Aurora kinase A regulates cancer-associated RNA aberrant splicing in breast cancer

The contribution of oncogenes to tumor-associated RNA splicing and the relevant molecular mechanisms therein require further elaboration. Here, we show that oncogenic Aurora kinase A (AURKA) promotes breast cancer-related RNA aberrant splicing in a context-dependent manner. AURKA regulated pan-breast cancer-associated RNA splicing events including GOLGA4, RBM4 and UBQLN1. Aberrant splicing of GOLGA4 and RBM4 was closely related to breast cancer development. Mechanistically, AURKA interacted with the splicing factor YBX1 and promoted AURKA-YBX1 complex-mediated GOLGA4 exon inclusion. AURKA binding to the splicing factor hnRNPK promoted AURKA-hnRNPK complex-mediated RBM4 exon skipping. Analysis of clinical data identified an association between the AURKA-YBX1/hnRNPK complex and poor prognosis in breast cancer. Blocking AURKA nuclear translocation with small molecule drugs partially reversed the oncogenic splicing of RBM4 and GOLGA4 in breast cancer cells. In summary, oncogenic AURKA executes its function on modulating breast cancer-related RNA splicing, and nuclear AURKA is distinguished as a hopeful target in the case of treating breast cancer.

Helicobacter pylori infection disturbs the tumor immune microenvironment and is associated with a discrepant prognosis in gastric de novo diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Gastric diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (gDLBCL) related to Helicobacter pylori infection exhibits a wide spectrum of prognosis, and the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) affects tumor progression. However, there are few studies on the correlation between prognosis and changes of TIME induced by H. pylori infection in de novo gDLBCL.

METHODS

A retrospective study was performed to determine the prognostic value of TIME related to H. pylori infection in de novo gDLBCL. A total of 252 patients were included and have been treated with standard rituximab to cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone chemotherapy or other similar regimens in addition to H. pylori eradication (HPE). All patients were stratified by H. pylori infection, HPE efficacy, and preliminary TIME evaluation using conventional criteria. Statistical analyses were conducted. To assess the mechanism, 30 subjects were assessed for H. pylori infection. The components and spatial distributions of TIME were analyzed.

RESULTS

The median follow-up of the 252 patients was 66.6 months (range 0.7-119.2), and the 5-year overall survival (OS) was 78.0%. A total of 109 H. pylori-positive cases with pathological complete remission and high tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (cohort 1) had significantly higher 5-year progression-free survival (88.1% vs 70.5%, p<0.001) and OS (89.2% vs 76.6%, p<0.001) than the other 143 patients (cohort 2). Among 30 patients, 19 were cytotoxin-associated gene A-marked as the cohort 1 subset. Compared with cohort 2, cohort 1 exhibited increased inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon γ, etc) and decreased immunosuppressive components (PD-L1, PD-1, IL-10, etc). There was reduced NF-kB activation. Cancer-promoting immune cells (PD-1hiTim-3+ CTL, Tregs, M2-like macrophages, etc) occupied a minor spatial distribution, while the antitumor subtypes increased, corresponding to favorable survival.

CONCLUSION

H. pylori-evoked inflammatory responses disturb the TIME, causing a differential prognosis in de novo gDLBCL, which can be used to identify patients who could benefit from HPE and immunochemotherapy.

Circulating cell-free DNA-based methylation patterns for breast cancer diagnosis

Mammography is used to detect breast cancer (BC), but its sensitivity is limited, especially for dense breasts. Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation tests is expected to compensate for the deficiency of mammography. We derived a specific panel of markers based on computational analysis of the DNA methylation profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Through training (n = 160) and validation set (n = 69), we developed a diagnostic prediction model with 26 markers, which yielded a sensitivity of 89.37% and a specificity of 100% for differentiating malignant disease from normal lesions [AUROC = 0.9816 (95% CI: 96.09-100%), and AUPRC = 0.9704 (95% CI: 94.54–99.46%)]. A simplified 4-marker model including cg23035715, cg16304215, cg20072171, and cg21501525 had a similar diagnostic power [AUROC = 0.9796 (95% CI: 95.56–100%), and AUPRC = 0.9220 (95% CI: 91.02–94.37%)]. We found that a single cfDNA methylation marker, cg23035715, has a high diagnostic power [AUROC = 0.9395 (95% CI: 89.72–99.27%), and AUPRC = 0.9111 (95% CI: 88.45–93.76%)], with a sensitivity of 84.90% and a specificity of 93.88%. In an independent testing dataset (n = 104), the obtained diagnostic prediction model discriminated BC patients from normal controls with high accuracy [AUROC = 0.9449 (95% CI: 90.07–98.91%), and AUPRC = 0.8640 (95% CI: 82.82–89.98%)]. We compared the diagnostic power of cfDNA methylation and mammography. Our model yielded a sensitivity of 94.79% (95% CI: 78.72–97.87%) and a specificity of 98.70% (95% CI: 86.36–100%) for differentiating malignant disease from normal lesions [AUROC = 0.9815 (95% CI: 96.75–99.55%), and AUPRC = 0.9800 (95% CI: 96.6–99.4%)], with better diagnostic power and had better diagnostic power than that of using mammography [AUROC = 0.9315 (95% CI: 89.95–96.34%), and AUPRC = 0.9490 (95% CI: 91.7–98.1%)]. In addition, hypermethylation profiling provided insights into lymph node metastasis stratifications (p < 0.05). In conclusion, we developed and tested a cfDNA methylation model for BC diagnosis with better performance than mammography.

Ciliated Muconodular Papillary Tumors of the Lung: Distinct Molecular Features of an Insidious Tumor

Introduction

Ciliated muconodular papillary tumors (CMPTs) are rare special peripheral pulmonary nodule composed of different cell proportions, characterized by papillary structures and significant alveolar mucus. Because of their rarity, underrecognized processes, the full range clinical course and histogenesis of CMPTs remains uncertain.

Methods

Molecular features of 5 CMPTs cases (one case with mucinous adenocarcinoma simultaneously) were observed by whole exon gene detection. The histological features of CMPTs and the development trends of three major constituent cells were studied by immunohistochemistry and PCR.

Results

NGS revealed 77 gene mutations in the patient's tumor tissue and 31 mutations in the border tissue. TMB of CMPT tends to TMB of cancer tissues, and both are higher than normal tissues, CMPT share the same phylogenetic tree with cancer tissues. Moreover, PDL1, B7H3, and B7H4 were overexpressed in high columnar cells and eosinophilic ciliated cells of CMPT, tends to cancer tissues, while LAG3 and siglec15 were not found in CMPT.

Conclusion

The high prevalence of driver gene mutations in CMPTs, similar TMB and phylogenetic tree with cancer tissues indicate their malignant potential. Distinct molecular and immune check point features of each component support the notion that ciliated columnar cells in CMPT are insidious with immune escape.

Evaluation of p16 in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer for a 10-Year Study in Northeast China: Significance of HPV in Correlation with PD-L1 Expression

Background

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a high-risk etiological factor for cervical and ovarian carcinomas. p16 protein can be used as a surrogate biomarker for HPV infection in high-risk tumors. A strong correlation between HPV infection and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein expression has consistently been reported.

