The Value of CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, and CXCL8 as Potential Prognosis Markers in Cervical Cancer: Evidence of E6/E7 from HPV16 and 18 in Chemokines Regulation

Cervical cancer (CC) is a serious global health issue, and it is well-known that HPV infection is the main etiological factor that triggers carcinogenesis. In cancer, chemokine ligands and receptors are involved in tumor cell growth, metastasis, leukocyte infiltration, and angiogenesis; however, information on the role played by E6/E7 of HPV16/18 in the modulation of chemokines is very limited. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether chemokines are differentially expressed in CC-derived cell lines; if E6/E7 oncoproteins from HPV16 and 18 are capable of mediating chemokine expression, what is the expression profile of chemokines in tissues derived from CC and what is their impact on the overall survival of patients with this pathology? For this purpose, RNA sequencing and real-time PCR were performed on SiHa, HeLa, and C33A tumorigenic cell lines, on the non-tumorigenic HaCaT cells, and the E6/E7 HPV-transduced HaCaT cell models. Furthermore, chemokine expression and survival analysis were executed on 304 CC and 22 normal tissue samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) repository. The results demonstrate that CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, and CXCL8 are regulated by E6/E7 of HPV16 and 18, are overexpressed in CC biopsies, and that their higher expression is related to a worse prognostic survival.

Pentoxifylline Inhibits TNF-α/TGF-β1-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition via Suppressing the NF-κB Pathway and SERPINE1 Expression in CaSki Cells

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common and deadly types of female cancer worldwide. Late diagnosis in CC increases the risk of tumor cells spreading to distant organs (metastasis). The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a fundamental process of cancer metastasis. Inflammation can lead to tumor progression, EMT induction, and metastasis. The inflammatory microenvironment is a potent inducer of EMT; inflammatory cytokines such as Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α) and Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β1) activate transcriptional factors such as STAT3, Snail, Smad, and the Nuclear Factor kappa light-chain-enhancer of activated beta cells (NF-κΒ), which drive EMT. Anti-inflammatory compounds may be an option in the disruption of EMT. PenToXifylline (PTX) possesses potent anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting NF-κB activity. In addition, PTX exerts an anti-fibrotic effect by decreasing Smad2/3/4. We hypothesize that PTX could exert anti-EMT effects. CaSki human cervical tumor cells were exposed to TNF-α 10 ng/mL and TGF-β1 alone or in combination for 5 days. Our results revealed that TNF-α and TGF-β1 induced N-cadherin and Vimentin, confirming the induction of EMT. Furthermore, the combination of cytokines synergized the expression of mesenchymal proteins, enhanced IκBα and p65 phosphorylation, and upregulated Serpin family E member 1 (SERPINE1) mRNA. PTX pretreatment prior to the addition of TNF-α and TGF-β1 significantly reduced N-cadherin and Vimentin levels. To our knowledge, this is the first time that this effect of PTX has been reported. Additionally, PTX reduced the phosphorylation of IκB-α and p65 and significantly decreased SERPINE1 expression, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In conclusion, PTX may counteract EMT in cervical cancer cells by decreasing the NF-κB and SERPINE1.

Splicing Characterization and Isoform Switch Events in Human Keratinocytes Carrying Oncogenes from High-Risk HPV-16 and Low-Risk HPV-84

Infection of epithelial cells with high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) types, followed by expression of virus oncogenic proteins (E5, E6, and E7), leads to genomic imbalance, suppression of tumor inhibitors, and induction of oncogenes. Low-risk HPV (LR-HPV) may slow the rate at which cervical cancer spreads to an invasive stage since co-infection with LR-HPV is linked to a decreased risk of future invasive cancer than infection with HR-HPV alone. We then propose that cancer-progressing changes may be distinguished through identifying the functional differences between LR-HPV and HR-HPV. Lentiviral strategies were followed to establish HaCaT cells with constitutive expression of HPV oncogenes. RNAseq experiments were designed to analyze the transcriptome modulations caused by each of the E5, E6, and E7 oncogenes of HPV-16 and HPV-84 in HaCaT cells. We identified enhanced RNA degradation, spliceosome, and RNA polymerase pathways related to mRNA processing. ATTS (alternative transcription termination site) was discovered to be more prevalent in cells with HPV-16E5 than HPV-84E5. In HPV-16E6-infected cells, ATTS gain was significantly higher than ATTS loss. Cells with HPV-16E7 had more isoforms with intron retention (IR) than those with HPV-84E7. We identified switches in ADAM10, CLSPN, and RNPS1 that led to greater expression of the coding isoforms in HR-HPV. The results of this work highlight differences between LR-HPV and HR-HPV in mRNA processing. Moreover, crucial cervical cancer-related switch events were detected.

FOXP3 Isoforms Expression in Cervical Cancer: Evidence about the Cancer-Related Properties of FOXP3Δ2Δ7 in Keratinocytes

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common type of cancer among women; the main predisposing factor is persistent infection by high-risk human papillomavirus (hr-HPV), mainly the 16 or 18 genotypes. Both hr-HPVs are known to manipulate the cellular machinery and the immune system to favor cell transformation. FOXP3, a critical transcription factor involved in the biology of regulatory T cells, has been detected as highly expressed in the tumor cells of CC patients. However, its biological role in CC, particularly in the keratinocytes, remained unclarified. Therefore, this work aimed to uncover the effect of FOXP3 on the biology of the tumoral cells. First, public databases were analyzed to identify the FOXP3 expression levels and the transcribed isoforms in CC and normal tissue samples. The study's findings demonstrated an increased expression of FOXP3 in HPV16+ CC samples. Additionally, the FOXP3Δ2 variant was detected as the most frequent splicing isoform in tumoral cells, with a high differential expression level in metastatic samples. However, the analysis of FOXP3 expression in different CC cell lines, HPV+ and HPV-, suggests no relationship between the presence of HPV and FOXP3 expression. Since the variant FOXP3Δ2Δ7 was found highly expressed in the HPV16+ SiHa cell line, a model with constitutive expression of FOXP3Δ2Δ7 was established to evaluate its role in proliferation, migration, and cell division. Finally, RNAseq was performed to identify differentially expressed genes and enriched pathways modulated by FOXP3Δ2Δ7. The exogenous expression of FOXP3Δ2Δ7 promotes cell division, proliferation, and migration. The transcriptomic analyses highlight the upregulation of multiple genes with protumor activities. Moreover, immunological and oncogenic pathways were detected as highly enriched. These data support the hypothesis that FOXP3Δ2Δ7 in epithelial cells induces cancer-related hallmarks and provides information about the molecular events triggered by this isoform, which could be important for developing CC.

On the Regulation of NF-κB Pathway by HPV Oncoproteins: Are Pathway Inhibitors a Good Alternative for the Treatment of Cervical Cancer?

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most prevalent cancer-related pathologies in the female population. It is considered the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in developing countries. The most important etiological factor for the development of CC is the persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus. HPV-oncoproteins have evolved to modulate cellular mechanisms to permit viral replication and the generation of new infectious viral particles. When the viral infection persists, there is an uncontrolled viral protein expression essential to commence and maintain the transformation of infected cells. Different cell pathways are affected during the transformation stage, including the NF-κB signaling pathway. NF-κB controls different cellular mechanisms, and its role is critical for various processes, such as immunity, inflammation, cell differentiation, growth, and survival. NF-κB plays a double role in the development of CC. Evidence suggests that in the early stages of viral infection, the NF-κB activity impairs viral transcription and is beneficial for avoiding cellular immortalization. However, in the advanced stages of cervical carcinogenesis, the activation of the NF-κB correlates with a poor prognosis. Here, we discuss some aspects of NF-κB activity during the development of CC and the use of NF-κB inhibitors to treat this pathology.

