The expression of AGGF1, FOXC2, and E-cadherin in esophageal carcinoma and their clinical significance

Biomarkers of lymph node metastasis in esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer (EC) is among the most aggressive malignancies, ranking as the seventh most prevalent malignant tumor worldwide. Lymph node metastasis (LNM) indicates localized spread of cancer and often correlates with a poorer prognosis, emphasizing the necessity for neoadjuvant systemic therapy before surgery. However, accurate identification of LNM in EC presents challenges due to the lack of satisfactory diagnostic techniques. Imaging techniques, including ultrasound and computerized tomography scans, have low sensitivity and accuracy in assessing LNM. Additionally, the existing serological detection lacks precise biomarkers. The intricate and not fully understood molecular processes involved in LNM of EC contribute to current detective limitations. Recent research has shown potential in using various molecules, circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and changes in the microbiota to identify LNM in individuals with EC. Through summarizing potential biomarkers associated with LNM in EC and organizing the underlying mechanisms involved, this review aims to provide insights that facilitate biomarker development, enhance our understanding of the underlying mechanisms, and ultimately address the diagnostic challenges of LNM in clinical practice.

Clinical and prognostic features of E-cadherin in adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction patients

OBJECTIVE

The expression, activity, and functional role of E-cadherin in adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) are unclear. In this research, we evaluated the expression of E-cadherin in AEG, as well as its clinicopathological significance and prognostic value.

METHODS

A total of 65 AEG samples and 10 normal paracancerous tissues undergoing AEG resection in thoracic surgery were collected. The samples were immunohistochemically examined for expression levels of E-cadherin. The Chi-square test was used to determine if E-cadherin expression correlated with the clinicopathological features of AEG patients. The link between clinicopathological features and 5-year survival rates was investigated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multifactorial Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

In AEG tissues, E-cadherin expression was considerably reduced. Differentiation grade ( P = 0.013), infiltration depth ( P = 0.033), and clinicopathological stage ( P = 0.045) were substantially linked to the level of E-cadherin expression. Five-year survival rates of AEG patients were affected by E-cadherin expression ( P = 0.037), tumor differentiation ( P = 0.010), lymph node metastasis ( P < 0.001), and clinicopathological stage ( P = 0.037). Tumor differentiation ( P = 0.033) and lymph node metastasis ( P = 0.001) were independent risk factors for shorter overall survival.

CONCLUSION

E-cadherin expression in AEG was significantly decreased, which was strongly related to tumor differentiation, infiltration, and clinicopathological stage. An E-cadherin deficiency would lead to poor prognosis in AEG patients. E-cadherin may play a crucial role in AEG invasion and metastasis. Low expression of E-cadherin may be a potential early biomarker and overall survival predictor for AEG patients.

Oncogenic functions of the FOXC2 transcription factor: a hallmarks of cancer perspective

Epigenetic regulation of gene expression is a fundamental determinant of molecular and cellular function, and epigenetic reprogramming in the context of cancer has emerged as one of the key enabling characteristics associated with acquisition of the core hallmarks of this disease. As such, there has been renewed interest in studying the role of transcription factors as epigenetic regulators of gene expression in cancer. In this review, we discuss the current state of knowledge surrounding the oncogenic functions of FOXC2, a transcription factor that frequently becomes dysregulated in a variety of cancer types. In addition to highlighting the clinical impact of aberrant FOXC2 activity in cancer, we discuss mechanisms by which this transcription factor becomes dysregulated in both tumor and tumor-associated cells, placing particular emphasis on the ways in which FOXC2 promotes key hallmarks of cancer progression. Finally, we bring attention to important issues related to the oncogenic dysregulation of FOXC2 that must be addressed going forward in order to improve our understanding of FOXC2-mediated cancer progression and to guide prognostic and therapeutic applications of this knowledge in clinical settings.

FOXC2 as a prognostic marker and a potential molecular target in patients with human solid tumors

BACKGROUND

Forkhead Box Protein C2 (FOXC2) belongs to the Forkhead/Wing-helix family. The regulatory role of this transcription factor in physiological function and carcinogenic activity has been proven in subsequent investigations. However, there is still scarcity of evidence on the relationship between FOXC2 expression and prognosis in human solid tumors. We conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate the role of FOXC2 as a prognosis factor and a possible target marker in human solid tumors.

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane library database were all searched methodically. Eligible publications on FOXC2 in human solid tumors were gathered and reviewed. The effect sizes were calculated using pooled hazard ratios (HRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Statistical analysis was conducted with Stata SE12.0.

RESULTS

This meta-analysis comprised 3,267 patients from 20 studies covering a variety of solid tumors. Increased FOXC2 expression was related to shorter overall survival (OS) (HR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.73-2.42). High expression of FOXC2 is associated with lymph node metastases (OR = 3.33, 95% CI: 2.65-4.19), TNM stage (OR = 3.09, 95% CI: 2.00-4.78), and age (OR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.06-1.50), according to the pooled ORs. However, no significant association was observed between the high expression of FOXC2 and sex, tumor size or tumor differentiation.

CONCLUSION

Increased expression of FOXC2 is associated with unfavored OS, lymph node metastases, TNM stage, and age. FOXC2 is a promising prognostic marker and a novel target marker in human solid tumors.