Objective

Given this background, this study investigates the prevalence, prognostic and clinicopathologic features of HPV-related epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) for the last 10 years in Northeast China to elucidate the involvement of p16 in the PD-L1 protein expression, tumorigenesis, and progression of EOC.

Methods

Specimens from 310 patients diagnosed with EOC collected from 2006 to 2016 were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HPV DNA, and overexpression of p16 by immunohistochemistry was also evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed to estimate the significant difference between HPV positive and negative patients, the correlation among HPV state, p16 and PD-L1 expression, and clinical presentation.

Results

Overexpression of p16 protein and HPV DNA were present in 100 (32.3%) of the 310 cases, and correlated with high PD-L1 expression. There was a good concordance between HPV positivity, p16 protein overexpression and PD-L1 expression. The etiological fraction of HPV in EOC is substantially higher in Northeast China than other cohorts previously reported.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that HPV infection and p16 overexpression is significantly associated with PD-LI expression in EOC, through the cooperative roles of dendritic cells (DCs) and IFN-γ, which may represent a promising strategy for therapeutic intervention in EOC.

Glucocorticoid receptor modulates dendritic cell function in ulcerative colitis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a serious form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) occurring worldwide. Although anti-TNF therapy is found to be effective in over 70% of patients with UC, nearly one-third are still deprived of effective treatment. Because glucocorticoids (GC) can effectively inhibit granulocyte-recruitment into the mucosa, cytokine secretion and T cell activation, they are used widely in the treatment of UC. However, remission is observed in only 55% of the patients after one year of steroid use due to a condition known as steroid response. Additionally, it has been noted that 20%-40% of the patients with UC do not respond to GC treatment. Researchers have revealed that the number of dendritic cells (DCs) in patients with UC tends to increase in the colonic mucosa. Many studies have determined that the removal of peripheral DCs through the adsorption and separation of granulocytes and monocytes could improve tolerance of the intestine to its symbiotic flora. Based on these results, further insights regarding the beneficial effects of Adacolumn apheresis in patients subjected to this treatment could be revealed. GC can effectively inhibit the activation of DCs by reducing the levels of major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC II) molecules, which is critical for controlling the recruitment of granulocytes. Therefore, alternative biological and new individualized therapies based on these approaches need to be evaluated to counter UC. In this review, progress in research associated with the regulatory effect of glucocorticoid receptors on DCs under conditions of UC is discussed, thus providing insights and identifying potential targets which could be employed in the treatment strategies against UC.

Overexpression of kin of IRRE-Like protein 1 (KIRREL) as a prognostic biomarker for breast cancer

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of Kin of IRRE-Like Protein 1 (KIRREL) and its clinicopathologic significance in breast cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The mRNA and protein expressions of KIRREL in fresh breast cancer tissue specimens and the corresponding noncancerous tissue specimens were examined by western blot analysis (n = 24) and RT-qPCR (n = 48). KIRREL was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using breast cancer tissue microarrays (TMAs) in 302 patients. The prognostic roles and clinicopathologic significances in breast cancer were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

Compared with para-carcinoma tissues, KIRREL mRNA and protein were overexpressed in breast cancer tissues. Immunohistochemical results showed that the high expression rate of KIRREL staining in breast cancer was 43.7% (132/302). Moreover, Expression of KIRREL was significantly correlated with Her2 status and survival outcomes of patients. Patients with both positive expression of KIRREL showed shorter overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS). Additionally, Cox multivariate survival analysis revealed that KIRREL level, age, primary tumor size, tumor stage and distant metastasis were the independent parameter predicting the prognosis of breast cancer patients.

CONCLUSIONS

KIRREL was overexpressed in breast cancer and the overexpression of KIRREL could serve as an independent predictor of poor prognosis in breast cancer patients.

Triptolide inhibits tonsillar IgA production by upregulating FDC-SP in IgA nephropathy

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is primarily resulted of qualitative abnormality of IgA. The occurrence of IgAN is associated with affected tonsils which enhances the IgA production via IgA class switching and immuno-activation. Follicular dendritic cell-secreted protein (FDC-SP) was found to be a negative effect for IgA production in tonsil. The previous studies suggested that Triptolide might reduce IgA production by its immunosuppression role. Given this background, this study investigated the mechanisms underlying the role of Triptolide and FDC-SP in the generation of IgA and IgA class switching in tonsil of IgAN patients. Immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that the expression of FDC-SP was increased in the tonsils of IgAN patients with Triptolide treatment compared with those without treatment. Meanwhile, the expression of FDC-SP was negatively correlated with IgA inducing cytokines in the tonsils of IgAN patients treated with Triptolide, due to the significant decreased IgA-bearing cells. The expression of FDC-SP in tonsillar tissue was confirmed by double immunofluorescence. Importantly, Triptolide promoted FDC-SP secretion, and correlated negatively with decreased IgA production in isolated FDC-associated clusters, which had been isolated from patients without TW treatment previously. Our study demonstrated that Triptolide might have an impact on FDC-SP production and downregulation of IgA synthesis in the tonsils of IgAN patients, which could be a promising strategy for therapeutic intervention in IgAN patients.

[Consistency of ALK Ventana-D5F3 immunohistochemistry interpretation in lung adenocarcinoma among Chinese histopathologists]

Objective: To understand the consistency of ALK Ventana-D5F3 immunohistochemistry (IHC) interpretation in Chinese lung adenocarcinoma among histopathologists from different hospitals, and to recommend solution for the problems found during the interpretation of ALK IHC in real world, with the aim of the precise selection of patients who can benefit from ALK targeted therapy. Methods: This was a multicenter and retrospective study. A total of 109 lung adenocarcinoma cases with ALK Ventana-D5F3 IHC staining were collected from 31 lung cancer centers in RATICAL research group from January to June in 2018. All cases were scanned into digital imaging with Ventana iSCANcoreo Digital Slide Scanning System and scored by 31 histopathologists from different centers according to ALK binary (positive or negative) interpretation based on its manufacturer's protocol. The cases with high inconsistency rate were further analyzed using FISH/RT-PCR/NGS. Results: There were 49 ALK positive cases and 60 ALK negative cases, confirmed by re-evaluation by the specialist panel. Two cases (No. 2302 and No.2701) scored as positive by local hospitals were rescored as negative, and were confirmed to be negative by RT-PCR/FISH/NGS. The false interpretation rate of these two cases was 58.1% (18/31) and 48.4% (15/31), respectively. Six out of 31 (19.4%) pathologists got 100% accuracy. The minimum consistency between every two pathologists was 75.8%.At least one pathologist gave negative judgement (false negative) or positive judgement (false positive) in the 49 positive or 60 negative cases, accounted for 26.5% (13/49), 41.7% (25/60), respectively, with at least one uncertainty interpretation accounted for 31.2% (34/109). Conclusion: There are certain heterogeneities and misclassifications in the real world interpretation of ALK-D5F3 IHC test, which need to be guided by the oncoming expert consensus based on the real world data.

miR-425 regulates cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis by targeting AMPH-1 in non-small-cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been proved to act as vital roles on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and miR-425 has been proven to serve an important function in several tumors. However, the functional role of miR-425 on NSCLC is still unclear.

