lncRNA-AWPPH has opposite effects on HCC. Mechanistically, lncRNA-AWPPH interacts with YBX1, promotes YBX1-mediated activation of SNAIL1 translation, and upregulates SNAIL1 expression. Furthermore, lncRNA-AWPPH promotes YBX1-mediated activation of PIK3CA transcription, upregulates PIK3CA expression, and activates PI3K/AKT pathway. Depletion of YBX1 abolishes the effects of lncRNA-AWPPH on SNAIL1 and PIK3CA, and also the biological roles of lncRNA-AWPPH on HCC cells. In conclusion, this study identifies a novel lncRNA termed lncRNA-AWPPH which is highly expressed in HCC, indicates poor prognosis of HCC patients, and promotes HCC cell proliferation, migration, and in vivo tumor growth and metastasis via a novel regulatory mechanism of interacting with YBX1.