Low expression of IGFBP-3 predicts poor prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Construction and validation of a novel IGFBP3-related signature to predict prognosis and therapeutic decision making for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

IGFBP3 plays a pivotal role in carcinogenesis by being anomalously expressed in some malignancies. However, the clinical value of IGFBP3 and the role of IGFBP3-related signature in HCC remain unclear.

Methods

Multiple bioinformatics methods were used to determine the expression and diagnostic values of IGFBP3. The expression level of IGFBP3 was validated by RT-qPCR and IHC. A IGFBP3-related risk score (IGRS) was built via correlation analysis and LASSO Cox regression analysis. Further analyses, including functional enrichment, immune status of risk groups were analyzed, and the role of IGRS in guiding clinical treatment was also evaluated.

Results

IGFBP3 expression was significantly downregulated in HCC. IGFBP3 expression correlated with multiple clinicopathological characteristics and demonstrated a powerful diagnostic capability for HCC. In addition, a novel IGRS signature was developed in TCGA, which exhibited good performance for prognosis prediction and its role was further validated in GSE14520. In TCGA and GSE14520, Cox analysis also confirmed that the IGRS could serve as an independent prognostic factor for HCC. Moreover, a nomogram with good accuracy for predicting the survival of HCC was further formulated. Additionally, enrichment analysis showed that the high-IGRS group was enriched in cancer-related pathways and immune-related pathways. Additionally, patients with high IGRS exhibited an immunosuppressive phenotype. Therefore, patients with low IGRS scores may benefit from immunotherapy.

Conclusions

IGFBP3 can act as a new diagnostic factor for HCC. IGRS signature represents a valuable predictive tool in the prognosis prediction and therapeutic decision making for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Exosomes-derived miR-154-5p attenuates esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression and angiogenesis by targeting kinesin family member 14

Exosomes participate in the progression and angiogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). This study aimed to explore the effect and mechanism of exosomes-derived miR-154-5p on the progression and angiogenesis of ESCC. The exosomes with the diameter of 40-270 nm were successfully isolated from ESCC cells by ultracentrifugation. They were then assessed by transmission electron microscope (TEM), nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and Western blotting. Kinesin family member 14 (KIF14) was upregulated, while miR-154-5p was downregulated in ESCC as examined by Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Exosomes-derived miR-154-5p from ESCC cells was found to attenuate the cellular migration, invasion, and angiogenesis of ESCC using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), wound healing assay, transwell migration assay, and tumor formation assays. Moreover, KIF14 was proven to be a direct downstream target gene of miR-154-5p in ESCC cells using luciferase assay. In conclusion, our study identified that exosomes-derived miR-154-5p attenuates ESCC progression and angiogenesis by targeting KIF14 in vitro, which might provide a novel approach for the diagnosis and treatment of ESCC.

IGFBP-3 and TGF-β inhibit growth in epithelial cells by stimulating type V TGF-β receptor (TβR-V)-mediated tumor suppressor signaling

