Contribution of Murine Double Minute 2 Genotypes to Colorectal Cancer Risk in Taiwan

Genetic polymorphisms in FABP2, CYP2E1, and TP53 genes are potentially associated with colorectal cancer susceptibility

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most prevalent cancers with a high mortality rate. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to CRC development. This study aimed to assess the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the fatty acid binding protein-2 (rs1799883), Cytochrome P450 2E1 (rs3813865), TP53 (rs1042522), and Murine double minute 2 (rs1042522) genes with CRC. A cross-sectional case-control study was conducted at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology from May 2020 to March 2021, involving CRC patients (N = 100) and controls (N = 100) recruited from the Multan district in Pakistan. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) were employed to investigate the studied SNPs. The association of SNPs in all genes with CRC was examined either individually or in various combinations. Genotypes at three SNPs, rs1799883 in FABP2, rs3813865 in CYP2E1, and rs1042522 in TP53, were found to be associated with the development of CRC, while rs1042522 in MDM2 was not. Patients who were married, smoked, lacked exercise habits or had a family history of CRC were at a greater risk of acquiring the disease. FABP2 gene rs1799883, CYP2E1 gene rs3813865, and TP53 gene rs1042522 polymorphisms are significant in the development of CRC in Pakistani participants.

Comparative Expression Analysis of TP53 Tumor Suppressor and MDM2 Oncogene in Colorectal Adenocarcinoma

Background/Aim

The tumor protein 53 (TP53) tumor suppressor protein (17p13.1) acts as a significant regulator for the cell cycle normal function. The gene is frequently mutated in colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC) patients and is associated to poor prognosis and low response rates to chemo-targeted therapy. Our purpose was to correlate TP53 expression with Mouse Double Minute 2 Homolog (MDM2), a proto-oncogene (12q14.3) and a major negative regulator in the TP53-MDM2 auto-regulatory pathway.

Materials and Methods

A total of forty (n=40) colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC) cases were included in this study. An immunohistochemistry-based assay was implemented by using anti-TP53 and anti-MDM2 antibodies in the corresponding tissue sections. Additionally, a digital image analysis assay was implemented for objectively measuring TP53/MDM2 immunostaining intensity levels.

Results

TP53 protein overexpression was detected in 27/40 (67.5%), whereas MDM2 overexpression in 28/40 (70%) cases. Interestingly, in 21/40 (52.5%) cases, a combined TP53/MDM2 co-expression was detected, whereas in 6/40 (15%), a combined loss of expression was identified (overall co-expression: p=0.119). p53 overexpression was significantly correlated to grade of the examined cases (p=0.001), whereas MDM2 to stage and max diameter of the malignancies (p=0.001 and 0.024, respectively).

Conclusion

TP53/MDM2 over expression is a frequent and significant genetic event in CRCs associated with an aggressive biological behavior, as a result of increased dedifferentiation grade and advanced stage/elevated tumor volume, respectively. MDM2 oncogene overactivation combined with mutated and overexpressed TP53 is observed in sub-groups of patients leading to specific gene/protein signatures - targets for personalized chemotherapeutic approaches.

The Contribution of DNA Ligase 4 Polymorphisms to Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND/AIM

While numerous biomarkers associated with genetic susceptibility to colorectal cancer (CRC) have been identified and validated through epidemiological studies, the specific influence of DNA ligase 4 (Lig4) genotypes remains unexplored. This study aimed to elucidate the hitherto unexamined relationship between Lig4 genotypes and CRC risk.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The genotypes of Lig4 rs1805388 were determined applying the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism methodology. The potential association between these genotypes and CRC risk was assessed in a Taiwanese population comprising 362 CRC cases and an equal number of age- and sex-matched controls.

