Serum haptoglobin as a novel molecular biomarker predicting colorectal cancer hepatic metastasis

Glycerophosphoinositol modulates FGA and NOTCH3 in exercise-induced muscle adaptation and colon cancer progression

Objectives

Fibroleukin (FGA) and NOTCH3 are vital in both exercise-induced muscle adaptation and colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) progression. This study aims to elucidate the roles of FGA and NOTCH3 in phenotypic variations of striated muscle induced by exercise and in COAD development. Additionally, it seeks to evaluate the prognostic significance of these proteins.

Methods

Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were employed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Molecular docking studies were conducted to assess the binding affinities of 39 compounds to the NOTCH3 protein. In vitro assays, including mobileular viability, gene expression, and apoptosis assays, were performed to evaluate the effects of glycerophosphoinositol on FGA and NOTCH3 expression. Additionally, copy number variation (CNV), methylation status, and survival analyses were conducted across multiple cancers types.

Results

The NOTCH signaling pathway was consistently upregulated in exercise-induced muscle samples. High NOTCH3 expression was associated with poor prognosis in COAD, extracellular matrix organization, immune infiltration, and activation of the PI3K-Akt pathway. Molecular docking identified gamma-Glu-Trp, gamma-Glutamyltyrosine, and 17-Deoxycortisol as strong binders to NOTCH3. Glycerophosphoinositol treatment modulated FGA and NOTCH3 expression, influencing cell proliferation and apoptosis. CNV and methylation analyses revealed specific changes in FGA and NOTCH3 across 20 cancers types. Survival analyses showed strong associations between FGA/NOTCH3 expression and survival metrics, with negative correlations for FGA and positive correlations for NOTCH3.

Conclusion

FGA and NOTCH3 play significant roles in exercise-induced muscle adaptation and colon cancer progression. The expression profiles and interactions of these proteins provide promising prognostic markers and therapeutic targets. These findings offer valuable insights into the post-translational modifications (PTMs) in human cancer, highlighting novel pharmacological and therapeutic opportunities.

A radiomics and genomics-derived model for predicting metastasis and prognosis in colorectal cancer

Approximately 50% of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients would develop metastasis with poor prognosis, therefore, it is necessary to effectively predict metastasis in clinical treatment. In this study, we aimed to establish a machine-learning model for predicting metastasis in CRC patients by considering radiomics and transcriptomics simultaneously. Here, 1023 patients with CRC from three centers were collected and divided into five queues (Dazhou Central Hospital n = 517, Nanchong Central Hospital n = 120 and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) n = 386). A total of 854 radiomics features were extracted from tumor lesions on CT images, and 217 differentially expressed genes were obtained from non-metastasis and metastasis tumor tissues using RNA sequencing. Based on radiotranscriptomic (RT) analysis, a novel RT model was developed and verified through genetic algorithms (GA). Interleukin (IL)-26, a biomarker in RT model, was verified for its biological function in CRC metastasis. Furthermore, 15 radiomics variables were screened through stepwise regression, which was highly correlated with the IL26 expression level. Finally, a radiomics model (RA) was established by combining GA and stepwise regression analysis with radiomics features. The RA model exhibited favorable discriminatory ability and accuracy for metastasis prediction in two independent verification cohorts. We designed multicenter, multi-scale cohorts to construct and verify novel combined radiomics and genomics models for predicting metastasis in CRC. Overall, RT model and RA model might help clinicians in directing personalized diagnosis and therapeutic regimen selection for patients with CRC.

Discovery proteomics reveals potential protein signature associated with malignant phenotype acquisition in pleomorphic adenoma

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the proteomic profile of salivary pleomorphic adenoma (PA) and carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (CXPA) samples and correlate them with the malignant transformation of the PA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty samples (10 PA, 16 CXPA, and 4 residual PA) were microdissected and submitted to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The proteomic data and protein identification were analyzed through LC-MS/MS spectra using the MaxQuant software.

RESULTS

The proteomic analysis identified and quantified a total of 240 proteins in which 135 were found in PA, residual PA, and CXPA. The shared proteins were divided into six subgroups, and the proteins that showed statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) and fold-change > or <2.5 in one subgroup to another subgroup were included. Seven proteins (Apolipoprotein A-I-APOA1, haptoglobin-HP, protein of the synaptonemal complex 1-SYCP1, anion transport protein of band 3-SLC4A1, subunit μ1 of AP-1 complex-AP1M1, beta subunit of hemoglobin-HBB, and dermcidin-DCD) were classified as potential protein signatures, being HP, AP1M1, and HBB with higher abundance for PA to residual PA, APOA1 with higher abundance for PA to CXPA, SLC4A1 with lower abundance in the PA to CXPA, SYCP1with lower abundance for residual PA to CXPA, and DCD with higher abundance in the CXPA with epithelial differentiation to myoepithelial differentiation.

CONCLUSIONS

In this work, we demonstrated the comparative proteomic profiling of PA, residual PA, and CXPA, and seven were proposed as protein signatures, some of which may be associated with the malignant phenotype acquisition.

Pretreatment Nutrition-Inflammation Biomarkers Correlated with Differential Cytokine Profiles in Taiwanese Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Systemic inflammation plays a pivotal role in colorectal cancer (CRC) development. Two hallmarks reflect the severity of inflammation-circulating cytokines and nutrition-inflammation biomarkers (NIBs); however, their interplay has not been fully investigated. In total, 128 CRC patients were included. Ten circulating cytokines (TNF-α, TGF-β, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, and IL-23) and NIBs were analyzed. The relationship between cytokines, NIBs, clinicopathological variables, and overall survival (OS) was assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Three NIBs (CRP-to-albumin ratio [CAR]), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio [NLR]), and prognostic nutritional index [PNI]) were associated with OS in univariate analysis; however, CAR was better for OS prediction in multivariate analysis (P = 0.015). None of the serum cytokines analyzed showed a significant association with OS. High CAR (≥0.25) and high IL-10 (≥76.6 pg/mL), high NLR (≥8.2) and high IL-23 (≥51.2 pg/mL), and high PNI (≥42.4) and high IL-1β (≥14.3 pg/mL) values were correlated. CAR, NLR, and PNI were not correlated with each other, whereas circulating cytokines were closely interrelated. High CAR was an independent predictor of poor OS in patients with CRC. Different NIBs have unique cytokine profiles, but show no correlation with each other. There is a close association among the circulating cytokines.

