REG1A predicts recurrence in stage Ta/T1 bladder cancer

Association of regenerating gene 1A single-nucleotide polymorphisms and nasopharyngeal carcinoma susceptibility in southern Chinese population

Objective

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common malignancy in Southern China and Southeast Asia. Genetic susceptibility is a major contributing factor in determining the individual risk of NPC in these areas. To test the association between NPC and variants in regenerating gene 1A (REG1A), we conducted a hospital-based case–control study in a Cantonese-speaking population from Guangdong province.

Methods

We endeavored to determine whether genetic variants of the REG1A gene were associated with the risk of NPC amidst the Cantonese population in a hospital-based case–control study using polymerase chain reaction-restriction and direct sequencing analysis in 211 NPC patients and 150 healthy controls. The association between NPC risk and the 14C/T, 20C/T, 369G/T, 1201A/G, and 2922C/T polymorphisms was examined after adjustment for age and sex.

Results

We found an increased risk of developing NPC in individuals with REG1A 2922C/T variant genotype (p = 0.003, OR 0.419, 95% CI 0.235–0.746), and after adjustment for sex and age (p = 0.003, OR 0.406, 95% CI 0.226–0.732). No association between other polymorphisms (14C/T, 20C/T, 369G/T, and 1201A/G) and the risk of NPC was observed, before or after adjustment for age and sex.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that the REG1A 2922C/T polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of developing NPC in a Cantonese population from Guangdong province. Larger studies are required to confirm our findings and unravel the underlying mechanisms.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s00405-019-05645-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

DNA Methylation-Mediated Silencing of Regenerating Protein 1 Alpha (REG1A) Affects Gastric Cancer Prognosis

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cause of cancer-related deaths. The clinical trials still lack the effective methods to treat or monitor the disease progression. In this research, the biological function and the underlying molecular mechanism of regenerating protein 1 alpha (REG1A) in GC were investigated.

Material/Methods

Gene expression omnibus (GEO), KMplot datasets and GC tissue microarray (n=164) were used to analyze the expression of REG1A and related patient prognoses in GC. Transwell matrigel assay, flow cytometry analysis and CCK8 cell viability assay were performed to detect the biological functions of REG1A. Western blotting and real-time PCR were used to detect the REG1A expression and PI3K/Akt related signaling.

Results

It was found that the expression of REG1A was significantly downregulated in GC and closely related with clinicopathological findings or patient prognoses. REG1A overexpression could suppress the invasion, cell viability and promote the apoptosis of GC cells. Moreover, we found that the epigenetic methylation suppressed the expression level of REG1A in GC, and REG1A overexpression could suppress the phosphorylation of Akt or GSK3β signaling.

Conclusions

Taken together, REG1A regulates cell invasion, apoptosis and viability in GC through activating PI3K/Akt-GSK3β signaling. REG1A may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for GC.

Role of regenerating gene IA expression on local invasion and survival in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Regenerating gene IA (REGIA) plays an important role in tissue regeneration and tumors prognosis of epithelium origin. However, the role of REGIA in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is unclear. This study aims to investigate the expression and function of REG1A in NPC.

RESULTS

We have found that there was 63 patients with REGIA positive expression of 155 patients in this study (40.65%). The positive expression rate of REGIA was 30.50, 44.44 and 47.83% in stage T2, T3 and T4 patients, respectively. The REGIA expression was significantly difference in T2 and T4 stage tumors or T2 and T3-T4 stage. The positive expression rate of REGIA was found to be higher in patients with cervical lymph node persistence than those with cervical lymph node complete regression. Patients with negative REGIA expression had a better overall survival and free survival than those with REGIA positive expression. In addition, according to the univariate and multivariate analysis, the REGIA expression was an independent adverse prognostic factor for NPC patients.

CONCLUSION

REGIA expression was a useful biomarker in NPC patients for assessing T stage and survival.

Decreased REG1α expression suppresses growth, invasion and angiogenesis of bladder cancer

BACKGROUND

Previous study has indicated association between REG1α and bladder cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Regenerating gene I alpha (REG1α) in bladder cancer.

METHODS

The role of REG1α in bladder cancer cell proliferation, migration and VEGF-induced angiogenesis was explored in vitro and in vivo. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis was assessed to determine the expression of REG1α in ten paired bladder cancer and adjacent non-cancerous tissues, and in 296 bladder cancer samples.