METHODS

The mRNA and protein expression of miR-425 and AMPH-1 were determined by qRT-PCR and western blot analysis, respectively. NSCLC cells (SK-MES-1 and A549) proliferation and migration were measured by CCK-8 and transwell assay, respectively. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry and western blotting, In addition, luciferase reporter assay was carried out to confirm the direct targeting of AMPH-1 by miR-425. Xenograft experiments were performed to observe the tumorigenesis of miR-425 in vivo.

RESULTS

The results showed that miR-425 was overexpressed and AMPH-1 expression was downregulated in SK-MES-1 and A549 cells. Silencing miR-425 inhibited proliferation, migration and promoted apoptosis of NSCLC cells. Moreover, we proved that miR-425 could target AMPH-1. The expression of AMPH-1was upregulated in A549 with miR-425 inhibitor. Moreover, miR-425 knockdown were less tumorigenic than the control in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, miR-425 could promote the proliferation, invasion and suppress apoptosis by targeting AMPH-1 in NSCLC cells. miR-425/AMPH-1 axis may represent a potential therapeutic strategy or novel prognostic biomarkers to NSCLC.

Genomic Profiling of Driver Gene Mutations in Chinese Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Worldwide, especially in China, lung cancer accounts to a major cause of mortality related to cancer. Treatment decisions mainly depend on oncogenic driver mutations, which offer novel therapeutic targets for anticancer therapy. However, studies of genomic profiling of driver gene mutations in mainland China are rare. Hence, this is an extensive study of these mutations in Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) Chinese patients. Comparison of driver gene mutations of lung adenocarcinoma with other races showed that the mutational frequencies were similar within the different East Asian populations, while there were differences between East Asian and non-Asian populations. Further, four promising candidates for druggable mutations of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were revealed that open up avenues to develop and design personal therapeutic approaches for patients harboring mutations. These results will help to develop personalized therapy targeting NSCLC.

Metadherin Promotes Malignant Phenotypes And Induces Beta-Catenin Nuclear Translocation And Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition In Gastric Cancer

Purpose

Metadherin (MTDH), as an oncogene, is associated with metastasis and poor prognosis. This study investigated MTDH expressions and development of gastric cancer (GC) cell phenotypes and the contribution of MTDH to epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Patients and methods

MTDH expression was assayed in human GC cell lines and tumor tissue from 92 GC patients. Functional experiments were performed to characterize MTDH activity. Expressions of EMT-related proteins (vimentin and E-cadherin), phosphorylated β-catenin and β-catenin were assayed by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, immunofluorescence, and co-immunoprecipitation, respectively.

Results

MTDH expressions were higher in GC tissue than that in gastric mucosa from the same patient. MTDH overexpression was correlated with metastasis and enhanced malignant GC phenotypes, i.e., proliferation, migration, invasiveness, and chemoresistance. MTDH overexpression was associated with expressions of vimentin, E-cadherin and cancer stem-cell biomarkers including CD44, CD133, and Oct4. MTDH complexed with β-catenin and decreased phosphorylated β-catenin levels to facilitate β-catenin translocation into the nucleus and expressions of downstream genes.

Conclusion

MTDH overexpression in GC cells is associated with EMT and development of cancer stem cell malignant phenotypes and affects the subcellular translocation of β-catenin. The results warrant investigation of the prognostic value of MTDH in GC and as a therapeutic target.

Parallel Analyses of Somatic Mutations in Plasma Circulating Tumor DNA (ctDNA) and Matched Tumor Tissues in Early-Stage Breast Cancer

PURPOSE

Early detection and intervention can decrease the mortality of breast cancer significantly. Assessments of genetic/genomic variants in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) have generated great enthusiasm for their potential application as clinically actionable biomarkers in the management of early-stage breast cancer.Experimental Design: In this study, 861 serial plasma and matched tissue specimens from 102 patients with early-stage breast cancer who need chemotherapy and 50 individuals with benign breast tumors were deeply sequenced via next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques using large gene panels.

RESULTS

Cancer tissues in this cohort of patients showed profound intratumor heterogeneities (ITHGs) that were properly reflected by ctDNA testing. Integrating the ctDNA detection rate of 74.2% in this cohort with the corresponding predictive results based on Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System classification (BI-RADS) could increase the positive predictive value up to 92% and potentially dramatically reduce surgical overtreatment. Patients with positive ctDNA after surgery showed a higher percentage of lymph node metastasis, indicating potential recurrence and remote metastasis. The ctDNA-positive rates were significantly decreased after chemotherapy in basal-like and Her2⁺ tumor subtypes, but were persistent despite chemotherapy in luminal type. The tumor mutation burden in blood (bTMB) assessed on the basis of ctDNA testing was positively correlated with the TMB in tumor tissues (tTMB), providing a candidate biomarker warranting further study of its potentials used for precise immunotherapy in cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

These data showed that ctDNA evaluation is a feasible, sensitive, and specific biomarker for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of patients with early-stage breast cancer who need chemotherapy.

SOX2 gene expression and its role in triple negative breast cancer tissues

The aim of this work was to study the expression of SOX2 gene in triple negative breast cancer and its role. One hundred and twenty specimens of paraffin-embedded triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) tissues were collected from Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Heilongjiang, China between January 2014 and March 2018. The expression of SOX2 was detected using immunohistochemistry, and the relationship between the expression of SOX2 and clinical features was analyzed. Breast cancer cell lines (normal group, SOX2 interference group, SOX2 overexpression group) were cultured in vitro to detect the proliferation and cloning ability of the cell lines. The expression of SOX2 was related to lymph node metastasis and stage of breast cancer (P less than 0.05), but was not related to age, menopause or tumor size (P > 0.05); the expression of SOX2 in the overexpression group was significantly greater than that in the normal group after 72 hours, and no significant difference between the overexpression group and the interference group was observed. The number of clone cells with a diameter of 0.5 mm in the interference group was lower compared to the normal group, and that of the overexpression group was higher, but not significant. SOX2 is associated with the high invasiveness of breast cancer and can be used as a therapeutic target to inhibit the metastasis of cancer cells. SOX2 can promote the proliferation of breast cancer cells and affect the size of clone cells in its involvement in clone.

Comprehensive Analysis of the Relationship Between RAS and RAF Mutations and MSI Status of Colorectal Cancer in Northeastern China

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is mainly caused by chromosomal instability (CIN) and microsatellite instability (MSI). The RAS and RAF genes are essential components of the CIN pathway, and several studies have found that RAS and RAF mutations are associated with MSI status in CRC. Here, we examined these three factors in CRC in Northeast China and aimed to reveal new details of the relationship between these mutations and MSI status.

METHODS

This study involved 290 patients with CRC who had RAS or RAF gene mutation detected using fluorescence-based allele-specific polymerase chain reaction or Sanger sequencing. The majority of the identified patients were found to harbor MSI (MSI status). Accurate molecular detection was carried out using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue or blood samples.

RESULTS

The rates of RAS and RAF mutations were 58.5% and 4.1%, respectively. The prevalence of RAS mutation in CRC was clearly higher and that of RAF mutation was lower in Northeast China compared with previously reported cohorts in other locations. High MSI level (MSI-H status) was more complex, at around 10%. This was consistent with previous data from China. However, compared with data reported from other continents, MSI-H was higher than that of Japan or South Korea in Asia, and lower than that of Europe or the United States.