The TGF-β type V receptor (TβR-V) mediates growth inhibition by IGFBP-3 and TGF-β in epithelial cells and loss of TβR-V expression in these cells leads to development of carcinoma. The mechanisms by which TβR-V mediates growth inhibition (tumor suppressor) signaling remain elusive. Previous studies revealed that IGFBP-3 and TGF-β inhibit growth in epithelial cells by stimulating TβR-V-mediated IRS-1/2-dependent activation and cytoplasm-to-nucleus translocation of IGFBP-3- or TGF-β-stimulated protein phosphatase (PPase), resulting in dephosphorylation of pRb-related proteins (p107, p130) or pRb, and growth arrest. To define the signaling, we characterized/identified the IGFBP-3- and TGF-β-stimulated PPases in cell lysates and nucleus fractions in Mv1Lu cells treated with IGFBP-3 and TGF-β, using a cell-free assay with 32P-labeled casein as a substrate. Both IGFBP-3- and TGF-β-stimulated PPase activities in cell lysates are abolished when cells are co-treated with TGF-β/IGFBP-3 antagonist or RAP (LRP-1/TβR-V antagonist). However, the IGFBP-3-stimulated PPase activity, but not TGF-β-stimulated PPase activity, is sensitive to inhibition by okadaic acid (OA). In addition, OA or PP2Ac siRNA reverses IGFBP-3 growth inhibition, but not TGF-β growth inhibition, in Mv1Lu and 32D cells. These suggest that IGFBP-3- and TGF-β-stimulated PPases are identical to PP2A and PP1, respectively. By Western blot/phosphorimager/immunofluorescence-microscopy analyses, IGFBP-3 and TGF-β stimulate TβR-V-mediated IRS-2-dependent activation and cytoplasm-to-nucleus translocation of PP2Ac and PP1c, resulting in dephosphorylation of p130/p107 and pRb, respectively, and growth arrest. Small molecule TGF-β enhancers, which potentiate TGF-β growth inhibition by enhancing TβR-I-TβR-II-mediated canonical signaling and thus activating TβR-V-mediated tumor suppressor signaling cascade (TβR-V/IRS-2/PP1/pRb), could be used to prevent and treat carcinoma.

The Prognostic Values of the Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein Family in Ovarian Cancer

Purpose

To assess the expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP) family and its prognostic impact in ovarian cancer (OC) patients.

Materials and Methods

The mRNA expression and protein expression of individual IGFBPs in healthy ovarian samples and OC tissues were explored through Oncomine, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis, and Human Protein Atlas database. Additionally, the prognostic values of the six IGFBP members in patients with OC were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier plotter.

Results

IGFBP2 and IGFBP4 mRNA expression were remarkably upregulated in patients with OC. To be specific, the mRNA expression of IGFBP2 was upregulated in patients with serous ovarian cancer (SOC), while IGFBP1/3/4/5/6 mRNA levels were downregulated. In addition, the IGFBP4 protein expression was upregulated in SOC, and the IGFBP6 protein expression was upregulated in both of SOC and endometrioid ovarian cancer (EOC) tissues. High IGFBP1 mRNA levels showed favorable overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in all OC. Meanwhile, increased IGFBP5/6 mRNA levels revealed worsen OS and PFS in all OC patients. IGFBP4/6 mRNA levels predicted unfavorable OS and PFS only in SOC patients. Moreover, the aberrant mRNA expression of IGFBP1/2/4/5/6 was correlated with significantly prognosis in patients receiving different chemotherapeutic regimens.

Conclusion

This study indicates that the IGFBP family reveals distinct prognosis in patients with OC. IGFBP1/2/4/5/6 are useful prognostic predictors for chemotherapeutic effect in OC patients, and IGFBP2/4 are potential tumor markers for the diagnosis of OC.

Uncovering the Mechanism of the Effects of Pien-Tze-Huang on Liver Cancer Using Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

Pien-Tze-Huang (PTH) has a long history in the treatment of liver cancer. However, its molecular mechanism of action remains unclear. TCMSP and TCM were used to collect the active ingredients. Bioactive compounds targets were predicted by reverse pharmacophore models. The antiliver cancer targets of PTH were selected by gene comparison of liver cancer in the GEO database. Molecular docking was used to verify the binding activity of the targets and the active ingredients. The DAVID was used to analyze the gene function and signal pathway. A model was built with Cytoscape. The core genes were obtained by PPI network. We screened the 4 main medicinal ingredients of PTH to obtain 16 active ingredient, 190 potential targets, and 6 core genes. We found that active small molecules exert anticancer effects by multiple pathways. The core genes were involved in multiple biological processes. We also found that eight chemical components play a greater role in inhibiting liver cancer. PTH achieves the effect of inhibiting liver cancer through the synergistic effect of multiple components, multiple targets, and multiple pathways. This study provides a potential scientific basis for further elucidating the molecular mechanism of action of PTH against liver cancer.