RESULTS

In the genotypic analysis, the distribution of CC, CT, and TT genotypes for Lig4 rs1805388 among CRC cases was 54.7%, 38.1%, and 7.2%, respectively. This distribution was not significantly different from the controls, which exhibited genotypic frequencies of 57.2%, 36.7%, and 6.1%, respectively (p for trend=0.7314). Analysis of allelic distribution indicated that individuals carrying the T allele of Lig4 rs1805388 displayed a slightly elevated CRC risk compared to those carrying the C allele (odds ratio=1.10, 95% confidence interval=0.87-1.39, p=0.4685).

CONCLUSION

The variant genotypes of Lig4 rs1805388 may not serve as predictive markers for CRC risk in the Taiwanese population.

Effects of Nitro-Oxidative Stress on Biomolecules: Part 1-Non-Reactive Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Plasma medicine, or the biomedical application of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP), is an expanding field within plasma research. CAP has demonstrated remarkable versatility in diverse biological applications, including cancer treatment, wound healing, microorganism inactivation, and skin disease therapy. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the effects of CAP remain incompletely understood. The therapeutic effects of CAP are largely attributed to the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), which play a crucial role in the biological responses induced by CAP. Specifically, RONS produced during CAP treatment have the ability to chemically modify cell membranes and membrane proteins, causing nitro-oxidative stress, thereby leading to changes in membrane permeability and disruption of cellular processes. To gain atomic-level insights into these interactions, non-reactive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have emerged as a valuable tool. These simulations facilitate the examination of larger-scale system dynamics, including protein-protein and protein-membrane interactions. In this comprehensive review, we focus on the applications of non-reactive MD simulations in studying the effects of CAP on cellular components and interactions at the atomic level, providing a detailed overview of the potential of CAP in medicine. We also review the results of other MD studies that are not related to plasma medicine but explore the effects of nitro-oxidative stress on cellular components and are therefore important for a broader understanding of the underlying processes.

Contribution of Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 Genotypes to Colorectal Cancer in Taiwan

BACKGROUND/AIM

Matrix metalloproteinase-1 is responsible for extracellular matrix regulation, and its genetic role in colorectal cancer (CRC) is unclear. The aim of the study was to investigate the contribution of Matrix metalloproteinase-1 genotypes to CRC risk in Taiwan.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 362 cases and 362 controls were included and their MMP-1 -1607 (rs1799705) genotypes were examined. The environmental factors and clinical-pathological records were also analyzed.

RESULTS

The genotypic frequency of MMP-1 rs1799750 were different between the CRC and control groups (p for trend=0.0083). 1G/2G and 1G/1G were associated with lower risk (p=0.0438 and 0.0030, adjusted OR=0.73 and 0.54, 95%CI=0.54-0.90 and 0.37-0.83). Among non-smokers, those with 1G/2G and 1G/1G genotypes were at 0.70- and 0.48-fold odds of having CRC. Among non-alcohol drinkers, people with 1G/2G and 1G/1G genotypes were at 0.71- and 0.54-fold odds. The 1G/1G genotype were statistically lower among CRC patients with lymph node metastasis (7.2%) than those without (19.0%).

CONCLUSION

The genotypes at MMP-1 rs1799705 play a role in determining susceptibility to CRC risk in Taiwan.

Association of Murine Double Minute 2 Genotypes and Lung Cancer Risk

AIM

The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of human mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) gene polymorphisms to the risk of Taiwan lung cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this case-control study, the association of MDM2 rs2279744 genotypes with lung cancer risk was investigated among 358 lung cancer patients and 716 age-, gender- and smoking status-matched controls in Taiwan.

RESULTS

The percentages of MDM2 rs2279744 GT and GG genotypes were 50.0% and 27.4% in lung cancer group and 50.0% and 26.5% in control group, respectively [odds ratio (OR)=1.03 and 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.75-1.43 and 0.75-1.53, respectively]. The analysis about allelic frequency showed that G allele at MDM2 rs2279744 conferred a non-significant increased cancer risk (OR=1.03, 95%CI=0.86-1.24).

CONCLUSION

Polymorphisms of MDM2 rs2279744 may play a role in lung carcinogenesis. However, the studied genotypes were not shown as predictors of lung cancer susceptibility.

