1
|
Identification and Validation of Prognostic Markers for Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma Associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:4254195. [PMID: 36035311 PMCID: PMC9402374 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4254195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Background Globally, the incidence and associated mortality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung carcinoma are showing a worsening trend. There is increasing evidence that COPD is an independent risk factor for the occurrence and progression of lung carcinoma. This study aimed to identify and validate the gene signatures associated with COPD, which may serve as potential new biomarkers for the prediction of prognosis in patients with lung carcinoma. Methods A total of 111 COPD patient samples and 40 control samples were obtained from the GSE76925 cohort, and a total of 4933 genes were included in the study. The weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to identify the modular genes that were significantly associated with COPD. The KEGG pathway and GO functional enrichment analyses were also performed. The RNAseq and clinicopathological data of 490 lung squamous cell carcinoma patients were obtained from the TCGA database. Further, univariate Cox regression and Lasso analyses were performed to screen for marker genes and construct a survival analysis model. Finally, the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database was used to assess the gene expression in normal and tumor tissues of the lungs. Results A 6-gene signature (DVL1, MRPL4, NRTN, NSUN3, RPH3A, and SNX32) was identified based on the Cox proportional risk analysis to construct the prognostic RiskScore survival model associated with COPD. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis indicated that the model could significantly differentiate between the prognoses of patients with lung carcinoma, wherein higher RiskScore samples were associated with a worse prognosis. Additionally, the model had a good predictive performance and reliability, as indicated by a high AUC, and these were validated in both internal and external sets. The 6-gene signature had a good predictive ability across clinical signs and could be considered an independent factor of prognostic risk. Finally, the protein expressions of the six genes were analyzed based on the HPA database. The expressions of DVL1, MRPL4, and NSUN3 were relatively higher, while that of RPH3A was relatively lower in the tumor tissues. The expression of SNX32 was high in both the tumor and paracarcinoma tissues. Results of the analyses using TCGA and GSE31446 databases were consistent with the expressions reported in the HPA database. Conclusion Novel COPD-associated gene markers for lung carcinoma were identified and validated in this study. The genes may be considered potential biomarkers to evaluate the prognostic risk of patients with lung carcinoma. Furthermore, some of these genes may have implications as new therapeutic targets and can be used to guide clinical applications.
Collapse
|
2
|
Bukovac A, Dragičević K, Kafka A, Orešković D, Cesarec-Augustinović S, Pećina-Šlaus N. Decoding the Role of DVL1 in Intracranial Meningioma. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:11996. [PMID: 34769425 PMCID: PMC8584635 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In the search for molecular candidates for targeted meningioma therapies, increasing attention has been paid to the role of signaling pathways in the development and progression of intracranial meningiomas. Although it is well known that the Wnt signaling pathway is involved in meningioma progression, the role of its central mediator, DVL1, is still unclear. In order to investigate the influence of DVL1 gene alterations on the progression of human intracranial meningioma, we focused on its central PDZ domain, which is responsible for DVL interaction with the Fzd receptor and the phosphorylation of DVL mediated through the casein kinases CK1 and CK2. A genetic analysis of genomic instability revealed the existence of microsatellite instability in 9.09% and the loss of heterozygosity in 6.06% of the samples. The sequencing of the PDZ gene region showed repetitive deletions of two bases located in intron 7 and exon 8, and a duplication in intron 8 in most samples, with different outcomes on the biological function of the DVL1 protein. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the nuclear expression of DVL1 was significantly correlated with a higher expression of active β-catenin (p = 0.029) and a higher meningioma grade (p = 0.030), which leads to the conclusion that it could be used as biomarker for meningioma progression and the activation of the Wnt signaling pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anja Bukovac
- Laboratory of Neurooncology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.K.); (N.P.-Š.)
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Katarina Dragičević
- Biotech Research & Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark;
| | - Anja Kafka
- Laboratory of Neurooncology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.K.); (N.P.-Š.)
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Darko Orešković
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Dubrava, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Sanja Cesarec-Augustinović
- “Ljudevit Jurak” Department of Pathology and Cytology, Clinical Hospital Center “Sestre milosrdnice”, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Nives Pećina-Šlaus
- Laboratory of Neurooncology, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (A.K.); (N.P.-Š.)
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Sola IM, Serman A, Karin-Kujundzic V, Paic F, Skrtic A, Slatina P, Kakarigi L, Vranic S, Serman L. Dishevelled family proteins (DVL1-3) expression in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) placentas. Bosn J Basic Med Sci 2021; 21:447-453. [PMID: 33485290 PMCID: PMC8292871 DOI: 10.17305/bjbms.2020.5422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Dishevelled family proteins (DVL1, DVL2, and DVL3) are cytoplasmic proteins that are involved in canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway during embryonic development. The role of DVL proteins in the placental tissue remains mostly unknown. In the current study, we explored the role of Dishevelled proteins in naturally invasive tissue, trophoblast. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples of 15 term placentas from physiologic term pregnancies and 15 term placentas from pregnancies complicated with intrauterine growth restrictions (IUGR) were used for the study. Expression levels of mRNA for DVL1, DVL2, and DVL3 in placentas were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). DVL1, DVL2, and DVL3 protein expression were semi-quantitatively analyzed using immunohistochemistry. The expression of DVL3 protein was significantly higher in trophoblasts and endothelial cells in placental villi from IUGR pregnancies compared with the control group of term placentas, while DVL2 protein expression was significantly higher in trophoblasts in placental villi from IUGR pregnancies compared with normal term placentas. The observed differences at protein levels between normal and IUGR placentas were not confirmed at the mRNA levels of DVL genes. Our data indicate the active involvement of DVL proteins in IUGR-related placentas. No significant changes were observed in DVL mRNA levels between the two groups of placentas. Further studies are required to explore the clinical relevance of these observations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ida Marija Sola
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital "Sestre Milosrdnice", Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Alan Serman
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Hospital "Sveti Duh", Zagreb, Croatia; Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Valentina Karin-Kujundzic
- Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Frane Paic
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anita Skrtic
- Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Pathology, University Hospital "Merkur", Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Paula Slatina
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Luka Kakarigi
- Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Semir Vranic
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar; Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ljiljana Serman
- Centre of Excellence in Reproductive and Regenerative Medicine, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| |
Collapse
|