Comparative Genomic Hybridization and Transcriptome Sequencing Reveal Genes with Gain in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: JUP Expression Emerges as a Survival-Related Gene

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children or adults is characterized by structural and numeric aberrations in chromosomes; these anomalies strongly correlate with prognosis and clinical outcome. Therefore, this work aimed to identify the genes present in chromosomal gain regions found more frequently in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and ALL-derived cell lines using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). In addition, validation of the genes found in these regions was performed utilizing RNAseq from JURKAT, CEM, and SUP-B15 cell lines, as well as expression microarrays derived from a MILE study. Chromosomes with common gain zones that were maintained in six or more samples were 14, 17, and 22, in which a total of 22 genes were identified. From them, NT5C3B, CNP, ACLY, and GNB1L maintained overexpression at the mRNA level in the cell lines and in patients with ALL. It is noteworthy that SALL2 showed very high expression in T-ALL, while JUP was highly expressed in B-ALL lineages. Interestingly, the latter correlated with worse survival in patients. This provided evidence that the measurement of these genes has high potential for clinical utility; however, their expressions should first be evaluated with a sensitive test in a more significant number of patients.

A gene expression signature in HER2+ breast cancer patients related to neoadjuvant chemotherapy resistance, overall survival, and disease-free survival

Breast cancer ranks first in terms of mortality and incidence rates worldwide among women. The HER2+ molecular subtype is one of the most aggressive subtypes; its treatment includes neoadjuvant chemotherapy and the use of a HER2 antibody. Some patients develop resistance despite positive results obtained using this therapeutic strategy. Objective. To identify prognostic markers for treatment and survival in HER2+ patients. Methods. Patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy were assigned to sensitive and resistant groups based on their treatment response. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using RNA-seq analysis. KEGG pathway, gene ontology, and interactome analyses were performed for all DEGs. An enrichment analysis Gene set enrichment analysis was performed. All DEGs were analyzed for overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Results. A total of 94 DEGs were related to treatment resistance. Survival analysis showed that 12 genes (ATF6B, DHRS13, DIRAS1, ERAL1, GRIN2B, L1CAM, IRX3, PRTFDC1, PBX2, S100B, SLC9A3R2, and TNXB) were good predictors of disease-free survival, and eight genes (GNG4, IL22RA2, MICA, S100B, SERPINF2, HLA-A, DIRAS1, and TNXB) were good predictors of overall survival (OS). Conclusion: We highlighted a molecular expression signature that can differentiate the treatment response, overall survival, and DFS of patients with HER2+ breast cancer.

Breast cancer chemotherapy treatment monitoring based on serum sample Raman spectroscopy

In this paper, breast cancer patients were monitored throughout their chemotherapy treatments (CHT), with blood serum sample Raman spectroscopy and multivariate analysis, approximately for a year. First of all, we discriminate between healthy and clinically diagnosed breast cancer patients. Breast cancer detection in terms of sensitivity and specificity were 87.14% and 90.55% respectively. Although no shifts of peaks in mean spectrum of samples from breast cancer patients were found with respect to the mean spectrum from control patients, some peaks did show clear differences in intensity, the greatest disparities found at 509, 545, 1063, 1103, 1338, 1556, 1083 and 1449 cm^− 1 are associated with amino acids and phospholipid, 1246 and 1654 cm^− 1, corresponding to amide III and I, respectively. Other peaks of interest encountered at 450, 661, 890, 917 and 1405 cm^− 1 are associated to glutathione. Then, 6 breast cancer patients were monitored during their chemotherapy treatments, the results were in complete correspondence with their medical records, enabling a detailed study of the evolution of each patient’s cancer. A special interest arose in the possible correlation between the intensity of Raman peak, 450 cm^− 1, corresponding to glutathione and evolution of cancer throughout CHT, i.e., glutathione appears to be a good candidate as breast cancer biomarker. The results confirmed that Raman spectroscopy and PCA are, not only a good support to current breast cancer detection techniques, but could also be excellent techniques to monitor more efficiently breast cancer patients undergoing CHT, using blood serum samples which are a lot less invasive than other methods.

E6/E7 from Beta-2-HPVs 122, 38b, and 107 possess transforming properties in a fibroblast model in vitro

Beta-2 Human papillomaviruses 38b, 107, and 122 have been frequently found in cervical cancer samples in western Mexico. Because their E6/E7 genes functions are not fully elucidated, we deepen into their transformation capabilities. To achieve this goal, primary human fibroblasts (FB) were transduced with E6/E7 genotype-specific viral particles. Additionally, E6/E7 from HPVs 16 and 18 were included as controls. All E6/E7-cell models increased their lifespan; however, it is important to highlight that FB-E6/E7-122 showed growth as accelerated as FB-E6/E7-16 and 18. Furthermore, both FB-E6/E7-38b and 122 exhibited abilities to migrate, and FB-E6/E7-122 presented high invasive capacity. On the other hand, ΔNp73 expression was found in all cell models, except for FB-pLVX (empty-vector). Finally, RNAseq found differentially expressed genes enriched in signaling pathways related to cell cycle, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and cancer, among others. This study shows for the first time, the great transformative potential that genotypes of the Beta-2 also possess, especially HPV122. These Beta-2 HPVs can modulate some of the genes that are well known to be regulated by Alpha-HPVs, however, they also possess alternative strategies to modulate diverse signaling pathways. These data support the idea that Beta-2 HPVs should play an important role in co-infections with Alpha-HPV during carcinogenesis.

Transcriptomic Analysis of Breast Cancer Patients Sensitive and Resistant to Chemotherapy: Looking for Overall Survival and Drug Resistance Biomarkers

Worldwide breast cancer ranks first in mortality and incidence rates in women over 20 years old. Rather than one disease, breast cancer is a heterogeneous group of diseases that express distinct molecular profiles. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is an important therapeutic strategy for breast cancer patients independently of their molecular subtype, with the drawback of resistance development. In addition, chemotherapy has adverse effects that combined with resistance could contribute to lower overall survival. Although great efforts have been made to find diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for breast cancer and for response to targeted and immune therapy for this pathology, little has been explored regarding biomarkers of response to anthracyclines and taxanes based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This work aimed to evaluate the molecular profile of patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that could be used as biomarkers of chemotherapy response and overall survival. Breast cancer patients who were candidates for neoadjuvant chemotherapy were enrolled in this study. After treatment and according to their pathological response, they were assigned as sensitive or resistant. To evaluate DEGs, Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia Gene and Genome (KEGG), and protein–protein interactions, RNA-seq information from all patients was obtained by next-generation sequencing. A total of 1985 DEGs were found, and KEGG analysis indicated a great number of DEGs in metabolic pathways, pathways in cancer, cytokine–cytokine receptor interactions, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions. A selection of 73 DEGs was used further for an analysis of overall survival using the METABRIC study and the ductal carcinoma dataset of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Nine DEGs correlated with overall survival, of which the subexpression of C1QTNF3, CTF1, OLFML3, PLA2R1, PODN, KRT15, HLA-A, and the overexpression of TUBB and TCP1 were found in resistant patients and related to patients with lower overall survival.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ORF3a induces the expression of ACE2 in oral and pulmonary epithelial cells and the food supplement Vita Deyun® diminishes this effect

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a serious global health problem and numerous studies are currently being conducted to improve understanding of the components of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, as well as to identify solutions that mitigate the effects of COVID-19 symptoms. The nutritional supplement Vita Deyun^® is composed of silymarin, glutathione, vitamin C and selenium. Studies of its individual components have demonstrated their benefits as anti-inflammatory agents, antioxidants and enhancers of the immune response. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the in vitro effects of Vita Deyun on the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in diverse cell lines, as well as in the presence or absence of the SARS-CoV-2 open reading frame (ORF)3a protein. Through reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, the use of viral particles containing SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a and bioinformatics analysis via the National Center for Biotechnology Information databases, ACE2 was determined to be highly expressed in oral and skin epithelial cells, with a lower expression observed in lung cells. Notably, the expression of SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a increased the level of ACE2 expression and Vita Deyun treatment diminished this effect. In addition, Vita Deyun treatment markedly decreased interleukin-18 mRNA levels. The combination of phytonutrients in Vita Deyun may help to boost the immune system and could reduce the effects of COVID-19. Ongoing clinical studies are required to provide evidence of the efficacy of Vita Deyun.