CONCLUSION

RAS/RAF mutations and MSI status in CRC are closely associated with tumor location and ethnicity. Further studies investigating the relationship between these three factors can help in the development of treatment strategies for patients with CRC.

Prevalence and Prognostic Significance of HPV in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Northeast China

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an etiological risk factor for a subset of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. HPV has been proven to be a powerful prognostic biomarker for oropharyngeal cancer, but its role in the larynx has not been explored in depth. Here, we sought to evaluate the prevalence and genotype distribution of HPV in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) in northeast China.

METHODS

HPV DNA in specimens from 211 patients diagnosed with LSCC was analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization, and p16 overexpression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. p16 expression was scored positive if strong and diffuse nuclear and cytoplasmic staining was present in > 75% of tumor cells.

RESULTS

In this study, infection with HPV and p16 expression were not absolutely consistent. Among all patients, 132 (62.6%) were positive for HPV DNA (HPV+), while 23 (10.9%) were inconsistent for HPV and p16. Multivariate analysis indicated that HPV, but not p16, is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in LSCC. Overall survival was significantly improved in HPV+ LSCC patients compared with the HPV-negative group (hazard ratio, 0.395; 95% confidence interval, 0.185-0.843; p = 0.016). Among the 132 HPV+ patients, 28 (21.2%) were HPV-16 single infection.

CONCLUSION

This study indicates that HPV DNA is a more reliable surrogate marker than p16 for the prediction of survival in patients with LSCC.

MicroRNA-650 targets inhibitor of growth 4 to promote colorectal cancer progression via mitogen activated protein kinase signaling

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignant disease globally and causes numerous cancer-associated mortalities; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unresolved. MicroRNAs (miRs) are endogenous noncoding RNAs that regulate post-transcriptional gene silencing by annealing to partially complementary sequences in the 3′-untranslated regions of target mRNAs. In the present study, expression of the tumor suppressor gene inhibitor of growth protein 4 (ING4) in cell lines was investigated using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. miR-650 overexpression promoted CRC cell proliferation and migration by targeting ING4 when the cells were transfected with the miR-650 mimics. Additionally, overexpression of miR-650 increased the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and activation of the Ras homolog gene family member A/Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin GTPase. Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling were markedly activated when miR-650 was increased in CRC cells. Combined, the results indicate the mechanism underlying the miR-650 promotion of CRC progression, and provide promising potential biomarkers for the prognosis and treatment of CRC.

Combined caveolin-1 and epidermal growth factor receptor expression as a prognostic marker for breast cancer

Previous studies have indicated that caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is able to bind the signal transduction factor epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to regulate its tyrosine kinase activity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical significance of Cav-1 gene expression in association with the expression of EGFR in patients with breast cancer. Primary breast cancer samples from 306 patients were analyzed for Cav-1 and EGFR expression using immunohistochemistry, and clinical significance was assessed using multivariate Cox regression analysis, Kaplan-Meier estimator curves and the log-rank test. Stromal Cav-1 was downregulated in 38.56% (118/306) of tumor tissues, whereas cytoplasmic EGFR and Cav-1 were overexpressed in 53.92% (165/306) and 44.12% (135/306) of breast cancer tissues, respectively. EGFR expression was positively associated with cytoplasmic Cav-1 and not associated with stromal Cav-1 expression in breast cancer samples; however, low expression of stromal Cav-1 was negatively associated with cytoplasmic Cav-1 expression in total tumor tissues, and analogous results were identified in the chemotherapy group. Multivariate Cox's proportional hazards model analysis revealed that, for patients in the estrogen receptor (ER)(+) group, the expression of stromal Cav-1 alone was a significant prognostic marker of breast cancer. However, in the chemotherapy, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2)(-), HER-2(+) and ER(-) groups, the use of combined markers was more effective prognostic marker. Stromal Cav-1 has a tumor suppressor function, and the combined marker stromal Cav-1/EGFR expression was identified as an improved prognostic marker in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Parenchymal expression of Cav-1 is able to promote EGFR signaling in breast cancer, potentially being required for EGFR-mediated initiation of mitosis.

Tripterygium Wilfordii inhibits tonsillar IgA production by downregulating IgA class switching in IgA nephropathy

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is characterized by high serum IgA levels and IgA deposition in the renal mesangium. Recent research has indicated that pathogenic IgA may originate from affected tonsils, where present enhancement of IgA production by IgA class switching and immuno-activation. Tripterygium Wilfordii (TW) was found to be especially effective in IgAN by its’ immunosuppression effect. Given this background, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the role of TW in the generation of IgA and IgA class switching in tonsillar GCs of IgAN patients. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR revealed that the expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) and IgA inducing cytokines were decreased in the tonsils of IgAN patients with TW treatment compared with those without treatment, followed by significantly decreased of IgA-bearing cells. The location of TSLP and IgA inducing cytokines in tonsillar tissue was confirmed by double immunofluorescence. Importantly, TW inhibit TSLP and IgA production in isolated FDC-associated clusters. Serum TSLP levels were decreased and correlated with IgA downregulation in the tonsils and serum of IgAN patients. These data indicated that TW may be involved in IgA production in the tonsils of IgAN patients, inhibiting IgA class switching in IgAN patients through the cooperative roles of AID, TGF-β1, BAFF, and APRIL, highlighting a promising strategy for therapeutic intervention in IgAN.

The STAT-ROS cycle extends IFN‑induced cancer cell apoptosis

In mammals, the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) protein processes mitochondria importation targets and mitochondria respiratory complexes, and triggers reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which conversely rapidly initiates the activation of STAT. Interferon (IFN) administration increases cancer cell apoptosis via STAT activation and ROS accumulation. However, the existence of a STAT-ROS cycle and how it affects IFN‑induced cancer cellular apoptosis are unclear. In the present study, we used MCF7 breast cancer cells and confirmed that a combination of IFN‑α/β/γ incubation induced STAT1/3 phosphorylation and mitochondria importation, which increased mitochondria respiratory complexes, the cellular oxygen consumption rate (OCR), and ROS production, followed by cellular apoptosis. We also found that STAT1/3 overexpression induced mitochondria respiratory complexes and ROS production. Additionally, ROS induced by H2O2 induced phosphorylation of STAT1/3 and promoted mitochondria importation. STAT1/3 deletion suppressed H2O2-induced acute cellular OCR, increasing the ROS level and indicating that STAT1/3 is necessary for ROS-induced mitochondria OCR and further ROS production, suggesting the existence of a STAT-ROS cycle. We next found that IFN induced mitochondria respiratory complexes followed by induction of OCR, ROS, and apoptosis, which were partially blocked by STAT1/3 deletion. Additionally, the suppression of ROS inhibited IFN‑induced STAT1/3 activation. Finally, we discovered that this cycle exists also in A431 and HeLa cancer cells. These results indicate that a STAT-ROS cycle extends IFN‑induced cellular apoptosis.

