Effect of HMGB1 Polymorphisms on Urothelial Cell Carcinoma Susceptibility and Clinicopathological Characteristics

IGF2BP3 prevent HMGB1 mRNA decay in bladder cancer and development

BACKGROUND

IGF2BP3 functions as an RNA-binding protein (RBP) and plays a role in the posttranscriptional control of mRNA localization, stability, and translation. Its dysregulation is frequently associated with tumorigenesis across various cancer types. Nonetheless, our understanding of how the expression of the IGF2BP3 gene is regulated remains limited. The specific functions and underlying mechanisms of IGF2BP3, as well as the potential benefits of targeting it for therapeutic purposes in bladder cancer, are not yet well comprehended.

METHODS

The mRNA and protein expression were examined by RT-qPCR and western blotting, respectively. The methylation level of CpG sites was detected by Bisulfite sequencing PCR (BSP). The regulation of IGF2BP3 expression by miR-320a-3p was analyzed by luciferase reporter assay. The functional role of IGF2BP3 was determined through proliferation, colony formation, wound healing, invasion assays, and xenograft mouse model. The regulation of HMGB1 by IGF2BP3 was investigated by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and mRNA stability assays.

RESULTS

We observed a significant elevation in IGF2BP3 levels within bladder cancer samples, correlating with more advanced stages and grades, as well as an unfavorable prognosis. Subsequent investigations revealed that the upregulation of IGF2BP3 expression is triggered by copy number gain/amplification and promoter hypomethylation in various tumor types, including bladder cancer. Furthermore, miR-320a-3p was identified as another negative regulator in bladder cancer. Functionally, the upregulation of IGF2BP3 expression exacerbated bladder cancer progression, including the proliferation, migration, and invasion of bladder cancer. Conversely, IGF2BP3 silencing produced the opposite effects. Moreover, IGF2BP3 expression positively correlated with inflammation and immune infiltration in bladder cancer. Mechanistically, IGF2BP3 enhanced mRNA stability and promoted the expression of HMGB1 by binding to its mRNA, which is a factor that promotes inflammation and orchestrates tumorigenesis in many cancers. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of HMGB1 with glycyrrhizin, a specific HMGB1 inhibitor, effectively reversed the cancer-promoting effects of IGF2BP3 overexpression in bladder cancer. Furthermore, the relationship between HMGB1 mRNA and IGF2PB3 is also observed in mammalian embryonic development, with the expression of both genes gradually decreasing as embryonic development progresses.

CONCLUSIONS

Our present study sheds light on the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms governing IGF2BP3 expression, underscoring the critical involvement of the IGF2BP3-HMGB1 axis in driving bladder cancer progression. Additionally, it advocates for the investigation of inhibiting IGF2BP3-HMGB1 as a viable therapeutic approach for treating bladder cancer.

Genetic Polymorphisms Involved in Bladder Cancer: A Global Review

Bladder cancer (BC) has been associated with genetic susceptibility. Single peptide polymorphisms (SNPs) can modulate BC susceptibility. A literature search was performed covering the period between January 2000 and October 2020. Overall, 334 articles were selected, reporting 455 SNPs located in 244 genes. The selected 455 SNPs were further investigated. All SNPs that were associated with smoking and environmental exposure were excluded from this study. A total of 197 genes and 343 SNPs were found to be associated with BC, among which 177 genes and 291 SNPs had congruent results across all available studies. These genes and SNPs were classified into eight different categories according to their function.

The Relationship Between PD-1(rs2227981) and PD-L1(rs2890658) Polymorphisms and Urothelial Cell Carcinoma

Background Urothelial cell carcinoma, which is believed to develop from the urothelium (transitional epithelium), is the most common aggressive tumor and accounts for the ten most prevalent cancers in the world. The risk factors for urothelial cell carcinoma are aging, smoking, gender, and genetic alternations. Programmed cell death1 (PD-1) has been widely described as a negative regulator of T-cells by sending inhibitory signals to the T-cell. Through PD-1 binding with PD-L1 (ligand for PD-1), an inhibitory signal is propagated to the T cell. The polymorphisms of PD-1 and PD-L1 lead to an efficient T-cell response and affect an anti-tumor reaction. The polymorphisms of PD-1 and PD-L1 could also affect the carcinogenesis of human cancer, including urothelial cell carcinoma. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the relation between PD-1(rs2227981) and PD-L1(rs2890658) polymorphisms and the carcinogenesis of urothelial cell carcinoma. Materials and methods This study was conducted using 211 healthy controls and 256 cases of urothelial cell carcinoma among the Japanese population. The DNA samples were extracted from the peripheral white blood cells of each subject. The genotype was detected by using the Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Results C/T (Adjusted OR 1.55, 95% CI:1.02-2.35) and C/T+T/T (OR 1.46, 95% CI:1.01-2.12) genotypes of PD-1 rs2227981 were significant and risk factors for urothelial cancer. Male with A/A genotype in PD-L1 and CT genotype in PD-1 has a significant higher risk factor compared with other genotypes (Adjusted OR 1.83, 95% CI:1.05-3.21). Conclusions and discussion We found that C/T(PD-1) and "A/A (PD-L1) and C/T(PD-1)" were predominant in urothelial cell carcinoma cases. This indicates that C/T(PD-1) and "A/A (PD-L1) and C/T(PD-1)" genotypes could increase susceptibility to urothelial cell carcinoma. However, since our findings indicated that the effects of PD-1 and PD-L1 polymorphisms included discrepancies, additional research will be needed to evaluate the relationship between human cancer and PD-1 and PD-L1 polymorphisms. This is the first study that seeks to find the relation between PD-1(rs2227981) and PD-L1(rs2890658) polymorphisms concerning urothelial cell carcinoma among the Japanese population.

