1
|
Ali MA, Shaker OG, Gomaa Ali ES, Ezzat EM, Khalifa AA, Hassan EA, Habib MA, Ahmed HM, Dawood AF, Mohamed EA. Expression profile of serum LncRNAs MALAT-1 and CCAT-1 and their correlation with Mayo severity score in ulcerative colitis patients can diagnose and predict the prognosis of the disease. Noncoding RNA Res 2024; 9:318-329. [PMID: 38505308 PMCID: PMC10945117 DOI: 10.1016/j.ncrna.2024.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Ulcerative colitis (UC) has emerged as an accelerated-incidence chronic condition. UC has been identified as a precancerous lesion for colorectal cancer. Up-to-date genomic research revealed the value of many noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in UC pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prognosis. Aim The present study was aimed at measuring both MALAT-1 and CCAT-1 in the sera of UC patients as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and correlating them with the Mayo score which is a novel predictive indicator of malignant transformation as well as with clinicopathological characteristics of the disease. Patients and methods Sixty-six UC patients and 80 healthy individuals participated in this study, the serum fold changes of MALAT-1 and CCAT-1 were measured by using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Results The current study findings include overexpressed lncRNAs MALAT-1 and CCAT-1 in the sera of ulcerative colitis patients [(median (IQR) = 2.290 (0.16-9.36), mean ± SD = 3.37 ± 3.904 for MALAT-1, and median (IQR) = 7.305 (0.57-16.96), mean ± SD = 6.81 ± 4.002 for CCAT-1 than controls, ROC curve analysis reported that these genes could predict UC. Both genes were positively correlated with each other which enforces their synergistic effects. Both genes are diagnostic for UC patients.We related studied genes to the severity of the disease. In addition to a significant positive correlation between each gene with ESR and Mayo score, we further classified the patients according to severity (according to Mayo score to remission, mild, moderate, and severe groups) with the following results; lower levels of MALAT-1 and CCAT-1 were significantly associated with mild disease and increased gradually with more severe forms of the disease (p < 0.05). Linear regression analysis with Mayo Score as a dependent variable revealed that only the predictive power of CCAT-1 and ESR are significant. Moreover, ROC curve analysis when compared to that of the Mayo score revealed that CCAT-1 reached 99 % accuracy. In summary, both genes are prognostic factors for UC patients. Conclusion MALAT-1 and CCAT-1 are diagnostic and prognostic serum biomarkers of ulcerative colitis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marwa A. Ali
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Alhasa, Saudi Arabia
| | - Olfat G. Shaker
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - El Shimaa Gomaa Ali
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| | - Eman M. Ezzat
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| | - Abeer A. Khalifa
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt
| | - Essam A. Hassan
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| | - Marwa A. Habib
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt
| | - Heba Mostafa Ahmed
- Department Clinical and Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| | - Asmaa F.A. Dawood
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Alhasa, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Esam Ali Mohamed
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Assal RA, Elemam NM, Mekky RY, Attia AA, Soliman AH, Gomaa AI, Efthimiadou EK, Braoudaki M, Fahmy SA, Youness RA. A Novel Epigenetic Strategy to Concurrently Block Immune Checkpoints PD-1/PD-L1 and CD155/TIGIT in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Transl Oncol 2024; 45:101961. [PMID: 38631259 PMCID: PMC11040172 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.101961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor microenvironment is an intricate web of stromal and immune cells creating an immune suppressive cordon around the tumor. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), Tumor microenvironment is a formidable barrier towards novel immune therapeutic approaches recently evading the oncology field. In this study, the main aim was to identify the intricate immune evasion tactics mediated by HCC cells and to study the epigenetic modulation of the immune checkpoints; Programmed death-1 (PD-1)/ Programmed death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) and T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT)/Cluster of Differentiation 155 (CD155) at the tumor-immune synapse. Thus, liver tissues, PBMCs and sera were collected from Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), HCC as well as healthy individuals. Screening was performed to PD-L1/PD-1 and CD155/TIGIT axes in HCC patients. PDL1, CD155, PD-1 and TIGIT were found to be significantly upregulated in liver tissues and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of HCC patients. An array of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs validated to regulate such immune checkpoints were screened. The lncRNAs; CCAT-1, H19, and MALAT-1 were all significantly upregulated in the sera, PBMCs, and tissues of HCC patients as compared to HCV patients and healthy controls. However, miR-944-5p, miR-105-5p, miR-486-5p, miR-506-5p, and miR-30a-5p were downregulated in the sera and liver tissues of HCC patients. On the tumor cell side, knocking down of lncRNAs-CCAT-1, MALAT-1, or H19-markedly repressed the co-expression of PD-L1 and CD155 and accordingly induced the cytotoxicity of co-cultured primary immune cells. On the immune side, ectopic expression of the under-expressed microRNAs; miR-486-5p, miR-506-5p, and miR-30a-5p significantly decreased the transcript levels of PD-1 in PBMCs with no effect on TIGIT. On the other hand, ectopic expression of miR-944-5p and miR-105-5p in PBMCs dramatically reduced the co-expression of PD-1 and TIGIT. Finally, all studied miRNAs enhanced the cytotoxic effects of PBMCs against Huh7 cells. However, miR-105-5p showed the highest augmentation for PBMCs cytotoxicity against HCC cells. In conclusion, this study highlights a novel co-targeting strategy using miR-105-5p mimics, MALAT-1, CCAT-1 and H19 siRNAs to efficiently hampers the immune checkpoints; PD-L1/PD-1 and CD155/TIGIT immune evasion properties in HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reem A Assal
