Galectin-3 is associated with a poor prognosis in primary hepatocellular carcinoma

Zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1: its clinical significance and functional role in human thyroid cancer

Objective

Transcription factor zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), as one of the key inducers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, has been reported to be regulated by microRNA-144 and Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3, which both promote thyroid cancer cell invasion. However, the involvement of ZEB1 in thyroid cancer has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role and clinical implication of ZEB1 in this disease.

Methods

Immunohistochemistry was performed to examine the subcellular localization and the expression level of ZEB1 protein in 82 self-pairs of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded cancerous and adjacent noncancerous tissues obtained from patients with thyroid cancer. The roles of ZEB1 in thyroid cancer cell migration, invasion, and proliferation were also detected by transwell and MTT analyses, respectively.

Results

Immunohistochemistry showed that ZEB1 was predominantly localized in the nucleus of thyroid cancer cells. Its immunoreactive score in thyroid cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in adjacent noncancerous tissues (P=0.01). In addition, ZEB1 overexpression was significantly associated with the advanced tumor node metastasis staging (P=0.008), the positive lymph node metastasis (P=0.01) and distant metastasis (P=0.02). Furthermore, ZEB1 knockdown by siRNA could efficiently inhibit the migration, invasion, and proliferation abilities of thyroid cancer cells in vitro.

Conclusion

These findings indicated that ZEB1 might function as an oncogene, the overexpression of which was associated with the aggressive tumor progression of human thyroid cancer. Interestingly, ZEB1 also could promote thyroid cancer cell migration, invasion, and proliferation, suggesting that the inhibition of this protein might be a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of this malignancy.

The clinical significance of preoperative serum cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels in hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose: To evaluate the prognostic role of the preoperative plasma lipid profile, including low-density lipoprotein -cholesterol [LDL-C], high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol [HDL-C], cholesterol, and triglycerides, in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing radical resection.

Methods: Clinical data, including the preoperative plasma profile levels, were retrospectively collected and reviewed in 1411 hepatocellular carcinoma patients, who underwent operation between 2001 and 2010. Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazards regression model were used in analyzing the DFS and OS.

Results: We found that HDL-C ≤ 0.88 mmol/L and cholesterol ≤ 4.420 mmol/L were preoperative risk factors of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). A decreased CHO level was significantly associated with decreased OS (HR, 0.800; 95% CI, (0.691-0.926), P =0.003) and decreased DFS (HR, 0.844; 95% CI, 0.737-0.966, P=0.012). Additionally, an increased HDL-C level was shown significant association with increased OS (HR, 0.679; 95% CI, 0.570-0.808, P<0.01) and DFS (HR, 2.085; 95% CI, 1.271- 3.422, P = 0.002). In the univariate and multivariate analyses involving OS and DFS, no significant relativity were observed between the LDL-C and TG groups.

Conclusions: Decreased levels of CHO and HDL might predict worse outcomes both DFS and OS for hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

Increased Expression of FGF19 Contributes to Tumor Progression and Cell Motility of Human Thyroid Cancer

OBJECTIVE

Numerous reports indicate a role for aberrant expression of fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) in tumor development and progression, and several drugs have been developed to target it. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of FGF19 and examine whether it plays any roles in progression of thyroid cancer.

STUDY DESIGN

Translation research.

SETTING

Navy General Hospital of Chinese PLA, China.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Expression patterns of FGF19 protein in 100 paired formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded cancerous and adjacent noncancerous tissues from patients with thyroid cancer were detected by immunohistochemistry. Then, in vitro migration and invasion assays of siRNA-targeted FGF19-transfected cells were performed.

RESULTS

Positive immunostaining of FGF19 protein expression was localized in cytoplasm with or without membrane of malignant cells and was observed in 82 (82.0%) of 100 patients with thyroid cancer. Statistically, the expression level of FGF19 protein in thyroid cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in normal tissues. In addition, FGF19 overexpression was significantly associated with the advanced tumor node metastasis staging (P = .008), the presence of extrathyroidal invasion (P = .01), lymph nodes metastasis (P = .01), and distant metastasis (P = .02). Furthermore, knockdown of FGF19 by transfection of siRNA-FGF19 could efficiently suppress the migration and invasion abilities of thyroid cancer cells in vitro.

CONCLUSION

Our data revealed that the increased expression of FGF19 might be involved in the malignant behaviors of thyroid cancer, highlighting its potential as a molecular marker for early diagnosis and as a possible target for therapeutic intervention of this disease.

Genetic and epigenetic aspects of initiation and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary cancer of the liver that is predominant in developing countries and is responsible for nearly 600000 deaths each year worldwide. Similar to many other tumors, the development of HCC must be understood as a multistep process involving the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations in regulatory genes, leading to the activation of oncogenes and the inactivation or loss of tumor suppressor genes. Extensive research over the past decade has identified a number of molecular biomarkers, including aberrant expression of HCC-related genes and microRNAs. The challenge facing HCC research and clinical care at this time is to address the heterogeneity and complexity of these genetic and epigenetic alterations and to use this information to direct rational diagnosis and treatment strategies. The multikinase inhibitor sorafenib was the first molecularly targeted drug for HCC to show some extent of survival benefits in patients with advanced tumors. Although the results obtained using sorafenib support the importance of molecular therapies in the treatment of HCC, there is still room for improvement. In addition, no molecular markers for drug sensitivity, recurrence and prognosis are currently clinically available. In this review, we provide an overview of recently published articles addressing HCC-related genes and microRNAs to update what is currently known regarding genetic and epigenetic aspects of the pathogenesis of HCC and propose novel promising candidates for use as diagnostic and therapeutic targets in HCC.

Increased expression of annexin A1 predicts poor prognosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma and enhances cell malignant phenotype

Annexin A1 (ANXA1) belongs to the annexin superfamily of proteins, which contribute to the pathological consequence and sequelae of most serious human diseases. Recent studies have reported diverse roles of ANXA1 in various human cancers; however, its involvement in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still remains controversial. To investigate the expression pattern of ANXA1 in HCC tissues and evaluate its associations with tumor progression and patients' prognosis, immunohistochemistry was performed using 160 pairs of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded cancerous and adjacent non-cancerous tissues from patients with HCC. Then, the associations between ANXA1 expression, clinicopathological characteristics, and prognosis of HCC patients were statistically evaluated. In vitro migration and invasion assays of siRNA-targeted ANXA1-transfected cells were further performed. As a result, the expression levels of ANXA1 protein in HCC tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent non-cancerous tissues (P < 0.001). High ANXA1 expression was closely correlated with advanced TNM stage (P = 0.001) and high Edmondson grade (P = 0.02). Then, univariate and multivariate analyses showed that the status of ANXA1 expression was an independent predictor for overall survival of HCC patients. Furthermore, knockdown of ANXA1 by transfection of siRNA-ANXA1 could suppress the migration and invasion abilities of HCC cells in vitro. Collectively, these findings offer the convincing evidence that ANXA1 may play an important role in HCC progression and can be used as a molecular marker to predict prognosis and a potential target for therapeutic intervention of HCC.