Clinical significance of serum IGFBP-3 in colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

IGF-binding protein 3（IGFBP-3）has previously been identified as tumor marker. The present study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of serum IGFBP-3 in colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

Serum was collected from 70 CRC patients and 50 healthy volunteer controls. Serum IGFBP-3 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels were measured using electrogenerated chemiluminescence immunoassay and compared between groups. Relationships between serum IGFBP-3 level and the clinical characteristics of CRC were also analyzed. A receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to investigate diagnostic efficacy of serum IGFBP-3 and CEA, respectively, for CRC. Data were analyzed using SPSS 13.0.

RESULTS

Serum IGFBP-3 levels in CRC were lower than those of controls (4.68 [3.56, 5.77] vs 5.44 [4.77, 6.10] µg/mL, P < 0.05). Furthermore, serum IGFBP-3 levels were higher in early cancer stages (I and II) than those of advanced stages (III and IV) (4.78 [3.92, 5.49] vs 3.77 [2.65, 4.59] µg/mL, P < 0.05). In addition, patients with lymph node metastasis absent had elevated serum IGFBP-3 levels than those of patients with lymph node metastasis present (4.73 [3.92, 5.72] vs 4.11 [2.45, 4.83] µg/mL, P = 0.02). Finally, ROC curve indicated that serum IGFBP-3 had a better diagnostic power for CRC than CEA. When serum IGFBP-3 and carcinoembryonic antigen were used together to detect CRC, the AUC was 0.949, with a sensitivity of 75% and a specificity of 90%.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum IGFBP-3 might be a potential biomarker for CRC.

Low expression levels of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 are correlated with poor prognosis for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) has previously been identified as a putative tumor suppressor gene. The present study investigated the clinical and prognostic significance of IGFBP-3 expression levels in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) probing for IGFBP-3 was performed on paraffin-embedded tissue samples obtained from 120 patients with HCC, including tissue samples from 120 primary cancer sites and 50 matched adjacent non-malignant sites. Receiver-operator curve (ROC) analysis was used to determine the cut-off scores for the presence of IGFBP-3-positive tumor cells and to estimate the survival time of the patients. The threshold for marking the positive expression of IGFBP-3 was 65%, based on the area under the ROC. Positive expression of IGFBP-3 was observed in 65/120 (54.2%) of the HCC tissues, and in 36/50 (72%) of the adjacent non-malignant liver tissues. Low levels of IGFBP-3 expression were correlated with tumor size (P=0.003), tumor multiplicity (P=0.044), node (P=0.008), metastasis (P=0.001) and clinical stage (P=0.001), as well as reduced survival time (P=0.015). Using univariate survival analysis, a significant direct correlation between high and low IGFBP-3 expression levels, and patient survival time (mean survival time high IGFBP-3, 39.4 vs. low IGFBP-3, 18.7 months) was identified. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that IGFBP-3 expression levels and patients survival time were significantly correlated (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed IGFBP-3 expression to be an independent parameter (P=0.003). Therefore, low levels of IGFBP-3 expression are associated with advance clinicopathological classification and may be a predictor of poor survival in patients with HCC. Furthermore, these findings suggest that IGFBP-3 may serve as an independent molecular marker for the evaluation of prognosis in patients with HCC.

The low IGFBP-3 level is associated with esophageal cancer patients: a meta-analysis

Background

Esophageal cancer was a vital cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and the insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins (IGFBPs) has been proved to be an important factor of multiple types of tumors. There is a controversy that whether the IGFBP-3 level is associated with the clinical pathological characteristics and overall survival of esophageal cancer patients. Herein, we aimed to comprehensively assess the association between the low IGFBP-3 level and the risk, overall survival and clinical pathological characteristics of esophageal cancer.

Method

We conducted a meta-analysis using seven eligible studies. The overall odds ratios (OR)/relative risk (RR) and their corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for each parameter.

