Downregulated lncRNA SNHG18 Suppresses the Progression of Hepatitis B Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Meditates the Antitumor Effect of Oleanolic Acid

PURPOSE: Oleanolic acid (OA) has been widely reported to possess antitumor effects, but the specific molecular mechanism underlying its inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remains unclear. This study aims to uncover the mechanism of OA antitumor effect on HBV-associated HCC and identify a potential biomarker for tumor progression. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The effect of OA on major cellular processes of HBV-associated HCC cells was evaluated by CCK8 and Transwell assay. The potential molecular mechanism was assessed by cell transfection. This study also enrolled 111 HCC patients infected with HBV to evaluate the prognostic potential of lncRNA SNHG18 (SNHG18) in HBV-associated HCC. RESULTS: The inhibitory effect of OA was observed in the critical cellular processes of HBV-associated HCC cells, which depend on OA concentration. Downregulated SNHG18 in HBV-associated HCC was demonstrated to be involved in disease development and predict patients’ prognosis. The downregulation of SNHG18 dramatically promoted cellular processes of HBV-associated HCC could reverse the inhibitory effect of OA. CONCLUSION: SNHG18 served as a tumor suppressor and prognostic biomarker of HBV-associated HCC. Enhancing SNHG18 might be the mechanism underlying the antitumor effect of OA in HBV-associated HCC.