Immunoexpression of HDAC1, HDAC2, and HAT1 in actinic cheilitis and lip squamous cell carcinoma

The role of OCT4 and CD44 in lower lip carcinogenesis

PURPOSE

Carcinogenesis is characterized by the transformation of normal cells into malignant cells. Concerning the lower lip, exposure to UV radiation is the main etiological factor associated with the development of epidermoid carcinomas and actinic cheilitis. According to the hierarchical model theory, cancer development is driven by populations of cancer stem cells. In this context, this study aimed to compare the expression of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4) and CD44 in 40 lower lip epidermoid carcinoma (LLEC) and 40 actinic cheilitis (AC) cases.

METHODS

OCT4 and CD44 expressions were assessed semi-quantitatively according to the percentage of positive epithelial cells (PP) and intensity of expression (IE), resulting in a total immunolabeling score (PIT).

RESULTS

No statistically significant differences were detected between OCT4 and CD44 immunoexpression and clinicopathological parameters, except for lymph node metastasis, in which a decrease in CD44 expression in the core tumor of cases with lymph node metastasis was observed. Furthermore, decreased CD44 expression was observed in LLEC cases when compared to AC cases.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings reported herein suggest a higher participation of CD44 in early carcinogenesis stages. In addition, the imbalance between OCT4 and CD44 immunoexpressions suggests the presence of different neoplastic cell subpopulations.

Solar cheilosis: a comprehensive narrative review

Solar cheilosis is a premalignant disease of the lip, typically presenting on the lower lip as a precursor to in situ squamous cell carcinoma. It is primarily caused by chronic exposure to sunlight and predominantly affects individuals with lighter skin pigmentation. This review explores solar cheilosis while providing an update on its epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, disease course, and other recent advancements. Specifically, we discuss the various molecular markers involved in the pathogenesis of solar cheilosis and their respective functions. Through our analysis, we aim to highlight the various clinical manifestations of solar cheilosis, emphasizing the importance of early detection, assessing risk factors, and analysis of histopathology to help confirm a diagnosis of solar cheilosis. Finally, we outline the latest available treatment modalities, ranging from conservative (non-surgical) approaches to surgical approaches. These conservative approaches include the use of laser therapy, topical agents, photodynamic therapy, and cryotherapy, while the most frequently employed surgical approach for treating solar cheilosis involves vermilionectomy.

HAT1: Landscape of Biological Function and Role in Cancer

Histone modifications, as key chromatin regulators, play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of several diseases, such as cancer. Acetylation, and more specifically lysine acetylation, is a reversible epigenetic process with a fundamental role in cell life, able to target histone and non-histone proteins. This epigenetic modification regulates transcriptional processes and protein activity, stability, and localization. Several studies highlight a specific role for HAT1 in regulating molecular pathways, which are altered in several pathologies, among which is cancer. HAT1 is the first histone acetyltransferase discovered; however, to date, its biological characterization is still unclear. In this review, we summarize and update the current knowledge about the biological function of this acetyltransferase, highlighting recent advances of HAT1 in the pathogenesis of cancer.

Salivary histone deacetylase in periodontal disease: A cross-sectional pilot study

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to profile the expression level of histone deacetylase enzymes (HDACs) in human saliva in periodontal health, gingivitis and periodontitis.

BACKGROUND

HDACs are epigenetic modulators and a group of enzymes that catalyse the removal of acetyl functional groups from the lysine residues of both histone and nonhistone proteins. HDACs have been detected in gingival tissues and may provide valuable insight into the periodontal inflammatory response. However, no studies have investigated the expression of HDACs in saliva from periodontitis-affected individuals and their capacity for periodontal diagnostics and screening.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Whole unstimulated saliva was collected from 53 participants (17 healthy, 14 gingivitis and 22 stages III/IV periodontitis). The expression of 11 HDACs in saliva samples was determined using RT-qPCR and diagnostic power was calculated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the ROC Curve (AUC).

