Identification of potential targets for ovarian cancer treatment by systematic bioinformatics analysis

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION

To provide a systematic overview to understand the mechanism of ovarian cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data of GSE14407 downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Gene ontology and pathway enrichment analysis were performed by Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). Furthermore, the authors constructed the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and co-expression networks by Cytoscape.

RESULTS

A total 1,442 genes were identified to be differentially expressed. Regulatory effects of DEGs mainly focused on cell cycle, transcription regulation, and cellular protein metabolic process. Significant pathways were determined to be p53 signaling pathway, amino sugar, and nucleotide sugar metabolism. The most significant transcription factor was aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT). Abnormal spindle-like microcephaly-associated protein (ASPM), Aurora kinase (AURKA), Cyclin-A2 (CCNA2), G2/mitotic-specific cyclin-B1, (CCNB1), and Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) were significant nodes in PPI network.

CONCLUSION

The significant genes and pathways show potential targets for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

A new tumor biomarker, serum protein peak at 3,144 m/z, in patients with node-positive breast cancer

Purpose

To explore the association between the 3,144 m/z protein peak and the clinicopathological features and prognosis in breast cancer.

Methods

Using SELDI–TOF MS, we analyzed serum protein peak at 3,144 m/z in 283 patients with node-positive breast cancer, its relationship with clinicopathological features and their prognosis evaluating value of survival.

Results

3,144 m/z positive rate was higher in elderly patients (42.8 % in ≥50-year-old vs. 31.2 % in <50, P = 0.04). However, no correlation was observed between 3,144 m/z and other clinicopathological features (body mass index, menstrual status, family history, TNM, molecular subtypes, vascular invasion, neural invasion, p53 and CA15-3). However, the positive rate of 3,144 m/z was higher than that of CA15-3 (35.5 vs. 11.4 %, McNemar χ² test, p < 0.001). 3,144 m/z-negative patients (n = 177) had a better 3-year overall survival (OS) than 3,144 m/z-positive patients (n = 106) (89.8 vs. 81.2 %, P = 0.045). Younger patients (P = 0.016), postmenopausal status (P = 0.019), small tumor (P < 0.001), less positive nodes (P < 0.001), early stage (P < 0.001), favorable molecular subtype (P = 0.007), normal CA15-3 (P = 0.003) and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.001) predicted better survival. Cox analysis showed that T3–4 (95 % CI 1.419–8.057, P = 0.006), lymph node metastasis (95 % CI 1.242–3.632, P = 0.006) and p53 mutation (95 % CI 1.088–6.378, P = 0.032) were independent adverse prognostic factors. But childbirth ≥2 (95 % CI 0.163–0.986, P = 0.046), adjuvant chemotherapy (95 % CI 0.062–0.921, P = 0.038) and adjuvant radiotherapy (95 % CI 0.148–0.928, P = 0.034) were the independent factors in reducing risk of death in breast cancer patients. Combination testing of 3,144 m/z and CA15-3 will improve the prognosis value of 3-year survival (P = 0.011); patients with CA153−/3144− were characterized by the longest survival (89.8 %) and the CA153+/3144+ patients by the shortest.

Conclusions

Serum protein peak at 3,144 m/z is a new biomarker for breast cancer diagnosis and prognosis and showed a higher positive rate than serum CA15-3. Combining 3,144 m/z and CA15-3 testing may improve prognosis of longer survival in breast cancer patients.

A combinational therapy for patients with severe psoriasis associated with cardiovascular disease

Psoriasis a chronic inflammatory disease of skin often involving the joints associated with concomitant factors like cardiovascular involvement, leading to high mortality.Hence, we designed the study to know the effect of combinational therapy and the associated risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in psoriasis patients.120 psoriasis patients and 50 healthy individuals of both sexes between 25-65 years of age with severe psoriasis attending Chinese hospital during October 2009-November 2013 were included in the study. Patients were treated with methotrexate, acitretin, cyclosporine and also with combination therapy.Patients experienced a reduced degree of lesions with combination therapy with 40% reduction or had complete normalization of the skin. Severe psoriasis patients are at high risk of mortality due to CVD with hazard ratio (HR) 1 · 57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1 · 26-1 ·96.Severe psoriasis is often associated with higher risk of cardiovascular death. A large scale prospective study is required for analyzing risk factors of CVD in psoriasis (PsA).