NUBPL, a novel metastasis-related gene, promotes colorectal carcinoma cell motility by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Nucleotide binding protein‐like, NUBPL, is an assembly factor for human mitochondrial complex I, which is the biggest member of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. However, the relationship between NUBPL and carcinoma progression remains unknown. In this study, NUBPL was characterized for its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Data (n = 197) from the Oncomine database revealed that mRNA levels of NUBPL were remarkably overexpressed in CRC tissues compared with normal tissues. In addition, immunohistochemical analysis of 75 pairs of CRC and non‐tumor tissues showed that the expression level of NUBPL was significantly higher in CRC tissues, and its expression level was positively associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.028) and advanced staging (P = 0.030). Expression of NUBPL in metastatic lymph nodes of CRC patients was also detected by immunohistochemical staining and high expression levels of NUBPL were observed. Overexpression of NUBPL significantly promoted the migration and invasion ability of CRC cell lines SW480 and SW620, whereas knockdown of NUBPL lead to an opposite effect. Our further study found that NUBPL could induce epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), characterized by downregulation of epithelial markers (E‐cadherin) and upregulation of mesenchymal markers (N‐cadherin and vimentin). Moreover, NUBPL was able to activate ERK, which is believed to promote EMT and tumor metastasis. Inhibition of ERK suppressed the NUBPL‐induced changes in EMT and cell motility. These data showed that NUBPL plays a vital role in CRC migration and invasion by inducing EMT and activating ERK. It might be a novel therapeutic target for CRC.

Recombinant Newcastle disease virus expressing human TRAIL as a potential candidate for hepatoma therapy

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) have shown oncolytic therapeutic efficacy in preclinical studies and are currently proved for clinical trials. We have previously reported, for the first time, NDV Anhinga strain has an efficient cancer therapeutic efficacy in hepatoma. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) functions as a cytokine to selectively kill various cancer cells without toxicity to most normal cells. Numerous studies have demonstrated the potential use of recombinant soluble TRAIL as a cancer therapeutic agent. In this study, we have showed administration of a recombinant NDV Anhinga strain expressing soluble TRAIL (NDV/Anh-TRAIL) results in an efficient suppression of hepatocellular carcinoma without significant toxicity. The results show that recombinant NDV Anhinga strain expressing soluble TRAIL is a promising candidate for hepatoma therapy.

Expression of GLP-1 receptor and CD26 in human thyroid C-cells: The association of thyroid C-cell tumorigenesis with incretin-based medicine

Recent reports have demonstrated that long-term and high dosage treatments with incretin-based medicine, such as hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) may induce thyroid C-cell pathological changes in rodents, rather than in humans. Doubts regarding the tumorigenic potential of GLP-1 analogues in human thyroid C-cells remain. The present study aimed to determine the expression levels of GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) and cluster of differentiation 26 (CD26) in the C-cells of thyroid tissues from non-neoplastic, medullary carcinoma and hyperplasia subjects, and to explore the potential clinical significance. The following cases were analyzed: Medullary thyroid carcinoma (n=62, including 59 paraffin-embedded samples and 3 fresh frozen samples), C-cell hyperplasia (n=20, paraffin-embedded samples) and non-neoplastic thyroid tissue samples (n=7, paraffin-embedded samples). GLP-1R and CD26 expression was detected using immunohistochemical staining and western blotting. There were significant differences in the expression levels of the two markers between medullary thyroid carcinoma and C-cell hyperplasia, in addition to between medullary thyroid carcinoma and non-neoplastic thyroid tissue following immunohistochemical staining. Similar significant differences in the expression of GLP-1R and CD26 were detected using western blot analysis in the medullary thyroid carcinoma compared with non-neoplastic thyroid tissue sectioned from the aforementioned fresh frozen samples. There was a significant negative correlation between GLP-1R and CD26 expression. In addition, the present data indicated that GLP-1R expression was associated with the age of the patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma. These results suggested that GLP-1R and CD26 may be closely associated with the development of thyroid C-cell hyperplasia and medullary thyroid carcinoma, and indicated the importance of being aware of the side effects of incretin medicine.

Decreased sirtuin 4 expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with invasive breast cancer

Aberrant metabolism is a hallmark of human cancer. Glutamine metabolism has been identified as a central metabolic pathway in cancer and thus, targeting glutamine metabolism may exhibit therapeutic potential. Sirtuin 4 (SIRT4) is an important molecule that mediates the blockade of glutamine catabolism by inhibiting glutamate dehydrogenase. In the present study, SIRT4 protein expression levels were analyzed in 409 breast cancer tissues and 241 paired adjacent non-cancerous tissues by immunohistochemical analysis and the correlation between SIRT4 expression and the clinicopathological features was evaluated. SIRT4 protein was markedly increased in the breast cancer cells compared with adjacent non-tumor mammary cells and was correlated with estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, nuclear-associated antigen Ki-67 and tumor protein p53 status, as well as breast cancer subtypes. Furthermore, low SIRT4 expression was associated with poor overall survival in breast cancers patients, particularly in Luminal A patients. Univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed that increased SIRT4 expression was an independent predictive factor of good prognosis for breast cancer patients. In conclusion, SIRT4 expression represents a significant favorable prognostic factor for patients with invasive breast cancer.

Ribosomal L22-like1 (RPL22L1) Promotes Ovarian Cancer Metastasis by Inducing Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition

Double minute chromosomes (DMs) have important implications for cancer progression because oncogenes frequently amplified on them. We previously detected a functionally undefined gene amplified on DMs, Ribosomal L22-like1 (RPL22L1). The relationship between RPL22L1 and cancer progression is unknown. Here, RPL22L1 was characterized for its role in ovarian cancer (OC) metastasis and its underlying mechanism was examined. DNA copy number and mRNA expression of RPL22L1 in OC cells was analyzed using data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Gene Expression Omnibus database. An immunohistochemical analysis of clinical OC specimens was performed and the relationships between expression level and clinicopathological factors were evaluated. Additionally, in vivo and in vitro assays were performed to understand the role of RPL22L1 in OC. RPL22L1 expression was higher in OC specimens than in normal tissues, and its expression level was highly positively correlated with invasion and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). RPL22L1 over-expression significantly enhanced intraperitoneal xenograft tumor development in nude mice and promoted invasion and migration in vitro. Additionally, RPL22L1 knockdown remarkably inhibited UACC-1598 cells invasion and migration. Further, RPL22L1 over-expression up-regulated the mesenchymal markers vimentin, fibronectin, and α-SMA, reduced expression of the epithelial markers E-cadherin, α-catenin, and β-catenin. RPL22L1 inhibition reduced expression of vimentin and N-cadherin. These results suggest that RPL22L1 induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Our data showed that the DMs amplified gene RPL22L1 is critical in maintaining the aggressive phenotype of OC and in triggering cell metastasis by inducing EMT. It could be employed as a novel prognostic marker and/or effective therapeutic target for OC.

Expression of ribosome-binding protein 1 correlates with shorter survival in Her-2 positive breast cancer

The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of ribosome-binding protein 1 (RRBP1) in invasive breast cancer and to analyze its relationship to clinical features and prognosis. RRBP1 expression was studied using real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting using pair-matched breast samples and immunohistochemical staining using a tissue microarray. Then the correlation between RRBP1 expression and clinicopathologic features was analyzed. RRBP1 mRNA and protein expression were significantly increased in breast cancer tissues compared with normal tissues. The protein level of RRBP1 is proved to be positively related to histological grade (P = 0.02), molecular subtype (P = 0.048) and status of Her-2 (P = 0.026) and P53 (P = 0.015). We performed a grade-stratified analysis of all patients according to the level of RRBP1 expression and found that RRBP1 overexpression highly affected overall survival in patients with early-stage (I and II) tumors (P = 0.042). Furthermore, Her-2 positive patients with negative RRBP1 expression had longer overall survival rates than those with positive RRBP1 expression (P = 0.031). Using multivariate analysis, it was determined that lymph node metastasis (LNM, P = 0.002) and RRBP1 expression (P = 0.005) were independent prognosis factors for overall survival. RRBP1 is a valuable prognostic factor in Her-2-positive breast cancer patients, indicating that RRBP1 is a potentially important target for the prediction of prognosis.

