Correlation of sex-determining region Y-box 30 with tumor characteristics and its prognostic value in breast cancer

SOX30 Overexpression Reflects Tumor Invasive Degree, Lymph Node Metastasis and Predicts Better Survival in Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Long-Term Follow-Up Cohort Study

Aims

Sex-determining region Y-box containing gene 30 (SOX30) takes part in the progression of several cancers, while its clinical engagement in colorectal cancer (CRC) is obscure. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the association of SOX30 with clinicopathological features and prognosis in CRC patients.

Methods

Tumor and adjacent noncancerous specimens of 195 CRC patients who received resection were acquired. Furthermore, an immunohistochemistry assay was performed to detect SOX30 protein expression in these specimens; meanwhile, SOX30 mRNA expression was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay in 95 out of 195 specimens. Moreover, clinical characteristics and survival data (follow-up duration median (range): 71.0 (7.0-95.0) months) of CRC patients were gathered.

Results

SOX30 protein and mRNA expressions were both decreased in CRC tumor tissue compared to adjacent tissue (both P < 0.001). Furthermore, a negative correlation was found in tumor SOX30 protein expression with tumor size (P = 0.049), lymph node (LYN) metastasis (P = 0.018), T stage (P = 0.001), N stage (P = 0.034), and TNM stage (P = 0.001); tumor SOX30 mRNA expression was also negatively correlated with LYN metastasis (P = 0.001), T stage (P = 0.019), N stage (P = 0.004), and TNM stage (P < 0.001). Furthermore, tumor SOX30 protein expression was positively correlated with overall survival (OS) (P = 0.017), while tumor SOX30 mRNA expression was not correlated with OS (P = 0.070). Multivariate Cox’s regression analysis illustrated that tumor SOX30 protein high expression was an independent factor for favorable OS (hazard ratio: 0.525, P = 0.034).

Conclusions

SOX30 has potential as a biomarker for the progression and prognostication of CRC, which might improve the management of CRC.

Understanding the function and regulation of Sox2 for its therapeutic potential in breast cancer

Sox family of transcriptional factors play essential functions in development and are implicated in multiple clinical disorders, including cancer. Sox2 being their most prominent member and performing a critical role in reprogramming differentiated adult cells to an embryonic phenotype is frequently upregulated in multiple cancers. High Sox2 levels are detected in breast tumor tissues and correlate with a worse prognosis. In addition, Sox2 expression is connected with resistance to conventional anticancer therapy. Together, it can be said that inhibiting Sox2 expression can reduce the malignant features associated with breast cancer, including invasion, migration, proliferation, stemness, and chemoresistance. This review highlights the critical roles played by the Sox gene family members in initiating or suppressing breast tumor development, while primarily focusing on Sox2 and its role in breast tumor initiation, maintenance, and progression, elucidates the probable mechanisms that control its activity, and puts forward potential therapeutic strategies to inhibit its expression.

Higher tumor protein kinase D1 correlates with increased tumor size, BCLC stage, CA199 level, AFP level and worse overall survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

OBJECTIVE

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Protein kinase D1 (PKD1) is recognized as a key regulator in the progression in several solid cancers, while its clinical role in HCC is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation of PKD1 with clinical features and prognosis in HCC patients.

METHODS

A total of 218 HCC patients who underwent resection were retrospectively enrolled. PKD1 expression in tumor (N = 218) and adjacent (N = 110) tissues was detected by immunohistochemical staining, scored by a semi-quantitative scoring method ranging from 0 to 12, and further classified as PKD1-, PKD1+, PKD1++ and PKD1+++ for analysis. Meanwhile, patients' clinical features and survival data were acquired from the database.

RESULTS

PKD1 was elevated in tumor tissues compared with adjacent tissues. Meanwhile, higher tumor PKD1 was correlated with elevated tumor size, Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage, carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199) level and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) level; while no correlation was found in tumor PKD1 with patients' basic features or liver function indexes. Moreover, higher tumor PKD1 was correlated with worse overall survival (OS) in HCC patients, then further validated as an independent predictive factor for worse OS by multivariate Cox's regression model analysis. Additionally, in Child-Pugh stage A, Child-Pugh stage B, BCLC stage 0/A, and BCLC stage B subgroups, higher tumor PKD1 was also correlated with worse OS.

CONCLUSION

Higher PKD1 in tumor tissues correlates with elevated BCLC stage, bigger tumor size, increased CA199 level, higher AFP level and worse OS in HCC patients.

