Loss of epithelium cadherin expression is associated with reduced overall survival and disease-free survival in early-stage squamous cell cervical carcinoma

E-Cadherin and Syndecan-1 Expression in Patients With Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Chemoradiotherapy

BACKGROUND/AIM

The aim of the study was to investigate whether E-cadherin and syndecan-1 are molecular markers of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The expression of E-cadherin and syndecan-1 (SDC1) was examined immunohistochemically on tissue specimens of 64 patients, with stage III disease at presentation. The obtained expression data were correlated with clinical parameters.

RESULTS

Negative expression of SDC1 was correlated with squamous histology (p=0.002). E-cadherin positive expression was significantly associated with increased 2-year overall survival (OS) rate (p=0.032). In the multivariate Cox analysis, performance status 0-1 was an independent predictor of OS (p=0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (p=0.001). E-cadherin expression was an independent predictor of OS (p=0.007) and DFS (p=0.029).

CONCLUSION

E-cadherin might be a prognostic factor for OS and DFS in advanced stage NSCLC patients. Further investigations are needed for the establishment of E-cadherin and syndecan-1 as molecular markers, affecting treatment response and survival.

LncRNA SNHG1 enhances cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the effects of lncRNA SNHG1 on the proliferation, migration, and invasiveness of cervical cancer cells.

METHODS

Three pairs of cervical cancer tissue samples and their corresponding adjacent samples were analyzed using Human LncRNA Microarray V3.0 chip for differential analysis. The expression of SNHG1 in cervical cancer cell lines was verified by qRT-PCR. CCK8 assays and colony formation assays were used to study the changes in cell proliferation. Cell migration and Transwell assays were used to study changes in cell migration and invasiveness.

RESULTS

SNHG1 was highly expressed in cervical cancer tissues and cervical cancer cell lines. SNHG1 siRNA could knock-down the expression level of SNHG1 in cervical cancer cell lines HeLa and C33-A. After knock-down of SNHG1, cell proliferation and migration as well as invasiveness in HeLa and C-33A cells decreased.

CONCLUSION

LncRNA SNHG1 promotes the development of cervical cancer cells.

Meta-analysis of downregulated E-cadherin as a poor prognostic biomarker for cervical cancer

Aim: This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic functions of E-cadherin expression in cervical cancer. Methods: PubMed and other databases were searched for articles associated with E-cadherin and cervical cancer. These articles were published before June 2015 and written in English or Chinese. Random-effects model was used to pool odds ratios on the heterogeneity test in the meta-analysis. Results: All of 20 studies were analyzed, in which 522 (42.6%) subjects exhibited reduced E-cadherin expression. Evaluation of clinicopathologic features showed that the downregulation of E-cadherin was related to the overall survival, clinicopathological parameters and age. Conclusion: Downregulation of E-cadherin in cervical cancer patients showed poor overall survival. Therefore, E-cadherinmay be a metastasis-suppressor gene in cervical cancer.

Correlation between expression of cell adhesion molecules CD₄₄ v6 and E-cadherin and lymphatic metastasis in non- small cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

To explore the relationship between expressions of cell adhesion molecules CD44 v6 and E-cadherin (E-cad) and lymphatic metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Eighty- seven tissue samples obtained from patients with primary NSCLC were collected in our hospital from Dec., 2007 to Dec., 2012, and the expressions of CD44 v6 and E-cad gene proteins in these samples were detected by immunohistochemical method.

RESULTS

In the tissue without lymphatic metastasis, the positive expression rate of CD44 v6 was significantly lower, whereas the normal expression rate of E-cad was notably higher than that with lymphatic metastasis (55.6% vs. 78.4%, 47.2% vs. 21.6%), and both differences had statistical significance (P<0.05). Besides, CD44 v6 and E-cad expressions had a significant correlation in the NSCLC tissue with lymphatic metastasis (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The positive expression of CD44 v6 and abnormal expression of E-cad may play a very important role in promoting lymphatic metastasis of NSCLC, with synergistic effect. Hence, detection of CD44 v6 and E-cad expressions is conductive to judging the lymphatic metastasis in NSCLC.

Lacking hypoxia-mediated downregulation of E-cadherin in cancers of the uterine cervix

Background:

Experimental studies have established a causal connection between tumour hypoxia, hypoxia-associated proteome changes and downregulation of E-cadherin, the final common pathway of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Our study aimed at elucidating the interrelationship of these processes in cancers of the uterine cervix in vivo.