Gas tamponade combined with laser photocoagulation therapy for congenital optic disc pit maculopathy

PURPOSE

To evaluate the long-term clinical efficacy and safety of gas tamponade combined with laser photocoagulation for optic disc pit maculopathy.

METHODS

Seven consecutive patients with unilateral maculopathy associated with optic disc pit and one patient with bilateral optic disc pit maculopathy were given octafluoropropane (C3F8) tamponade combined with focal laser photocoagulation treatment. Patients were followed up for 21-62 months after treatment. Main outcomes were determined by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA).

RESULTS

Treatment with C3F8 tamponade followed by laser photocoagulation in ODP maculopathy patients resulted in resolution of sub-retinal and/or intra-retinal fluid in six out of eight patients. The remaining two patients had significant reduction in fluid, as determined by OCT, and funduscopy, as well as an improvement in anatomical architecture. Visual acuity improved obviously in seven eyes and remained stable in two eyes. Central visual field loss after photocoagulation was not clinically appreciable by visual field examination. No post-operative complications of maculopathy occurred during the follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

Although repeated treatment was needed in some patients, C3F8 tamponade combined with laser photocoagulation is still a simple, effective, minimally invasive, and economic therapy for optic disc pit maculopathy.

Droplet optofluidic imaging for λ-bacteriophage detection via co-culture with host cell Escherichia coli

Bacteriophages are considered as attractive indicators for determining drinking water quality since its concentration is strongly correlated with virus concentrations in water samples. Previously, bacteriophage detection was based on a plague assay that required a complicated labelling technique and a time-consuming culture assay. Here, for the first time, a label-free bacteriophage detection is reported by using droplet optofluidic imaging, which uses host-cell-containing microdroplets as reaction carriers for bacteriophage infection due to a higher contact ratio. The optofluidic imaging is based on the effective refractive index changes in the microdroplet correlated with the growth rate of the infected host cells, which is highly sensitive, i.e. can detect one E. coli cell. The droplet optofluidic system is not only used in drinking water quality monitoring, but also has high potential applications for pathogenic bacteria detection in clinical diagnosis and food industry.

Effects of Xylanase Supplementation on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility and Non-starch Polysaccharide Degradation in Different Sections of the Gastrointestinal Tract of Broilers Fed Wheat-based Diets

This experiment was performed to investigate the effects of exogenous xylanase supplementation on performance, nutrient digestibility and the degradation of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) in different sections of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of broilers fed wheat-based diets. A total of 120 7-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly allotted to two wheat-based experimental diets supplemented with 0 or 1.0 g/kg xylanase. Each treatment was composed of 6 replicates with 10 birds each. Diets were given to the birds from 7 to 21 days of age. The results showed that xylanase supplementation did not affect feed intake, but increased body weight gain of broiler at 21 day of age by 5.8% (p<0.05) and improved feed-to-gain ratio by 5.0% (p<0.05). Xylanase significantly increased (p<0.05) ileal digestibilities of crude protein (CP) by 3.5%, starch by 9.3%, soluble NSP by 43.9% and insoluble NSP by 42.2% relative to the control group, respectively. Also, compared with the control treatment, xylanase addition increased (p<0.05) total tract digestibilities of dry matter by 5.7%, CP by 4.1%, starch by 6.3%, soluble NSP by 50.8%, and had a tendency to increase (p = 0.093) insoluble NSP by 19.9%, respectively. The addition of xylanase increased the concentrations of arabinose and xylose in the digesta of gizzard, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum (p<0.05), and the order of their concentration was ileum>jejunum>duodenum>>gizzard> caecum. The supplementation of xylanse increased ileal isomaltriose concentration (p<0.05), but did not affect the concentrations of isomaltose, panose and 1-kestose in the digesta of all GIT sections. These results suggest that supplementation of xylanase to wheat-based diets cuts the arabinoxylan backbone into small fragments (mainly arabinose and xylose) in the ileum, jejunum and duodenum, and enhances digestibilites of nutrients by decreasing digesta viscosity. The release of arabinose and xylose in the small intestine may also be the important contributors to the growth-promoting effect of xylanase in broilers fed wheat-based diets.

