Background: The functionality of IncRNA snaR has only been characterized in breast cancer and colon cancer. The aim of the current study is to explore the involvement of IncRNA snaR in ovarian carcinoma (OC). Materials and methods: Expression of IncRNA snaR and GRB2-associated binding protein 2 (GAB2) in plasma of both patients with OC and healthy females was detected by qRT-PCR. Application value of plasma IncRNA snaR in the diagnosis of OC was evaluated by ROC analysis. Correlation between plasma IncRNA snaR and GAB2 was analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficient. LncRNA snaR and GAB2 expression vectors as well as GAB2 siRNA were transfected into cells of human OC cell lines, and the effect on IncRNA snaR expression, GAB2 expression and cell proliferation was detected by qRT-PCR, western blot and CCK-8 assay. Results: It was observed that plasma levels of IncRNA snaR and GAB2 were significantly higher in OC patients than those in healthy controls. In effect, high levels of plasma IncRNA snaR and GAB2 distinguished OC patients from healthy controls. Plasma IncRNA snaR and GAB2 were positively correlated in OC patients but not in healthy controls. LncRNA snaR overexpression promoted cancer cell proliferation and upregulated GAB2 expression. Conclusions: GAB2 overexpression also promoted cancer cell proliferation but showed no significant effects on IncRNA snaR expression, while GAB2 siRNA silencing significantly attenuated the enhancing effects of IncRNA snaR overexpression on cancer cell proliferation. LncRNA snaR may promote proliferation of ovarian carcinoma cells by upregulating GAB2 expression. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.