Clinical utility of keratin 14 expression measurement in reflecting the tumor properties and prognosis in patients with renal cell carcinoma: a study with long-term follow-up

PURPOSE

Keratin 14 (KRT14) is hypothesized to be involved in the pathogenesis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) based on its tumorigenic role in various cancers and its relationship with the prognosis of other urinary system malignancies. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation of KRT14 with tumor properties and prognosis in RCC patients.

METHODS

Data from 180 RCC patients who received tumor resection were retrospectively reviewed. The KRT14 was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining in tumor tissues and non-tumor tissues.

RESULTS

KRT14 was insufficiently expressed in both tumor and non-tumor tissues, with median (interquartile range) IHC score of 2.0 (0.0-3.4) and 1.0 (0.0-2.0), respectively. While it was relatively higher in tumor versus non-tumor tissues (P < 0.001). Besides, tumor KRT14 was positively correlated with the pathological grade (P = 0.038), tumor size (P = 0.012), T stage (P = 0.006), and TNM stage (P = 0.018). Interestingly, tumor KRT14 high predicted shorter accumulating recurrence-free survival (RFS) (P = 0.003) and accumulating overall survival (OS) (P = 0.001), which was further verified by the multivariate Cox's regression analysis (both P < 0.05). Furthermore, tumor KRT14 high estimated shorter RFS and OS from the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis and Human Protein ATLAS databases (all P < 0.05). Subgroup analyses indicated that the correlation of tumor KRT14 with accumulating RFS and accumulating OS was more pronounced in RCC patients with better physical status (such as age < 65 years and better eastern cooperative oncology group performance status) and higher tumor stages (such as higher pathological grade).

CONCLUSION

High KRT14 in tumor tissue could reflect an advanced tumor features and unsatisfying survival in RCC patients.

The value of oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and keratins 5 and 14 immunohistochemistry in the evaluation of epithelial proliferations at cauterised margins in breast-conserving surgery specimens

In breast conservative surgery, it is sometimes difficult to decide whether the cauterised tissue at the inked margin represents normal / hyperplastic or neoplastic tissue. We retrospectively assessed the value of ER, PR, CK5 and CK14 IHC in clarifying the nature of cauterised tissues at the margins concerning 34 lesions of 23 patients. 27 cases belonged to lesions that could not be adequately classified on the basis of the HE stains. Two thirds of them could be classified as non-neoplastic or neoplastic and two thirds of the remaining could be favourised as neoplastic or non-neoplastic, with 3/27 cases remaining uncertain. All 4 IHC reactions were helpful in classifying the lesions in almost half of the cases. However, 3 or 4 immunostains were supportive of the classification in 19/27. The most useful stains were the keratins, generally demonstrating a matching pattern of cell labelling with CK5 and CK14. ER and PR were somewhat less useful in classifying uncertain lesions. Considering all the 27 questionable lesions, IHC with ER, PR, CK5 and CK14 clarified the lesions at the cauterised margins in 23 cases. Taken all these considerations into account, CK5, CK14, PR and ER IHC may help in distinguishing between cautery damaged neoplastic and non-neoplastic tissues. All four IHC may yield the best support for decision making, but CK5 and/or CK14 may be sufficient in their own. The essential approach is that the results must be interpreted with caution, in the context of the given patient's disease, to avoid misinterpretations.

Epidermolysis Bullosa: Two rare case reports of COL7A1 and EBS-GEN SEV KRT14 variants with review of literature

EPIDERMOLYSIS

Bullosa is a rare hereditary skin condition that causes blisters. Genes encoding structural proteins at or near the dermal-epidermal junction are mutated recessively or dominantly, and this is the primary cause of EB. Herein, two Chinese boys were diagnosed with the condition, each with a different variant in a gene that serves as a reference for EB genetic counseling. Skincare significantly impacted their prognosis and quality of life.

CASE PRESENTATION

Two Chinese boys, with phenotypically normal parents, have been diagnosed with distinct blister symptoms, one with Dominant Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa and the other with a severe form of Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex. The first patient had a G-to-A variant in the COL7A1 allele, at nucleotide position 6163 which was named "G2055A". The proband is heterozygous for Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa due to a COL7A1 allele with a glycine substitution at the triple helix domain. A similar variant has been discovered in his mother, indicating its potential transmission to future generations. Another patient had severe Epidermolysis Bullosa Simplex with a rare c.377T > A  variant resulting in substitution of amino acid p.Leu126Arg (NM_000526.5 (c.377T > G, p.Leu126Arg) in the Keratin 14 gene. In prior literature, Keratin 14 has been associated with an excellent prognosis. However, our patient with this infrequent variant tragically died from sepsis at 21 days old. There has been a reported occurrence of the variant only once.