Comprehensive aptamer-based screen of 1317 proteins uncovers improved stool protein markers of colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

To screen and validate novel stool protein biomarkers of colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

A novel aptamer-based screen of 1317 proteins was used to uncover elevated proteins in the stool of patients with CRC, as compared to healthy controls (HCs) in a discovery cohort. Selected biomarker candidates from the discovery cohort were ELISA validated in three independent cross-sectional cohorts comprises 76 CRC patients, 15 adenoma patients, and 63 healthy controls, from two different ethnicities. The expression of the potential stool biomarkers within CRC tissue was evaluated using single-cell RNA-seq datasets.

RESULTS

A total of 92 proteins were significantly elevated in CRC samples as compared to HCs in the discovery cohort. Among Caucasians, the 5 most discriminatory proteins among the 16 selected proteins, ordered by their ability to distinguish CRC from adenoma and healthy controls, were MMP9, haptoglobin, myeloperoxidase, fibrinogen, and adiponectin. Except myeloperoxidase, the others were significantly associated with depth of tumor invasion. The 8 stool proteins with the highest AUC values were also discriminatory in a second cohort of Indian CRC patients. Several of the stool biomarkers elevated in CRC were also expressed within CRC tissue, based on the single-cell RNA-seq analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Stool MMP9, fibrinogen, myeloperoxidase, and haptoglobin emerged as promising CRC stool biomarkers, outperforming stool Hemoglobin. Longitudinal studies are warranted to assess the clinical utility of these novel biomarkers in early diagnosis of CRC.

Development of a sensitive and reliable ELISA kit of urinary haptoglobin to predict progress of diabetic kidney disease

AIMS

Urinary haptoglobin (UHp) is a potential biomarker for predicting progress of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) to remedy the defects of currently used urinary albumin. The clinical application of UHp is however limited, owing to the extremely low level in urine. This study aims to establish an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit specifically for detecting UHp in urine samples of patients with diabetes and DKD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Supersensitive human haptoglobin antibodies were generated for ELISA kit development, and the sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility of the kit was evaluated. This kit was used to detect UHp in 246 healthy individuals and 83 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The interference of blood haptoglobin genotypes on UHp measurement was analysed.

RESULTS

The UHp ELISA kit had a standard curve ranging from 5 to 200 ng/ml. The low detection limit was 0.11 ng/ml. The coefficients of variation of intra- and interassay were 5.5% and 8.3%, respectively. The kit showed high accuracy with 100.9% mean recovery rate, and linearity R²  = 0.999. The reference range of UHp was 0-42.3 ng/g creatinine (0-Q95) in the healthy individuals. UHp level was significantly higher in T2D patients with microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria than that in T2D without microalbuminuria (p < 0.01). The UHp concentration measured by this kit was not affected by haptoglobin genotypes.

CONCLUSIONS

We have generated an ELISA kit to accurately detect UHp levels, which is potentially a reliable biomarker of DKD.

[Haptoglobin as a biomarker]

Haptoglobin (Hp) is a blood plasma glycoprotein that binds free hemoglobin (Hb) and plays a critical role in tissue protection and the prevention of oxidative damage. In addition, it has a number of regulatory functions. Haptoglobin is an acute phase protein, its concentration in plasma changes in pathology, and the test for its concentration is part of normal clinical practice. Haptoglobin is a conservative protein synthesized mainly in the liver and lungs and is the subject of research as a potential biomarker of many diseases, including various forms of malignant neoplasms. Haptoglobin has several unique biophysical characteristics. Only in humans, the Hp gene is polymorphic, has three structural alleles that control the synthesis of three major phenotypes of Hp, homozygous Hp1-1 and Hp2-2, and heterozygous Hp2-1, determined by a combination of allelic variants that are inherited. Numerous studies indicate that the phenotype of haptoglobin can be used to judge the individual's predisposition to various diseases. In addition, Hp undergoes various post-translational modifications (PTMs). These are structural transformations (removal of the signal peptide, cutting of the Pre-Hp precursor molecule into two subunits, α and β, limited proteolysis of α-chains, formation of disulfide bonds, multimerization), as well as chemical modifications of α-chains and glycosylation of the β-chain. Glycosylation of the β-chain of haptoglobin at four Asn sites is the most important variable PTM that regulates the structure and function of the glycoprotein. The study of modified oligosaccharides of the Hp β-chain has become the main direction in the study of pathological processes, including malignant neoplasms. Many studies are focused on the identification of PTM and changes in the level of the α2-chain of this protein in pathology. These characteristics of Hp indicate the possibility of the existence of this protein as different proteoforms, probably with different functions. This review is devoted to the description of the structural and functional diversity of Hp and its potential use as a biomarker of various pathologies.

Can conventional clinical chemistry tests help doctors in the monitoring of oncology patients?

