Overexpression of p53 and prognosis in breast cancer

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 expression affects clinicopathological features and prognosis of aflatoxin B1-related hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The dysregulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP3) was positively correlated with the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it is not clear whether TIMP3 expression is associated with the clinicopathological features and prognosis of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-related HCC (AHCC).

AIM

To assess the effects of TIMP3 expression on the clinicopathological features and prognosis of AHCC.

METHODS

A retrospective study, including 182 patients with AHCC, was conducted to explore the link between TIMP3 expression in cancerous tissues and the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of AHCC. TIMP3 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry and its effects on the clinicopathological features and prognosis of AHCC were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression survival analysis. Odds ratio, hazard ratio (HR), median overall survival time (MST), median tumor recurrence-free survival time (MRT), and corresponding 95% confidential interval (CI) was calculated to evaluate the potential of TIMP3 expression in predicting AHCC prognosis.

RESULTS

Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that compared with high TIMP3 expression, low TIMP3 expression in tumor tissues significantly decreased the MST (36.00 mo vs 18.00 mo) and MRT (32.00 mo vs 16 mo) of patients with AHCC. Multivariate Cox regression survival analysis further proved that decreased expression of TIMP3 increased the risk of death (HR = 2.85, 95%CI: 2.04-4.00) and tumor recurrence (HR = 2.26, 95%CI: 1.57-3.26). Furthermore, decreased expression of TIMP3 protein in tissues with AHCC was significantly correlated with tumor clinicopathological features, such as tumor size, tumor grade and stage, tumor microvessel density, and tumor blood invasion. Additionally, TIMP3 protein expression was also negatively associated with amount of AFB1-DNA adducts in tumor tissues.

CONCLUSION

These findings indicate that the dysregulation of TIMP3 expression is related to AHCC biological behaviors and affects tumor outcome, suggesting that TIMP3 may act as a prognostic biomarker for AHCC.

Expression of DNA mismatch repair gene hMLH1 and its significance in gastric cancer and premalignant lesions

AIM: To investigate the expression of DNA mismatch repair gene hMLH1 and its clinical significances in gastric cancer and premalignant lesions.

METHODS: Immunohistochemical technique was used to detect the expression of hMLH1 protein in 20 cases of chronic superficial gastritis, 20 cases of chronic atrophic gastritis complicated with intestinal metaplasia, 8 cases of adenomatous polyp, 58 cases of gastric cancer and the corresponding cancer-adjacent mucosa.

RESULTS: The hMLH1 protein was expressed mostly in epithelial cytoplasm and a little in cell nucleus. The positive rate of hMLH1 expression in chronic superficial gastritis and chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia were all 90%, which were significantly higher (χ² = 9.741, P = 0.02) than those in adenomatous polyp (62.5%) and the corresponding cancer-adjacent mucosa (62.1%). The positive rate of hMLH1 expression was not significantly different between gastric cancer (72.4%) and the others (P > 0.05). Of 58 cases of cancer-adjacent mucosa, 21 (36.2%) were with chronic superficial gastritis, and 37 (63.8%) with chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia. The positive rates of hMLH1 expression were similar between the 21 and 37 cases, but they were both markedly lower than those in the nonneoplastic mucosa (χ² = 9.885, P = 0.02).

CONCLUSION: Absence of hMLH1 expression may be one of the early molecular events in the carcinogenesis of gastric cancer. Timely visiting and monitoring chronic gastric patients with absence of hMLH1 protein expression may help to achieve early diagnosis of gastric cancer.

Overexpression of annexin 1 in pancreatic cancer and its clinical significance

AIM: To investigate the expression of annexin I in pancreatic cancer and its relationship with the clinicopathologic factors, and to evaluate its potential clinical significance.

METHODS: Annexin I expression was analyzed by Western blot and immunohistochemical staining in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and multi-tissue microarrays (MTAs).

RESULTS: Western blot analysis showed that annexin I was overexpressed in 84.6% (11/13) pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. Immunohistochemistry analysis of pancreatic cancer in MTAs showed that annexin I protein was 71.4% (30/42) positive which was markedly increased compared with that in the tumor matched normal pancreas tissues 18.4% (7/38) (P < 0.01). In the meantime, the high expression of annexin 1 was correlated with the poor differentiation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

CONCLUSION: Annexin 1 overexpression is a frequent biological marker and correlates with the differentiation of pancreatic cancer during tumorigenesis.