Overexpression of HSP27 in cultured human aortic smooth muscular cells reduces apoptosis induced by low-frequency and low-energy ultrasound by inhibition of an intrinsic pathway

We investigated in vitro the effect of low-frequency and low-energy ultrasound (LFLEU) on apoptosis of an overexpressed HSP27 human aortic smooth muscle cell (HASMC) line. A frequency of 42.6 kHz was used in all experiments. HASMC were exposed to ultrasound and cell viability was evaluated by MTT reduction. Overexpressed HSP27-HASMC was constructed on a pcDNA3.1 vector. Apoptosis was determined 24 h after treatment by flow cytometry; gene display was evaluated with Affimax chips, and HSP27 mRNA and protein expression levels were measured by RT-PCR and Western blotting. The apoptosis rate (at 30 s) was significantly lower in HASMC transfected with HSP27 (7.14 ± 1.73%), compared with cells transfected with a mock plasmid (17.31 ± 2.72%) or a control group (14.23 ± 2.77%), indicating a protective function for apoptosis induced by LFLEU. Gene display analysis showed that caspase-9 expression in HSP27 cell lines was downregulated and caspase-3 upregulated. However, RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis indicated that both caspase-9 and caspase-3 were inhibited at both the mRNA and protein levels. We suggest that overexpressed HSP27 is capable of protecting the LFLEU from apoptosis and that the pathway for this protection is via downregulated caspase-9 and caspase-3 expression.

Percentage of circulating CD8+ T lymphocytes is associated with albuminuria in type 2 diabetes mellitus

T lymphocytes have been demonstrated to play a role in the development of diabetic proteinuria. However, the alteration of circulating T lymphocytes has not been investigated in a type 2 diabetic cohort. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Peking University Aerospace Center Hospital. 510 participants were type 2 diabetes mellitus, 30-70 years of age. Patients with immune disease, medical conditions that affect immune function, infection, or end-organ damage were excluded. The percentage of circulating CD8+ T lymphocytes was significantly associated with albuminuria in the cohort. The impact of albuminuria to CD8+ T lymphocytes in a multivariate linear regression model was indicated by the B- coefficient (95% confidence interval) 1.812 (0.204-3.421, P=0.03). Our data first showed that the percentage of circulating CD8+ T cells is associated with albuminuria in type 2 diabetes mellitus, which may support the rationality of systemic inhibition of T lymphocytes in treating albuminuria in these patients.

Decreased expression of fibulin-4 in aortic wall of aortic dissection

In this research, we will examine the expression of Fibulin-4 in aortic wall to find out its role in aortic dissection development. The samples of aortic wall were obtained from 10 patients operated for acute ascending aortic dissection and five patients for chronic ascending aortic dissection. Another 15 pieces of samples from patients who had coronary artery bypass were as controls. The aortic samples were stained with aldehyde magenta dyeing to evaluate the arrangement of elastic fibers. The Fibulin-4 protein and mRNA expression were both determined by Western blot and realtime quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Compared with the control group, both in acute and chronic ascending aortic dissection, elastic fiber fragments increased and the expression of fibulin-4 protein significantly decreased ( P = 0.045 < 0.05). The level of fibulin-4 mRNA decreased in acute ascending aortic dissection ( P = 0.034 < 0.05), while it increased in chronic ascending aortic dissection ( P = 0.004 < 0.05). The increased amounts of elastic fiber fragments were negatively correlated with the expression of fibulin-4 mRNA in acute ascending aortic dissection. In conclusion, in aortic wall of ascending aortic dissection, the expression of fibulin-4 protein decreased and the expression of fibulin-4 mRNA was abnormal. Fibulin-4 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of aortic dissection.

Abstract P4-05-01: Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus Vector G47Δ Effectively Targets Breast Cancer Stem Cells

Breast tumors can be classified according to their gene-expression profiles into different molecular subtypes with distinct biological and clinical features. Moreover, different subtypes show distinct responses to different therapeutic regimens, thereby resulting in markedly different outcomes. Recently, accumulating evidence has suggested that breast cancer originates from cancer stem cells (CSCs), which comprise a small percentage of the overall tumor but are highly tumorigenic and pluripotent with unlimited proliferation potential. Furthermore, cancer stem cells are highly resistant to conventional treatment, which potentially explains certain difficulties in treating cancer with current therapy options. The use of oncolytic viruses is a relatively new strategy in cancer therapy, oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV) has been shown to be a safe and effective therapeutic approach for a variety of different cancers.