Role of Cell-Cell Junctions in Oesophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Cell-cell junctions comprise various structures, including adherens junctions, tight junctions, desmosomes, and gap junctions. They link cells to each other in tissues and regulate tissue homeostasis in critical cellular processes. Recent advances in cell-cell junction research have led to critical discoveries. Cell-cell adhesion components are important for the invasion and metastasis of tumour cells, which are not only related to cell-cell adhesion changes, but they are also involved in critical molecular signal pathways. They are of great significance, especially given that relevant molecular mechanisms are being discovered, there are an increasing number of emerging biomarkers, targeted therapies are becoming a future therapeutic concern, and there is an increased number of therapeutic agents undergoing clinical trials. Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), the most common histological subtype of oesophageal cancer, is one of the most common cancers to affect epithelial tissue. ESCC progression is accompanied by the abnormal expression or localisation of components at cell-cell junctions. This review will discuss the recent scientific developments related to the molecules at cell-cell junctions and their role in ESCC to offer valuable insights for readers, provide a global view of the relationships between position, construction, and function, and give a reference for future mechanistic studies, diagnoses, and therapeutic developments.

Matrisome provides a supportive microenvironment for oral squamous cell carcinoma progression

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common pernicious tumor in the head and neck regions. However, the function of tumor extracellular matrix (ECM) has not been elucidated. A tissue engineering method was applied for remodeling ECM through decellularization. The cellular components were removed, and the biological composition was mostly preserved. Proteomics was performed to analyze the characterization between normal and tumor ECM. According to LC-MS/MS results, 26 proteins just showed in tumor ECM, and 14 proteins only showed in late-stage tumor ECM. KEGG pathway analysis showed that most variant proteins were linked to metabolic regulation and tumor immunity (such as SCC-Ag1, LOX). To affirm the influence of tumor ECM on the progression of OSCC, tumor cells and macrophages were co-cultured with ECM scaffold. Marked differences in proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of OSCC cells were observed between tumor and normal ECM. Tumor ECM polarized macrophages towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype (higher IL-10 and CD68, and relatively lower CD86 and IL1-β). Collectively, these findings suggest that tumor ECM served as a permissive role in OSCC progression. SIGNIFICANCE: The variation between OSCC ECM and normal ECM confirm tumor ECM plays a significant role in OSCC deterioration, which is conducive to exploring the occurrence and progression mechanisms of OSCC, and further improving the curative effect of this disease.

The Relationship Between UBE2C and AGGF1 Overexpression and Tumor Angiogenesis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background

Tumor infiltration and metastasis are the leading causes of death for patients with tumors. Angiogenesis is a prerequisite for tumor growth and metastasis. Angiogenic factor with G patch and FHA domains 1 (AGGF1) is an angiogenic factor, whereas ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2C (UBE2C) functions in protein ubiquitination. Microvessel density (MVD) is the most common indicator of tumor microvessels, and vasculogenic mimicry (VM) facilitates blood supply to tumors. This study explored UBE2C and AGGF1 expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and their relationship with angiogenesis and prognosis to identify biological factors that might predict NSCLC infiltration, metastasis, and prognosis.

Methods

The specimens and clinical pathological data of patients with NSCLC confirmed by pathology after surgical resection between January 2013 and December 2015 were collected. UBE2C and AGGF1 expression, as well as microvessel formation and VM in NSCLC, was observed using immunohistochemistry. The relationships between UBE2C, AGGF1, MVD, VM, and clinical pathological parameters and their relationships with overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed.

Results

UBE2C and AGGF1 levels in NSCLC tissues were significantly higher than those in corresponding normal tissues (57.1% vs 15.6 and 59.7% vs 25.3%, respectively; P < 0.05). UBE2C, AGGF1, MVD, and VM were positively correlated with each other (P < 0.05) and were all related to tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and tumor-node-metastasis stage (P < 0.05). Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patient OS and DFS in the UBE2C, AGGF1, VM-positive, and high-MVD groups were reduced (all P < 0.001). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that UBE2C, AGGF1, VM, and MVD were independent risk factors for NSCLC prognosis.

Conclusion

UBE2C and AGGF1 overexpression is associated with angiogenesis and poor prognosis and may be important for predicting NSCLC invasion, metastasis, and prognosis.

The prognostic significance of FOXC2 gene expression in cancer: A comprehensive analysis of RNA-seq data from the cancer genome atlas

The FOXC2 transcription factor is a key regulator of tumor progression in many cancer types. Known to exhibit an array of oncogenic functions when dysregulated, FOXC2 has emerged as a useful biomarker for predicting disease aggression and patient outcome. In this regard, increased expression and nuclear localization of FOXC2 protein in tumor tissue have become well-established as poor prognostic factors for many cancer types. However, whether FOXC2 gene expression can serve as a similarly useful RNA-level biomarker has remained largely unexplored. Therefore, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of TCGA RNA-seq data to evaluate whether FOXC2 gene expression levels in primary tumor biopsies correlate with patient outcome. We report herein that increased expression of FOXC2 RNA in tumor tissue is a poor prognostic factor for patient survival in many cancer types. Moreover, we also found that FOXC2 gene expression predicts cancer patient response to several commonly prescribed chemotherapeutics. Together, these data highlight FOXC2 RNA expression in tumor tissue as an important biomarker with prognostic significance for solid tumors of diverse origin.