Pentoxifylline Sensitizes Cisplatin-Resistant Human Cervical Cancer Cells to Cisplatin Treatment: Involvement of Mitochondrial and NF-Kappa B Pathways

Background

Cervical cancer continues to be a major public health problem worldwide, and Cisplatin is used as first-line chemotherapy for this cancer; however, malignant cells exposed to CISplatin (CIS) become insensitive to the effects of this drug. PenToXifylline (PTX) is a xanthine that sensitizes several types of tumor cells to apoptosis induced by antitumor drugs, such as Adriamycin, Carboplatin, and CIS. The effects of PTX on tumor cells have been related to the disruption of the NF-κB pathway, thus preventing the activation of cell survival mechanisms such as the expression of anti-apoptotic genes, the secretion of proinflammatory interleukins, and growth factors.

Objective

In this work, we studied the antitumor proprieties of PTX in human SiHa cervical carcinoma cells resistant to CIS.

Materials and Methods

SiHa and HeLa cervical cancer cells and their CIS-resistant derived cell lines (SiHaCIS-R and HeLaCIS-R, respectively) were used as in-vitro models. We studied the effects of PTX alone or in combination with CIS on cell viability, apoptosis, caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 activity, cleaved PARP-1, anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL) levels, p65 phosphorylation, cadmium chloride (CdCl₂) sensitivity, Platinum (Pt) accumulation, and glutathione (GSH) levels, as well as on the gene expression of GSH and drug transporters (influx and efflux).

Results

PTX sensitized SiHaCIS-R cells to the effects of CIS by inducing apoptosis, caspase activation, and PARP-1 cleavage. PTX treatment also decreased p65 phosphorylation, increased Pt levels, depleted GSH, and downregulated the expression of the ATP7A, ATP7B, GSR, and MGST1 genes.

Conclusion

PTX reverses the acquired phenotype of CIS resistance close to the sensitivity of parental SiHa cells.

High frequency of HPV genotypes 59, 66, 52, 51, 39 and 56 in women from Western Mexico

BACKGROUND

Human papillomavirus infection is an important factor associated with cervical cancer (CC) development. The prevalence and genotype distribution vary greatly worldwide. Examining local epidemiological data constitutes an important step towards the development of vaccines to prevent CC. In this work, we studied the prevalence of HPV genotypes in women from Western Mexico with the COBAS 4800 and/or Linear Array Genotyping Test (LA).

METHODS

The samples analysed in this study represent a population from Western Mexico, which includes six different states. Our approach was first to test for HPV in cervical samples from women who attended their health clinic for routine gynaecological studies (open-population, n = 3000) by utilizing COBAS 4800. Afterwards, 300 of the HPV-positive samples were randomly selected to be genotyped with LA; finally, we genotyped samples from women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN 1, n = 71) and CC (n = 96) with LA. Sociodemographic data of the diverse groups were also compared.

RESULTS

The overall HPV prevalence among the open-population of women as determined by COBAS 4800 was 12.1% (n = 364/3000). Among the HPV-positive samples, single infections (SI) with HPV16 were detected in 12.4% (n = 45/364), SI with HPV18 were detected in 1.4%, and infection with at least one of the genotypes included in the high-risk HPV pool was detected in 74.5% of the cases. LA analysis of the samples showed that in addition to HPV genotypes 16 and 18, there was a high prevalence of HPV genotypes 59, 66, 52, 51, 39 and 56 in women from Western Mexico. With respect to the sociodemographic data, we found statistically significant differences in the number of pregnancies, the use of hormonal contraceptives and tobacco intake.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicate that there is a high prevalence of HPV genotypes which are not covered by the vaccines currently available in Mexico; therefore, it is necessary to include HPVs 59, 66, 51, 39 and 56 in the design of future vaccines to reduce the risk of CC development. It is also essential to emphasize that the use of hormonal contraceptives and tobacco smoking are risk factors for CC development in addition to the presence of HPV.

Glycogene expression profiles from a HaCaT cell line stably transfected with HPV16 E5 oncogene

The altered expression of glycan antigens has been reported during cervix transformation, demonstrating increased mRNA levels of certain glycogenes. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the aetiological agent of cervical cancer. High risk HPV E5 is considered an oncogene and has been implicated in cell transformation. E6 and E7 HPV oncoproteins modify the expression of certain glycogenes. The role of the E5 HPV protein in glycogene expression changes has not yet been reported. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of HPV16 E5 oncoprotein on glycogene expression. For these, a microarray assay was performed using the HaCaT cell line and altered glycogenes were identified. The mRNA levels of certain glycogenes were determined via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Using in silico analysis, the present study identified that glycosylation pathways were altered by E5. Microarray analysis revealed alterations in certain glycogenes, including the upregulation of ST6GAL1, ST3GAL3, CHST2 and MANBA, and the downregulation of UGT2B15, GALNT11, NDST2 and UGT1A10. Increased mRNA levels were confirmed via RT-qPCR for sialyltransferases genes. Additionally, in silico analysis was performed to identify glycosylation networks altered in the presence of the E5 oncoprotein. The analysis revealed that E5 could modify glycan sialylation, the N-glycosylation pathway, keratan sulfate and glycosaminoglycan synthesis. To the best of our knowledge, the current study was the first to determine the role of the HPV16 E5 oncoprotein in glycogene expression changes. The results indicated that increased sialyltransferase mRNA levels reported in pre-malignant and malignant cervical tissues could be the result of E5 oncoprotein expression. The results provide a possible role of HPV infection on glycosylation changes reported during cervix transformation.

Serum Analysis of Women with Early-Stage Breast Cancer Using a Mini-Array of Tumor-Associated Antigens

Background: Several studies have shown that patients with cancer have antibodies in serum that react with cellular autoantigens, known as Tumor-Associated Antigens (TAA). The present work aimed to determine whether a mini-array comprising four recombinant TAA increases the detection of specific serum antibodies for the diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer. Methods: The mini-array included Alpha 1-AntiTrypsin (A1AT), TriosePhosphate Isomerase 1 (TPI1), Peptidyl-Prolyl cis-trans Isomerase A (PPIA), and PeroxiReDoXin 2 (PRDX2) full-length recombinant proteins. The proteins were produced after gene cloning, expression, and purification, and were verified by Western blot assays. Then, Dot-Blot was performed to find antibodies against the four TAA in 12 sera from women with early-stage breast cancer (stage II) and 12 sera from healthy women. Results: Antibody detection against individual TAA in early-stage breast cancer sera ranged from 58.3% to 83.3%. However, evaluation of the four TAA showed that there was a positive antibody reaction reaching a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 85% in early-stage breast cancer, suggesting that this mini-array must be evaluated as a clinical diagnostic tool for early-stage breast cancer in a larger sample size. Conclusion: Our results suggest that TAA mini-arrays may provide a promising and powerful method for improving the detection of breast cancer in Mexican women.

Histone H3K9 and H3K14 acetylation at the promoter of the LGALS9 gene is associated with mRNA levels in cervical cancer cells

Galectin‐9 levels have been reported to be altered in several cancer types, but the mechanism that regulates the expression of Galectin‐9 has not been clarified. Galectin‐9 is encoded by the LGALS9 gene, which gives rise to eight mRNA variants. The aims of this study were: (a) to identify the mRNA variants of LGALS9, (b) to characterize CpG methylation and H3K9 and H3K14 histone acetylation at the promoter of the LGALS9 gene, and (c) to characterize the relationship between these modifications and LGALS9 expression level in cervical cancer cells. All mRNA variants were detected in HaCaT (nontumoural keratinocytes) and SiHa cells, and seven were observed in HeLa cells. The promoter region of LGALS9 contains eight CpG dinucleotides. No hypermethylation pattern related to low LGALS9 expression was identified in tumour cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis demonstrated higher acetylation of H3K9ac and H3K14ac in HaCaT cells, which was related to higher mRNA levels. The presence of the mRNA variants suggests that alternative splicing may regulate the expression of galectin‐9 isoforms. The results of this study suggest that histone acetylation, but not promoter CpG methylation, may be involved in the transcriptional regulation of the LGALS9 gene.

