The dyslipidemia-associated SNP on the APOA1/C3/A5 gene cluster predicts post-surgery poor outcome in Taiwanese breast cancer patients: a 10-year follow-up study

A double-switch pHLIP system enables selective enrichment of circulating tumor microenvironment-derived extracellular vesicles

Circulating tumor microenvironment-derived extracellular vesicles (cTME-EVs) are gaining considerable traction in cancer research and liquid biopsy. However, the study of cTME-EVs is largely limited by the dearth of a general isolation technique to selectively enrich cTME-EVs from biological fluids for downstream analysis. In this work, we broke through this dilemma by presenting a double-switch pH-low insertion peptide (D-S pHLIP) system to exclusively harvest cTME-EVs from the blood serum of tumor mouse models. This D-S pHLIP system consists of a highly sensitive pH-driven conformational switch (pKa ≈ 6.8) that allows specific installation of D-S pHLIP on the EV membranes in TME (pH 6.5 to 6.8) and a unique hook-like switch to "lock" the peptide securely on the cTME-EVs during the systemic circulation. The D-S pHLIP-anchored cTME-EVs were magnetically enriched and then analyzed with high-resolution messenger RNA sequencing, by which more than 18 times the number of TME-related differentially expressed genes and 10 times the number of hub genes were identified, compared with those achieved by the gold-standard ultracentrifugation. This work could revolutionize basic TME research as well as clinical liquid biopsy for cancer.

Association of SNP rs5069 in APOA1 with Benign Breast Diseases in a Mexican Population

Breast cancer (BCa) is the most common type of cancer affecting women worldwide. Some histological subtypes of benign breast disease (BBD) are considered risk factors for developing BCa. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes encoding apolipoproteins A-I (APOA1) and B (APOB) have been associated with BCa in Tunisian, Chinese, and Taiwanese populations. The objective of this pilot study is to evaluate the possible contribution of APOA1 and APOB polymorphisms to BCa and BBD in the Mexican population. We analyzed the association of 4 SNPs in genes encoding apolipoproteins: rs670 and rs5069 in the APOA1 gene, and rs693 and rs1042031 in the APOB gene, by performing PCR-RFLP with DNA extracted from the biopsy tissue of Mexican women with BCa or BBD and whole blood samples obtained from the general population (GP). Our results showed an association between the CT + TT genotypes of the SNP rs5069 and BBD (p = 0.03201). In the A-T haplotype, the frequency of the SNPs rs670 and rs5069 differed significantly between the BBD group and the GP and BCa groups (p = 0.004111; p = 0.01303). In conclusion, the SNP rs5069 is associated with BBD but not with BCa in the Mexican population.

Impacts of nutritive and bioactive compounds on cancer development and therapy

For persons who survive with progressive cancer, nutritional therapy and exercise may be significant factors to improve the health condition and life quality of cancer patients. Nutritional therapy and medications are essential to managing progressive cancer. Cancer survivors, as well as cancer patients, are mostly extremely encouraged to search for knowledge about the selection of diet, exercise, and dietary supplements to recover as well as maintain their treatment consequences, living quality, and survival of patients. A healthy diet plays an important role in cancer treatment. Different articles are studied to collect information and knowledge about the use of nutrients in cancer treatment as well as cancer prevention. The report deliberates nutrition and exercise strategies during the range of cancer care, emphasizing significant concerns during treatment of cancer and for patients of advanced cancer, but concentrating mostly on the requirements of the population of persons who are healthy or who have constant disease following their repossession from management. It also deliberates choice nutrition and exercise problems such as dietary supplements, food care, food selections, and weight; problems interrelated to designated cancer sites, and common questions about diet, and cancer survival. Decrease the side effects of medicines both during and after treatment.