CONCLUSION

Our study reveals that Epidermolysis Bullosa patients with COL7A1 c.6163G > A and KRT14 c.377T>A variants have different clinical presentations, with dominant forms of Dystrophic EB having milder phenotypes than recessive ones. Thus, the better prognosis in the c.6163G > A patient. Furthermore, c.377T>A patient was more prone to infection than the patient with c.6163G>A gene variant. Genetic testing is crucial for identifying the specific variant responsible and improving treatment options.

Oncolytic adenovirus encoding apolipoprotein A1 suppresses metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer in mice

BACKGROUND

Dysregulation of cholesterol metabolism is associated with the metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) is widely recognized for its pivotal role in regulating cholesterol efflux and maintaining cellular cholesterol homeostasis. However, further exploration is needed to determine whether it inhibits TNBC metastasis by affecting cholesterol metabolism. Additionally, it is necessary to investigate whether ApoA1-based oncolytic virus therapy can be used to treat TNBC.

METHODS

In vitro experiments and mouse breast cancer models were utilized to evaluate the molecular mechanism of ApoA1 in regulating cholesterol efflux and inhibiting breast cancer progression and metastasis. The gene encoding ApoA1 was inserted into the adenovirus genome to construct a recombinant adenovirus (ADV-ApoA1). Subsequently, the efficacy of ADV-ApoA1 in inhibiting the growth and metastasis of TNBC was evaluated in several mouse models, including orthotopic breast cancer, spontaneous breast cancer, and human xenografts. In addition, a comprehensive safety assessment of Syrian hamsters and rhesus monkeys injected with oncolytic adenovirus was conducted.

RESULTS

This study found that dysregulation of cholesterol homeostasis is critical for the progression and metastasis of TNBC. In a mouse orthotopic model of TNBC, a high-cholesterol diet promoted lung and liver metastasis, which was associated with keratin 14 (KRT14), a protein responsible for TNBC metastasis. Furthermore, studies have shown that ApoA1, a cholesterol reverse transporter, inhibits TNBC metastasis by regulating the cholesterol/IKBKB/FOXO3a/KRT14 axis. Moreover, ADV-ApoA1 was found to promote cholesterol efflux, inhibit tumor growth, reduce lung metastasis, and prolonged the survival of mice with TNBC. Importantly, high doses of ADV-ApoA1 administered intravenously and subcutaneously were well tolerated in rhesus monkeys and Syrian hamsters.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a promising oncolytic virus treatment strategy for TNBC based on targeting dysregulated cholesterol metabolism. It also establishes a basis for subsequent clinical trials of ADV-ApoA1 in the treatment of TNBC.

In vitro generation of epidermal keratinocytes from human CD34-positive hematopoietic stem cells

The epidermis is largely composed of keratinocytes (KCs), and the proliferation and differentiation of KCs from the stratum basale to the stratum corneum is the cellular hierarchy present in the epidermis. In this study, we explore the differentiation abilities of human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) into KCs. Cultured HSCs positive for CD34, CD45, and CD133 with prominent telomerase activity were induced with keratinocyte differentiation medium (KDM), which is composed of bovine pituitary extract (BPE), epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin, hydrocortisone, epinephrine, transferrin, calcium chloride (CaCl2), bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), and retinoic acid (RA). Differentiation was monitored through the expression of cytokeratin markers K5 (keratin 5), K14 (keratin 14), K10 (keratin 10), K1 (keratin 1), transglutaminase 1 (TGM1), involucrin (IVL), and filaggrin (FLG) on day 0 (D0), day 6 (D6), day 11 (D11), day 18 (D18), day 24 (D24), and day 30 (D30) using immunocytochemistry, fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, qPCR, and Western blotting. The results revealed the expression of K5 and K14 genes in D6 cells (early keratinocytes), K10 and K1 genes in D11-D18 cells (mature keratinocytes) with active telomerase enzyme, and FLG, IVL, and TGM1 in D18-D24 cells (terminal keratinocytes), and by D30, the KCs were completely enucleated similar to cornified matrix. This method of differentiation of HSCs to KCs explains the cellular order exists in the normal epidermis and opens the possibility of exploring the use of human HSCs in the epidermal differentiation.

