LncRNA SRA1 is down-regulated in HPV-negative cervical squamous cell carcinoma and regulates cancer cell behaviors

LncRNA SRA1 plays important roles in several types of human diseases. The present study aimed to explore the role of SRA1 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). In the present study, we showed that plasma SRA1 was down-regulated in human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative CSCC patients but not in HPV-positive CSCC patients compared with healthy females. Down-regulated SRA1 distinguished HPV-negative CSCC patients from HPV-positive CSCC patients and healthy females. In HPV-negative CSCC patients, miR-9 was up-regulated and inversely correlated with SRA1. In HPV-negative CSCC cells, SRA1 overexpression caused the down-regulated miR-9, while miR-9 overexpression failed to affect SRA1. Moreover, SRA1 overexpression caused decreased, while miR-9 overexpression caused increased proliferation, migration and invasion rates of cancer cells. In addition, miR-9 overexpression attenuated the effects of SRA1 overexpression. Therefore, SRA1 is down-regulated in HPV-negative CSCC and regulates cancer cell behaviors possibly by down-regulating miR-9.