Detection of Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Unclassified Human Papillomaviruses in Cervical Cancer Samples From Mexican Women

Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is associated to high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, for this reason it is crucial to have sensitive and accurate HPV diagnostic tests. To date, most research is focused on HPVs within the Alphapapillomavirus (α-PVs) genus and little attention has been paid to cervical infections with other HPV genotypes, like those of the Betapapillomavirus (β-PVs) and Gammapapillomavirus (γ-PVs) genera. The aim of this study was to determine the HPV genotypes from different genera in women with CC using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). Methods: The study comprised 48 HPV positive CC samples evaluated with the Linear Array HPV Genotyping test and individually sequenced by 454 NGS using PGMY09/11 and FAP primers. To determine the HPV genotypes present in each sample, the obtained sequences were compared with all HPV L1 gene reference sequences from the Papillomavirus Episteme database (PaVE). Moreover, 50 HPV positive low-grade cervical lesion samples individually genotyped with NGS were also included to determine the genotypes present preferentially in CC patients. Results: Among the 48 CC samples, 68.75% consisted of multiple HPV infections, 51 different genotypes were detected, of which 7 are still unclassified, 28 belong to α-PVs (6, 11, 16, 18, 26, 30, 33, 35, 39, 42, 43, 44, 45, 51, 52, 53, 54, 59, 62, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 74, 81, 102, 114), 10 to β-PVs (5, 12, 21, 37, 38b, 47, 80, 107, 118, 122), and 6 to γ-PVs (101, 103, 123, 135, 147, 214). Among them, HPV16 was the most prevalent genotype (54.2%), followed by HPV18 (16.7%), HPV38b (14.6%), and HPVs 52/62/80 (8.3%). Some genotypes were exclusively found in CC when compared with Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia grade 1 (CIN1) samples, such as HPVs 5, 18, 38b, 107, 122, FA39, FA116, mSK_120, and mSK_136. Conclusions: This work demonstrates the great diversity of HPV genotypes detected by combining PGMY and FAP primers with NGS in cervical swabs. The relatively high attribution of β- and γ- PVs in CC samples suggest their possible role as carcinogenic cofactors, but deeper studies need to be performed to determine if they have transforming properties and the significance of HPV-coinfections.

Exogenous Expression of WNT7A in Leukemia-Derived Cell Lines Induces Resistance to Chemotherapeutic Agents

BACKGROUND

Dysregulations of the WNT pathway are implicated in the malignant transformation of different types of neoplasia. WNT7A is expressed in normal peripheral lymphocytes, but is decreased in the tumoral counterpart. Furthermore, the treatment of leukemic cells with recombinant WNT7A decreases proliferation, suggesting its possible use as a therapeutic biomolecule. This study aimed to evaluate the concomitant action of WNT7A and different chemotherapeutic agents over proliferation and cell death of leukemia/ lymphoma derived cell lines.

METHODS

Ectopic expression of WNT7A was induced in CEM and BJAB cell lines by using a lentiviral system. RNA expression was analyzed by microarrays and qPCR, and protein expression was determined by Western Blot. Cell proliferation was measured by cell counting, metabolic activity by WST-1 assay, cell death and DNA content by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

WNT7A ectopic expression was shown to decrease cell proliferation, but the apoptosis rate of leukemic cells was not altered. Moreover, these cells acquired resistance to doxorubicin, vincristine and MG-132. Cell cycle analysis reveals a decrease in G1 and an increase in S and G2 phases with a further upregulation of senescence- associated genes. Microarray analysis reveals that most gene expression changes were related to cancer and metabolic associated pathways. All those changes appear to be independent of the WNT canonical pathway regulation.

CONCLUSION

WNT7A negatively regulates cell proliferation in leukemic cell lines and promotes resistance to chemotherapeutic agents by inducing a senescence-like phenotype independently of the WNT canonical pathway.

Differential effects of alliin and allicin on apoptosis and senescence in luminal A and triple-negative breast cancer: Caspase, ΔΨm, and pro-apoptotic gene involvement

Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer in women worldwide, and drug resistance is common in all breast cancer types. The combination of natural products with chemotherapies has attracted attention, as it was found that natural compounds enhance the effects of standard cancer chemotherapeutic drugs and protect from side effects. Into the different natural products, garlic has been recognized for its antitumor properties. It is suggested that its anticancer effects are associated with its organo-sulfur compounds, especially alliin and allicin. Here, we evaluated the effects of both molecules on cell death, senescence, and their senolytic potential in luminal A and triple-negative breast cancer cells. MCF-7 (luminal A) and HCC-70 (triple-negative) cells were cultured and treated with different concentrations of alliin or allicin. Then, cell viability was determined using the WST-1 reagent. Apoptosis and caspase activity were evaluated by flow cytometry; ΔΨm was assessed using a JC-10 fluorometric assay kit. Apoptosis-related genes were evaluated by RT-PCR. Proliferation was measured using bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. We also evaluated clonogenicity, senescence (β-Galactosidase Staining), and the senolytic effect of the compounds. Our results showed that allicin has antiproliferative, anticlonogenic, and senolytic effects. In addition, allicin decreased cell viability and induced apoptosis by loss of ΔΨm, caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 activation, upregulation of NOXA, P21, and BAK, as well as downregulation of BCL-XL expression. Contrary to allicin, alliin promoted clonogenicity, induced senescence, and did not exhibit pro-apoptotic effects in breast cancer cells.

History of breast cancer

Breast cancer currently represents one of the largest public health problems in Mexico and in the world, since it is the first cause of death due to neoplasia in women over 25 years. The first official statistical records in Mexico correspond to 1982, and worldwide to 1926. However, records of very ancient civilizations denote their existence for millennia. This review summarizes part of the history of breast cancer, from Egyptians to present day, including beliefs that were held about this disease, as well as contributions of great scientists who helped understanding and marked the course in prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

Molecular subtypes and clinicopathological features of breast cancer in Mexican women

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is a multifactorial and heterogeneous disease with distinct molecular features and histopathologic subtypes involving different therapeutic responses and clinical outcomes. Classification of breast cancer in molecular subtypes has made possible an approach to develop therapeutic strategies in order to have a better understanding of the breast cancer development. Due to the heterogeneity of the disease, there are still features to be elucidated in the behavior, etiology and clinical outcomes of each molecular subtype in breast cancer.

METHODS

Variables measured in 1,695 cases of invasive breast carcinoma were age, histopathological diagnosis, histopathological grade, expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2), cell proliferation marker (Ki67) and basal cytokeratins (CK 5/6). P values were obtained using Chi square test and hazard ratios were calculated with 95% confidence intervals.

RESULTS

An increase of aggressive molecular subtypes of breast cancer was observed. The mean age of incidence of breast cancer patients is decreasing, and breast cancer Patients younger than 40-years-old showed higher risk to exhibit Triple negative and Basal-like tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

The mean age for this pathology is decreasing in our population and there is predominance in the differential occurrence of etiologically distinct entities of breast cancer affecting to the young women.

Microbiome alterations are related to an imbalance of immune response and bacterial translocation in BDL-rats

OBJECTIVES

Bacterial translocation in patients with cirrhosis is an important triggering factor for infections and mortality. In the bile duct ligation (BDL) model, crucial players of bacterial translocation are still unknown. This study aims to determine the interrelation between microbiome composition in the colon, mesenteric lymph nodes, and liver, as well as the local inflammatory microenvironment in the BDL model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Liver damage was assayed by Masson trichrome staining, and hepatic enzymes. The diversity of microbiota in colon stools, mesenteric lymph nodes, and liver was determined by 16S rRNA pyrosequencing. Cytokine expression in mesenteric lymph nodes was analyzed by qRT-PCR.

