TRAF6 correlated to invasion and poor prognosis of glioblastoma via elevating MMP9 expression.

Aberrant expression of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6) was reported in several types of cancers and it was demonstrated to promote tumor progression. In glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), TRAF6 depression by miRNA could decrease GBM cell resistance to temozolomide, but the prognostic values of TRAF6 and its functions in GBM progression have not been elucidated. In our study, the expression of TRAF6 and matrix metalloprotein 9 (MMP9) in 101 cases of GBM were investigated using immunohistochemistry. Twelve pairs of GBM frozen tissues and their corresponding adjacent tissues were collected during operation prospectively, and TRAF6 and MMP9 mRNA levels in them were detected using qRT-PCR. The correlations between TRAF6, MMP9, and clinicopathological factors were analyzed using the Chi-square test, and the prognostic value of TRAF6 and MMP9 were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analysis. The effect of TRAF6 and MMP9 on GBM cell invasion and proliferation was detected with experiments in vitro, and the correlation between TRAF6 and MMP9 expression was explored by regulating their expression with overexpression or knockdown. The expression of TRAF6 and MMP9 in GBM tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissues. The expression of TRAF6 and MMP9 was significantly associated in GBM tissues. Both TRAF6 and MMP9 correlated with poor prognosis of GBM, and TRAF6 was identified as an independent prognostic factor of GBM. TRAF6 could promote invasion instead of proliferation of GBM cells via elevating expression of MMP9. TRAF6 was identified as an independent prognostic factor of GBM, with ability to promote invasion of GBM cells via elevating expression of MMP9.