Inducing dry eye disease using a custom engineered desiccation system: Impact on the ocular surface including keratin-14-positive limbal epithelial stem cells

PURPOSE

Dry eye disease (DED) is characterized by loss of tear film stability that becomes self-sustaining in a vicious cycle of pathophysiological events. Currently, desiccation stress (DS) is the dominant procedure for inducing DED in mice, however its' effect on limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs) has been overlooked. This study aimed to establish a DS model via the use of a novel hardware to investigate the impact on the ocular surface including LESCs.

METHODS

A mouse transporter unit was customized to generate a dehumidified environment. C57BL/6J mice were exposed to mild DS and injected with scopolamine hydrobromide (SH) or remained untreated (UT) under standard vivarium conditions for 10 consecutive days (n = 28/group). Clinical assessments included phenol red tear-thread test, fluorescein staining and optical coherence tomography assessments. Histopathological and immunofluorescence was used to evaluate tissue architecture, goblet cell (GC) status, lacrimal gland (LG) inflammation and epithelial phenotype on the ocular surface. Whole flat-mounted corneas were immunostained for keratin-14 (K14), then imaged by confocal microscopy and analyzed computationally to investigate the effect of DS on LESCs.

RESULTS

Custom modifications made to the animal transporter unit resulted in dehumidified cage relative humidity (RH) of 43.5 ± 4.79% compared to the vivarium 53.9 ± 1.8% (p = 0.0243). Under these conditions, aqueous tear production in mice was suppressed whilst corneal permeability and corneal irregularity significantly increased. H&E staining indicated stressed corneal basal epithelial cells and increased desquamation. DS-exposed mice had reduced GC density (41.0 ± 5.10 GC/mm vs 46.9 ± 3.88 GC/mm, p = 0.0482) and LGs from these mice exhibited elevated CD4⁺ cell infiltration compared to controls. DS elicited K14⁺ epithelial cell displacement, as indicated by increased fluorescence signal at a distance of 50-100 μm radially inwards from the limbus [0.63 ± 0.053% (DS) vs 0.54 ± 0.060% (UT), p = 0.0317].

CONCLUSIONS

Application of mild DS using customized hardware and SH injections generated features of DED in mice. Following DS, ocular surface epithelial cell health decreased and LESCs appeared stressed. This suggested that potential downstream effects of DS on corneal homeostasis are present, a phenomenon that is currently under-investigated. The method used to induce DED in this study enables the development of a chronic model which more closely resembles disease seen in the clinic.

Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) induces stem/progenitor cell growth in middle ear mucosa

OBJECTIVE

The middle ear epithelium is derived from the neural crest and endoderm, which line distinct regions of the middle ear cavity. In this study, we investigated the localization of stem/progenitor cells in the middle ear mucosa of adult mice and the effects of keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) on the cell kinetics of stem/progenitor cells in vivo.

METHODS

In this study, after KGF-expression vector was transfected in the ear, two kinds of thymidine analogues, BrdU and EdU, were transferred at different time points. BrdU was detected by immunohistochemistry and EdU was detected by click chemistry. We also performed immunohistochemistry using anti-Keratin14 (K14) antibody (an undifferentiated epithelial cell marker), anti-p63 antibody (a stem/progenitor cell marker) and anti-acetylated α-tubulin antibody (a ciliated epithelial cell marker).

RESULTS

A large number of EdU-positive cells were detected in the thickened mucosal epithelium of the pars flaccida and attic region at Day 1 after KGF transfection. Interestingly, in the mucosal epithelium overlying the promontory of the cochlea, many EdU-positive cells were detected. These cells were also positive for K14 and p63. The acetylated α-tubulin positive cells were reduced in the attic region at Day 1 after KGF transfection.

CONCLUSION

These findings indicate that KGF over-expression may increase stem/progenitor cell proliferation in the mucosal epithelium not only within the attic which is typical in middle ear cholesteatoma, but also overlying the promontory of the cochlea.