Soluble levels of sCD40L and s4-1BB are associated with a poor prognosis in elderly patients with colorectal cancer

Evaluation of soluble co-inhibitors and co-stimulators levels of the immune response in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Co-inhibitor and co-stimulator mediators trigger actions that result in immunological homeostasis and are being evaluated as potential therapeutic targets in gastric cancer (GC).

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the soluble levels of sPD-1, sPD-L1, sPD-L2, sTIM-3, sGal9, sGITR, and sGITRL in GC patients.

METHODS

The cross-sectional study was carried out at the Hospital de Cancer de Pernambuco, Brazil between 2017 and 2018. A total of 74 GC patients and 30 healthy controls were included.

RESULTS

Low levels of sPD1 (p = 0.0179), sPDL2 (p = 0.0003), and sGal9 (p < 0.0001), and higher levels of sPDL1 (p = 0.004), sTIM-3 (p = 0.0072), sGITR (p = 0.0179), and sGITRL (p = 0.0055) compared to the control group. High sPD-1, sTIM-3, and sGal9 levels in stage IV compared I/II and III (p < 0.05). High sPDL1, sGal9, and sGITRL levels in esophagogastric junction compared to body and Pylorus/Antrum groups (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in sPD1, sPDL1, sPDL2, sTIM3, sGal9, sGITR, and sGITRL levels between the intestinal, diffuse, and mixed GC groups. Low sGITR levels in GC patients who died within the first 24 months compared to the who survived (p = 0.0332).

CONCLUSIONS

There is an association of sPD1, sTIM-3, and sGal9 with disease progression and sGITR with death, these mediators may be potential prognostic biomarkers in GC.

Soluble levels of 4-1BB (CD137) and OX40 (CD134) are associated with cancer progression in gastric adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Previous studies have demonstrated that soluble forms of T-cell costimulatory molecules 4-1BB (s4-1BB) and OX40 (sOX40) interact with immune cells and may constitute a mechanism of immune evasion by tumors in various cancers. The role of the soluble forms of 4-1BB and OX40 in GC remains unclear. We aimed to examine the association between serum levels of s4-1BB and sOX40 and tumor progression in patients with GC.

METHODS

Between 2017 and 2018, a cross-sectional study was performed with serum samples of 83 GC patients and 20 healthy controls.

RESULTS

Patients with stage IV metastatic gastric cancer had significantly higher levels of soluble OX40 in comparison with stage III patients with lymph nodes metastasis (p = 0.0003) and stages I and II patients (p = 0.005), whereas the opposite was found for soluble 4-1BB levels, with lower levels being found in advanced stage III (p = 0.003) compared with initial stages I/II.

CONCLUSIONS

The sOX40 and s4-1BB-mediated T cell interactions may be involved in antitumor immune responses in GC, possibly favoring tumor escape and progression. Serum levels of sOX40 and s4-1BB are associated with staging in GC and may constitute biomarkers for prognosis, as well as potential targets for immunotherapy.

High plasma CD40 ligand level is associated with more advanced stages and worse prognosis in colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is often associated with elevated platelet count (> 400 × 10⁹/L), known as thrombocytosis. The role of CD40 ligand (CD40L), a member of the tumor necrosis factor family, is controversial in CRC. Circulating CD40L is higher in CRC, but its relationship with disease staging and local and distant metastasis is not clear. Although most of the circulating CD40L is produced by platelets, no previous study investigated its relationship with CRC-related thrombocytosis.

AIM

To investigate the role of CD40L to predict the outcome of CRC and its relation to thrombocytosis.

METHODS

A total of 106 CRC patients and 50 age and sex-matched control subjects were enrolled for the study. Anamnestic data including comorbidities and histopathological data were collected. Laboratory measurements were performed at the time of CRC diagnosis and 1.5 mo and at least 6 mo after the surgical removal of the tumor. Plasma CD40L and thrombopoietin were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while plasma interleukin-6 was measured via electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Patient follow-ups were terminated on January 31, 2021.

RESULTS

Plasma CD40L of CRC patients was tendentiously higher, while platelet count (P = 0.0479), interleukin-6 (P = 0.0002), and thrombopoietin (P = 0.0024) levels were significantly higher as opposed to the control subjects. Twelve of the 106 CRC patients (11.3%) had thrombocytosis. Significantly higher CD40L was found in the presence of distant metastases (P = 0.0055) and/or thrombocytosis (P = 0.0294). A connection was found between CD40L and platelet count (P = 0.0045), interleukin-6 (P = 0.0130), and thrombocytosis (P = 0.0155). CD40L was constant with the course of CRC, and all baseline differences persisted throughout the whole study. Both pre- and postoperative elevated platelet count, CD40L, and interleukin-6 level were associated with poor overall and disease-specific survival of patients. The negative effect of CD40L and interleukin-6 on patient survival remained even after the stratification by thrombocytosis.

CONCLUSION

CD40L levels of CRC patients do not change with the course of the disease. The CD40L level is strongly correlated with platelet count, interleukin-6, thrombocytosis, and the presence of distant metastases.

Soluble CD40 ligand inhibits the growth of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cells through the JNK signaling pathway

The incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) has been increasing annually and has become a serious threat to human health. However, the pathogenesis of NHL remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) on NHL cells and its underlying mechanism. Cell Counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry apoptosis experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of sCD40L on cell proliferation and apoptosis. Western blotting was performed to detect the protein expression levels of BAX, Bcl-2, ERK, p-ERK, JNK, p-JNK, p38, p-p38 and c-JUN. The results of the present study demonstrated that exogenous sCD40L significantly inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of Raji and CA46 cells. Additionally, exogenous sCD40L promoted the apoptosis of lymphoma cells by activating the JNK signaling pathway.

Neurensin-2 promotes proliferation, invasion and migration of colorectal cancer cells via interaction with SOX12

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignant type of tumor worldwide. Neurensin-2 (NRSN2) is a small neuronal membrane protein associated with tumorigenesis. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the association between NRSN2 and CRC, and further examined the underlying mechanism of its effect on CRC metastasis. Human CRC SW620 cells were used to determine the biological functions of NRSN2 in CRC. Cell counting Kit-8 (CCK8), colony formation, wound-healing and transwell assays were performed to evaluate the role of NRSN2 on survival and metastasis of SW620 cells. The interaction between NRSN2 and SOX12 was determined via bioinformatics analysis and confirmed using immunoprecipitation. It was identified that NRSN2 was highly expressed in CRC cells and served a critical role in CRC cell survival compared with in healthy colon epithelial cells. Furthermore, NRSN2-knockdown inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of SW620 cells, while NRSN2 overexpression promoted these cellular processes. Additionally, it was demonstrated that NRSN2 could recruit SOX12 in SW620 cells. NRSN2-knockdown decreased SOX12 expression, while NRSN2 overexpression upregulated SOX12 expression. Overall, the present results suggested NRSN2 as a novel biomarker for CRC diagnosis and identified NRSN2 as a potential therapeutic target for CRC treatment.