In this study, different types of breast cancer cell lines were cultured in anchorage-independent conditions, the cells typically form mammospheres within 10 days of anchorage-independent culture, which showed properties of CSCs. The mammospheres are capable of being passaged indefinitely and single dissociated mammosphere cells were able to regenerate spheres. Moreover, compared to the parental cell lines, mammoshpere cells were enriched for CD44+CD24− cells and highly expression of the alternative breast cancer stem cell marker ALDH-1.

The third generation oHSV vector G47Δ effectively killed different subtypes of breast cancer cells in vitro, with more than 98% of the tumor cells killed by day 5, even at multiplicities of infection(MOI) 0.01. Moreover, G47Δ equally targeted non-cancer stem cells (NCSCs) and CSCs which showed resistance to paclitaxel. We also demonstrated that G47Δ effectively replicated and spread among CSCs. Moreover, G47Δ impaired the self-renewal ability of CSCs, as the viable cells unable to form secondary tumor spheres. We also showed that G47Δ was able to induce the regression of tumor xenografts in BALB/c nude mice and demonstrated the ability of G47Δ to synergize with paclitaxel for killing both NCSCs and CSCs. This is the first report that oHSV effectively targets different breast cancer NCSCs and CSCs, thereby suggesting that oHSV may be an effective treatment modality for patients with breast cancer.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-05-01.

Abstract P4-09-09: Circulating HER2 extracellular domain (ECD) levels are associated with progression-free survival in metastatic breast cancer patients

Background: The human epidermal growth factor (HER2/neu) oncoprotein is composed of an intracellular tyrosine kinase portion, a short transmembrane section, and an extracellular ligand-binding domain (ECD). The latter is frequently cleaved from the surface of breast cancer cells and the serum HER2 ECD levels can be detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Consistent with majority of reports, our prior study showed that high circulating levels of the HER2 ECD indicates poor prognosis in 207 patients with metastatic breast cancer. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate whether serum HER2 ECD levels would predict the clinical outcome of metastatic breast cancer patients.

Methods: Till May 19, 2012, one hundred ninty metastatic breast cancer patients were followed up. Serum was available from 190 patients at baseline, 46 patients in the assessment of time. Serum HER2 ECD levels were measured by ELISA. Disease state was assessed using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). Progression-free survival (PFS) was defined as the interval from the time of randomization until the first documentation of disease progression or death due to any cause. PFS and median PFS were generated by Kaplan-Meier spots.

Results: Elevated baseline HER2 ECD levels (bECD) (≥15 ng/ml) were observed in 40% (40/100) of patients with HER2-amplified tumors and 21.8% (19/87) of patients with HER2-negative tumors. Patients with bECD-elevated disease had a median PFS of 356 days compared with 229 days for patients with bECD-low disease(P = 0.001). In HER2-amplified cohort, median PFS for patients with low bECD levels was longer than those with bECD-elevated disease (391 days v 226 days, P = 0.005). And patients with low bECD levels treated with Herceptin-based regimen (n = 36) had a trend of longer PFS than patients(n = 24) treated with non-Herceptin regimen(447 days v 298 days, P = 0.227). Moreover, bECD-low patients (n = 36) showed a significantly longer median PFS than bECD-elevated patients(n = 22) when treated with Herceptin-based scheme (447 days v 229 days, P = 0.004). While, in patients with increased bECD levels, there was no statistical difference between Herceptin-treated groups (n = 22) and non-Herceptin-treated groups (n = 14) (229 days v 173 days, P = 0.761). In the HER2-negative group, patients with bECD-low disease had a median PFS of 313 days compared with 206 days for patients with bECD-elevated disease (P = 0.02). In a cohort of 46 patients whose HER2 ECD levels were monitored during treatment, 29 patients remains low ECD levels, 12 patients convert from elevated to low, 2 patients convert from low to high, and 3 patients remains elevated HER2 ECD levels. The patients who remained low ECD levels or achieved low ECD leves have significantly longer PFS than those whose levels remained above 15ng/mL or converted from low to high regardless of treatment given (440 days v 192days, P = 0.019).

Conclusion: Elevated HER2 bECD predicts poor median PFS irrespective of HER2 status. HER2-amplified patients with low-HER2 ECD levels may get more benefit from Herceptin-based scheme. Remained low-HER2 ECD levels or decreases in serum HER2 ECD levels during treatment were associated with longer median PFS in metastatic breast cancer.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-09-09.