High expression of prostate tumor overexpressed 1 (PTOV1) is a potential prognostic biomarker for cervical cancer.

Background: To investigate the role of prostate tumor overexpressed 1 (PTOV1) in the development and progression of human cervical cancer.

Methods: Real-time quantitative PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to explore PTOV1 expression in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Cell proliferation capability was examined by MTT assay. Statistical analyzes were applied to evaluate the correlation of PTOV1 expression with clinical parameters and prognosis.

Results: The expression level of PTOV1 was markedly higher in cervical cancer tissues and cell lines than that in adjacent noncancerous tissues and the normal cervical epithelial cells. PTOV1 overexpression was correlated with higher tumor stage (P = 0.001), larger tumor size (P = 0.004), and lymph node involvement (P = 0.036). Moreover, patients with high PTOV1 expression showed shorter overall and recurrence-free survival time (P = 0.013 and P = 0.010, respectively). PTOV1 knockdown by short hairpin RNAi inhibited cancer cell growth in vitro.

Conclusion: PTOV1 may be an important factor associated with proliferation of cervical cancer.