Results

For the risk of esophageal cancer, the OR was 2.342 (p = 0.000), indicating that individuals with lower IGFBP-3 level were more likely to suffer from esophageal cancer, compared to those with relatively high IGFBP-3 level. With respect to the 3-year survival rate, the RR was 2.163 (p = 0.027), which demonstrated that esophageal cancer patients with low IGFBP-3 level had significantly lower 3-year survival rate; in terms of clinical pathological characteristics, significantly lower IGFBP-3 level was found for patients in all categories; for survival status, patients in low IGFBP-3 level are more likely to be in the dead survival status (OR = 4.480, p = 0.000).

Conclusion

Our meta-analysis suggests that for esophageal cancer, the low IGFBP-3 level is associated with high cancer risk, poor prognosis, and unfavorable tumor stage and metastasis.

Correlation between insulin‑like growth factor binding protein 3 and metastasis‑associated gene 1 protein in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

The present study aimed to investigate the correlation between insulin‑like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP‑3) and metastasis‑associated gene 1 (MTA1) protein, and the clinicopathological features and prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Patients with ESCC who underwent surgical resection were enrolled in the current study, ESCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues (control) were obtained from 197 patients. The protein expression levels of IGFBP‑3 and MTA1 were detected using immunohistochemistry. The results demonstrated that the expression of IGFBP‑3 in ESCC tissues was significantly lower than in the adjacent normal tissues (27.4 vs. 40.6%; P<0.05), and was negatively correlated with smoking status, degree of tumor differentiation and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). The expression of MTA1 protein in ESCC tissues was significantly higher than that of the adjacent tissues (42.1 vs. 11.2%; P<0.05), and was positively correlated with the tumor size, extent of tumor invasion and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). No association was identified between the protein expression levels of IGFBP‑3 and MTA1. The protein expression levels of IGFBP‑3 and MTA1 were not independent risk factors for ESCC prognosis; however, the degree of tumor invasion (P=0.02) and rate of lymph node metastasis (P=0.027) were. IGFBP‑3 inhibits the proliferation and metastasis of ESCC; however, MTA1 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of ESCC. There is no interaction between IGFBP‑3 and MTA1 in ESCC, and they are not independent risk factors for ESCC prognosis.

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 is a new predictor of radiosensitivity on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) plays an essential role in radiosensitivity of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the underlying mechanism is not completely understood. Here, we observed that IGFBP-3 had favorable impact on the tumorigenicity of ESCC cells in nude mice by using an in vivo imaging system (IVIS) to monitor tumor growth treated with ionizing radiation (IR). Downregulation of IGFBP-3 expression enhanced tumor growth, inhibited anti-proliferative and apoptotic activity and result in IR resistance in vivo. Cell cycle antibody array suggested that silencing IGFBP-3 promoted transition from G0/G1 to S phase, perhaps though influencing Smad3 dephosphorylation and retinoblastoma protein (Rb) phosphorylation. Downregulation of P21 and P27, and upregulation of p-P27 (phospho-Thr187), cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), and cyclin E1 might contribute to the G0/G1 to S phase transition promoted by IGFBP-3. Our results suggest that Smad3-P27/P21-cyclin E1/CDK2-phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein pathways might be involved in this IGFBP-3 mediated radiosensitivity transition in ESCC.