RESULTS

Our results show that Proteobacteria was the predominant phylum found to translocate to mesenteric lymph nodes and liver in cirrhotic rats. Bile duct ligation induces a drastic intestinal dysbiosis, revealed by an increased relative abundance of Sarcina, Clostridium, Helicobacter, Turicibacter, and Streptococcus genera. However, beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus, Prevotella and Ruminococcus were found to be notably decreased in BDL groups. Mesenteric pro-inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, TLR-4) and regulatory (TGF-β, Foxp3, and IL-10) molecules at 30 days post-BDL were significantly increased. Conversely, TGF-β and Foxp3 were significantly augmented at 8 days post-BDL.

CONCLUSION

Dysbiosis in the colon and mesenteric lymph nodes is linked to an imbalance in the immune response; therefore, this may be an important trigger for bacterial translocation in the BDL model.

17β‑estradiol‑induced mitochondrial dysfunction and Warburg effect in cervical cancer cells allow cell survival under metabolic stress

Mitochondria from different types of cancer show bioenergetics and dysfunction that favor cell proliferation. The mechanistic understanding of estrogen in cervical cancer is poorly understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine how 17β-estradiol (E2) affects mitochondrial function and the Warburg effect in SiHa, HeLa and C33A cervical cancer cells. Mitochondrial compromise was evaluated measuring changes in the membrane permeability by immunofluorescence, calcium concentration, redox status, iron and ferritin reserves. Glucose consumption and lactic acid assays were used to detect the metabolic activity. Results were confirmed at molecular level by analysis of the differential gene expression using RNA sequencing. E2 modified the mitochondrial permeability and produced an alteration in the calcium signaling pathway. In HeLa and SiHa, there was a significant decrease in nitric oxide levels and lipid peroxidation, and an increase in glucose consumption and lactic acid levels when stimulated with E2. Intracellular iron or ferritin reserves were not affected by the E2 treatment. Genes differentially modulated by E2 were involved in the mitochondrial electron transport chain, oxidative phosphorylation system, glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway and the regulation of metabolic signaling pathways. Herein, we provide evidence for a primary effect of estrogen on mitochondrial function and the Warburg effect, favoring the metabolic adaptation of the cervical cancer cell lines and their survival.

E6/E7 and E6* From HPV16 and HPV18 Upregulate IL-6 Expression Independently of p53 in Keratinocytes

Keratinocyte infection with high-risk human papillomavirus genotypes has been linked to cancer development. In cervix, the alpha HPV16 and HPV18 have been reported as the mayor causative agents of cervical cancer. Oncogenic progression and chronic inflammation are closely related processes, with IL-6 as one of the main pro-inflammatory cytokines involved. However, there are limited studies about the regulation of IL-6 by low and high risk HPVs and the HPV proteins implicated in this modulation. In this work, we report the overexpression of IL-6 in HPV infected cervical cancer derived cell lines (HeLa and SiHa) compared to non-tumorigenic keratinocytes (HaCaT), and in Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia grade 1 HPV16 and HPV18 positive cervical samples compared to HPV negative samples without lesions. Moreover, we generated HaCaT keratinocytes that express E5, E6, and E7 from high risk (16 or 18) or low risk (62 and 84) HPVs. E5 proteins do not modify IL-6 expression, while E7 modestly increase it. Interestingly, E6 proteins in HaCaT cells upregulate IL-6 mRNA expression and protein secretion. Indeed, in HaCaT cells that express high risk HPV16E6 or HPV18E6 proteins, only the truncated E6^* isoforms were expressed, showing the stronger IL-6 overexpression, while in HaCaT cells that express low risk HPV62 and HPV84 full length E6 proteins, IL-6 was also upregulated but not so drastically. Since HaCaT cells have a mutated p53 form that is not degraded by the introduction of E6 or E6/E7, it seems that E6/E7 regulate IL-6 by an additional mechanism independent of p53. In addition, basal keratinocytes showed a strong expression of IL-6R using immunohistochemistry, suggesting an autocrine mechanism over proliferative cells. Altogether, IL-6 cytokine expression in keratinocytes is upregulated by E6 and E7 proteins from HPVs 16, 18, 62, and 84, especially by high risk HPV16 and HPV18 E6^*, which may contribute to promote a pro-inflammatory and highly proliferative microenvironment that can persist over time and lead to cervical tumorigenesis.

Williams-Beuren syndrome in Mexican patients confirmed by FISH and assessed by aCGH

Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) has a prevalence of 1/7500-20000 live births and results principally from a de novo deletion in 7q11.23 with a length of 1.5 Mb or 1.8 Mb. This study aimed to determine the frequency of 7q11.23 deletion, size of the segment lost, and involved genes in 47 patients with a clinical diagnosis of WBS and analysed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH); among them, 31 had the expected deletion. Micro-array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) confirmed the loss in all 18 positive-patients tested: 14 patients had a 1.5 Mb deletion with the same breakpoints at 7q11.23 (hg19: 72726578-74139390) and comprising 24 coding genes from TRIM50 to GTF2I. Four patients showed an atypical deletion: two had a 1.6 Mb loss encompassing 27 coding genes, from NSUN5 to GTF2IRD2; another had a 1.7 Mb deletion involving 27 coding genes, from POM121 to GTF2I; the remaining patient presented a deletion of 1.2 Mb that included 21 coding genes from POM121 to LIMK1. aCGH confirmed the lack of deletion in 5/16 negative-patients by FISH. All 47 patients had the characteristic facial phenotype of WBS and 45 of 47 had the typical behavioural and developmental abnormalities. Our observations further confirm that patients with a classical deletion present a typical WBS phenotype, whereas those with a high (criteria of the American Association of Pediatrics, APP) clinical score but lacking the expected deletion may harbour an ELN point mutation. Overall, the concomitant CNVs appeared to be incidental findings.

Cross-hybridization between HPV genotypes in the Linear Array Genotyping Test confirmed by Next-Generation Sequencing

Background

Linear Array Genotyping Test (LA) is one of the gold standards used for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping, however, since its launching in 2006, new HPV genotypes are still being characterized with the use of high specificity techniques such as Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). Derived from a previous study of the IMSS Research Network on HPV, which suggested that there might be cross-reaction of some HPV genotypes in the LA test, the aim of this study was to elucidate this point.

Methods

Double stranded L1 fragments (gBlocks) from different HPVs were used to perform LA test, additionally, 14 HPV83+ and 26 HPV84+ cervical samples determined with LA, were individually genotyped by NGS.

Results

From the LA HPV83+ samples, 64.3% were truly HPV83+, while 42.9% were found to be HPV102+. On the other hand, 69.2% of the LA HPV84+ samples were HPV84+, while 3.8, 11.5 and 30.8% of the samples were indeed HPV 86, 87 and 114 positive, respectively. Additionally, novel nucleotide changes in L1 gene from HPV genotypes 83, 84, 87, 102 and 114 were determined in Mexican cervical samples, some of them lead to changes in the protein sequence.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that there is cross-hybridization between alpha3-HPV genotypes 86, 87 and 114 with HPV84 probe in LA strips and between HPV102 with HPV83 probe; this may be causing over or under estimation in the prevalence of these genotypes. In the upcoming years, a switch to more specific and sensitive genotyping methods that detect a broader spectrum of HPV genotypes needs to be implemented.

CDH1 somatic alterations in Mexican patients with diffuse and mixed sporadic gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Diffuse gastric cancer (DGC) is associated with the reduction or absence of the expression of the cell adhesion protein E-cadherin (encoded by the CDH1 gene). Molecular characteristics are less well described for mixed gastric cancer (MGC). The main somatic alterations that have been described in the CDH1 gene are mutations, loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and promoter methylation. The aim was to analyze CDH1 somatic alterations in Mexican patients with diffuse and mixed gastric cancer.

