OTUB1 is a member of deubiquitinating enzymes; however, its expression and function in colon cancer are still unclear. The present study aimed at investigating the expression of OTUB1 in colon cancer and the relationship between the expression and some clinicopathologic parameters. Immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time PCR were carried out in selected colon cancer and normal mucosa tissues. The expression of OTUB1 protein in the colon cancer was significantly higher than normal mucosa, and the OTUB1 mRNA in colon cancer was also 3.15-fold higher than the normal mucosa. The higher expression of OTUB1 in colon cancer was related with tumor size, differentiation and lymph node metastasis. OTUB1 may play an important role in colon cancer development and metastasis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.