Impact of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 genetic variants on clinicopathological characteristics of urothelial cell carcinoma

To investigate the distribution of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 (TIMP-3) in patients with/without urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC), three loci of TIMP-3 SNPs (rs9862 C/T, rs9619311 T/C, rs11547635 C/T) were genotyped via TaqMan allelic discrimination for 424 UCC patients and 848 non-UCC participants. Furthermore, the TIMP-3 mRNA expression and its correlation with clinical characters of urothelial bladder carcinoma was analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA). The distribution of all 3 studied SNPs of TIMP-3 was insignificantly different between the UCC and non-UCC groups. However, significantly lower tumor T status was found in TIMP-3 SNP rs9862 CT + TT variant than the wild type (OR: 0.515, 95% CI: 0.289-0.917, P = 0.023). Moreover, the muscle invasive tumor type was significantly correlated to the TIMP-3 SNP rs9619311 TC + CC variant in the non-smoker subgroup (OR: 2.149, 95% CI: 1.143-4.039, P = 0.016). With the TIMP-3 expression data provided in TCGA, significantly higher TIMP-3 mRNA expression was observed in UCC with high tumor stage (P < 0.0001), high tumor T status (P < 0.0001) and high lymph node status (P = 0.0005). In conclusions, TIMP-3 SNP rs9862 variant is associated with lower tumor T status of UCC while TIMP-3 SNP rs9619311 variant is correlated to muscle invasive UCC development in non-smoker.

Association of High-Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) Gene Polymorphisms with Susceptibility and Better Survival Prognosis in Chinese Han Neonatal Necrotizing Enterocolitis

BACKGROUND High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) plays a crucial role in a variety of diseases, including neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of HMGB1 gene single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with susceptibility and survival prognosis in Chinese Han neonates with NEC. MATERIAL AND METHODS The HMGB1 gene rs1360485, rs1045411, and rs2249825 site SNPs were genotyped in all participants. The mRNA expression of serum HMGB1 was examined using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The correlation of the HMGB1 rs1360485 SNP with NEC neonatal survival prognosis was evaluated by univariate analysis and logistic multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS The TC and CC genotype and C allele distribution frequencies of the rs1360485 SNP were lower in the NEC group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Individuals carrying the TC and CC genotype or C allele had a low risk of being affected by NEC. However, the genotype and allele distributions of rs1045411 and rs2249825 were not significantly different between the patient and control groups (P>0.05). NEC neonates with HMGB1 gene rs1360485 site mutations had lower mRNA levels of serum HMGB1 than those with rs1360485 site wild-type, and the rs1360485 genotypes TC and CC could independently predict better survival outcomes in NEC neonates. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that the rs1360485 SNP of the HMGB1 gene is associated with susceptibility of NEC in neonates, and the rs1360485 genotypes TC and CC may affect HMGB1 expression and are associated with the survival prognosis of neonates with NEC.

Association of Polymorphism rs1045411 in the HMGB1 Gene with Cancer Risk: Evidence from a Meta-analysis

The high-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) rs1045411 polymorphism has been demonstrated to be associated with cancer risk in some studies. However, the results regarding this topic are inconsistent. A meta-analysis was applied to elucidate the association between the HMGB1 rs1045411 polymorphism and cancer risk. Ten relevant studies were subjected to our analysis, and pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. In total, of 3,918 cases and 5,296 controls were included in this study. The pooled ORs were calculated using a random-effects or fixed-effects model according to the heterogeneity. The pooled results revealed that TT genotype was significantly related to increased cancer risk in the comparisons of TT vs. CC+TC (OR=1.35; 95% CI: 1.09-1.67; p=0.005). Though no statistical significance was achieved between HMGB1 rs1045411 polymorphism and cancer risk in other four genetic models (T vs. C: OR=1.08, 95% CI 0.90-1.30; TC vs. CC: OR=1.01, 95% CI 0.82-1.24; CC vs. TC+TT: OR=0.95, 95% CI 0.77-1.18; TT vs. CC: OR=1.42; 95% CI 0.98-2.05), a trend of increased risk could be drawn. In the subgroup analysis by type of malignancy and ethnicity, no obvious difference was found in the tumour risk regarding the HMGB1 rs1045411 polymorphism amongst the cancer types except for breast cancer (OR=1.94; 95% CI: 1.05-3.59; p=0.03) and hepatocellular carcinoma (OR=1.82; 95% CI: 1.15-2.88; p=0.01), while rs1045411 polymorphism was positively associated with risks of cancer amongst Hans (OR=1.37; 95% CI: 1.11-1.69; p=0.004) rather than Caucasians (OR=0.89; 95% CI: 0.26-3.02; p=0.01). These results suggest that the HMGB1 rs1045411 polymorphism might be associated with increased cancer risk.