The use of laboratory assays in the diagnostic care of oncology patients can markedly increase the efficacy of cancer treatments. Many cancer-specific biomarker assays have been developed. However, the use of these has some limitations due to their cost. Moreover, not every diagnostic laboratory can perform a complete set of these assays. On the other hand, the smart use of conventional clinical chemistry tests could improve the management of cancer. They could be especially valuable tools in the long-term care of patients with a verified diagnosis. In this review, we discuss the utilization of the conventional clinical chemistry assays for the diagnosis, monitoring and prognosis of various oncological diseases. The use of conventional blood tests to assess the levels of chemical elements, metabolites and proteins (including enzymatic activity measurements) in the care of oncology patients is discussed. We have shown that some clinical chemistry assays could be used in the management of distinct kinds of cancer.

Screening and identification of haptoglobin showing its important role in pathophysiological process of gallbladder carcinoma

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) with poor prognosis has been a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In this study, we aimed to screen and identify crucial genes in GBC through integrative analysis of multiple datasets and further experimental validation. A candidate crucial gene, up-regulated haptoglobin (HP), was firstly screened, and then further analysis and validation mainly focused on whether higher enrichment level of HP was responsible for pathophysiological process of GBC. HP was found with diverse expression patterns in various cancer types, and the dynamic expression patterns indicated its spatiotemporal characteristics in different tissues and disease stages, implicating its role in multiple biological processes. Further experimental validation showed that HP could promote the GBC-SD cell proliferation, migration and invasion, implying its role in pathophysiological process of GBC. HP may have a crucial role in occurrence and development of GBC, and it provides possibility as a potential biomarker or target in cancer prognosis and treatment.

Haptoglobin as a Biomarker

Haptoglobin (Hp) is a glycoprotein that binds free hemoglobin (Hb) in plasma and plays a critical role in tissue protection and prevention of oxidative damage. Besides, it has some regulatory functions. Haptoglobin is an acute-phase protein, its concentration in plasma changes in pathology, and the test for its concentration is part of normal clinical practice. Haptoglobin is a conservative protein synthesized mainly in the liver and lungs and is the subject of research as a potential biomarker of many diseases, including various forms of malignant neoplasms. Haptoglobin has several unique biophysical characteristics. The human Нр gene is polymorphic, has three structural alleles that control the synthesis of three major phenotypes of haptoglobin: homozygous Нр1-1 and Нр2-2, and heterozygous Нр2-1, determined by a combination of allelic variants that are inherited. Numerous studies indicate that the phenotype of haptoglobin can be used to judge the individual predisposition of a person to various diseases. In addition, Hp undergoes various post-translational modifications (PTMs). These are structural transformations (removal of the signal peptide, cutting off the Pre-Hp precursor molecule into two subunits, α and β, limited proteolysis of α-chains, formation of disulfide bonds, multimerization), as well as chemical modifications of α-chains and glycosylation of the β-chain. Glycosylation of the β-chain of haptoglobin at four Asn sites is the most important variable PTM that regulates the structure and function of the glycoprotein. The study of modified oligosaccharides of the β-chain of Hp has become the main direction in the study of pathological processes, including malignant neoplasms. These characteristics indicate the possibility of the existence of Hp in the form of a multitude of proteoforms, probably performing different functions. This review is devoted to the description of the structural and functional diversity and the potential use of Hp as a biomarker of various pathologies.

Glycoproteomic Analysis Reveals Aberrant Expression of Complement C9 and Fibronectin in the Plasma of Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of cancer mortality. Currently used CRC biomarkers provide insufficient sensitivity and specificity; therefore, novel biomarkers are needed to improve the CRC detection. Label-free quantitative proteomics were used to identify and compare glycoproteins, enriched by wheat germ agglutinin, from plasma of CRC patients and age-matched healthy controls. Among 189 identified glycoproteins, the levels of 7 and 15 glycoproteins were significantly altered in the non-metastatic and metastatic CRC groups, respectively. Protein-protein interaction analysis revealed that they were predominantly involved in immune responses, complement pathways, wound healing and coagulation. Of these, the levels of complement C9 (C9) was increased and fibronectin (FN1) was decreased in both CRC states in comparison to those of the healthy controls. Moreover, their levels detected by immunoblotting were validated in another independent cohort and the results were consistent with in the study cohort. Combination of CEA, a commercial CRC biomarker, with C9 and FN1 showed better diagnostic performance. Interestingly, predominant glycoforms associated with acetylneuraminic acid were obviously detected in alpha-2 macroglobulin, haptoglobin, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 1, and complement C4-A of CRC patient groups. This glycoproteomic approach provides invaluable information of plasma proteome profiles of CRC patients and identification of CRC biomarker candidates.

Liver prometastatic reaction: Stimulating factors and responsive cancer phenotypes

Cancer is first a localized tissue disorder, whose soluble and exosomal molecules and invasive cells induce a host response providing the stromal components of the primary tumor microenvironment (TME). Once the TME is developed, cancer-derived molecules and cells can more efficiently spread out and a whole-body response takes place, whose pathophysiological changes may result in a paraneoplastic syndrome. Remote organ-specific prometastatic reactions may also occur at this time, facilitating metastatic activities of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) through premetastatic niche development at targeted organs. However, additional signaling factors from the inter-organ communication network involved in the pathophysiology and comorbidities of cancer patients may also regulate prometastatic reaction-stimulating effects of cancer and non-cancer tissue factors. This article provides a conceptual overview of our ongoing clinical research on the liver prometastatic reaction (LPR) of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), their portal vein- and hepatic artery-driven LPR-Stimulating Factors (LPR-SF), and their resulting LPR-derived Metastasis-Stimulating Factors (LPR-MSF) acting on liver-invading CRC cells. In addition, we also provide new insights on the molecular subtyping of LPR-responsive cancer phenotypes in patients with CRC and melanoma; and on how to investigate and interpret the prometastatic infrastructure in the real pathophysiological context of patients with cancer undergoing surgical procedures and receiving pharmacological treatments with multiple side effects, including those affecting the LPR, its stimulating factors and responsive cancer phenotypes.

