OBJECTIVETo detect the expression of CXCL14 in human osteosarcoma cell lines and tissues and investigate its association with the prognosis of the patients.

METHODSRT-PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time PCR were used to detect the expression of CXCL14 in 4 osteosarcoma cell lines and in 40 pairs of osteosarcoma tissues and adjacent muscular tissues. CCK8 assay and colony formation assay was used to assess the effect of CXCL14 suppression mediated by two specific siRNAs on the proliferation of U2OS osteosarcoma cells. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of CXCL14 in 58 osteosarcoma tissues, and Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were performed for survival analysis of the patients.

RESULTSSignificant up-regulation of CXCL14 expression was found in the osteosarcoma cell lines and in osteosarcoma tissues compared with the adjacent muscles (P<0.01). In U2OS cell, suppression of CXCL14 expression by siRNA significantly inhibited the cell proliferation (P<0.01) and colony formation rate (P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that patients with high CXCL14 expression had worse prognosis than those with low CXCL14 expression (P=0.02).

CONCLUSIONCXCL14 is up-regulated in both osteosarcoma cell lines and primary osteosarcoma tissues to promote the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells. A high CXCL14 expression in osteosarcoma tissues is associated with a poor prognosis, suggesting the that CXCL14 serve as a potential therapeutic target for osteosarcoma.