IGF2R expression is associated with the chemotherapy response and prognosis of patients with advanced NSCLC

BACKGROUND

Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) pathway has been suggested as a new molecular target for the treatment of cancer including Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We postulated that IGF-2 receptor (IGF2R) may be associated with treatment response and prognosis of NSCLC patients receiving chemotherapy.

METHODS

A total of 464 patients with inoperable advanced stage of NSCLC were enrolled. All patients received platinum-based chemotherapy. Meanwhile, the IGF2R expression in tumor samples was detected by Immunohistochemical analysis. The IGF2R expression was inhibited in several human NSCLC cell lines (H292, A549, NCI-H460, Calu-3 and NCI-H23) after small interfering RNA (siRNA) transfection and the cellular biology behavior were evaluated.

RESULTS

Of all NSCLC patients, 204 had high IGF2R expression and 260 had low IGF2R expression. The low IGF2R expression was significantly associated with the smoking status, higher tumor stage, and poorer differentiation status of these patients. Notably, we found that the low IGF2R expression was closely associated with the chemotherapy response in NSCLC patients. Patients with low IGF2R expressions had a poorer prognosis than those with high IGF2R expressions. IGF2R inhibition by si-RNA technique in NSCLC cell lines increased the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities, but reduced the apoptosis rate. IGF2R silencing significantly enhanced the chemo-resistance of NSCLC cell lines to cisplatin treatment.

CONCLUSION

The IGF2R expression in tumor is associated with the chemotherapy response and prognosis of Patients with advanced NSCLC.

Expression of p300 and CBP is associated with poor prognosis in small cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

To investigate the correlation among p300, CBP and MLL expression and the clinicopathological characteristics in resected SCLC patients.

METHODS

Two hundred and twenty-two resected SCLC patients were included in this study. We evaluated p300, CBP and MLL expression by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Patients with high p300 expression had shorter OS and DFS than those with low p300 expression (p = 0.01; p = 0.009, respectively). The patients with CBP-positive tumors had significantly lower OS and DFS than those with CBP-negative tumors (p = 0.005 and p = 0.007, respectively). Moreover, the p300- and CBP-positive (+) group had a significantly poor OS and DFS. The multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that high p300 and CBP expression are independent markers of poor overall survival (p = 0.006; p = 0.017, respectively) in operable SCLC patients.

CONCLUSIONS

High p300 and CBP expression are independent prognostic markers of poor overall survival for resected SCLC patients. The combination of p300 and CBP expression may be useful in identifying patients with increased risks of cancer recurrence of SCLC.

Elevated expression of SOX2 and FGFR1 in correlation with poor prognosis in patients with small cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVES

The central issue in this study is to investigate the expression of Sex determining region Y-BOX2 (SOX2) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), evaluate their clinicopathological variables and prognostic significance in small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

METHODS

Specimens from 222 SCLC patients and 53 adjacent normal lung tissues were detected by the immunohistochemistry for SOX2 and FGFR1 expression. The relationship between the expression of both markers and survival status was determined.

RESULTS

Overexpression of SOX2 and FGFR1 were revealed in SCLC tumors than in normal tissues (P<0.05). SOX2 expression was associated with clinical stage (P=0.014) and lymph node status (P=0.041). Besides, FGFR1 expression was significantly higher in ever smokers (P=0.030) and late stage SCLC (P=0.005). SOX2, FGFR1 and TNM stage were independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and Recurrence-free survival (RFS) by multivariate analysis. In stage I patients, only overexpression of SOX2, but not of FGFR1, predicted poor OS (0.027) and RFS (P=0.013). According to the expression of SOX2 and FGFR1, patients were categorized into three groups. Patients with elevated expression of both markers belonged to the group with the shortest RFS (P<0.0001) and OS (P<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Increased expression of SOX2 and FGFR1 may be available as poor prognostic indicators in SCLC patients.

P16 and p53 play distinct roles in different subtypes of breast cancer

Breast cancers are heterogeneous and complex diseases, and subtypes of breast cancers may involve unique molecular mechanisms. The p16^INK4a and p53 pathways are two of the major pathways involved in control of the cell cycle. They also play key roles in tumorigenesis. However, whether the roles of these pathways differ in the subtypes of breast cancer is unclear. Therefore, p16 and p53 expression were investigated in different breast cancer subtypes to ascertain their contributions to these cancers. A total of 400 cases of non-invasive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), including the major molecular subtypes luminal-A, luminal-B, Her-2, and triple-negative subtypes, and 50 cases of normal controls were compared. Luminal-A cancers expressed the lowest level of p16 among the subtypes in DCIS, and the level of p16 expression was up-regulated in the luminal-A of IDC (P<0.008). Triple-negative breast cancers were characterized by a correlation of p53 overexpression with a high level of p16 expression. Luminal lesion types with high p16 expression in DCIS were found to be more likely to develop into aggressive breast cancers, possibly promoted by p53 dysfunction. Taken together, the present study suggest that p16 expression in luminal-A breast cancers is associated with their progression from DCIS to IDC, and both p53 and p16 expressions are important for the development of triple-negative breast cancers in DCIS and IDC.

Recombinant Newcastle disease virus Anhinga strain (NDV/Anh-EGFP) for hepatoma therapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma remains one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has been proved to be an efficient oncolytic agent. NDV tumor killing efficacy is not only dependening on the NDV strain but the type of tumor targeted. It is significant to discover more effective and safe oncolytic strains. We investigated the effectiveness of genetically engineered NDV Anhinga strain in hepatoma treatment. The modified virus containing an insertion of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), named NDV/Anh-EGFP. The antitumor efficacy of the recombinant virus on hepatoma was examined both in vivo and in vitro. NDV Anhinga strain, which could be classified as a lytic strain, is an effective oncolytic agent on hepatoma. There was no significant difference in the TCID50 and growth capability between the recombinant NDV and the parental. NDV/Anh-EGFP can obviously inhibit hepatocarcinoma development in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate Anhinga strain could become a potent candidate for clinical carcinoma therapy especially for hepatocarcinoma.

Calcineurin/NFATc1 pathway contributes to cell proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The nuclear factor of the activated T cell (NFAT) family was primarily recognized for its central role in T lymphocyte activation. Recent evidence showed that NFAT isoforms participate in the regulation of genes related to cell proliferation and differentiation in epithelial malignancies. Here, we investigated the expression and activation of the calcineurin/NFAT transcription pathway and its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) proliferation.