Haptoglobin: From hemoglobin scavenging to human health

Haptoglobin (Hp) belongs to the family of acute-phase plasma proteins and represents the most important plasma detoxifier of hemoglobin (Hb). The basic Hp molecule is a tetrameric protein built by two α/β dimers. Each Hp α/β dimer is encoded by a single gene and is synthesized as a single polypeptide. Following post-translational protease-dependent cleavage of the Hp polypeptide, the α and β chains are linked by disulfide bridge(s) to generate the mature Hp protein. As human Hp gene is characterized by two common Hp1 and Hp2 alleles, three major genotypes can result (i.e., Hp1-1, Hp2-1, and Hp2-2). Hp regulates Hb clearance from circulation by the macrophage-specific receptor CD163, thus preventing Hb-mediated severe consequences for health. Indeed, the antioxidant and Hb binding properties of Hp as well as its ability to stimulate cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage and to modulate the helper T-cell type 1 and type 2 balance significantly associate with a variety of pathogenic disorders (e.g., infectious diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer). Alternative functions of the variants Hp1 and Hp2 have been reported, particularly in the susceptibility and protection against infectious (e.g., pulmonary tuberculosis, HIV, and malaria) and non-infectious (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and obesity) diseases. Both high and low levels of Hp are indicative of clinical conditions: Hp plasma levels increase during infections, inflammation, and various malignant diseases, and decrease during malnutrition, hemolysis, hepatic disease, allergic reactions, and seizure disorders. Of note, the Hp:Hb complexes display heme-based reactivity; in fact, they bind several ferrous and ferric ligands, including O₂, CO, and NO, and display (pseudo-)enzymatic properties (e.g., NO and peroxynitrite detoxification). Here, genetic, biochemical, biomedical, and biotechnological aspects of Hp are reviewed.

A circulating extracellular vesicles-based novel screening tool for colorectal cancer revealed by shotgun and data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry

Background: Early screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) is essential to improve its prognosis. Liquid biopsies are increasingly being considered for diagnosing cancer due to low invasiveness and high reproducibility. In addition, circulating extracellular vesicles (crEVs, extracellular vesicles isolated from plasma) expressing tumour-specific proteins are potential biomarkers for various cancers. Here, we present a data-independent acquisition (DIA)-mass spectrometry (MS)-based diagnostic method for liquid biopsies.

Methods: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were isolated from culture supernatants of human CRC cell lines, and plasma of patients with CRC at different tumour stages, by overnight ultracentrifugation coupled with sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Tumour-specific EV proteins were prioritized using Tandem Mass Tag (TMT)-based shotgun proteomics and phosphoproteomics. The results were verified in a second independent cohort and a mouse tumour-bearing model using Western blotting (WB). The candidate biomarkers were further validated in a third cohort by DIA-MS. Finally, the DIA-MS methodology was accelerated to permit high-throughput detection of EV biomarkers in another independent cohort of patients with CRC and healthy controls.

Results: High levels of total and phosphorylated fibronectin 1 (FN1) in crEVs, haptoglobin (HP), S100A9 and fibrinogen α chain (FGA) were significantly associated with cancer progression. FGA was the most dominant biomarker candidate. Analysis of the human CRC cell lines and the mouse model indicated that FGA+ crEVs were likely released by CRC cells. Furthermore, fast DIA-MS and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM)-MS both confirmed that FGA+ crEVs could distinguish colon adenoma with an area of curve (AUC) in the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.949 and patients with CRC (AUC of ROC is 1.000) from healthy individuals. The performance outperformed conventional tumour biomarkers. The DIA-MS quantification of FGA+ crEVs among three groups agreed with that from PRM-MS.

Conclusion: DIA-MS detection of FGA+ crEVs is a potential rapid and non-invasive screening tool to identify early stage CRC.

Abbreviations: FGA: fibrinogen α chain; CRC: colorectal cancer; crEVs: circulating extracellular vesicles; EV: extracellular vesicles;MS: mass spectrometry; WB: Western blotting; ROC: receiver operating characteristic; PRM: Parallel Reaction Monitoring; GPC1: Glypican-1; GO: Gene ontology; TEM: transmission electron microscopy; FN1: Fibronectin 1; HP: haptoglobin; TMT: Tandem Mass Tag; LC-MS/MS: liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry; DIA: data-independent acquisition; DDA: data-dependent acquisition; CiRT: Common internal Retention Time standards;AGC: Automatic gain control; AUC: area under curve.

Prognostic and clinicopathological significance of Hapto and Gremlin1 expression in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Background: Some studies have demonstrated that Hapto and Gremlin1 play an important biological role in many neoplasms. However, the role of Hapto and Gremlin1 in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC) remains to be revealed. Thus, this study investigated the prognostic and clinicopathological significance of Hapto and Gremlin1 expression in ECC.

Methods: We examined Hapto and Gremlin1 expression in 100 ECC, 30 peritumoral tissues, 10 adenoma and 15 normal biliary tract tissues using EnVision immunohistochemistry. The relationship between Hapto and Gremlin 1 expression and clinicopathological parameters was evaluated using the χ² test or Fisher's exact test. The overall survival of patients was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier univariate survival analysis and log-rank tests.

Results: Hapto and Gremlin1 proteins were overexpressed in ECC compared to peritumoral tissues, adenoma, and normal biliary tract (P<0.05 or P<0.01). The positive rate of Hapto and Gremlin1 expression was significantly higher in cases with poor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, invasion of surrounding tissues and organs, a tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage of III or IV and no resection. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that ECC patients with positive Hapto and/or Gremlin1 expression survived significantly shorter than patients with negative Hapto and/or Gremlin1 expression. Cox multivariate analysis revealed that positive Hapto and Gremlin1 expression were independent poor prognostic factors in ECC patients.