RESULTS

Relative to health, the expression of HDAC4, 8 and 10 was downregulated in gingivitis, and the expression of HDAC4, 6, 8 and 9 was downregulated in periodontitis. Increased HDAC1 and decreased HDAC9 expression were observed in periodontitis compared to gingivitis. Higher HDAC1 and lower HDAC6 and 9 expression was observed in periodontitis compared to non-periodontitis (combining health and gingivitis). Expression of HDAC3, 4, 8, 9 and 10 was significantly decreased in periodontal disease (combining gingivitis and periodontitis) compared to health. HDAC4 and 8 exhibited an excellent diagnostic capacity for distinguishing gingivitis and periodontal disease from health (AUC 0.79-0.86). HDAC9 showed an acceptable power in discriminating periodontitis from health, gingivitis and non-periodontitis (AUC 0.76-0.80). Salivary HDAC enzyme activity showed no significant difference among the groups.

CONCLUSION

This pilot study has demonstrated the differential expression of HDACs in human saliva for the first time and identified HDAC4, 8 and 9 as potential biomarkers in periodontal diagnosis.

MicroRNA-377: A therapeutic and diagnostic tumor marker

Cancer is considered as one of the main causes of human deaths globally. Despite the recent progresses in therapeutic modalities, there is still a high rate of mortality among cancer patients. Late diagnosis in advanced tumor stages is one of the main reasons for treatment failure in cancer patients. Therefore, it is required to suggest the novel strategies for the early tumor detection. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have critical roles in neoplastic transformation by regulation of cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. They are always considered as non-invasive markers due to their high stability in body fluids. Since, all of the miRNAs have tissue-specific functions in different tumors as tumor suppressor or oncogene; it is required to investigate the molecular mechanisms of every miRNA in different tumors to introduce that as a suitable non-invasive diagnostic marker in cancer patients. For the first time in the present review, we discussed the role of miR-377 during tumor progression. It has been reported that miR-377 mainly functions as a tumor suppressor through the regulation of signaling pathways and transcription factors. This review is an important step toward introducing the miR-377 as a novel diagnostic marker as well as a therapeutic target in cancer patients.

Potential Therapeutic Use of Aptamers against HAT1 in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and the most common of all cancer types. Histone acetyltransferase 1 (HAT1) has attracted increasing interest as a potential therapeutic target due to its involvement in multiple pathologies, including cancer. Aptamers are single-stranded RNA or DNA molecules whose three-dimensional structure allows them to bind to a target molecule with high specificity and affinity, thus making them exceptional candidates for use as diagnostic or therapeutic tools. In this work, aptamers against HAT1 were obtained, subsequently characterized, and optimized, showing high affinity and specificity for HAT1 and the ability to inhibit acetyltransferase activity in vitro. Of those tested, the apHAT610 aptamer reduced cell viability, induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, and inhibited colony formation in lung cancer cell lines. All these results indicate that the apHAT610 aptamer is a potential drug for the treatment of lung cancer.

Correlation of H3K9ac and H4K12ac With Cell Proliferation Marker Ki-67 in Oral Leukoplakia: An Immunohistochemical Study

This study aimed to analyze the immunohistochemical expression of H3K9ac and H4K12ac in oral leukoplakia (OL) and its association with cell proliferation marker Ki-67 and clinicopathologic data. Paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed tissue samples from 50 OLs and 15 fragments of the normal oral mucosa (NOM) were submitted to immunohistochemical assay using the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase method. Quantitative analysis of the antigen-antibody reaction was performed by obtaining integrated optical density (IOD) and the percentage of positive nuclei (PPN) with ImageJ software. OL samples presented higher PPN ( P =0.02) and lower IOD values ( P =0.007) for H4K12ac in comparison to NOM. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for PPN and IOD values of H4K12ac immunostaining were 0.70 ( P =0.02) and 0.73 ( P =0.007), respectively. No differences were found between OL and NOM for H3K9ac. Cell proliferation marker Ki-67 had a positive correlation with PPN ( P <0.0001) and IOD ( P =0.0007) for H3K9ac expression and with IOD values ( P =0.002) for H4K12ac expression. The present findings suggest that alterations in the acetylation pattern of H4K12 occur in the early stages of oral carcinogenesis and that both H3K9ac and H4K12ac might have a role in the regulation of epithelial cell proliferation of OL.

