Downregulation of microRNA-214 and overexpression of FGFR-1 contribute to hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis

miR-214 is one of the most significantly downregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR-1) is a miR-214 target gene implicated in the progression of HCC. However, the roles of miR-214 and FGFR-1 in HCC are not fully understood. Here, we analyzed the expression of miR-214 and FGFR-1 in 65 cases of HCC and paired non-neoplastic tissue specimens using real-time PCR and Western blot (WB), respectively. Our data indicated that miR-214 was downregulated and FGFR-1 was overexpressed in HCC compared to the paired non-neoplastic tissues. The low miR-214 expression was correlated with portal vein invasion (p = 0.016) and early recurrence (p = 0.045) in HCC patients. Moreover, the low miR-214 expression was correlated with high positive rate of FGFR-1 in HCC cases (p = 0.020). Our data further demonstrated that miR-214 overexpression in SK-HEP1 and HepG2 cells downregulated FGFR-1 expression and inhibited liver cancer cell invasion. The Luciferase assay results further demonstrated the targeted regulation of FGFR-1 by miR-214. In conclusion, our data indicate that the downregulation of miR-214 in HCC and the upregulation of its target gene FGFR-1 is associated with HCC progression. Therefore, miR-214 and FGFR-1 are potential prognostic markers and therapeutic targets in HCC.