High density lipoproteins and oxidative stress in breast cancer

Breast cancer is one of the main leading causes of women death. In recent years, attention has been focused on the role of lipoproteins, alterations of cholesterol metabolism and oxidative stress in the molecular mechanism of breast cancer. A role for high density lipoproteins (HDL) has been proposed, in fact, in addition to the role of reverse cholesterol transport (RCT), HDL exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, modulate intracellular cholesterol homeostasis, signal transduction and proliferation. Low levels of HDL-Cholesterol (HDL-C) have been demonstrated in patients affected by breast cancer and it has been suggested that low levels of HDL-C could represent a risk factor of breast cancer. Contrasting results have been observed by other authors. Recent studies have demonstrated alterations of the activity of some enzymes associated to HDL surface such as Paraoxonase (PON1), Lecithin-Cholesterol Acyltransferase (LCAT) and Phospholipase A2 (PLA2). Higher levels of markers of lipid peroxidation in plasma or serum of patients have also been observed and suggest dysfunctional HDL in breast cancer patients. The review summarizes results on levels of markers of oxidative stress of plasma lipids and on alterations of enzymes associated to HDL in patients affected by breast cancer. The effects of normal and dysfunctional HDL on human breast cancer cells and molecular mechanisms potentially involved will be also reviewed.

Metabolic Syndrome and Breast Cancer: Prevalence, Treatment Response, and Prognosis

Metabolic syndrome is a type of multifactorial metabolic disease with the presence of at least three factors: obesity, diabetes mellitus, low high-density lipoprotein, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypertension. Recent studies have shown that metabolic syndrome and its related components exert a significant impact on the initiation, progression, treatment response, and prognosis of breast cancer. Metabolic abnormalities not only increase the disease risk and aggravate tumor progression but also lead to unfavorable treatment responses and more treatment side effects. Moreover, biochemical reactions caused by the imbalance of these metabolic components affect both the host general state and organ-specific tumor microenvironment, resulting in increased rates of recurrence and mortality. Therefore, this review discusses the recent advances in the association of metabolic syndrome and breast cancer, providing potential novel therapeutic targets and intervention strategies to improve breast cancer outcome.

The AutGO Initiative: A Conceptual Framework for Developing Genetics-Outcomes Research Hypotheses

The increasing emphasis on translational approaches to complex neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions research requires scientists from a broad range of disciplines to build dynamic collaborations when formulating hypotheses and framing study designs. The need to integrate the knowledge and perspectives not only from multiple scientific silos but also from the populations impacted by these conditions presents a significant challenge to researchers, particularly for a heterogeneous condition like autism. As one path toward addressing these challenges, we have previously introduced Autism Genetics Outcomes (AutGO), an initiative to support broad stakeholder partnerships and promote a new integrated concept called GO (i.e., research approaches that draw on both genetics and clinical outcomes perspectives). Herein, we developed a workflow for collecting stakeholders' feedback toward the development of a GO hypothesis. AutGO is an evolving initiative, and here we describe how its three essential components (conceptual framework, applicability, and implementation) have been developed. As a proof‐of‐concept, the AutGO team sought to demonstrate how a GO hypothesis could be developed using a semi‐structured literature review workflow. We also developed a prototype from published reports and formulated a GO hypothesis for autism. Rather than seeking community stakeholder input after a research project is conceptualized and designed, the developed conceptual framework demonstrates the feasibility of formulating scientific hypotheses by engaging stakeholders in retrospective semi‐structured literature reviews. The presented workflow, prototype, and discussed recommendations will bring awareness in the autism research community about the benefits of applying the GO approach in order to promote translational aspects in genetics research.

Lay Summary

We used a community‐based engagement approach to develop AutGO (Autism Genetics Outcomes), an initiative to establish stakeholder partnerships and to promote research approaches (we refer to as GO) that draw on both genetics and clinical outcomes perspectives. Specifically, we developed a conceptual framework that includes a literature review process for developing GO hypotheses and stakeholder feedback collection protocol. Our work will bring awareness in the autism research community about the benefits of integrating patient perspectives in genetics research. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1286–1299. © 2020 The Authors. Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I), Immunity, Inflammation and Cancer. Cancers (Basel). 2019;11:1097. [PMID: 31374929 PMCID: PMC6721368 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11081097]

Apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I), the major protein component of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) is a multifunctional protein, involved in cholesterol traffic and inflammatory and immune response regulation. Many studies revealing alterations of ApoA-I during the development and progression of various types of cancer suggest that serum ApoA-I levels may represent a useful biomarker contributing to better estimation of cancer risk, early cancer diagnosis, follow up, and prognosis stratification of cancer patients. In addition, recent in vitro and animal studies disclose a more direct, tumor suppressive role of ApoA-I in cancer pathogenesis, which involves anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory mechanisms. Herein, we review recent epidemiologic, clinicopathologic, and mechanistic studies investigating the role of ApoA-I in cancer biology, which suggest that enhancing the tumor suppressive activity of ApoA-I may contribute to better cancer prevention and treatment.