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, Cairo-Ismailia Desert Road, 11785, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Noha M Elemam
- Clinical Sciences Department, College of Medicine, University of Sharjah, 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
| | - Radwa Y Mekky
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, October University for Modern Sciences and Arts (MSA University), Cairo, Egypt
| | - Abdelrahman A Attia
- General Surgery Department, Ain Shams University, Demerdash Hospital, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Aya Hesham Soliman
- Pharmaceutical Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, 11835, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Asmaa Ibrahim Gomaa
- Department of Hepatology, National Liver Institute, Menoufiya University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt
| | - Eleni K Efthimiadou
- Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, Chemistry Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Braoudaki
- Department of Clinical, Pharmaceutical, and Biological Science, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB, UK
| | - Sherif Ashraf Fahmy
- Chemistry Department, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire Hosted by Global Academic Foundation, New Administrative Capital, 11835, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rana A Youness
- Pharmaceutical Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, 11835, Cairo, Egypt; Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Department, Molecular Genetics Research Team (MGRT), Faculty of Biotechnology, German International University (GIU), New Administrative Capital, 11835, Cairo, Egypt.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Selem NA, Youness RA, Gad MZ. What is beyond LncRNAs in breast cancer: A special focus on colon cancer-associated Transcript-1 ( CCAT-1). Noncoding RNA Res 2021; 6:174-186. [PMID: 34938928 PMCID: PMC8666458 DOI: 10.1016/j.ncrna.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) play a vital role in the process of malignant transformation. In breast cancer (BC), lncRNAs field is currently under intensive investigations. Yet, the role of lncRNAs as promising diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers and as therapeutic target/tool among BC patients still needs a special focus from the biomedical scientists. In BC, triple negative breast cancer patients (TNBC) are the unlucky group as they are always represented with the worst prognosis and the highest mortality rates. For that reason, a special focus on TNBC and associated lncRNAs was addressed in this review. Colon cancer-associated transcript 1 (CCAT-1) is a newly discovered oncogenic lncRNA that has been emerged as a vital biomarker for diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic interventions in multiple malignancies and showed differential expression among TNBC patients. In this review, the authors shed the light onto the general role of lncRNAs in BC and the specific functional activities, molecular mechanisms, competing endogenous ncRNA role of CCAT-1 in TNBC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noha A. Selem
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Egypt
| | - Rana A. Youness
- Molecular Genetics Research Team (MGRT), Pharmaceutical Biology Department, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Egypt
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire Hosted By Global Academic Foundation, New Administrative Capital, 11586, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Z. Gad
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhang J, Gao Y. CCAT-1 promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis of cervical cancer cells via the Wnt signaling pathway. Oncotarget 2017; 8:68059-68070. [PMID: 28978096 PMCID: PMC5620236 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.19155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Though the long noncoding RNA colon cancer associated transcript-1 (CCAT-1) has been shown to be involved in tumors of other tissues, its involvement in cervical cancer is still unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism of CCAT-1 in cervical cancer. We quantified the expression of CCAT-1 long noncoding RNA in samples of cervical cancer tissue by real-time PCR. Effects of CCAT-1 expression on the proliferation and apoptosis of HeLa and CaSki cells were assessed by cell-count, colony-formation, and flow cytometry assays. Binding of the c-Myc protein to the CCAT-1 promoter was confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Finally, TOP-Flash and western blotting were used to examine the regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by CCAT-1. The results showed that compared with adjacent normal tissue, the expression of CCAT-1 in cervical cancer tissue was significantly upregulated. CCAT-1 expression was related to the stage and size of the tumor and recurrence prognosis. Then, we showed through functional assays that CCAT-1 could promote proliferation and inhibit apoptosis of cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation showed that c-Myc protein could promote CCAT-1 expression by binding to its promoter. Finally, fluorescent-reporter assays and western blotting showed that CCAT-1 could activate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. In conclusion, we showed that CCAT-1 can be activated by the c-Myc protein and it can promote proliferation and inhibit apoptosis in cervical cancer cells by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. CCAT-1 might serve as a good prognostic indicator and target for treatment of cervical cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Clinical Medical College (Shenzhen People's Hospital), Jinan University, Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Yali Gao
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Clinical Medical College (Shenzhen People's Hospital), Jinan University, Shenzhen 518020, China
| |
Collapse
|