Conclusion: The present study indicated that positive Hapto and/or Gremlin1 expression are closely associated with the pathogenesis, clinical, pathological and biological behaviors, and poor prognosis in ECC.

Trichothecin inhibits invasion and metastasis of colon carcinoma associating with SCD-1-mediated metabolite alteration

Lipid metabolic abnormalities have received intensified concerns and increased de novo synthesis of lipids is recognized as a common feature of many human cancers. Nevertheless, the role of lipid metabolism that confers aggressive properties on human cancers still remains to be revealed. Natural compounds represent an abundant pool of agents for the discovery of novel lead compounds. Trichothecin (TCN) is a sesquiterpenoid originating from an endophytic fungus of the herbal plant Maytenus hookeri Loes. Here, we assess the association of stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD-1) over-expression with malignant progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Based on this association, the effect of TCN on migration and invasion of colon carcinoma cells closely related to the inhibition of SCD-1 is evaluated. We further demonstrate that reduced production of unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) by blocking SCD-1 activity is beneficial for the anti-invasion effect of TCN. The aim of this study was to clarify the mechanistic connection between metabolite alterations induced by metabolic rewiring and the aggressive tumor phenotype and further develop novel pharmacological tools for the intervention of tumor invasion associated with SCD-1-mediated metabolite alterations.

Proteomic Profiling for Serum Biomarkers in Mice Exposed to Ionizing Radiation

In response to large-scale radiological incidents, rapid, accurate, and early triage biodosimeters are urgently required. In this study, we investigated candidate radiation-responsive biomarkers using proteomics approaches in mouse models. A total of 452 dysregulated proteins were identified in the serum samples of mice exposed to 0, 2, 5.5, 7, and 8 Gy at 6, 24, and 72 hours postirradiation. Ninety-eight proteins, including 46 at 6 hours, 36 at 24 hours, and 36 at 72 hours, were identified as radiation-responsive proteins (RRPs). Gene Ontology analysis showed the RRPs were involved in proteolysis, extracellular space, hydrolase activity, and carbohydrate binding. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome enrichment showed the RRPs were regulated in "the pentose phosphate pathway," "the proteasome," and "AGE-RAGE signaling in diabetic complications." There were 3 proteins changed and overlapped at all the 3 time points, 8 proteins changed at 6 and 24 hours, 4 proteins changed at 24 and 72hours, and 2 proteins changed at both 6 and 72 hours. Of these proteins, ORM2, HP, SAA1, SAA2, MBL2, COL1A1, and APCS were identified as candidate biomarkers for biodosimeter-based diagnosis through Pearson correlation analysis.

Identification of Molecular Targets of Dietary Grape-Mediated Chemoprevention of Ultraviolet B Skin Carcinogenesis: A Comparative Quantitative Proteomics Analysis

We recently showed that dietary grape powder (GP) imparts considerable protection against ultraviolet B (UVB)-mediated skin carcinogenesis in SKH-1 mice. To determine molecular mechanisms of this response, we employed tandem mass tag (TMT) quantitative global proteomics approach on skin tumors from mice exposed to 180 mJ/cm² UVB twice per week and fed control or 5% GP diet. We found 2629 proteins modulated by GP feeding, with 34 identified using stringent cutoffs (false discovery rate (FDR) q-value ≤ 0.1, fold change ≥ 1.2, p-value ≤ 0.05, ≥ 3 unique peptides). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis helped identify seven proteins involved in protein ubiquitination, including the deubiquitinase UCHL5 and 6 subunits of the 20S proteasome (PSMA1,3,4,6 and PSMB4,7). A second data set without the FDR q-value identified 239 modulated proteins, seven of which are involved in protein ubiquitination. Further, 14 proteins involved in acute phase response signaling were modulated >1.5-fold, including acute phase proteins APCS, FGA, FGB, HP, HPX, and RBP1. Evaluation of upstream regulators found inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphorylation and NF-κB p65, and an increase in IκBα in GP-treated tumors. Overall, our data suggested that GP consumption may mitigate tumorigenesis by enhancing protein ubiquitination and degradation caused by oxidative stress, and manipulates an otherwise tumor-promoting anti-inflammatory environment.

Systemic inflammation in colorectal cancer: Underlying factors, effects, and prognostic significance

Systemic inflammation is a marker of poor prognosis preoperatively present in around 20%-40% of colorectal cancer patients. The hallmarks of systemic inflammation include an increased production of proinflammatory cytokines and acute phase proteins that enter the circulation. While the low-level systemic inflammation is often clinically silent, its consequences are many and may ultimately lead to chronic cancer-associated wasting, cachexia. In this review, we discuss the pathogenesis of cancer-related systemic inflammation, explore the role of systemic inflammation in promoting cancer growth, escaping antitumor defense, and shifting metabolic pathways, and how these changes are related to less favorable outcome.

FLOT2 overexpression is associated with the progression and prognosis of human colorectal cancer

Altered expression of flotillin-2 (FLOT2) has been identified in certain types of cancer, including breast cancer and melanoma; however, to the best of our knowledge, the association between the FLOT2 expression level and colorectal cancer (CRC) remains to be determined. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical and prognostic significance of FLOT2 in CRC. The expression of FLOT2 was determined in seven CRC cell lines and one normal colon cell line, and it was identified that FLOT2 was increased in CRC cell lines, suggesting that FLOT2 exhibited an association with CRCs. In addition, FLOT2 protein levels were investigated in primary CRC tissues and corresponding non-cancerous colon tissues from 8 patients. Compared with non-cancerous tissues, FLOT2 protein was apparently upregulated in CRC tissues. To validate this result, an immunohistochemistry assay was performed and it was identified that FLOT2 levels were increased in CRC tissues. Clinical analysis identified that increased expression of FLOT2 was associated with the depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and American Joint Committee on Cancer stage of CRCs. Furthermore, multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model indicated that increased FLOT2 expression was an independent prognostic factor in patients with CRC (P=0.013). Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that overexpression of FLOT2 contributes to the progression of CRC and indicate that FLOT2 is a novel target for the treatment of CRC.