[Study on the Difference of Gene Expression between Central and Peripheral Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma Based on TCGA Database]

背景与目的

肺癌是一种具有高发病率与高死亡率的恶性肿瘤疾病，最常见的类型为非小细胞肺癌（non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC），其中肺鳞癌作为NSCLC中的一个亚型，具有特殊的病理学类型及其特定的治疗方法，根据临床表型不同又可分为周围型和中央型。本研究基于中央型和周围型肺鳞癌的临床差异进一步探索其基因水平的差异和其潜在的价值。

方法

从癌症基因组图谱（The Cancer Genome Atlas, TCGA）数据库收集肺鳞癌数据集，下载临床信息资料及基因表达谱资料。整理资料，分析临床数据及相对应的基因信息。

结果

在临床特征分析中发现，中央型肺鳞癌较周围型肺鳞癌更容易发生淋巴结转移（46.2%, 67/145 vs 28.9%, 26/90; P=0.019），而在性别、年龄、肿瘤大小、有无远处转移、TNM分期、表皮生长因子受体（epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR）突变等方面未见明显差异。在基因表达水平分析中发现，中央型与周围型肺鳞癌具有1, 031个差异表达基因，其中，周围型与中央型相比，629个基因表达水平上调，402个基因表达水平下调。进一步富集分析显示差异表达基因主要体现在6个信号通路中，其中，刺激神经组织的配体-受体相互作用（neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction）通路是差异表达基因主要富集通路，其他差异表达基因主要与脂类代谢和糖代谢有关。相互作用网络分析显示，在表达上调差异基因中，肝细胞核因子1同源体A（hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 homeobox A, HNF1A）和细胞色素P450家族里的A亚家族发现的第四种酶（cytochrome p450 family, Cytochrome P450 3A4, CYP3A4）影响较为广泛，在表达下调差异基因中，人血清白蛋白（Albumin, ALB）与载脂蛋白A1（Apolipoprotein, APOA1）位于该作用网络的关键位置。

结论

中央型和周围型肺鳞癌患者不仅在淋巴结转移发生率上存在临床特征的差异，而且在基因表达水平亦有明显的不同。其中，HNF1A、CYP3A4、ALB、APOA1位于差异基因相互作用网络的关键位置，有可能参与调控二者的差异表型（phenotypic difference）。

eQTL analysis from co-localization of 2739 GWAS loci detects associated genes across 14 human cancers

Genetic variants can predict other "linked" diseases because alterations in one or more genes in vivo may affect relevant phenotype properties. Our study systematically explored the pan-cancer common gene and cancer type-specific genes based on GWAS loci and TCGA data of multiple cancers. It was found that there were 17 SNPs were significantly associated with the expression of 18 genes. Associations between the 18 cis-regulatory genes and the pathologic stage of each cancer showed that MYL2 and PTGFR in HNSC, 4 genes (F8, SATB2, G6PD and UGT1A6) in KIRP, 3 genes (CHMP4C, MAP3K1 and MECP2) in LUAD were all strongly associated with cancer stage levels. Additionally, the survival association analysis showed that SATB2 was correlated with HNSC survival, and MPP1 was strongly associated with the survival of SARC. This study will shed light on the biological pathways involved in cancer-genetic associations, and has the potential to be applied to the predictions of the risk of cancers developing in healthy individuals.

Metabolic syndrome and risk of breast cancer mortality by menopause, obesity, and subtype

PURPOSE

To investigate the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and risk of breast cancer mortality by menopausal status, obesity, and subtype.

METHODS

Data from 94,555 women free of cancer at baseline in the National Institute of Health-American Association of Retired Persons Diet and Health Study cohort (NIH-AARP) were used to investigate the prospective associations of baseline MetS and components with risk of breast cancer mortality using Cox proportional hazard regression models adjusted for baseline behavioral and demographic covariates.