Role of insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins in the pathophysiology and tumorigenesis of gastroesophageal cancers

The insulin family of proteins include insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) that are classified into two groups based on their differential affinities to IGFs: IGF high-affinity binding proteins (IGFBP1-6) and IGF low-affinity IGFBP-related proteins (IGFBP-rP1-10). IGFBPs interact with many proteins, including their canonical ligands insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I) and IGF-II. Together with insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) receptor (IGF1R), IGF2R, and ligands (IGF1 and IGF2), IGFBPs participate in a complex signaling axis called IGF-IGFR-IGFBP. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the IGF-IGFR-IGFBP axis is relevant in gastrointestinal (GI) and other cancers. The presence of different IGFBPs have been reported in gastrointestinal cancers, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAD or EAC), and gastric adenocarcinoma (GAD or GAC). A literature-based survey clearly indicates that an urgent need exists for a focused review of the role of IGFBPs in gastrointestinal cancers. The aim of this review is to present the biochemical and molecular characteristics of IGFBPs with an emphasis specifically on the role of these proteins in the pathophysiology and tumorigenesis of gastroesophageal cancers.

Polymorphisms of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 as a predictor for risk and patient survival in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Genetic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) play a critical role in the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The aim of this study is to investigate the associations between insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) gene polymorphisms and ESCC patients risk and survival after definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We undertook a case-control study to analyze two IGFBP-3 polymorphisms (rs2854744 A>C and rs2854746 G>C) in an Han Chinese population, by extraction of genomic DNA from the peripheral blood of 110 ESCC patients treated with CRT and 128 control participants, and performed IGFBP-3 genotyping using DNA sequencing.

RESULTS

The obtained results indicated that overall, no statistically significant association was observed in rs2854746 G>C. However, rs2854744 A>C genotype was at increased risk of ESCCs (P=0.032; odds ratio (OR)=1.201, CI 95%:1.014-1.423). Moreover, rs2854744 A>C genotype ESCCs were more significantly common in patients with tumor size of >6cm than A allele ESCC and in cases of lower T stage. Furthermore, ESCC patients with rs2854744CC genotype have the poorer CRT response and shorter survival time than GG+GC genotype ESCC.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, polymorphism in IGFBP-3 rs2854744 A>C might be a potential predictor of ESCC risk and patient survival. Nevertheless, further investigation with a larger sample size is needed to support our results.

Understanding the Key to Targeting the IGF Axis in Cancer: A Biomarker Assessment

Type 1 insulin like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) targeted therapies showed compelling pre-clinical evidence; however, to date, this has failed to translate into patient benefit in Phase 2/3 trials in unselected patients. This was further complicated by the toxicity, including hyperglycemia, which largely results from the overlap between IGF and insulin signaling systems and associated feedback mechanisms. This has halted the clinical development of inhibitors targeting IGF signaling, which has limited the availability of biopsy samples for correlative studies to understand biomarkers of response. Indeed, a major factor contributing to lack of clinical benefit of IGF targeting agents has been difficulty in identifying patients with tumors driven by IGF signaling due to the lack of predictive biomarkers. In this review, we will describe the IGF system, rationale for targeting IGF signaling, the potential liabilities of targeting strategies, and potential biomarkers that may improve success.

Investigation of insulin resistance gene polymorphisms in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer

We aimed to investigate insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), insulin receptor substrate-2 (IRS-2), insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) genotypes, which are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of many solid tumors and have thus far not been studied in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). The study consisted of 93 patients diagnosed with DTC (79 females, 14 males) and 111 healthy control subjects (63 females, 48 males). The anthropometric measurements, lipid profiles, thyroid function tests and homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) as an indicator of insulin resistance (IR) of all patients were recorded. In addition IRS-1, IRS-2 and IGFBP-3 gene polymorphisms were determined by using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was tested for each gene polymorphisms, and genetic effects were evaluated by the Chi Square test and multiple logistic regression. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), body mass index, waist circumference and serum total cholesterol levels were significantly higher in patients with DTC than in the control group. There was no difference between the two groups with respect to IRS-1, IRS-2 and IGFBP-3 gene polymorphisms. In addition, these gene polymorphisms were found to have no effect on lymph node metastases or tumor staging. While, obesity and increased HOMA-IR may be risk factors in DTC development, we suggest that IRS-1, IRS-2 and IGFBP-3 gene polymorphisms do not play an important role in pathogenesis of DTC.