Estudio proteómico 2DE-DIGE en plasma sanguíneo de pacientes en etapa infantil con leucemia linfoblástica aguda

En Colombia, durante la última década la leucemia linfoblástica aguda (LLA) ha sido el cáncer con mayor incidencia, siendo más del 40% de las muertes por cáncer en menores de edad atribuidas a esta enfermedad. Entre los factores que influyen en estas cifras, el diagnóstico tardío es tal vez el factor más sensible que afecta de manera negativa el éxito del tratamiento. Esta investigación se centró en el estudio del proteoma plasmático de niños colombianos diagnosticados con LLA tipo B, dada su alta incidencia, en comparación con controles en la búsqueda de proteínas que podrían tener potencialidad a ser clasificadas como biomarcadores de diagnóstico. Ahora bien, en vista de los avances en las herramientas proteómicas y de espectrometría de masas y sabiendo que son una alternativa para abordar la complejidad molecular de enfermedades como el cáncer, utilizamos una aproximación proteómica basada en una separación por electroforesis bidimensional diferencial (2DE-DIGE) con posterior separación por cromatografía líquida acoplada a espectrometría de masas en tándem. Se encontraron 8 proteínas con expresión diferencial en plasma de pacientes con LLA-B, entre las cuales resaltan la serotransferrina, la Alfa-1-antitripsina, la haptoglobina, la α2-glicoproteína de zinc y la complemento C3.

Potential Diagnostic Value Of Combining Inflammatory Cell Ratios With Carcinoembryonic Antigen For Colorectal Cancer

PURPOSE

To evaluate the diagnostic value of combining the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) or lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The diagnostic performance of inflammatory makers and CEA was evaluated in cohort 1 (664 patients with CRC, 336 patients with colorectal polyps and 664 healthy controls) and validated in cohort 2 (87 patients with CRC and 87 healthy controls) by using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

RESULTS

In cohort 1, the NLR, PLR and CEA levels were significantly higher, while the LMR was markedly lower in patients with CRC than in healthy controls. The PLR and LMR were significantly associated with invasion depth and lymph node metastasis. Moreover, significant differences in the PLR and LMR were observed between patients with stage I/II CRC and healthy or polyp controls and those with stage III/IV CRC. Using the NLR, PLR or LMR with CEA resulted in a significantly larger area under the curve (AUC) than any of them used alone. Combining the PLR and LMR with CEA exhibited the best diagnostic value for CRC (AUC=0.892). The AUCs of this combination were 0.864 and 0.783 for distinguishing stage I/II CRC from healthy and polyp controls, respectively. When we used the same cut-off values to assess the diagnostic ability of these markers in cohort 2, similar results were observed, and the PLR, LMR and CEA combination also showed the highest accuracy (AUC=0.936).

CONCLUSION

Combining inflammatory cell ratios with CEA could improve the diagnostic efficacy for CRC patients. The combination of the PLR and LMR with CEA might be a valuable indicator in the early detection and monitoring of CRC patients.

Inflammatory Markers and MicroRNAs: The Backstage Actors Influencing Prognosis in Colorectal Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a deadly disease, afflicting the lives of millions worldwide. The prognosis of CRC patients is best predicted by surgical resection and pathological analysis of specimens. Emerging evidence has attributed a significant role to inflammatory markers and microRNAs (miRNAs) in the prognosis and survival of CRC patients.

AIM

Here, we review the literature on inflammatory markers and miRNAs with an established role on survival rates, response to systemic chemotherapy, and other clinic-pathological parameters in CRC patients.

RESULTS

Our literature review revealed a critical role of inflammatory markers—specifically, the acute-phase proteins, inflammatory cytokines, and blood cell ratios—on prognostic outcomes in CRC patients. MiRNAs, on the other hand, were useful in predicting prognosis and clinical response and accordingly stratifying CRC patients for optimal drug selection.

CONCLUSION

These biomarkers are easily measured in routine blood exams and can be used in adjunct to the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging system to identify high-risk patients and those who are more likely to benefit from chemotherapy and other targeted therapies. However, more prospective studies are needed for the validation of these discussed prognostic and predictive biomarkers.

Comparative Proteomic Profiling and Biomarker Identification of Traditional Chinese Medicine-Based HIV/AIDS Syndromes

Given the challenges in exploring lifelong therapy with little side effect for human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) cases, there is increasing interest in developing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatments based on specific TCM syndrome. However, there are few objective and biological evidences for classification and diagnosis of HIV/AIDS TCM syndromes to date. In this study, iTRAQ-2DLC-MS/MS coupled with bioinformatics were firstly employed for comparative proteomic profiling of top popular TCM syndromes of HIV/AIDS: accumulation of heat-toxicity (AHT) and Yang deficiency of spleen and kidney (YDSK). It was found that for the two TCM syndromes, the identified differential expressed proteins (DEPs) as well as their biological function distributions and participation in signaling pathways were significantly different, providing biological evidence for the classification of HIV/AIDS TCM syndromes. Furthermore, the TCM syndrome-specific DEPs were confirmed as biomarkers based on western blot analyses, including FN1, GPX3, KRT10 for AHT and RBP4, ApoE, KNG1 for YDSK. These biomarkers also biologically linked with the specific TCM syndrome closely. Thus the clinical and biological basis for differentiation and diagnosis of HIV/AIDs TCM syndromes were provided for the first time, providing more opportunities for stable exertion and better application of TCM efficacy and superiority in HIV/AIDS treatment.