Unraveling the Epigenetic Role and Clinical Impact of Histone Deacetylases in Neoplasia

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) have long been implicated in tumorigenesis and tumor progression demonstrating their important participation in neoplasia. Therefore, numerous studies have been performed, highlighting the mechanism of HDACs action in tumor cells and demonstrating the potential role of HDAC inhibitors in the treatment of different cancer types. The outcome of these studies further delineated and strengthened the solid role that HDACs and epigenetic modifications exert in neoplasia. These results have spread promise regarding the potential use of HDACs as prospective therapeutic targets. Nevertheless, the clinical significance of HDAC expression and their use as biomarkers in cancer has not been extensively elucidated. The aim of our study is to emphasize the clinical significance of HDAC isoforms expression in different tumor types and the correlations noted between the clinicopathological parameters of tumors and patient outcomes. We further discuss the obstacles that the next generation HDAC inhibitors need to overcome, for them to become more potent.

Clinical Significance of Histone Deacetylase (HDAC)-1, -2, -4 and -6 Expression in Salivary Gland Tumors

Salivary gland tumors (SGTs) comprise a group of rare neoplasms. Locally aggressive, recurrent and/or metastatic SGTs are notorious for their resistance to systemic therapy, making the need for carefully designed, prospective and randomized trials with useful predictive markers mandatory to define new effective therapeutic protocols. Histone Deacetylases (HDACs), are thought to play a crucial role in carcinogenesis. They affect the DNA structure, being also able to regulate its transcription, repair, and replication. This study aimed to evaluate-to our knowledge for the first time-the HDAC-1, -2, -4 and -6 immunohistochemical expression in SGTs and their potential use as prognostic biomarkers. Medical records and archival histopathological material of 58 (36 benign and 22 malignant) SGT patients were included in this study. The H-score was statistically correlated with the clinicopathological characteristics for all cases and patients' survival rate in malignant SGTs. HDAC-2 positivity was significantly associated with more prolonged overall survival (OS) of patients with malignant SGTs (p = 0.028), while HDAC-2 positivity and no HDAC-6 expression were associated with prolonged OS of patients with HG malignant SGT (p = 0.003 and p = 0.043, respectively). Additionally, a high HDAC-2 H-score was significantly associated with longer OS for HG malignant SGT patients (p = 0.027). In our study, HDAC-2 expression is a marker for good prognosis, whereas HDAC-6 expression indicated poor prognosis; thus, an inhibitor of HDAC-6 may be used to improve patients' survival.

Immunohistochemical analysis of epithelium adjacent to lip cancer: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

To identify the immunohistochemical pattern of non-tumoral epithelium adjacent to lip cancer (ANTE) to unveil molecular alterations and potential biomarkers in lip cancer patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic search at MEDLINE, EMBASE and proceedings Web of Science, OpenGrey and WorldCat. The PICOS outline (Population: lip cancer patients; Intervention: immunostaining with biomarkers in surgical specimens; Comparisons: ANTE versus LC; Outcomes: primary-to identify the immunohistochemical pattern of peritumoral epithelium and secondary-to assess the immunoreactivity of LC epithelium; and Study design: cross-sectional, case-control and cohort studies).

RESULTS

A total of 339 records were identified. Seven studies reporting on ANTE and LCs were included in the qualitative synthesis, and 4 of them (p53 immunostaining) were selected for meta-analysis. In the ANTE group, the pooled prevalence of p53 was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.66 - 0.82), while in the lip squamous cell carcinoma group this prevalence was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.75 - 0.89).

CONCLUSIONS

Similar immunoexpression was found in lip epithelium adjacent to lip carcinoma, even in epithelia with normal appearance or mild histological alterations. The role of biomarkers in the follow-up of actinic cheilitis patients deserves additional clinical assessment.