RESULTS

During a mean follow-up duration of 14 years, 607 women in the cohort died of breast cancer. Overall, MetS was associated with a 73% increased risk of breast cancer mortality (HR 1.73; 95% CI 1.09-2.75); the association remained significant among post-menopausal women overall (HR 2.07, 95% CI 1.32, 3.25), and among those with overweight/obesity (HR 1.15, 95% CI 0.81, 1.64). MetS was associated with increased risk of breast cancer mortality for ER+/PR+ (HR 1.28, 95% CI 0.52, 3.16) and lower risk for ER-/PR- (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.11, 1.75) subtypes; however, the associations were not statistically significant. Of the individual MetS components, high waist circumference (HR 1.32, 95% CI 1.03, 1.70), high cholesterol (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.05, 1.46), and hypertension (HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.05, 1.46) were independently associated with increased risk of breast cancer mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

MetS was associated with increased risk of breast cancer mortality, especially among post-menopausal women. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to definitively determine the extent to which these associations vary by breast cancer subtype.

Association of the Apolipoprotein A-I Gene Polymorphisms with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Atherogenic Indices in Patients from Assam, Northeast India

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, and particularly decreased high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) dyslipidemia are prevalent in Assam, India. This study was undertaken to investigate whether Apolipoprotein A-I (APOA1) gene polymorphisms (G-75A and C+83T) were associated with i) the risk for decreased HDL-C, and ii) other CVD risk factors, viz. serum lipids, atherogenic indices, obesity, and blood pressure (BP). A total of 649 subjects were screened, from which 200 eligible individuals, classified as case group with decreased HDL-C levels (100 subjects) and control group with normal HDL-C levels (100 subjects) were enrolled and genotyped using polymersase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and DNA sequencing. Lipid fractions [HDL-C, total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), triglycerides (TG)] and atherogenic indices [Castelli's Risk Indices-I and -II (CRI-I and -II), non-HDL-C fraction, atherogenic index of plasma (AIP), atherogenic coefficient (AC)] were estimated. The G-75A and C+83T loci were not associated with decreased HDL-C risk. This was confirmed across different genetic models (dominant, recessive, additive and allelic). Association was also absent with BP and obesity. However, the G-75A locus was associated with LDL-C, whereas the C+83T locus was associated with TG and VLDL-C. Furthermore, these sites had effects on atherogenic indices. The rare A allele at the G-75A locus was associated with adverse CRI-I, CRI-II, non-HDL-C and AC values, while the major C allele at the C+83T locus was associated with adverse AIP values. Thus, the pro-atherogenic G-75A polymorphism and the anti-atherogenic C+83T polymorphism represent important genetic loci that modulate CVD risk factors in subjects from Assam.

The association between apolipoprotein A1-C3-A5 gene cluster promoter polymorphisms and risk of ischemic stroke in the northern Chinese Han population

Objective

Given its effects on lipid metabolism, the apolipoprotein A1-C3-A5 (APOA1-C3-A5) gene cluster is thought to play an important role in ischemic stroke pathogenesis. Here, we evaluated whether the APOA1-C3-A5 cluster is associated with ischemic stroke in the northern Chinese Han population.

Methods

This case–control study analyzed 812 patients with ischemic stroke and 844 healthy controls with regard to four APOA1-C3-A5 cluster promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs670, rs2854116, rs2854117, and rs662799, using the SNaPshot Multiplex sequencing assay. Potential associations among ischemic stroke, genotyping, and allele frequencies were assessed.

Results

APOA1 rs670 CT/TT genotypes, APOA5 rs662799 AG/GG genotypes, and the APOC3 rs2854116 CC genotype were associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke according to multivariate logistic analysis after adjusting for confounding factors. A significantly increased risk for ischemic stroke was also identified among high-risk haplotypes (C-C-T-A and T-T-C-A) for rs670–rs2854116–rs2854117–rs662799.

Conclusion

This study showed that rs670, rs2854116, and rs662799 SNPs of the APOA1-C3-A5 cluster are associated with ischemic stroke in the northern Chinese Han population.