RESULTS

Down-regulation of REG1α expression significantly reduced the proliferation, migration, invasion and VEGF-induced angiogenesis in vitro and the growth of xenograft tumors in vivo. VEGF expression in bladder cancer is associated with REG1α expression and recurrence. REG1α was overexpressed in bladder cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal samples. Patients with elevated REG1α exhibited shorter recurrence times and poor survival.

CONCLUSION

Downregulation of REG1α expression can reduce tumor growth, migration, invasion and angiogenesis. Our study demonstrates that REG1α can be used as a marker of recurrence and prognosis in bladder cancer. Therefore, REG1α targeting in bladder cancer patients represents a promising therapeutic strategy.

Loss of PPM1A expression enhances invasion and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in bladder cancer by activating the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway

The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway is believed to contribute to carcinoma development by increasing cell invasiveness and metastasis and inducing the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Protein phosphatase PPM1A has been reported to dephosphorylate TGF-β-activated Smad2/3, thus inhibiting the TGF-β signaling pathway. In this study, we investigated the role of PPM1A in bladder cancer. PPM1A protein expression was analyzed in 145 bladder cancer specimens. The loss of PPM1A expression was predictive of poor survival and high muscle-invasiveness. PPM1A was more commonly deficient among muscle-invasive relapse samples compared to primary tumors in twenty paired bladder cancer tissues. Functional studies indicated that blockade of PPM1A through lentivirus-mediated RNA interference significantly promoted urinary bladder cancer (BCa) cell motility, the EMT in vitro and metastasis in vivo, and these effects were dependent on the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. The increase in p-Smad2/3 induced by TGF-β1 correlated with the degree of PPM1A depletion in BCa cells, which resulted in an altered expression profile of TGF-β-inducible genes. The correlations between PPM1A and biomarkers related to the TGF-β signaling pathway and tumor invasion were also detected in BCa samples. These results demonstrate that loss of PPM1A is associated with the development of tumor invasion in bladder cancer.

Regenerating gene 1B silencing inhibits colon cancer cell HCT116 proliferation and invasion

BACKGROUND

The human regenerating gene 1B (REG1B) is found to be frequently up-regulated in many types of human tumors. It is unclear whether REG1B expression may have therapeutic value in colorectal carcinoma. Additionally, how REG1B is associated with the clinical features of colorectal carcinoma is not known. To investigate the relationship between REG1B and colorectal cancer, we analyzed REG1B expression in clinical specimens and cell lines and the effect of down-regulation of REG1B by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) in HCT116 cells.

METHODS

Paraffin-embedded specimens from 30 pairs of colorectal cancer tissues and adjacent colon tissues were used to investigate the expression of REG1B by immunohistochemistry. We also examined whether REG1B itself may be related to cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, migration and invasion in colon cancer HCT116 cells.

RESULTS

Our results showed that REG1B was highly expressed in colorectal carcinoma and was significantly associated with cell differentiation status. The results also illustrated that REG1B silencing with shRNA inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion but did not induce apoptosis. Furthermore, down-regulation of REG1B induces G1-phase cell cycle arrest in colon cancer cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Knockdown of REG1B can inhibit cell proliferation, migration and invasion. It may act by a mechanism regulating cell cycle progression. Thus, REG1B may be a novel candidate therapeutic target for colorectal cancer.