High serum haptoglobin level is associated with tumor progression and predicts poor prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer

The overall survival time of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not improved dramatically in recent decades. An important reason is the lacking of valuable biomarkers. Haptoglobin was reported to have activities of anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, autoimmune and tumor angiogenesis. However its potential role as a tumor biomarker was not well recognized. We used an immunoturbidimetry method to measure serum haptoglobin levels in 205 NSCLC patients, and 210 normal healthy controls. We found that serum haptoglobin levels were significantly elevated in NSCLC patients compared with normal healthy controls (1.985±1.039 mg/mLvs. 0.922 ± 0.495 mg/mL, respectively, P < 0.0001). Higher serum haptoglobin levels were associated with advanced TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) for serum haptoglobin was 0.809 (95% CI: 0.767–0.852) at a specificity of 0.881 and sensitivity of 0.639. The optimal cut-off value of haptoglobin was 1.495 mg/mL for discriminating NSCLC from normal healthy controls. Kaplan-Meier log rank analysis revealed that the higher serum haptoglobin levels group had a poorer overall survival compared with lower haptoglobin group (the median survival was 12.0 weeks, 26.0 weeks, respectively, P < 0.01). Further univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that serum haptoglobin was an independent risk factor of prognosis of NSCLC patients (P < 0.01, P = 0.01, respectively). In conclusion, our study suggests that serum haptoglobin may act as useful clinical serological biomarkers in progression and prognostic evaluation in NSCLC.

Peripheral blood leucocytes show differential expression of tumour progression-related genes in colorectal cancer patients who have a postoperative intra-abdominal infection: a prospective matched cohort study

AIM

Anastomotic leak is associated with higher rates of recurrence after surgery for colorectal cancer. However, the mechanisms responsible are unknown. We hypothesized that the infection-induced inflammatory response may induce overexpression of tumour progression-related genes in immune cells. The aim was to investigate the effect of postoperative intra-abdominal infection on the gene expression patterns of peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL) after surgery for colorectal cancer.

METHOD

Prospective matched cohort study. Patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer were included. Patients who had anastomotic leak or intra-abdominal abscess were included in the infection group (n = 23) and matched with patients without complications for the control group (n = 23). PBL were isolated from postoperative blood samples. Total RNA was extracted and hybridized to the Affymetrix Human Gene 1.0 ST microarray.

RESULTS

Patients in the infection group displayed 162 upregulated genes and 146 downregulated genes with respect to the control group. Upregulated genes included examples coding for secreted cytokines involved in tumour growth and invasion (S100P, HGF, MMP8, MMP9, PDGFC, IL1R2). Infection also upregulated some proangiogenic genes (CEP55, TRPS1) and downregulated some inhibitors of angiogenesis (MME, ALOX15, CXCL10). Finally, some inhibitors (HP, ORM1, OLFM4, IRAK3) and activators (GNLY, PRF1, FGFBP2) of antitumour immunity were upregulated and downregulated, respectively, suggesting that the inflammatory environment caused by a postoperative infection favours immune evasion mechanisms of the tumour.

CONCLUSION

Analysis of PBL shows differential expression of certain tumour progression-related genes in colorectal cancer patients who have a postoperative intra-abdominal infection, which in turn may promote the growth of residual cancer cells to become recurrent tumours.

iTRAQ-Based Proteomics of Chronic Renal Failure Rats after FuShengong Decoction Treatment Reveals Haptoglobin and Alpha-1-Antitrypsin as Potential Biomarkers

Background. Chronic renal failure (CRF) has become a global health problem and bears a huge economic burden. FuShengong Decoction (FSGD) as traditional Chinese medicine has multiple pharmacological effects. Objectives. To understand the underlying molecular mechanism and signaling pathway involved in the FSGD treatment of CRF and screen differentially expressed proteins in rats with CRF treated with FSGD. Methods. Thirty-three male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group, CRF group, and FSGD group. Differentially expressed proteins were screened by iTRAQ coupled with nanoLC-MS/MS, and these identified proteins were later analyzed by GO, KEGG, and STRING. Additionally, haptoglobin (HP) and alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) were finally verified by ELISA, Western blot, and real time PCR. Results. A total of 417 proteins were identified. Nineteen differentially expressed proteins were identified in the FSGD group compared with the model group, of which 3 proteins were upregulated and 16 proteins were downregulated. Cluster analysis indicated that inflammatory response was associated with these proteins and complement and coagulation cascade pathways were predominantly involved. The validation methods further confirmed that the levels of HP and AAT were significantly increased. Conclusions. HP and AAT may be the important biomarkers in the pathogenesis of CRF and FSGD therapy.

Proteomic profiling of mdx-4cv serum reveals highly elevated levels of the inflammation-induced plasma marker haptoglobin in muscular dystrophy

X-linked muscular dystrophy is caused by primary abnormalities in the Dmd gene and is characterized by the almost complete loss of the membrane cytoskeletal protein dystrophin, which triggers sarcolemmal instability, abnormal calcium homeostasis, increased proteolysis and impaired excitation-contraction coupling. In addition to progressive necrosis, crucial secondary pathologies are represented by myofibrosis and the invasion of immune cells in damaged muscle fibres. In order to determine whether these substantial changes within the skeletal musculature are reflected by an altered rate of protein release into the circulatory system or other plasma fluctuations, we used label-free mass spectrometry to characterize serum from the mdx-4cv model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Comparative proteomics revealed a large number of increased vs. decreased protein species in mdx-4cv serum. A serum component with greatly elevated levels was identified as the inflammation-inducible plasma marker haptoglobin. This acute phase response protein is usually secreted in relation to tissue damage and sterile inflammation. Both immunoblot analyses and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays confirmed the increased concentration of haptoglobin in crude mdx-4cv serum. This suggests that haptoglobin, in conjunction with other altered serum proteins, represents a novel diagnostic, prognostic and/or therapy-monitoring biomarker candidate to evaluate the inflammatory response in the mdx-4cv animal model of dystrophinopathy.

