MicroRNA-552 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by downregulating WIF1

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are involved in the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the present study, it was demonstrated that miR‑552 was upregulated in HCC tissues. High miR‑552 expression was associated with malignant clinicopathological features and decreased survival rates. The in vitro results indicated that miR‑552 overexpression promoted migration, invasion and epithelial‑mesenchymal transition in Hep3B cells. However, the knockdown of miR‑552 inhibited its oncogenic roles in Huh‑7 cells. Additionally, Wnt inhibitory factor 1 (WIF1) was demonstrated to be a direct target of miR‑552 in Hep3B and Huh‑7 cells. Additional experiments identified that miR‑552 promotes β‑catenin expression by increasing the phosphorylation of GSK3β at Ser9. In conclusion, the results suggested that miR‑552 may promote HCC progression by blocking WIF1‑mediated GSK3β dephosphorylation. miR‑552 may be a biomarker for predicting the outcomes of patients with HCC.