The Impact of HMGB1 Polymorphisms on Prostate Cancer Progression and Clinicopathological Characteristics

Prostate cancer is one of the major cancers of the genitourinary tract. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) was suggested as a promising therapeutic target for prostate cancer. In this study, we aim to elucidate the associations of HMGB1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with prostate cancer susceptibility and clinicopathological characteristics. The HMGB1 SNPs rs1412125, rs2249825, rs1045411, and rs1360485 in 579 prostate cancer patients and 579 cancer-free controls were analyzed with real-time polymerase chain reactions (real-time PCR). All of the data were evaluated with SAS statistical software. Our results showed that the HMGB1 rs1045411 T allele genotype was significantly associated with advanced pathologic T stage (odds ratio (OR) = 1.433, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.021–2.012; p = 0.037) and pathologic N1 stage (OR = 2.091, 95% CI = 1.160–3.767; p = 0.012), and the rs1360485 polymorphic CT + TT genotype was associated with pathologic Gleason grade group (4 + 5) (OR = 1.583, 95% CI = 1.017–2.462; p = 0.041), pathologic T stage (3 + 4) (OR = 1.482, 95% CI = 1.061–2.070; p = 0.021), and pathologic N1 stage (OR = 2.131, 95% CI = 1.178–3.852; p = 0.011) compared with their wild-type carriers. In conclusion, our results revealed that the HMGB1 SNPs were associated with the clinical status of prostate cancer. The HMGB1 SNPs may have the potential to predict prostate cancer disease progression.

Association of variations in platinum resistance-related genes and prognosis in lung cancer patients

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in HMGB1, REV3L, and NFE2L2 with prognosis in lung cancer patients with platinum-based chemotherapy. Methods: We have recruited 348 lung cancer patients treated with platinum. Log-rank test and Cox regression analysis were used to assess overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) among SNP genotypes. Results: The results revealed that patients carrying TC or CC genotype in REV3L rs462779 (HR=0.67, 95% CI=0.51-0.90, P=0.007) and AG or GG genotype in HMGB1 rs1045411 (HR=0.61, 95% CI=0.38-0.99, P=0.046) had a better overall survival. Additionally, carrying TC or TT genotype in rs462779 had a lower risk (OR=0.38, 95% CI=0.17-0.89, P=0.025) of lymph node metastasis, carrying AG or AA genotype in rs1045411 was significantly related to early T stage (OR=0.47, 95% CI=0.29-0.76, P=0.002). In stratified analysis, patients with TC or CC genotype in rs462779 were significantly associated with overall survival in male patients, never-smokers, patients with younger age (≤56), no family history of cancer, adenocarcinoma, advanced stage (stage III or IV), or ECOG PS 0-1. While patients with AG or GG genotype in rs1045411 were significantly associated with overall survival in patients with advanced stage (stage III or IV) or ECOG PS 0-1. Conclusion: Our results indicate that the TC or CC genotype in rs462779 and AG or GG genotype in rs1045411 are contributed to better overall survival. The REV3L rs462779 and HMGB1 rs1045411 may serve as prognosis markers in lung cancer patients with platinum-based chemotherapy.

Involvement of FGFR4 Gene Variants on the Clinicopathological Severity in Urothelial Cell Carcinoma

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) plays a prominent role in cell proliferation and cancer progression. This study explored the effect of FGFR4 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the clinicopathological characteristics of urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC). This study was conducted to survey the possible correlation of the polymorphism of FGFR4 to the risk and clinicopathologic characteristics of UCC. Four loci of FGFR4 (rs2011077 T > C, rs351855 G > A, rs7708357 G>A, and rs1966265 A > G) were genotyped via the TaqMan allelic discrimination approach in 428 UCC cases and 856 controls. The results indicated that UCC subjects who carried the SNP rs2011077 TC+CC genotypes were significantly related to a higher tumor stage (odds ratio (OR): 1.751, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.078–2.846), primary tumor size (OR: 1.637, 95% CI: 1.006–2.662), and histopathologic grading (OR: 1.919, 95% CI: 1.049–3.511). Moreover, the SNP rs1966265 AG+GG genotypes were prominently related to a higher tumor stage (OR: 1.769, 95% CI: 1.082–2.891), primary tumor size (OR: 1.654, 95% CI: 1.011–2.706), and histopathologic grading (OR: 2.006, 95% CI: 1.096–3.674) compared to individuals with AA homozygotes. In conclusion, our data reveal association of FGFR4 polymorphisms with UCC clinicopathologic characteristics. FGFR4 polymorphisms may serve as a marker or therapeutic target in UCC development.