Significant Association of Interleukin-16 Genetic Variations to Taiwanese Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND/AIM

Interleukin-16 has been reported to exhibit tumoricidal effects, however, the contribution of IL-16 genotypes to lung cancer is still largely unrevealed. This study aimed at investigating whether IL-16 genotypes contribute to lung cancer susceptibility.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

IL-16 rs4778889, rs11556218, and rs4072111 genotypic characteristics were determined among 358 lung cancer patients and 716 controls via the polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methodology.

RESULTS

The highlight finding is that the distributions of genotypic (p=8.6E-10) and allelic (p=0.0001) frequencies of IL-16 rs11556218 was significantly different between cases and controls. In detail, the frequencies of IL-16 rs11556218 heterozygous variant TG and homozygous variant GG were 36.6 and 7.3% among the lung cancer patients, significantly higher than those among the controls (22.5% and 2.6%). On the other way, no difference was observed regarding IL-16 rs4778889 or IL-16 rs4072111.

CONCLUSION

The present study indicates IL-16 rs11556218 G allele is significantly associated with increased Taiwan lung cancer risk.

BGN and COL11A1 Regulatory Network Analysis in Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Reveals That BGN Influences CRC Cell Biological Functions and Interacts with miR-6828-5p

Purpose

We explored specific expression profiles of BGN and COL11A1 genes and studied their biological functions in CRC using bioinformatics tools.

Patients and Methods

A total of 68 pairs of cancer and non-cancerous tissues from CRC patients were enrolled in this study. Methods we used in this articles including: qRT-PCR, Western blot analysis, ELISA, GO and KEGG regulatory network analysis, tumor infiltration, luciferase reporter-based protein and etc.

Results

According to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, BGN and COL11A1 expression levels were significantly higher in CRC patient samples than in samples from healthy controls. Moreover, levels were much higher in late-stage CRC than in early-stage disease, warranting evaluation of these genes as CRC prognostic biomarkers. Subsequently, qRT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and ELISA results obtained from analyses of CRC cells, tissues, and patient sera aligned with TCGA results. GO and KEGG regulatory network analysis revealed BGN- and COL11A1-associated genes that were functionally related to extracellular matrix (ECM) receptor pathway activation, with transcription factor genes RELA and NFKB1 positively associated with BGN expression and CEBPZ and SIRT1 with COL11A1 expression. Meanwhile, BGN and COL11A1 expression were separately and significantly correlated to tumor infiltration by six immune cell types. Additionally, kinase genes PLK1 and LYN appeared to be downstream targets of differentially expressed BGN and COL11A1, respectively. In addition, the expression of PLK1 mRNA was down-regulated while BGN was down-regulated. Finally, BGN effects on CRC cell proliferation, cycle, apoptosis, invasion, and migration were studied using molecular biological methods, including luciferase reporter-based protein analysis, qRT-PCR, and Western blot results, which revealed that miR-6828-5p may regulate BGN expression.

Conclusion

We speculate that the use of BGN and COL11A1 as CRC biomarkers would improve CRC staging, while also providing several novel targets for use in the development of more effective CRC treatments.

Significant Contribution of DNA Repair Human 8-Oxoguanine DNA N-Glycosylase 1 Genotypes to Renal Cell Carcinoma

Introduction

DNA repair systems play essential roles in genomic stability and carcinogenesis. Therefore, genotypes at DNA repair loci may contribute to the determination of personal susceptibility to cancers. The contribution of human 8-oxoguanine DNA N-glycosylase 1 (hOGG1) genotypes to renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is largely unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the contributions of hOGG1 rs1052133 genotypes to the RCC risk.

Methods

We evaluated the contribution of hOGG1 rs1052133 (G/C) genotypes among 118 cases and 590 controls and analyzed the interactions of hOGG1 genotypes with smoking, alcohol drinking, hypertension, and diabetes status.