METHODS

Expression of NFATc1 and calcineurin proteins was examined by immunohistochemical analyses in 76 human HCC samples. The cellular NFAT activation and distribution in HepG2 cells were analyzed by immunofluorescence and western blot analyses. After NFATc1 expression was knocked down by NFATc1-specific siRNA, we analyzed its implications in cell cycle progression and growth by MTT and flow cytometry. The impact of calcineurin/NFAT signaling on protein expression of c-myc and cox-2 were performed by western blot analyses.

RESULTS

NFATc1 is significantly overexpressed in HCC. The regulation of calcineurin activity by ionomycin or cyclosporin A caused rapid nuclear import or export of NFATc1 in HepG2 cells. NFATc1 knock-down led to a significant reduction in proliferation rates and cell cycle arrest at G1 phase. The expression of c-myc and cox-2 was decreased in the NFATc1 knock-down HepG2 cells. Ionomycin increased c-myc and cox-2 expression in HepG2 cells, but not in siNFATc1 HepG2 cells.

CONCLUSION

The calcineurin/NFATc1 signal is overexpressed and active in HCC. It may enhance the proliferative potential of HepG2 cells through transcriptional activation of the c-myc and cox-2 oncogenes.

The method and efficacy of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography for diagnosing the lymphatic metastasis of colorectal carcinoma

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to analyze the morphologic and functional features of metastatic lymph nodes of colorectal carcinoma on (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomographic (PET)/computed tomographic (CT) images and correlate these with pathologic results to explore the best diagnostic performance.

METHODS

Sixty-eight patients without any previous treatment underwent (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT examinations and subsequent operations. All lymph nodes were evaluated by recording short diameter and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) on axial images and were carefully verified on the surgically resected specimens. The radiologic diagnostic efficacies on the basis of different diagnostic criteria were compared and evaluated with pathologic results.

RESULTS

There was a significant difference for SUVmax between metastatic and benign juxtaintestinal lymph nodes (F = 96.836, P = .000) and a correlation between size and SUVmax in metastatic juxtaintestinal lymph nodes (r = 0.352, P = .038). Diagnosing according to short diameter ≥ 10 mm and SUVmax ≥ 2.5, the sensitivity, specificity, positivity prediction value (PPV), and negative prediction value (NPV) were 10.00%, 98.26%, 66.67%, and 75.84% and 82.50%, 90.43%, 75.00%, and 93.69%, respectively. Considered together, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 10.00%, 99.13%, 80.00%, and 76.00%, respectively. Receiver-operating characteristic curves showed that the best cutoff values for SUVmax and short diameter were 2.0 and 4.85 mm, respectively; the corresponding sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV, were 91.43%, 87.83%, 69.57%, and 97.12% and 85.71%, 60.87%, 40.00%, and 98.2%, respectively. Considered together, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 95.00%, 86.96%, 71.70%, and 98.04%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake was a more reliable indicator in diagnosing malignant juxtaintestinal lymph node of colorectal carcinoma. The optimal diagnostic efficacy could be reached by considering morphologic and functional features together.

Elevated expression of astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) is correlated with cisplatin-based chemoresistance and shortened outcome in patients with stages III-IV serous ovarian carcinoma

AIMS

To correlate astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) expression with the clinicopathological features and outcome of patients with stages III-IV ovarian serous carcinoma, and to clinically assess the involvement of AEG-1 in acquired cisplatin resistance.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The frequency and intensity of immunohistochemical AEG-1 expression increased in a step-wise fashion from normal to chemosensitive to chemoresistant tissues. These observations were confirmed by Western blot analysis. AEG-1 expression level was correlated with lymph nodal metastasis, histological differentiation, residual tumour size and response to primary chemotherapy. Five-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were lower in the high-expression group than that in the low-expression group. AEG-1 overexpression was an independent but poor prognostic factor in the OS and PFS of these patients, as determined by multivariate Cox regression analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of cisplatin-based chemoresistance was significantly associated with expression level of AEG-1 and the degree of residual disease (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0027, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that tumour AEG-1 overexpression is associated with poor prognosis and cisplatin resistance in advanced serous ovarian cancer.

Expression of astrocyte elevated gene-1: a novel marker of the pathogenesis, progression, and poor prognosis for endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE

To assess the expression of astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) in different endometrial specimens and to investigate its relationship with clinicopathological features and its impact on patient outcome.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

By Western blot analysis, we investigated AEG-1 expression in paired endometrial tissues and adjacent nontumor tissues of the same patients (n = 4). Immunohistochemistry analysis was used to determine the expression levels of AEG-1 protein in 35 normal endometrium, 40 atypical endometrial hyperplasia, and 174 endometrial cancers. The correlation between AEG-1 expression and various clinicopathological characteristics of endometrial cancer patients was analyzed.

RESULTS

Western blot analysis showed that AEG-1 expression levels were up-regulated in all 4 human primary endometrial cancer tissues compared with their matched adjacent noncancerous tissues. The frequent and strong expression of AEG-1 was gradually elevated in normal endometrial tissue, atypical hyperplasia, and endometrial cancers (P < 0.001). Although AEG-1 staining mainly emerged in the cytoplasm, a nuclear distribution was observed in both invasive and advanced endometrial cancer cells. The Ki67 (a proliferation marker) was frequently expressed in the high AEG-1-expressed area, whereas areas with low AEG-1 levels showed weak Ki67 expression. Astrocyte elevated gene-1 overexpression was positively correlated with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, depth of myometrial invasion, lymph node metastasis, lymph vascular space invasion, and recurrence but not with age or histological type. Patients with high AEG-1 expression had significantly poor overall survival and disease-free survival compared with patients with AEG-1 low expression (both P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression demonstrated that high AEG-1 expression was an independent prognostic factor for both the overall survival and disease-free survival of patients with endometrial cancer (P = 0.002 and P = 0.004, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Astrocyte elevated gene-1 overexpression may be associated with carcinogenesis and tumor progression in endometrial cancer. Moreover, it may be a new prognostic marker or a target for improving the treatment efficiency of patients with endometrial cancer.

Identification of novel subregions of LOH in gastric cancer and analysis of the HIC1 and TOB1 tumor suppressor genes in these subregions

Previously, we identified 3 overlapping regions showing loss of heterozygosity (LOH, R(1)-R(3) from 11 to 30 cM) on chromosome 17 in 45 primary gastric cancers (GCs). The data indicated the presence of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) on chromosome 17 involved in GC. Among the putative TSGs in these regions, HIC1 (in SR(1)) and TOB1 (in SR(3)) remain to be examined in GC. By immunohistochemistry (IHC), methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and western blot, we evaluated the expression and regulation status for HIC1 and TOB1 protein in GC. We narrowed down the deletion intervals on chromosome 17 and defined five smaller LOH subregions, SR(1)-SR(5) (0.54 to 3.42 cM), in GC. We found that HIC1 had downregulated expression in 86% (91/106) and was methylated in 87% (26/30) of primary GCs. Of the primary GCs showing downregulation of HIC1 protein, 75% (18/24) had methylated HIC1 gene. TOB1 was either absent or expressed at reduced levels in 75% (73/97) of the GC samples. In addition, a general reduction was found in total and the ratio of unphosphorylated to phosphorylated TOB1 protein levels in the differentiated GC cell lines. Further analysis revealed significant simultaneous downregulation of both HIC1 and TOB1 protein in GC tissue microarray samples (67%, 52/78) and in primary GCs (65%, 11/17). These results indicate that silencing of HIC1 and TOB1 expression is a common occurrence in GC and may contribute to the development and progression of the disease.