Methods:

Tumour oxygenation was assessed in 48 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the uterine cervix using polarographic needle electrodes. The expression pattern of E-cadherin was investigated by immunohistochemistry and western blotting, and was compared with that of the hypoxia-inducible proteins glucose transporter (GLUT)-1 and carbonic anhydrase (CA) IX in biopsy specimens of the oxygenation measurement tracks.

Results:

The majority of cervical cancers (52%) were E-cadherin positive, with a complete absence of the antigen in only 10% of the tumours. No correlation was found between the level of E-cadherin expression and the oxygenation status (mean pO₂, median pO₂ and hypoxic fractions). In patients showing partial expression of E-cadherin (38%), staining was not preferentially diminished in GLUT-1- or CA IX-positive areas, and loss of E-cadherin occurred independently of tumour cell scattering.

Conclusion:

Our data provide no evidence in favour of a hypoxia-induced EMT as a mechanistic basis of cervical cancer invasiveness.

The putative tumor suppressor VILIP-1 counteracts epidermal growth factor-induced epidermal-mesenchymal transition in squamous carcinoma cells

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial step for the acquisition of invasive properties of carcinoma cells during tumor progression. Epidermal growth factor (EGF)-treatment of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells provokes changes in the expression of lineage markers, morphological changes, and a higher invasive and metastatic potential. Here we show that chronic stimulation with EGF induces EMT in skin-derived SCC cell lines along with the down-regulation of the epithelial marker E-cadherin, and of the putative tumor suppressor VILIP-1 (visinin-like protein 1). In esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and non-small cell lung carcinoma the loss of VILIP-1 correlates with clinicopathological features related to enhanced invasiveness. VILIP-1 has previously been shown to suppress tumor cell invasion via enhancing cAMP-signaling in a murine SCC model. In mouse skin SCC cell lines the VILIP-1-negative tumor cells have low cAMP levels, whereas VILIP-1-positive SCCs possess high cAMP levels, but low invasive properties. We show that in VILIP-1-negative SCCs, Snail1, a transcriptional repressor involved in EMT, is up-regulated. Snail1 expression is reduced by ectopic VILIP-1-expression in VILIP-1-negative SCC cells, and application of the general adenylyl cyclase inhibitor 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine attenuated this effect. Conversely, EGF-stimulation of VILIP-1-positive SCC cells leads to the down-regulation of VILIP-1 and the induction of Snail1 expression. The induction of Snail is inhibited by elevated cAMP levels. The role of cAMP in EMT was further highlighted by its suppressive effect on the EGF-induced enhancement of migration in VILIP-1-positive SCC cells. These findings indicate that VILIP-1 is involved in EMT of SCC by regulating the transcription factor Snail1 in a cAMP-dependent manner.

Expression of DSG1 and DSC1 are prognostic markers in anal carcinoma patients

Background:

Our purpose was to investigate if dysregulation of cell adhesion molecules could be linked to prognosis in squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the anal region.

Methods:

Protein expression of desmoglein-1 (DSG1), desmocollin-1 (DSC1) and E-cadherin was studied by immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 53 anal carcinoma patients treated by radiation alone or combined with 5-fluorouracil and mitomycin C.

Results:

Univariate analyses identified, among others, negative membranous DSG1 staining (P=0.009), negative cytoplasmic DSC1 staining (P=0.012) and negative DSG1 (membranous)+negative DSC1 (cytoplasmic) staining (P=0.004) to be associated with improved cancer-specific survival (CSS). On multivariate analyses positive DSG1 (membranous)+DSC1 (cytoplasmic) staining (HR 6.95, P=0.044), large tumour size and lymph node metastases (HR 6.44, P=0.004) and radiation without chemotherapy (HR 6.73 P=0.004) were associated with worse CSS. On univariate analysis, improved disease-free survival was associated with negative membranous staining of DSG1 (P=0.047), and negative DSG1 (membranous)+negative DSC1 (cytoplasmic) staining (P=0.025), among others.

Conclusion:

Membrane negativity for DSG1 and cytoplasmic negativity for DSC1 are favourable markers for CSS in SCCs of the anal region.