Results

The hOGG1 rs1052133 CC genotype was significantly associated with a decreased RCC risk compared with that of the GG genotype (odds ratio [OR] = 0.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.09–0.72, p = 0.0049). The frequency of the rs1052133 C allele was significantly low in the RCC group (22.5% vs 31.2%; OR = 0.64; 95% CI = 0.46–0.89, p = 0.0074). Stratifying the analysis according to smoking, alcohol drinking, and diabetes status revealed no difference in the rs1052133 genotype distribution among these subgroups. A significant differential distribution of rs1052133 genotypes was observed among subjects with hypertension.

Conclusion

The CC genotype of rs1052133 may play a role in determining RCC susceptibility among Taiwanese people and may serve as a biomarker of RCC, particularly in patients with hypertension.

Genetic polymorphisms of TP53 (rs1042522) and MDM2 (rs2279744) and colorectal cancer risk: An updated meta-analysis based on 59 case-control studies

OBJECTIVE

Several earlier reports implicated TP53 (rs1042522) and MDM2 (rs2279744) variants in outcome of colorectal cancer (CRC), but with inconclusive findings. This current meta-analysis designed to uncover the role of these variants in CRC risk.

METHODOLOGY

Two independent investigators extracted 59 eligible case-control studies from different electronic databases involving Scopus, Web of Science and PubMed prior to June 2019. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and "95% confidence intervals (CIs)" were computed for different hereditary models. Stratification and heterogeneity analyses, and "Begg's funnel plots" were conducted. In silico data analyses of the functional and structural properties of the study variants were applied.

RESULTS

In general, 47 and 16 case-control reports for TP53 (11,589 patients and 13,622 controls) and MDM2 (6841 CRC patients and 8792 healthy controls), respectively were enrolled in this meta-analysis. A significant association of TP53 (rs1042522) variant with increased CRC risk in overall pooled subjects under recessive model [(CC vs. GC + GG, OR = 1.134, 95% CI = 1.006-1.278, P = 0.039)] was observed. Moreover, an evidence of MDM2 (rs2279744) association with increased CRC risk in overall pooled subjects under dominant and heterozygote models [(TG + GG vs. TT, OR = 1.120, 95% CI = 1.003-1.250, P = 0.044) and (TG vs. TT, OR = 1.189, 95% CI = 1.076-1.313, P = 0.001), respectively] was reported. Additionally, TP53 (rs1042522) and MDM2 (rs2279744) showed an association with CRC risk among Asians and Africans under a recessive model, and among Asians under different genetic models, respectively, by stratification analysis.

CONCLUSION

TP53 (rs1042522) and MDM2 (rs2279744) variants might represent candidate risk factors for CRC susceptibility.

Contribution of Inflammatory Cytokine Interleukin-18 Genotypes to Renal Cell Carcinoma

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a multi-functional immuno-mediator in the development and progression of many types of infectious and inflammatory diseases. In this study, we evaluated the contribution of IL-18 genotypes to renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in Taiwan via the genotyping of IL-18 -656 (A/C), -607 (A/C), and -137 (G/C). Moreover, we analyzed their interactions with smoking, alcohol drinking, hypertension, and diabetes status. The results showed an association of the AC and CC genotypes of IL-18 -607 with a significant decrease in the risk of RCC compared with the AA genotype (odds ratio (OR) = 0.44 and 0.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.27⁻0.72 and 0.18⁻0.66, p = 0.0008 and 0.0010, respectively). Furthermore, a significantly lower frequency of the C allele at -607 was observed in the RCC group (35.3% vs. 49.8%; OR = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.35⁻0.71, p = 0.0003). However, IL-18 -656 and -137 did not exhibit a likewise differential distribution of these genotypes between the control and case groups. Stratifying the population according to smoking, alcohol drinking, hypertension, and diabetes status revealed a different distribution of IL-18 -607 genotypes among non-smokers, non-drinkers, and patients without diabetes, but not among smokers, drinkers, or patients with diabetes. These findings suggest that IL-18 -607 genotypes may play a role in the etiology and progression of RCC in Taiwan and may serve as a useful biomarker for early detection.