Enhanced expression of SETDB1 possesses prognostic value and promotes cell proliferation, migration and invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

SETDB1, an H3K9‑specific histone methyltransferase, has been described as a repressed transcription marker which triggers tumorigenesis of many types of human cancer. However, there are few studies elucidating the relationship between SETDB1 and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In the present study, we confirmed that SETDB1 exhibited higher expression levels in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tissues and cell lines, compared to these levels in non‑tumor tissues and a normal human nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line. Kaplan‑Meier analysis showed that higher SETDB1 expression indicated an unfavorable prognosis for NPC patients, making it an independent prognostic factor for NPC in the COX proportional hazards model. In vitro functional studies revealed that upregulation of SETDB1 expression in CNE1 cells promoted cell proliferation, possibly through cell cycle G1/S phase transition. Moreover, it also enhanced cell migration and invasion ability. Downregulation of SETDB1 expression in 5‑8F cells resulted in the opposite response. Overall, the findings indicated that increased expression of SETDB1 may predict poor overall survival and the malignant phenotype of NPC.