Diagnostic and prognostic significance of serum apolipoprotein C-I in triple-negative breast cancer based on mass spectrometry

Women with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) have poor prognosis because of the aggressive nature of the tumor, delayed diagnosis and non-specific symptoms in the early stages. Identification of novel specific TNBC serum biomarkers for screening and therapeutic purposes therefore remains an urgent clinical requirement.We obtained serum samples from a total of 380 recruited individuals split into mining and testing sets, with the aim of screening for reliable protein biomarkers from TNBC and non-TNBC (NTNBC) sera. Samples were assessed using mass spectrometry, followed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC), survival and hazard function curve as well as multivariate Cox regression analyses to ascertain the potential of the protein constituents as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for TNBC.We identified upregulated apolipoprotein C-I (apoC-I) with a validated positive effect on TNBC tumorigenesis, with confirmation in an independent test set and minimization of systematic bias by pre-analytical parameters. The apoC-I protein had superior diagnostic ability in distinguishing between TNBC and NTNBC cases. Moreover, the protein presented a more robust potential prognostic factor for TNBC than NTNBC. The apoC-I protein identified in this study presents an effective novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for TNBC, indicating that measurement of the peak intensity at 7785 Da in serum samples could facilitate improved early detection and estimation of postoperative survival prognosis for TNBC.

Diagnostic and prognostic role of serum protein peak at 6449 m/z in gastric adenocarcinoma based on mass spectrometry

Background:

Gastric cancer (GC) is a highly aggressive cancer type associated with significant mortality owing to delayed diagnosis and non-specific symptoms observed in the early stages. Therefore, identification of novel specific GC serum biomarkers for screening purposes is an urgent clinical requirement.

Methods:

This study recruited a total of 432 serum samples from 296 GC patients split into the mining and testing sets. We aimed to screen for reliable protein biomarkers from matched serum samples based on mass spectrometry, followed by comparison with three representative conventional markers using receiver operating characteristic and survival curve analyses to ascertain their potential values as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for GC.

Results:

We identified an apoC-III fragment with confirmation in an independent test set from a second hospital. We found that the diagnostic ability of this fragment performed better than current standard GC diagnostic biomarkers both individually and in combination in distinguishing patients with GC from healthy individuals. Moreover, we found that this apoC-III protein fragment represents a more robust potential prognostic factor for GC than the three conventional markers.

Conclusions:

In view of these findings, we suggest that apoC-III protein fragment is a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, a complement to conventional biomarkers in detecting GC.

Obesity and Diabetes: The Increased Risk of Cancer and Cancer-Related Mortality

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide, and both are associated with an increased incidence and mortality from many cancers. The metabolic abnormalities associated with type 2 diabetes develop many years before the onset of diabetes and, therefore, may be contributing to cancer risk before individuals are aware that they are at risk. Multiple factors potentially contribute to the progression of cancer in obesity and type 2 diabetes, including hyperinsulinemia and insulin-like growth factor I, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, adipokines and cytokines, and the gut microbiome. These metabolic changes may contribute directly or indirectly to cancer progression. Intentional weight loss may protect against cancer development, and therapies for diabetes may prove to be effective adjuvant agents in reducing cancer progression. In this review we discuss the current epidemiology, basic science, and clinical data that link obesity, diabetes, and cancer and how treating obesity and type 2 diabetes could also reduce cancer risk and improve outcomes.

APOA1 mRNA expression in ovarian serous carcinoma effusions is a marker of longer survival

OBJECTIVES

We previously described the overexpression of APOA1 and GPX3 in ovarian/peritoneal serous carcinoma compared with breast carcinoma effusions using gene expression array analysis. The objective of the present study was to validate this finding and to analyze the association between these genes and clinicopathologic parameters, including survival, in advanced-stage ovarian serous carcinoma.

METHODS

APOA1 and GPX3 mRNA expression using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was analyzed in 121 effusions (101 ovarian, 20 breast carcinomas) and 85 solid ovarian carcinoma specimens (43 primary carcinomas, 42 metastases).

RESULTS

APOA1 and GPX3 transcript levels were significantly higher in ovarian carcinoma at all anatomic sites compared with breast carcinoma effusions (P < .001). GPX3 mRNA levels were significantly higher in primary carcinomas and solid metastases from patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy compared with chemo-naïve tumors (P = .016). APOA1 and GPX3 mRNA levels in the entire effusion series were unrelated to clinicopathologic parameters. However, higher APOA1 mRNA levels in primary diagnosis pre-chemotherapy effusions were significantly related to better overall survival (P = .045), a finding that retained its significance in Cox multivariate analysis (P = .016).

CONCLUSIONS

APOA1 and GPX3 mRNA levels on qRT-PCR effectively differentiate ovarian from breast carcinoma. APOA1 may be a novel prognostic marker in metastatic serous carcinoma.