METHODS

We searched for mutations in the CDH1 gene in tumor DNA from DGC (n = 13) and MGC (n = 7) patients by next generation sequencing (NGS). Validation of findings was performed using Sanger sequencing. LOH was analyzed using dinucleotide repeat markers surrounding the CDH1 gene, and methylation was investigated by DNA bisulfite conversion and sequencing. E-cadherin protein deficiency was analyzed by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Seventeen point variants were identified by NGS, 13 of them were validated by Sanger sequencing. Only 1/13 had not been previously reported (c.-137C > A), and 12/13 were already reported as polymorphisms. Two DGC cases presented LOH at the locus 16q22.1 (13.3%). CDH1 promoter methylation was positive in (7/11) 63.6% and (4/6) 66.6% of the cases with DGC and MGC, respectively. E-cadherin protein deficiency was observed in 58.3% of DGC cases while 100% in MGC cases.

CONCLUSIONS

While no pathogenic somatic mutations were found that could explain the diffuse histology of gastric cancer in DGC and MGC, methylation was the most common somatic inactivation event of the CDH1 gene, and LOH was rare. The previously unreported c.-137C > A variant modify the CDH1 gene expression since it alters the binding sites for transcription factors.

Expression of NK Cell Surface Receptors in Breast Cancer Tissue as Predictors of Resistance to Antineoplastic Treatment

Background:

Currently, one of the most used strategies for the treatment of newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer is neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on the application of taxanes and anthracyclines. However, despite the high number of patients who develop a complete pathological clinical response, resistance and relapse following this therapy continue to be a clinical challenge. As a component of the innate immune system, the cytotoxic function of Natural Killer (NK) cells plays an important role in the elimination of tumor cells. However, the role of NK cells in resistance to systemic therapy in breast cancer remains unclear. The present project aims to evaluate the gene expression profile of human NK cells in breast cancer tissue resistant to treatment with taxanes–anthracyclines.

Methods:

Biopsies from tumor tissues were obtained from patients with breast cancer without prior treatment. Histopathological analysis and ex vivo exposure to antineoplastic chemotherapeutics were carried out. Alamar blue and lactate dehydrogenase release assays were performed for quantitative analysis of tumor viability. Gene expression profiles from tumor tissues without prior exposure to therapeutic drugs were analyzed by gene expression microarrays and verified by polymerase chain reaction.

Results:

A significant decrease in gene expression of cell-surface receptors related to NK cells was observed in tumor samples resistant to antineoplastic treatment compared with those that were sensitive to treatment.

Conclusion:

A decrease in NK cell infiltration into tumor tissue might be a predictive marker for failure of chemotherapeutic treatment in breast cancer.

Glycogene expression profiles based on microarray data from cervical carcinoma HeLa cells with partially silenced E6 and E7 HPV oncogenes

Background

Aberrant glycosylation is a characteristic of tumour cells. The expression of certain glycan structures has been associated with poor prognosis. In cervical carcinoma, changes in the expression levels of some glycogenes have been associated with lymph invasion. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is one of the most important factors underlying the development of cervical cancer. The HPV oncoproteins E6 and E7 have been implicated in cervical carcinogenesis and can modify the host gene expression profile. The roles of these oncoproteins in glycosylation changes have not been previously reported.

Methods

To determine the effect of the E6 and E7 oncoproteins on glycogene expression we partially silenced the E6 and E7 oncogenes in HeLa cells, we performed a microarray expression assay to identify altered glycogenes and quantified the mRNA levels of glycogenes by RT-qPCR. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed to identify potentially altered glycosylation pathways.

Results

The microarray analysis showed 9 glycogenes that were upregulated and 7 glycogenes that were downregulated in HeLa shE6/E7 cells. Some of these genes participate in glycosylation related to Notch proteins and O-glycans antigens.

Conclusions

Our results support that E6 and E7 oncoproteins could modify glycogene expression the products of which participate in the synthesis of structures implicated in proliferation, adhesion and apoptosis.

Expression analysis of ST3GAL4 transcripts in cervical cancer cells

ST3GAL4 gene expression is altered in different cancer types, including cervical cancer. Several mRNA transcripts have been reported for this gene; however, their expression levels in cervical cancer have not been analyzed. ST3GAL4 encodes for β‑galactosidase α‑2,3‑sialyltransferase 4, involved in the biosynthesis of the tumour antigens sLe(x) and sulfo‑sLe(x). The present study evaluated the presence of three mRNA variants (V1, V2 and V3) in cervical cancer cell lines, detecting the three variants. Additionally, the expression level of the V1 transcript of the ST3GAL4 gene was determined by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction in cervical cell lines and in normal, premalignant and cervical cancer tissue. The V1 transcript of the ST3GAL4 demonstrated significant decreased expression in premalignant and malignant cervical tissues. The results suggested that deregulation of this gene could occur prior to the presence of cancer and demonstrated the importance of evaluating the expression level of V1, and its association with disease progression.

Expression of the HPV18/E6 oncoprotein induces DNA damage

This study investigated possible variations in DNA damage in HeLa cells with silenced expression of the HPV/E6 oncogene compared with HeLa cells with normal expression of the E6 oncogene using the DNA breakage detection–fluorescence in situ hybridization (DBD–FISH) technique and a whole human genome DNA probe. The variable levels of DNA breaks present were measured quantitatively using image analysis after whole-genome DNA hybridization. HeLa cells with silenced expression of the HPV18/E6 oncogene showed a significant decrease in DNA damage compared with parental cells with normal expression of the E6 oncogene. These results were confirmed by alkaline comet assay. In conclusion, we demonstrated a decrease in DNA damage in HeLa clones associated with low expression of the HPV/E6 oncogene. The significance of this decrease regarding the HPV life cycle and carcinogenesis requires further exploration.

Genetic variability in E6, E7 and L1 genes of Human Papillomavirus 62 and its prevalence in Mexico

BACKGROUND

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main etiological agent of cervical cancer, the third most common cancer among women globally and the second most frequent in Mexico. Persistent infection with high-risk HPV genotypes is associated with premalignant lesions and cervical cancer development. HPVs considered as low risk or not yet classified, are often found in coinfection with different HPV genotypes. Indeed, HPV62 is one of the most prevalent HPV detected in some countries, but there is limited information about its prevalence in other regions and there are no HPV62 variants currently described. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HPV62 in cervical samples from Mexican women and to identify mutations in the L1, E6 and E7 genes, which have never been reported in our population.

METHODS

HPV screening was performed by Cobas HPV Test in women who attended prevention health programs and dysplasia clinics. All HPV positive samples (n = 491) and 87 additional cervical cancer samples were then genotyped with Linear Array HPV Genotyping test. Some samples were selected to corroborate genotyping by Next-Generation sequencing. On the other hand, nucleotide changes in L1, E6 and E7 genes were determined using PCR, Sanger sequencing and analysis with the CLC-MainWorkbench 7.6.1 software. L1 protein structure was predicted with the I-TASSER server.

RESULTS

Using Linear Array, HPV62 prevalence was 7.6% in general population, 8% in Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia grade 1 (CIN1) samples and 4.6% in cervical samples. The presence of HPV62 was confirmed with Next-Generation sequencing. Regarding L1 gene, novel sequence variations were detected, but they did not alter the tertiary structure of the protein. Moreover, several nucleotide substitutions were found in E6 and E7 genes compared to reference HPV62 genomic sequence. Specifically, three non-synonymous sequence variations were detected, two in E6 and one in E7.

CONCLUSIONS

HPV62 is a frequent HPV genotype found mainly in general population and in women with CIN1, and in 90.5% of the cases it was found in coinfection with other HPVs. Novel nucleotide changes in its L1, E6 and E7 genes were detected, some of them lead to changes in the protein sequence.