Expression profile of DNA repair proteins and histone H3 lys-9 acetylation in cutaneous and oral lichen planus

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the expression profile of DNA repair proteins (XRCC1 and APE1) and histone acetylation (H3K9) in oral and cutaneous lichen planus, in order to investigate potential biological markers that can clarify pathogenesis of these lesions.

DESIGN AND RESULTS

The total sample consisted of 89 lichen planus cases (66 oral and 23 cutaneous). Analysis of APE1 and XRCC1 expression was performed by immunohistochemistry in 44 oral and 20 cutaneous lichen planus, whereas the analysis of H3K9 acetylation was performed by immunofluorescence in 42 oral and 11 cutaneous lichen planus.

RESULTS

Immunoreactivity for APE1 and XRCC1 was significantly higher in cutaneous lichen planus than in oral lichen planus (P = 0.003 and P = 0.034, respectively). There was a significant and moderate positive correlation between APE1 and XRCC1 in the oral group (Rho = 0.544; P < 0.0001). In oral cases, there were no statistically significant results comparing APE1 and XRCC1 expression between reticular and erosive cases (P > 0.05). Evaluation of H9K3 histone acetylation levels did not reveal significant results comparing oral to cutaneous lichen planus, neither comparing erosive to reticular (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in the expression profile of the DNA repair proteins exerted greater influence in pathogenesis of cutaneous lichen planus than oral lichen planus, in addition, H3K9 histone acetylation is an epigenetic event found in both lesions.

The Ras-ERK1/2 signaling pathway regulates H3K9ac through PCAF to promote the development of pancreatic cancer

AIMS

The regulation of the Ras-ERK pathway is the crucial point in pancreatic carcinogenesis, and the Ras kinase is an essential regulatory upstream signal molecule of the ERK1/2 pathway. H3K9ac is a vital histone modification, but its specific role in pancreatic cancer remains unclear. This research aims to study whether the modification level of H3K9ac can regulate the characteristic phenotype of the pancreatic cancer cells by affecting the downstream expression, proliferation, migration, and other related genes.

MAIN METHODS

The Ras^G12V/T35S were used to transfect pancreatic cancer cells, and the levels of phosphorylated ERK1/2 and H3K9ac were detected by western blotting. The colony formation assay, transwell assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay were used to study cell viability, migration, and the downstream genes of the ERK1/2 pathway.

KEY FINDINGS

The results showed that Ras ERK1/2 reduced H3K9ac expression in ASPC-1 cells, and H3K9ac significantly repressed the viability of cells, colony formation, and ASPC-1 cell movement induced by Ras ERK1/2. Besides, HDAC1 silencing increased H3K9ac expression, and changed the effect of Ras ERK1/2 on ASPC-1 cells proliferation, its movement, and mRNAs of ERK1/2 downstream genes. Moreover, Ras ERK1/2 inhibited H3K9ac expression by the degradation of PCAF via MDM2.

SIGNIFICANCE

Ras ERK1/2 promotes pancreatic carcinogenesis cell movement, through down-regulating H3K9ac via MDM2 mediated PCAF degradation.

Can immunohistochemical biomarkers distinguish epithelial dysplasia degrees in actinic cheilitis? A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Actinic cheilitis (AC) is a potentially malignant disorder of the lip, characterized by epithelial and connective tissue alterations caused by chronic exposure to ultraviolet radiation. In the past decades, diverse studies have been conducted in lip carcinogenesis and many biomarkers have been identified in lip lesions, yet there is no scientific evidence that determines its usefulness in the clinical setting or in histopathological routine. Therefore, we conducted the first systematic review in this field to summarize the results of published studies on immunohistochemical biomarkers in lip carcinogenesis, to evaluate if there is a marker than can distinguish the different histological grades of AC.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective studies that investigated immunohistochemical biomarkers in AC defined on standardised histological assessment were gathered from five databases and evaluated. Each study was qualitatively evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Tools from SUMARI.

