Study of Three Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Samples from Guilan, North of Iran

Introduction  Finding biomarkers for highly lethal cancers is a priority. Objective  The current study was designed to understand the clinical significance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression as the biomarkers, and evaluate their correlation with each other, in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in the province of Guilan, North of Iran. Methods  Gene expression was evaluated in 25 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) blocks from cases of confirmed NPC and 20 FFPE samples of non-NPC by quantifying messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein levels, using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods, respectively. Furthermore, the correlations among the protein levels of different genes, along with the patients' demographic characteristics were assessed. Results  Our findings on mRNA and protein levels demonstrated that the expression of the LMP1 gene in the NPC group was significantly elevated compared with that of the non-NPC group. In addition, the protein levels in the NPC group indicated a positive and significant correlation between LMP1 and VEGF expression. It was noted that both protein and mRNA levels showed no significant differences in the expression of TNF-α and VEGF genes between the NPC and control groups. Furthermore, there was no significant relationship between the expression of these proteins and the demographic characteristics of NPC patients. Conclusion  Overall, a significant increase in LMP1 expression was observed in NPC patients, which may serve as a diagnostic biomarker for NPC. Also, LMP1 might be involved in NPC progression by inducing VEGF gene expression.

Lipocalin-2 Upregulation in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Novel Potential Diagnostic Biomarker

Background

Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) deregulation has been reported in several types of cancer and is implicated in the proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, and progression of tumors. However, its aberrant expression has been rarely studied in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In the present study, we investigated the expression of LCN2 in NPC patients.

Methods

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 29 NPC and 20 non-cancerous control paraffin pathology blocks were obtained from the seven-year (2011 to 2018) archive of Razi Laboratory in Rasht, Iran. LCN2 mRNA expression was evaluated through quantitative real-time PCR. In addition, immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate LCN2 expression at the protein level. The fold change value and total immunostaining score (TIS) were applied for quantitative evaluation. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test were used through GraphPad Prism 8.3.0 software. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Our results revealed that LCN2 mRNA and protein levels in NPC tissues were significantly higher than control tissues (P=0.028 and P=0.002, respectively). At the protein level, 65.51% (19/29) of NPC patients were categorized as having high LCN2 expression (TIS>3) and 34.47% (10/29) as low expression (TIS≤3). While in the control group, 25% (5/20) of subjects represented a high expression of LCN2 (TIS>3), and 75% (15/20) showed no or weak expression (TIS≤3). No significant correlation was found between the overexpression of LCN2 at the protein level and the demographic features of the patients.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that LCN2 might be considered a potential new diagnostic marker for NPC. However, this warrants further studies.

Apoptosis Effects of Oxalis corniculata L. Extract on Human MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line:

Background: Recently, the non-toxic properties of natural plant products have gained more focus as anticancer agents. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the apoptosis effects of the ethanolic extract of Oxalis corniculata on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, aerial parts of O. corniculata were collected in Lahijan city (Iran), and after confirmation, they were dried and extracted with ethanol for 24 h. Then, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents of the extract were measured. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay was used to measure the antioxidant properties of the extract. Selected cell lines (MCF-7 and human dermal fibroblast) were cultured in 6-wells dishes (1×10⁶ cells/well). After 72 h of treating the extract, cytotoxicity was assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The expression of apoptotic genes (such as p53, bcl-2, bax, and CD95) was studied by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: The extract's total phenolic content was 31.30±02 μg of gallic acid equivalents/mg of dry extract, and the total flavonoid content was 49.61±04 μg of quercetin as equivalents/mg of extract. The antioxidant activity ofO. corniculata was measured at the dose of 619.2 μg/μl, indicating that it decreases cancer cell viability and enhances apoptosis. Within the half maximal inhibitory concentrations, real-time PCR revealed substantial increases in p53 (P<0.001), CD95 (P<0.05), and bcl-2 expression (P<0.05) in MCF-7 cells treated with O. corniculata. Conclusion: This study suggests that O. corniculata may cause apoptosis by oxidative stress in cancer cells.[GMJ.2022;11:e2484].