Loss of CD28 within CD4+ T cell subsets from cervical cancer patients is accompanied by the acquisition of intracellular perforin, and is further enhanced by NKG2D expression

CD28 is well characterized as an essential co-stimulatory receptor critical for activation, proliferation and survival processes in CD4⁺ T cells. Populations of CD4⁺CD28^null T cells, with apparently contradictory physiological roles, have recently been reported, along with the co-expression of the NK activating receptor NKG2D, in autoimmune diseases and chronic viral inflammation. Paradoxically, studies in cancer suggest that an expanded CD4⁺NKG2D⁺ population may be armed with immunosuppressive properties. We have recently reported the existence of two separate CD4⁺NKG2D⁺ T cell populations, which were defined by the presence or absence of the co-stimulatory molecule CD28, with the CD4⁺CD28^nullNKG2D⁺ population more frequently observed in women with cervical cancer. This has led to the present effort to further characterize this population and to determine if the loss of CD28 influences the acquisition of cytotoxic or regulatory markers. In the present work, a multicolor flow cytometry protocol was used to analyze the expression of cytotoxic and immunoregulatory markers on circulating CD4⁺ T cells characterized by the presence or absence of CD28 and NKG2D in patients with invasive cervical carcinoma and age/gender-matched healthy controls. A noticeable expansion of CD4⁺CD28^null cells, many of them NKG2D⁺, were observed in selected cervical cancer samples. This CD4⁺CD28^null T cell population was characterized by a lack of immunoregulatory markers, as well as very low basal levels of intracellular IFN-γ, TNF-α, TGF-β, and IL-10. Intracellular perforin, however, was found to be significantly increased in this CD4⁺CD28^null population, and increases in the mean fluorescence intensity of perforin were found to be enhanced by the presence of NKG2D. In conclusion, our data provide the first evidence of a strict link between the absence of CD28 and the expression of perforin, which is likewise enhanced by the expression of NKG2D, within selected CD4⁺ T cells from cervical cancer patients.

Human papilloma virus genotypes in women from Nayarit, Mexico, with squamous intraepithelial lesions and cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

In Mexico cervical cancer (CC) is the most common cause of death from neoplasia in women. Study aimed to analyze the current distribution of Human papillomavirus (HPV) types in women from Nayarit, Mexico, with Squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) and Cervical cancer (CC).

METHODOLOGY

Between January 2011 and July 2013, cervical samples were collected from female residents of the Mexican state of Nayarit and were analyzed by means of a LINEAR ARRAY® HPV genotyping test. Data analyses were performed using Stata ver. 8.0 statistical software.

RESULTS

Of the samples analyzed, 91.2%, HPV DNA was detected. Of these positive samples, 82% were High-risk (HR) viral types. The most prevalent HPV genotypes identified were 16, 58, 31, 18, and 70. Forty two percent of participants had a single infection, while 23 and 26% of participants were infected with two or more HPV genotypes, respectively. HPV 16 was the most prevalent genotype identified and was frequently present as a co-infection with HPV types 18, 51, 52, 59, 66, or 70.

CONCLUSION

Women <20 years of age were most often infected with HPV, and the HPV Quadrivalent vaccine (types 16, 18, 6, and 11), currently available in Mexico, no confers protection against a subset of the HPV genotypes identified in the present study (58, 31, 70, and 35). Thus, it is important evaluate the geographical distribution of specific HPV genotypes in all health of center across Mexico in order to implement a successful vaccination program and to diagnose CC in its early stages.

An approach to the immunophenotypic features of circulating CD4⁺NKG2D⁺ T cells in invasive cervical carcinoma

Background

NKG2D, an activating immunoreceptor, is primarily restricted to NK cells and CD8⁺ T cells. The existence of an atypical cytotoxic CD4⁺NKG2D⁺ T cell population has also been found in patients with autoimmune dysfunctions. Nonetheless, contradictory evidence has categorized this population with a regulatory rather than cytotoxic role in other situations. These confounding data have led to the proposal that two distinct CD4⁺NKG2D⁺ T cell subsets might exist. The immune response elicited in cervical cancer has been characterized by apparent contradictions concerning the role that T cells, in particular T-helper cells, might be playing in the control of the tumor growth. Interestingly, we recently reported a substantial increase in the frequency of CD4⁺NKG2D⁺ T cells in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade-1. However, whether this particular population is also found in patients with more advanced cervical lesions or whether they express a distinctive phenotype remains still to be clarified. In this urgent study, we focused our attention on the immunophenotypic characterization of CD4⁺NKG2D⁺ T cells in patients with well-established cervical carcinoma and revealed the existence of at least two separate CD4⁺NKG2D⁺ T cell subsets defined by the co-expression or absence of CD28.

Results

Patients with diagnosis of invasive cervical carcinoma were enrolled in the study. A group of healthy individuals was also included. Multicolor flow cytometry was used for exploration of TCR alpha/beta, CD28, CD158b, CD45RO, HLA-DR, CD161, and CD107a. A Luminex-based cytokine kit was used to quantify the levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. We found an increased percentage of CD4⁺NKG2D⁺ T cells in patients with cervical cancer when compared with controls. Accordingly with an increase of CD4⁺NKG2D⁺ T cells, we found decreased CD28 expression. The activating or degranulation markers HLA-DR, CD161, and CD107a were heterogeneously expressed. The levels of IL-1beta, IL-2, TNF-alpha, and IL-10 were negatively correlated with the percentages of CD4⁺NKG2D⁺ T cells in patients with cervical carcinoma.

Conclusions

Taken together, our results reveal the existence of two separate CD4⁺NKG2D⁺ T cell subsets defined by the co-expression or absence of CD28, the latter more likely to be present in patients with cervical cancer.

Human papillomavirus genotyping by Linear Array and Next-Generation Sequencing in cervical samples from Western Mexico

BACKGROUND

The Linear Array® (LA) genotyping test is one of the most used methodologies for Human papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping, in that it is able to detect 37 HPV genotypes and co-infections in the same sample. However, the assay is limited to a restricted number of HPV, and sequence variations in the detection region of the HPV probes could give false negatives results. Recently, 454 Next-Generation sequencing (NGS) technology has been efficiently used also for HPV genotyping; this methodology is based on massive sequencing of HPV fragments and is expected to be highly specific and sensitive. In this work, we studied HPV prevalence in cervixes of women in Western Mexico by LA and confirmed the genotypes found by NGS.

METHODS

Two hundred thirty three cervical samples from women Without cervical lesions (WCL, n = 48), with Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 (CIN I, n = 98), or with Cervical cancer (CC, n = 87) were recruited, DNA was extracted, and HPV positivity was determined by PCR amplification using PGMY09/11 primers. All HPV- positive samples were genotyped individually by LA. Additionally, pools of amplicons from the PGMY-PCR products were sequenced using 454 NGS technology. Results obtained by NGS were compared with those of LA for each group of samples.

RESULTS

We identified 35 HPV genotypes, among which 30 were identified by both technologies; in addition, the HPV genotypes 32, 44, 74, 102 and 114 were detected by NGS. These latter genotypes, to our knowledge, have not been previously reported in Mexican population. Furthermore, we found that LA did not detect, in some diagnosis groups, certain HPV genotypes included in the test, such as 6, 11, 16, 26, 35, 51, 58, 68, 73, and 89, which indicates possible variations at the species level.

CONCLUSIONS

There are HPV genotypes in Mexican population that cannot be detected by LA, which is, at present, the most complete commercial genotyping test. More studies are necessary to determine the impact of HPV-44, 74, 102 and 114 on the risk of developing CC. A greater number of samples must be analyzed by NGS for the most accurate determination of Mexican HPV variants.

Human papillomavirus genotypes among females in Mexico: a study from the Mexican institute for social security

BACKGROUND

The aetiological relationship between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and cervical cancer (CC) is widely accepted. Our goal was to determine the prevalence of HPV types in Mexican women attending at the Mexican Institute for Social Security from different areas of Mexico.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

DNAs from 2,956 cervical samples were subjected to HPV genotyping: 1,020 samples with normal cytology, 931 with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LGSIL), 481 with high grade HGSIL and 524 CC.