RESULTS

The proliferation marker Ki-67 was the most studied biomarker and we observed, through meta-analysis, that it was differently expressed between AC and lip cancer, but not in AC subgroups. Most articles had a high risk of bias.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, the literature lacks quality follow up studies in actinic cheilitis. Multi-centre cohort studies, with patients stratified by treatment type and the use of image analysis software, could be the solution to further address the issues of investigating potentially malignant lesions and help change clinical practice, in terms of individualizing patients' treatment and prognosis prediction.

MicroRNA-377 exerts a potent suppressive role in osteosarcoma through the involvement of the histone acetyltransferase 1-mediated Wnt axis

It has been demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) may contribute to tumorigenesis and tumor growth in osteosarcoma (OS), which is a primary malignant tumor of bone frequently diagnosed in adolescents and young people. The purpose of our investigation was to evaluate the functional relevance of miR-377 in OS and to investigate whether the mechanism was related to the histone acetyltransferase 1 (HAT1)-mediated Wnt signaling pathway. By screening differentially expressed genes in microarray GSE47572, HAT1 was found to be a candidate gene of interest. Besides, the regulatory miRNA (miR-377) of HAT1 was also selected. The interaction among miR-377, HAT1, and the Wnt signaling pathway was evaluated. In addition, the miR-377 expression was altered in OS cells (U-2OS and SOSP-9607) to assess the in vitro cell apoptosis and the in vivo tumor growth. OS tissues presented elevated HAT1 expression and decreased miR-377 expression. A putative miR-377 binding site in HAT1 3'-UTR HAT1 was verified. Cells with miR-377 overexpression or HAT1 silencing were observed to exhibit reduced HAT1 expression and promoted apoptosis, accompanied by blockade of Wnt signaling. Moreover, the in vivo experiment revealed that miR-377 overexpression or HAT1 silencing inhibited tumor growth and reduced tumor size in nude mice. Taken together, our results conclude that miR-377 may promote OS cell apoptosis through inactivation of the HAT1-mediated Wnt signaling pathway, highlighting the potential therapeutic effect of miR-377 on OS treatment.

Histone acetyltransferase 1 up regulates Bcl2L12 expression in nasopharyngeal cancer cells

The deregulation of Bcl2L12 expression in cancer has been recognized, but the causative factors are unknown. Histone acetyltransferases (HAT) play critical roles in the regulation gene transcription. This study tests a hypothesis that the aberrant activities of HAT induce deregulation of Bcl2L12 in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). In this study, human NPC tissues were collected from the clinic. The expression of Bcl2L12 and HATs in NPC cells was analyzed by real time RT-PCR and Western blotting. NPC cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. The results showed that by screening the subtypes of HAT, the levels of HAT1 were uniquely higher in NPC as compared with non-cancer nasopharyngeal tissue. The levels of Bcl2L12 in NPC cells were positively correlated with HAT1. HAT1 involved in the STAT5 binding to the Bcl2L12 promoter. HAT1 increased the expression of Bcl2L12. Bcl2L12 mediated the effects of HAT1 on suppressing NPC cell apoptosis. Absorption of the HAT1 shRNA plasmid-carrying liposomes induced NPC cell apoptosis. In conclusion, inhibition of HAT1 can induce NPC cell apoptosis via increasing Bcl2L12 expression, which can be a potential therapy for NPC treatment.

Evaluation of specific modified histones in lip carcinogenesis

OBJECTIVE

Histones regulate chromatin density and therefore influence gene expression and cellular proliferation. These properties are modified by methylation, acetylation and phosphorylation of histones. The aim of this study was to investigate the variation of specific modified histones in actinic cheilitis (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma of the lip (SCCL).

METHODS

Samples of non-neoplastic tissue of the lip (NNTL, n = 9), AC (n = 33), and SCCL (n = 27) were submitted to immunohistochemistry to detect the modified histones H3K36me3, H3K9ac, H4K12ac, and H3S10 ph.

RESULTS

Reactivity for all of the modified histones was significantly decreased from NNTL to AC, but not from AC to SCCL. Dysplasia in AC or histological grade in SCCL were not related to the reactivity of any modified histones.

CONCLUSIONS

Histone modifications are related to initial actinic damage, but not to malignant transformation in the lip.