EIF3B correlates with advanced disease stages and poor prognosis, and it promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Although up-regulation of EIF3B correlates with poor prognosis in carcinomas, the role of EIF3B in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is rarely known.

Objective: We aimed to investigate correlation of EIF3B with clinicopathological features and prognosis in NSCLC patients, and clarify its effect on cells proliferation and apoptosis.

Methods: Two hundred and eleven NSCLC patients underwent surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Tumor tissue and paired adjacent tissue were obtained. EIF3B expression was detected by immunohistochemistry, qPCR and western blot. EIF3B inhibitor, blank inhibitor, blank mimic and EIF3B mimic plasmids were transfected to A-549 cells. Cells proliferation and apoptosis were measured by CCK-8 and AV/PI. All processes were repeated for validation in PC9 cells.

Results: EIF3B expression increased in tumor tissue compared to paired adjacent tissue, and positively correlated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage. K-M curves revealed patients with EIF3B high expression had shorter DFS and OS, and its high expression independently predicted unfavorable DFS and OS. In vitro, EIF3B expression increased in NSCLC cells compared to normal cells. EIF3B increased cells proliferation but inhibited cells apoptosis.

Conclusions: EIF3B overexpression correlates with advanced disease conditions and poor prognosis, and it promotes cells proliferation while inhibits apoptosis in NSCLC.