RESULTS

Overall HPV prevalence was 67.1%. A total of 40 HPV types were found; HPV16 was detected in 39.4% of the HPV-positive samples followed by HPV18 at 7.5%, HPV31 at 7.1%, HPV59 at 4.9%, and HPV58 at 3.2%. HPV16 presented the highest prevalence both in women with altered or normal cytology and HPV 18 presented a minor prevalence as reported worldwide. The prevalence ratio (PR) was calculated for the HPV types. The analysis of PR showed that HPV16 presents the highest association with CC, HPV 31, -33, -45, -52 and -58 also demonstrating a high association.

CONCLUSIONS

The most prevalent HPV types in cervical cancer samples were -16, -18, -31, but it is important to note that we obtained a minor prevalence of HPV18 as reported worldwide, and that HPV58 and -52 also were genotypes with an important prevalence in CC samples. Determination of HPV genotypes is very important in order to evaluate the impact of vaccine introduction and future cervical cancer prevention strategies.

STAT3 activation is required for the antiapoptotic effects of prolactin in cervical cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Prolactin (PRL) has been implicated in the development of different types of cancer. However, signaling pathways might be activated depending on various forms of prolactin receptor (PRLR). JAK/STAT is an important pathway associated with PRL effects. The activation of JAK/STAT pathway might activate antiapoptotic genes that could importantly lead to progression of tumorigenesis. Recently, we have reported that PRL is associated with cell survival by inhibition of apoptosis and the precise activated signaling pathways for this process are still questioned. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the activation of different signaling pathways in response to PRL as well as to identify the induction of antiapoptotic genes.

METHODS

Cervical cancer cell lines HeLa, SiHa and C-33 A were stimulated with PRL (200 ng/mL) for 30 and 60 min and non stimulated cells were used to measure basal protein expression. Inhibition assays were performed by using Jak2 specific inhibitor AG490, either alone or in combination with PRL for 48 h. Western blot were carried out to evaluate protein induction of the different signaling pathways and antiapoptotic proteins. Significant effects were determined by using ANOVA test.

RESULTS

STAT3 was significantly activated in cervical cancer lines in comparison with non-tumorigenic keratinocytes HaCaT. No significant differences were found when analyzing MAPK and PI3K signaling pathways. An increase of antiapoptotic genes Bcl-xl, Bcl-2, survivin and Mcl-1 was observed after stimulus with PRL; however, after inhibition with AG490, the induction of antiapoptotic genes was decreased.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggests that STAT3 is an important signaling pathway activated by PRL in cervical cancer cells and it modulates the induction of antiapoptotic genes. Blocking STAT3 could represent a possible therapeutic strategy in cervical cancer.

Expression of WNT genes in cervical cancer-derived cells: Implication of WNT7A in cell proliferation and migration

According to the multifactorial model of cervical cancer (CC) causation, it is now recognized that other modifications, in addition to Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, are necessary for the development of this neoplasia. Among these, it has been proposed that a dysregulation of the WNT pathway might favor malignant progression of HPV-immortalized keratinocytes. The aim of this study was to identify components of the WNT pathway differentially expressed in CC vs. non-tumorigenic, but immortalized human keratinocytes. Interestingly, WNT7A expression was found strongly downregulated in cell lines and biopsies derived from CC. Restoration of WNT7A in CC-derived cell lines using a lentiviral gene delivery system or after adding a recombinant human protein decreases cell proliferation. Likewise, WNT7A silencing in non-tumorigenic cells markedly accelerates proliferation. Decreased WNT7A expression was due to hypermethylation at particular CpG sites. To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting reduced WNT7A levels in CC-derived cells and that ectopic WNT7A restoration negatively affects cell proliferation and migration.

[HPV genotypes prevalence in México and worldwide detected by Linear Array]

Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main factor associated with the development of cervical cancer (CC). Knowing about the prevalence of HPVs at different stages in the development of CC is important for determining the HPV oncogenic risk, the development of screening strategies, the evaluation of prevention programs, and also for vaccine designing. This paper is a meta-analysis of HPV prevalence worldwide and in Mexico from studies using the Linear Array® HPV Genotyping Test as a diagnostic test (it is the commercial test that, up to date, identifies the largest number of HPV genotypes in a single sample) in DNA of cervical samples from women with normal cytology, with low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LGSIL), with high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HGSIL) and with CC. The most prevalent genotypes after HPV-16 and -18 in women with CC varies depending on geographic region, which supports the need to develop detection and prevention strategies according to the characteristics of the population.

[Wnt signalling pathway and cervical cancer]

Cervical cancer (CC) is a pathology that arises in the cervical epithelium, whose major cause of risk is human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Due to the fact that HPV infection per se is not enough to generate a carcinogenic process, it has been proposed that alterations in the Wnt signaling pathway are involved in cervical carcinogenesis. The Wnt family consists of 13 receptors and 19 ligands, and it is highly conserved phylogenetically due to its contribution in different biological processes, such as embryogenesis and tissue regeneration. Additionally, this signaling pathway modulates various cellular functions, for instance: cell proliferation, differentiation, migration and cell polarity. This paper describes the Wnt signaling pathways and alterations that have been found in members of this family in different cancer types and, especially, in CC.

[Frequency of cervical epithelial lesions reported in the Regional Laboratory of Exfoliative Cytology in Jalisco]

BACKGROUND

The Official Mexican Norm for the prevention, treatment and control of Cervical Cancer (CC) indicates that the Papanicolau (Pap) is the procedure for the detection of this neoplasia; therefore, it is of interest to know the prevalence of suspected cases by this technique in Mexican population. In this study, we show the diagnosed cases in the State of Jalisco, México.

METHODS

A retrospective study was made to the samples that arrived for their analysis to the Laboratorio Regional de Citología Exfoliativa (LARCE), of the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) in Guadalajara, Jalisco. We considered all cases from January 2010 to December 2012.

RESULTS

We analyzed 188 095 cases, from which 5.3 % had a diagnosis of low dysplasia, 0.18 % of moderated dysplasia and 0.05 % of high dysplasia. Microinvasive and invasive cancer showed a low frequency (0.03 %).

CONCLUSIONS

The frequency of abnormal findings identified by vaginal cervical cytology is relatively low. The number of inadequate and limited samples for cytological assessment is high; there is a high proportion of women attending for the first time in life to cytology evaluation in older age groups.

[Apoptosis modulation by human papillomavirus]

One of the most important processes to keep the homeostasis in organisms is the apoptosis, also called programmed cell death. This mechanism works through two pathways: The intrinsic or mitochondrial, which responds to DNA damage and extern agents like UV radiation; and the extrinsic or receptor-mediated, which binds to their ligands to initiate the apoptotic trail. The evasion of apoptosis is one of the main causes of cellular transformation to malignity. Many viruses had shown capacity to modify the apoptotic process; among them is the human papillomavirus, which, by means of its oncoproteins, interferes in pathways, reacting with the receptors and molecules and participating in the death mechanism. This creates ideal conditions for cancer development.

Expression of transcription factor grainyhead-like 2 is diminished in cervical cancer

The transcription factor grainyhead-like 2 (GRHL2) is evolutionarily conserved in many different species, and is involved in morphogenesis, epithelial differentiation, and the control of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. It has also recently been implicated in carcinogenesis, but its role in this remains controversial. Expression of GRHL2 has not previously been reported in cervical cancer, so the present study aimed to characterize GRHL2 expression in cervical cancer-derived cell lines (CCCLs) and cervical tissues with different grades of lesions. Microarray analysis found that the expression of 58 genes was down-regulated in CCCLs compared to HaCaT cells (non-tumorigenic human epithelial cell line). The expression of eight of these genes was validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), and GRHL2 was found to be the most down-regulated. Western blot assays corroborated that GRHL2 protein levels were strongly down-regulated in CCCLs. Cervical cells from women without cervical lesions were shown to express GRHL2, while immunohistochemistry found that positivity to GRHL2 decreased in cervical cancer tissues. In conclusion, a loss or strong reduction in GRHL2 expression appears to be a characteristic of cervical cancer, suggesting that GRHL2 down-regulation is a necessary step during cervical carcinogenesis. However, further studies are needed to delineate the role of GRHL2 in cervical cancer and during malignant progression.