Tumor Forkhead Box Q1 Is Elevated, Correlates with Increased Tumor Size, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Stage but Worse Overall Survival in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Patients

Background: Forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1) regulates epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while its prognostic effect in EOC patients is unclear. This study aimed to assess FOXQ1 expression in EOC patients by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and to analyze its correlation with EOC patients' clinical features and prognosis. Materials and Methods: FOXQ1 protein level in tumor and adjacent tissues from 173 EOC patients who underwent resection was detected by IHC staining and further scored by a semiquantitative scoring method; meanwhile, FOXQ1 mRNA level in tumor and adjacent tissues from 105 out of 173 EOC patients (whose fresh-frozen tissues were available) was detected by RT-qPCR. Besides, EOC patients' clinical features and survival data were collected. Results: Both FOXQ1 protein (n = 173) and mRNA (n = 105) levels were increased in tumor tissues compared with adjacent tissues (both p < 0.001) in EOC patients. Meanwhile, tumor FOXQ1 protein level was positively correlated with tumor size (p = 0.005) and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (p = 0.037), while FOXQ1 tumor mRNA level was only positively correlated with tumor size (p = 0.015) in EOC patients; however, they were not correlated with other clinical features such as histological subtypes, tumor differentiation, peritoneal cytology, and so on (all p > 0.05). Moreover, FOXQ1 protein (p = 0.030) and mRNA (p = 0.011) levels in tumors were both correlated with worse overall survival (OS) in EOC patients. Conclusion: FOXQ1 is elevated in tumor tissues, and its high tumor expression correlates with increased tumor size, elevated FIGO stage, and worse OS in EOC patients.

Role of SOX Protein Groups F and H in Lung Cancer Progression

Simple Summary

The expression of SOX proteins has been demonstrated in many tissues at various stages of embryogenesis, where they play the role of transcription factors. The SOX18 protein (along with SOX7 and SOX17) belongs to the SOXF group and is mainly involved in the development of the cardiovascular system, where its expression was found in the endothelium. SOX18 expression was also demonstrated in neoplastic lines of gastric, pancreatic and colon adenocarcinomas. The prognostic role of SOX30 expression has only been studied in lung adenocarcinomas, where a low expression of this factor in the stromal tumor was associated with a worse prognosis for patients. Because of the complexity of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) development, the role of the SOX proteins in this malignancy is still not fully understood. Many recently published papers show that SOX family protein members play a crucial role in the progression of NSCLC.

Abstract

The SOX family proteins are proved to play a crucial role in the development of the lymphatic ducts and the cardiovascular system. Moreover, an increased expression level of the SOX18 protein has been found in many malignances, such as melanoma, stomach, pancreatic breast and lung cancers. Another SOX family protein, the SOX30 transcription factor, is responsible for the development of male germ cells. Additionally, recent studies have shown its proapoptotic character in non-small cell lung cancer cells. Our preliminary studies showed a disparity in the amount of mRNA of the SOX18 gene relative to the amount of protein. This is why our attention has been focused on microRNA (miRNA) molecules, which could regulate the SOX18 gene transcript level. Recent data point to the fact that, in practically all types of cancer, hundreds of genes exhibit an abnormal methylation, covering around 5–10% of the thousands of CpG islands present in the promoter sequences, which in normal cells should not be methylated from the moment the embryo finishes its development. It has been demonstrated that in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases there is a large heterogeneity of the methylation process. The role of the SOX18 and SOX30 expression in non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) is not yet fully understood. However, if we take into account previous reports, these proteins may be important factors in the development and progression of these malignancies.

Correlation of sex-determining region Y-box 30 with tumor characteristics and its prognostic value in breast cancer

Objective

Sex‐determining region Y‐box 30 (SOX30) suppresses progression of several cancers, whereas its role in breast cancer is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to determine the correlation of SOX30 with tumor characteristics and prognosis in breast cancer patients.

Methods

The tumor samples of 510 breast cancer patients who underwent resection were obtained, and SOX30 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Clinical characteristics, disease‐free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) of breast cancer patients were recorded.

Results

There were 368 breast cancer patients in SOX30 low‐expression group and 142 in SOX30 high‐expression group. SOX30 was negatively correlated with tumor size (P = .010), tumor (T) stage (P < .001), node (N) stage (P = .001), and tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) stage (P < .001) in breast cancer patients. For prognosis, patients in SOX30 high‐expression group had prolonged DFS (P = .011) and OS (P = .002); moreover, increased SOX30 grade (assessed by semi‐quantitative scoring method assessment) was correlated with better DFS (P = .015) and OS (P = .014). Univariate Cox's regression analysis disclosed that SOX30 high expression was correlated with enhanced DFS (P = .012, hazard ratio (HR) = 0.582) and OS (P = .002, HR = 0.389); however, multivariate Cox's regression analysis revealed that SOX30 could not independently predict DFS (P = .224, HR = 0.766) or OS (P = .087, HR = 0.582) in breast cancer patients, indicating it might interact with other independent predictive factors (such as pathological differentiation, T stage, and N stage) to influence DFS and OS in breast cancer patients.

Conclusion

Sex‐determining region Y‐box 30 is a potential prognostic biomarker in breast cancer, which might contribute to the better outcome of breast cancer patients.