DJ-1 may contribute to metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death, about 40% human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients showed lymph node involvements. However, the precise mechanism for the metastasis is still not fully understood. This study was to analyze the potential molecular mechanism for lung cancer metastasis. In the current study, proteomics analysis by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) was performed first to identify the differentially expressed protein between the higher metastasis lung adenocarcinoma cell line Anip973 and the lower metastasis lung adenocarcinoma cell line AGZY83-a. We confirmed the result by RT-PCR, immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry analyses in these two cell lines. Then we examined the expression of the differentially expressed protein in tumor tissues of NSCLC patients by immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry analyses. Using 2-DE analysis, we have identified DJ-1 was expressed higher in the higher metastasis Anip973 compared to the parental cell line AGZY83-a, that was confirmed by RT-PCR, immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry analyses. In NSCLC patients' tumor tissues study, immunoblotting data showed that, DJ-1 expression level was significantly higher in 72.2% (13/18) of NSCLC tissue samples compared to that in paired normal lung tissues (P = 0.044). Immunohistochemistry analysis demonstrated increased DJ-1 expression in 85 NSCLC tumor tissue samples compared with 7 normal lung tissue samples (P = 0.044). DJ-1 expression was also found to be significantly correlated with cancer lymphatic metastasis (P = 0.039). DJ-1 might contribute to the metastasis of NSCLC.

Significance of AEG-1 expression in correlation with VEGF, microvessel density and clinicopathological characteristics in triple-negative breast cancer

PURPOSE

Our study is to examine astrocyte-elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) expression in triple-negative breast cancer and to determine whether it is associated with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), microvessel density (MVD), clinicopathological parameters and poor survival.

METHODS

Specimens from 125 patients with triple-negative breast cancers were investigated by immunohistochemistry for MVD, AEG-1 and VEGF expression. Correlations between the expression of AEG-1, VEGF, MVD, and various clinicopathological factors including survival status were studied.

RESULTS

AEG-1 and VEGF were highly expressed in 56.8% and 52.8% of triple-negative breast cancer patients, respectively. The intensity of AEG-1 was gradually up-regulated from VEGF-MVD-low, VEGF-high, or MVD-high to VEGF-MVD-high tissues using Western blot analysis. Statistically significant correlation was found among AEG-1 and VEGF, and MVD. Moreover, AEG-1 expression was correlated with clinical stage, lymphatic venous invasion, lymph nodal metastasis, tumor size, Ki67, and recurrence. Patients with AEG-1 high-expression showed far lower disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates than those with AEG-1 low-expression. For VEGF and MVD, there were similar results in these patients. Only AEG-1 expression and tumor size were independent prognostic factors for both DFS and OS by multivariate analysis. However, the prognostic impact of tumor size was not as strong as that of AEG-1.

CONCLUSIONS

AEG-1 expression may be related with tumor angiogenesis and progression and is a valuable prognostic factor in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.

Prognostic significance of AEG-1 expression in colorectal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1), as an HIV-1 or TNF-alpha-inducible transcript, is associated with various aspects of tumor malignancy. However, relatively little knowledge is available related to the role of AEG-1 in colorectal carcinoma.

METHODS

By immunohistochemical and western blot analysis, we investigated AEG-1 expression in normal mucosa, adenomas, and carcinomas of colorectum. By statistical analysis, we determined its relationship with clinicopathological parameters and overall survival in colorectal carcinoma.

RESULTS

We found that AEG-1 expression levels were gradually elevated in normal tissues, low-grade adenoma, high-grade adenoma, and colorectal carcinoma, respectively. Though AEG-1 staining mainly emerged in the cytoplasm, we observed that nuclear staining of AEG-1 tends to become more common in lesions from patients with more advanced disease stages. Furthermore, there was a similar trend for Ki67 expression (as a proliferative index) from normal mucous to adenoma and carcinoma. Statistical analysis revealed that AEG-1 expression was markedly correlated with the UICC stage (P < 0.001), T classification (P = 0.002), N classification (P = 0.015), M classification (P = 0.010), Ki67 expression (P = 0.012), and histological differentiation (P = 0.037) in the colorectal cancer patients. Besides, those patients with high AEG-1 levels had shorter survival time (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

High AEG-1 expression correlates with poor overall survival in the colorectal carcinoma patients. In addition, AEG-1 expression in colorectal carcinoma may be associated with tumor progression, indicating that AEG-1 may be a potential preventive and chemotherapeutic target in the patients.

Reduced expression and novel splice variants of ING4 in human gastric adenocarcinoma

ING4, a new member of the ING (inhibitor of growth) family of tumour suppressor genes, has been found to be deleted or down-regulated in gliomas, breast tumours, and head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. The goal of the present study was to investigate whether the expression and alternative splicing of ING4 transcripts are involved in the initiation and progression of stomach adenocarcinoma. ING4 mRNA and protein expression was examined in gastric adenocarcinoma tissues and human gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines by RT-PCR, real-time RT-PCR, tissue microarray immunohistochemistry, and western blot analysis. Alterations in ING4 transcripts were determined through sequence analysis of ING4 cDNA. Our data showed that ING4 mRNA and protein were dramatically reduced in stomach adenocarcinoma cell lines and tissues, and significantly less in female than in male patients. We also found that reduced ING4 mRNA expression correlated with the stage of the tumour. Interestingly, by sequence analysis, we discovered five novel aberrantly spliced variant forms of ING4_v1 and ING4_v2. These variants cause a codon frame-shift and, eventually, deletion of the NLS or PHD domain contributing to the mislocalization of p53 and/or HAT/HDAC complexes and, subsequently, altered gene expression in gastric adenocarcinoma. These results suggest that attenuated and aberrant ING4 expression may be involved in the initiation and progression of stomach adenocarcinoma.

Metastasis-induction and apoptosis-protection by TWIST in gastric cancer cells

TWIST, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, has been recently reported to play an important role in tumorigenesis of human cancer through converting the early stage tumors into invasive malignancies. Upregulation of TWIST is often found in cancer patients, especially those with shorter survival period and poor response to chemotherapy. Here we studied the functions of TWIST on regulating migration rate, apoptosis, and gene expression in gastric cancer cells. TWIST expression is elevated in MGC-803 and HGC-27 cells that exhibit high invasive potential; whereas it is reduced in BGC-823 and SGC-7901 cells that possess relatively low invasive content. To evaluate functional consequences of TWIST induction, we examined the effect of TWIST on cell migration and apoptosis. Overexpression of TWIST in BGC-823 cells resulted in increased migration content and decreased sensitivity to the arsenic oxide-induced cell death. Moreover, small interference RNA-mediated TWIST ablation in MGC-803 and HGC-27 cells showed suppressed migration ability, increased induction of apoptosis in response to arsenic oxide, and elevated cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, we found a negative correlation between the TWIST level and p53 level, probably due to transcriptional regulation. Our results have identified TWIST as a critical regulator of gastric cancer cell proliferation and migration, suggesting a potential therapeutic approach to inhibit the growth and metastasis of gastric cancer through inactivation of TWIST.