Serum matrix metalloproteinase 8 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1: Potential markers for malignant transformation of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis and for prognosis of laryngeal cancer

Expression levels and clinical significance of miR-203 and miR-133b in laryngeal carcinoma

The present study aimed to investigate the expression levels and clinical significance of microRNA (miR)-203 and miR-133b in laryngeal carcinoma. A total of 154 patients with laryngeal carcinoma (research group) along with 100 healthy individuals (control group) were enrolled in the study. The patients were admitted to Yidu Central Hospital of Weifang (Weifang, China) from February 2016 to October 2018. Fasting venous blood (5 ml) was extracted from all subjects to determine the expression levels of serum miR-203 and miR-133b by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and to compare them among patients with different pathological characteristics. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to analyze the diagnostic values of miR-203 and miR-133b for laryngeal carcinoma. The research group showed significantly lower expression levels of miR-203 and miR-133b than the control group (P<0.05). According to ROC curve analysis, when the cut-off value was 0.659, the sensitivity and specificity of miR-203 in diagnosing laryngeal carcinoma were 60.00 and 90.26%, respectively, whereas when the cut-off value was 1.398, the sensitivity and specificity of miR-133b were 55.00 and 87.66%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the joint detection were 70.00 and 83.77%, respectively, when the cut-off value was 0.416. In the research group, miR-203 was expressed significantly different in patients with different pathological stages and tumor types (P<0.050). The expression of miR-133b varied significantly in patients with different pathological stages, differentiation degrees and lymph node metastasis (P<0.050). In conclusion, miR-203 and miR-133b were expressed at low levels in patients with laryngeal carcinoma. The expression of miR-203 was related to tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and tumor type, whereas the expression of miR-133b was related to TNM stage, differentiation degree, as well as lymph node metastasis. Joint detection of miR-203 and miR-133b is expected to be an excellent marker for the diagnosis and treatment of laryngeal carcinoma.

The Anti-tumor Activity and Mechanisms of rLj-RGD3 on Human Laryngeal Squamous Carcinoma Hep2 Cells

BACKGROUND

Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LSCC) is a malignant epithelial tumor with poor prognosis and its incidence rate increased recently. rLj-RGD3, a recombinant protein cloned from the buccal gland of Lampetra japonica, contains three RGD motifs that could bind to integrins on the tumor cells.

METHODS

MTT assay was used to detect the inhibitory rate of viability. Giemsa's staining assay was used to observe the morphological changes of cells. Hoechst 33258 and TUNEL staining assay, DNA ladder assay were used to examine the apoptotic. Western blot assay was applied to detect the change of the integrin signal pathway. Wound-healing assay, migration, and invasion assay were used to detect the mobility of Hep2 cells. H&E staining assay was used to show the arrangement of the Hep2 cells in the solid tumor tissues.

RESULTS

In the present study, rLj-RGD3 was shown to inhibit the viability of LSCC Hep2 cells in vitro by inducing apoptosis with an IC50 of 1.23µM. Western blot showed that the apoptosis of Hep2 cells induced by rLj- RGD3 was dependent on the integrin-FAK-Akt pathway. Wound healing, transwells, and western blot assays in vitro showed that rLj-RGD3 suppressed the migration and invasion of Hep2 cells by integrin-FAKpaxillin/ PLC pathway which could also affect the cytoskeleton arrangement in Hep2 cells. In in vivo studies, rLj-RGD3 inhibited the growth, tumor volume, and weight, as well as disturbed the tissue structure of the solid tumors in xenograft models of BALB/c nude mice without reducing their body weights.

CONCLUSION

These results suggested that rLj-RGD3 is an effective and safe suppressor on the growth and metastasis of LSCC Hep2 cells from both in vitro and in vivo experiments. rLj-RGD3 might be expected to become a novel anti-tumor drug to treat LSCC patients in the near future.