Haptoglobin expression correlates with tumor differentiation and five-year overall survival rate in hepatocellular carcinoma

Elevated serum haptoglobin (Hp) is identified as a prognostic marker in multiple types of solid tumors, which is correlated with poor prognosis. HCC is one of the major causes of cancer deaths in worldwide, which remains poor prognosis and is clinically urgent for discovering early diagnostic markers. However, except for serum Hp, the correlation of tumor Hp expression with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression is still unclear. In this study, we evaluated and identified the tissue Hp expression as a prognostic marker to predict the survival rate of HCC patients. To evaluate the prognostic value of Hp expression for HCC, two cohorts were enrolled in our study, including total 130 matched pair tissue sections (both adjacent non-tumorous and tumor tissue derived from same patient) of HCC patients from Changhua Christian Hospital (CCH) and total 316 RNA-seq data with clinical information of HCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. In contrast to other types of cancers, HCC tumor tissues have lower Hp protein expression in CCH cohort and have lower Hp mRNA expression in TCGA cohort as compared with adjacent non-tumorous tissues (p < 0.001). Moreover, lower Hp expression is significantly correlated with different stages of HCC cancer differentiation in CCH cohort (one-way ANOVA, p < 0.001). Most importantly, lower Hp expression is highly correlated with poor five-year overall survival rate in TCGA cohort (p < 0.01). Based on our data, we conclude that tissue Hp expression positively correlates with better HCC tumor differentiation and increased five-year overall survival rate of HCC patients. The results indicated that tissue Hp is potentially a prognostic marker for HCC patients. Our findings may further provide a new insight of effective treatments along with biopsy diagnosis of HCC patients.

Corticosterone, inflammation, immune status and telomere length in frigatebird nestlings facing a severe herpesvirus infection

Herpesvirus outbreaks are common in natural animal populations, but little is known about factors that favour the infection and its consequences for the organism. In this study, we examined the pathophysiological consequences of a disease probably attributable to herpesvirus infection for several markers of immune function, corticosterone, telomere length and inflammation. In addition, we assessed whether any markers used in this study might be associated with the occurrence of visible clinical signs of the disease and its impact on short-term survival perspectives. To address our questions, in spring 2015, we collected blood samples from nestlings of the magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens) that were free of any clinical signs or showed visible signs of the disease. We found that the plasma concentration of haptoglobin was strongly associated with the infection status and could predict probabilities of survival. We also found that nestlings with clinical signs had lower baseline corticosterone concentrations and similar telomere length compared with healthy nestlings, whereas we did not find any association of the infection status with innate immune defenses or with nitric oxide concentration. Overall, our results suggest that the plasma concentration of haptoglobin might be a valuable tool to assess survival probabilities of frigatebird nestlings facing a herpesvirus outbreak.

Serum Protein KNG1, APOC3, and PON1 as Potential Biomarkers for Yin-Deficiency-Heat Syndrome

Yin-deficiency-heat (YDH) syndrome is a concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for describing subhealth status. However, there are few efficient diagnostic methods available for confirming YDH syndrome. To explore the novel method for diagnosing YDH syndrome, we applied iTRAQ to observe the serum protein profiles in YDH syndrome rats and confirmed protein levels by ELISA. A total of 92 differentially expressed proteins (63 upregulated proteins and 29 downregulated proteins), which were mainly involved in complement and coagulation cascades and glucose metabolism pathway, were identified by the proteomic experiments. Kininogen 1 (KNG1) was significantly increased (p < 0.0001), while apolipoprotein C-III (APOC3, p < 0.005) and paraoxonase 1 (PON1, p < 0.001) were significantly decreased in the serum of YDH syndrome rats. The combination of KNG1, APOC3, and PON1 constituted a diagnostic model with 100.0% sensitivity and 85.0% specificity. The results indicated that KNG1, APOC3, and PON1 may act as potential biomarkers for diagnosing YDH syndrome. KNG1 may regulate cytokines and chemokines release in YDH syndrome, and the low levels of PON1 and APOC3 may increase oxidative stress and lipolysis in YDH syndrome, respectively. Our work provides a novel method for YDH syndrome diagnosis and also provides valuable experimental basis to understand the molecular mechanism of YDH syndrome.

Annexin A2 and alpha actinin 4 expression correlates with metastatic potential of primary endometrial cancer

The prediction of lymph node metastasis using clinic-pathological data and molecular information from endometrial cancers lacks accuracy and is therefore currently not routinely used in patient management. Consequently, although only a small percentage of patients with endometrial cancers suffer from metastasis, the majority undergo radical surgery including removal of pelvic lymph nodes. Upon analysis of publically available data and published research, we compiled a list of 60 proteins having the potential to display differential abundance between primary endometrial cancers with versus those without lymph node metastasis. Using data dependent acquisition LC-ESI-MS/MS we were able to detect 23 of these proteins in endometrial cancers, and using data independent LC-ESI-MS/MS the differential abundance of five of those proteins was observed. The localization of the differentially expressed proteins, was visualized using peptide MALDI MSI in whole tissue sections as well as tissue microarrays of 43 patients. The proteins identified were further validated by immunohistochemistry. Our data indicate that annexin A2 protein level is upregulated, whereas annexin A1 and α actinin 4 expression are downregulated in tumours with lymph node metastasis compared to those without lymphatic spread. Moreover, our analysis confirmed the potential of these markers, to be included in a statistical model for prediction of lymph node metastasis. The predictive model using highly ranked m/z values identified by MALDI MSI showed significantly higher predictive accuracy than the model using immunohistochemistry data. In summary, using publicly available data and complementary proteomics approaches, we were able to improve the prediction model for lymph node metastasis in EC.