Epigenetic regulation of REG1A and chemosensitivity of cutaneous melanoma

Regenerating gene 1A (REG1A) plays an important role in tissue regeneration and in cell proliferation in epithelium origin tumors; however, its role in melanoma has not been explored in details. The objective of this study was to identify whether REG1A is expressed in cutaneous melanoma and if REG1A expression status can predict prognosis in cutaneous melanoma patients with metastasis. We also determined whether epigenetic regulation of the promoter region regulates REG1A expression. AJCC stage III cutaneous melanoma specimens with clinically well annotated stage III lymph node melanoma metastasis tissue microarray were assessed by IHC. MALDI-TOF-mass spectrometry and HM450K array were used to identify REG1A promoter region CpG site methylation. Chemotherapeutic agent response by melanoma cells as related to REG1A protein expression was assessed. Post-surgery melanoma patients followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with high REG1A expression had a significantly better prognosis (disease-specific survival) compared with patients with low REG1A expression (log rank test; p = 0.0013). The demethylating reagent 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine activated REG1A promoter region resulting in enhanced REG1A mRNA and protein expression in melanoma cell lines. Promoter region CpG methylation was shown to regulate REG1A expression in melanoma cells. Moreover, melanoma lines with high REG1A mRNA expression were more susceptible to Dacarbazine and Cisplatin, as compared with those with low REG1A mRNA expression. In conclusion, REG1A expression status may be useful as a biomarker in melanoma patients for sensitivity to these chemotherapeutic agents. The epigenetic regulation of the REG1A promoter region may offer a potential therapeutic approach to improve chemotherapy for metastatic melanoma patients.

REG1A expression status suggests chemosensitivity among advanced thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients treated with esophagectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Regenerating gene 1A (REG1A) plays an important role in tissue regeneration and in cell proliferation in the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract. We previously reported that the positive expression status of REG1A was predictive of chemoradiosensitivity in patients treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy before esophagectomy or with definitive chemoradiotherapy. To further confirm the utility of REG1A as a chemosensitivity marker, we carried out an additional retrospective clinical study aimed at determining whether REG1A is a reliable chemosensitivity marker in patients treated with esophagectomy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy.

METHOD

A total of 177 patients with T2-4 thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma received curative surgery without preoperative treatment at Akita University Hospital between 2001 and 2011. A tissue microarray was constructed, and REG1A expression status was analyzed immunohistochemically. We then statistically analyzed the relationships between REG1A expression status and 5-year overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and disease-free survival (DFS).

RESULTS

In the adjuvant group (n=105), REG1A-positive patients showed significantly better prognoses than REG1A-negative patients. (5-year OS, p=.0022; DSS, p=.0004; and DFS, p=.0040). However, there were no significant differences between REG1A-positive and REG1A-negative patients in the surgery group (n=72). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed REG1A expression status to be a significant prognostic factor affecting 5-year DSS, comparable to lymph node metastatic status.

CONCLUSION

The present study suggests REG1A expression status has the potential to be a highly reliable and clinically useful chemosensitivity marker in patients treated with advanced thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. REG1A expression status will provide a good indication of treatment strategy and enable more individualized treatment for patients.

Urinary levels of hepatocarcinoma-intestine-pancreas/pancreatitis-associated protein as a diagnostic biomarker in patients with bladder cancer

Background

To assess the possibility of hepatocarcinoma-intestine-pancreas/pancreatitis-associated protein (HIP/PAP) as a biological marker for detecting Bladder cancer (BCa), we examined the expression of HIP/PAP in both BCa specimens and BCa cell lines and measured HIP/PAP levels in urine from patients with BCa.

Methods

HIP/PAP expression in BCa samples was evaluated by western blot analysis, and urinary levels of HIP/PAP in patients with BCa were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Urine samples were collected from 10 healthy volunteers and 109 with benign urological disorders as controls, and from 101 patients who were diagnosed with BCa.

Results

HIP/PAP was highly expressed in BCa samples as compared with control bladder. Urinary HIP/PAP concentrations were significantly higher in BCa patients than in controls (median value; 3.184 pg/mL vs. 55.200 pg/mL, P <0.0001, by Mann–Whitney U test). Urinary HIP/PAP levels in BCa patients correlated positively with pathological T stages and progression-risk groups among non-muscle invasive BCa (P = 0.0008, by Kruskal-Wallis test). Regarding the recurrence-risk classifications of non-muscle invasive BCa, the urinary levels of HIP/PAP were significantly higher in the intermediate than in the low risk group (P = 0.0002, by Mann–Whitney U test). Based on a cut-off of 8.5 pg/mL, the ability of urinary HIP/PAP levels to detect BCa had a sensitivity of 80.2%, specificity of 78.2%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 75.7%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 82.3%.

Conclusions

HIP/PAP was abundantly expressed in BCa, and the urinary levels of HIP/PAP could be a novel and potent biomarker for detection of BCa, and also for predicting the risks of recurrence- and progression-risk of non-muscle invasive BCa. A large scale study will be needed to establish the usefulness of this biomarker.