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Višnjar T, Romih R, Zupančič D. Lectins as possible tools for improved urinary bladder cancer management. Glycobiology 2019; 29:355-365. [PMID: 30689891 DOI: 10.1093/glycob/cwz001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Urinary bladder cancer is the ninth most common cancer in developed countries with poor prognosis and outcome for the patient due to the challenging diagnosis and limited treatment possibilities. Bladder cancer arises mainly from urothelial cells lining the lumen. Urothelial cells form a three- to five-layered urothelium, which maintains the blood-urine barrier. The carbohydrates that cover the apical surface of superficial urothelial cells, i.e. umbrella cells, are crucial for this function. The composition of the carbohydrate covering is altered during urothelial cancer transformation. These bladder cancer-associated carbohydrate changes are a promising field for diagnosis, therapy and management. Lectins, which are carbohydrate-binding proteins, can be used to detect subtle alterations in carbohydrate composition during urothelial cancer transformation. Extensive research into various lectin applications has already been conducted, but the results are often contradictory and confusing. None of these applications have reached clinical trials. We review the literature and discuss (i) current bladder cancer management, (ii) lectin-based assays for detection of various cancer subtypes, (iii) lectin-based strategies for innovative bladder cancer treatment and finally (iv) lectins in nanotheranostics for personalized bladder cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Višnjar
- Institute of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rok Romih
- Institute of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Daša Zupančič
- Institute of Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Ulger AF, Keklik T, Kumbasar OO, Arbak P, Demirkazýk A, Güngör A, Erekul S, Alper D. Prognostic Significance of Blood Group Antigen Expression of Tumor Tissue in Lung Cancer Patients. TUMORI JOURNAL 2018; 88:395-9. [PMID: 12487558 DOI: 10.1177/030089160208800509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Aims and background Many prognostic factors have been evaluated both for SCLC and NSCLC. The prognostic significance of blood group antigen expression of tumor tissues has been studied particularly in NSCLC, yielding divergent results. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic value of the tumoral expression of blood group antigens ABH in lung cancer. Methods The presence of blood group antigens was assessed immunohistochemically in paraffin-embedded tumor samples from 92 patients diagnosed between 1996 and 1997. Monoclonal antibodies were used to detect blood group antigens. Results The median survival was longer in NSCLC patients whose tumors were positive for blood group antigen A (P = 0.009). Since the expression of blood group antigen A in tumor cells was limited to patients with type A or AB blood, survival analysis of these patients showed survival to be longer in non-small cell lung cancer patients with blood group antigen A-positive tumors (P = 0.0019). Conclusions Expression of blood group antigen A in tumor cells is an important, favorable prognostic factor in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, which could be useful to stratify patients with blood group A or AB according to possible outcome, and to guide therapeutic decision-making. The expression of blood group antigens ABH should be evaluated in larger series of lung cancer patients (including small and non-small cell lung cancer) with all blood types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aype Füsun Ulger
- Department of Chest Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
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Azevedo R, Peixoto A, Gaiteiro C, Fernandes E, Neves M, Lima L, Santos LL, Ferreira JA. Over forty years of bladder cancer glycobiology: Where do glycans stand facing precision oncology? Oncotarget 2017; 8:91734-91764. [PMID: 29207682 PMCID: PMC5710962 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.19433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The high molecular heterogeneity of bladder tumours is responsible for significant variations in disease course, as well as elevated recurrence and progression rates, thereby hampering the introduction of more effective targeted therapeutics. The implementation of precision oncology settings supported by robust molecular models for individualization of patient management is warranted. This effort requires a comprehensive integration of large sets of panomics data that is yet to be fully achieved. Contributing to this goal, over 40 years of bladder cancer glycobiology have disclosed a plethora of cancer-specific glycans and glycoconjugates (glycoproteins, glycolipids, proteoglycans) accompanying disease progressions and dissemination. This review comprehensively addresses the main structural findings in the field and consequent biological and clinical implications. Given the cell surface and secreted nature of these molecules, we further discuss their potential for non-invasive detection and therapeutic development. Moreover, we highlight novel mass-spectrometry-based high-throughput analytical and bioinformatics tools to interrogate the glycome in the postgenomic era. Ultimately, we outline a roadmap to guide future developments in glycomics envisaging clinical implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Azevedo
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Andreia Peixoto
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- New Therapies Group, INEB-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Cristiana Gaiteiro
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal
| | - Elisabete Fernandes
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Biomaterials for Multistage Drug and Cell Delivery, INEB-Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Porto, Portugal
| | - Manuel Neves
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Luís Lima
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Glycobiology in Cancer, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Lúcio Lara Santos
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal
| | - José Alexandre Ferreira
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Glycobiology in Cancer, Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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4
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Cotton S, Azevedo R, Gaiteiro C, Ferreira D, Lima L, Peixoto A, Fernandes E, Neves M, Neves D, Amaro T, Cruz R, Tavares A, Rangel M, Silva AMN, Santos LL, Ferreira JA. Targeted O-glycoproteomics explored increased sialylation and identified MUC16 as a poor prognosis biomarker in advanced-stage bladder tumours. Mol Oncol 2017; 11:895-912. [PMID: 28156048 PMCID: PMC5537688 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Revised: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Bladder carcinogenesis and tumour progression is accompanied by profound alterations in protein glycosylation on the cell surface, which may be explored for improving disease management. In a search for prognosis biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets we have screened, using immunohistochemistry, a series of bladder tumours with differing clinicopathology for short-chain O-glycans commonly found in glycoproteins of human solid tumours. These included the Tn and T antigens and their sialylated counterparts sialyl-Tn(STn) and sialyl-T(ST), which are generally associated with poor prognosis. We have also explored the nature of T antigen sialylation, namely the sialyl-3-T(S3T) and sialyl-6-T(S6T) sialoforms, based on combinations of enzymatic treatments. We observed a predominance of sialoglycans over neutral glycoforms (Tn and T antigens) in bladder tumours. In particular, the STn antigen was associated with high-grade disease and muscle invasion, in accordance with our previous observations. The S3T and S6T antigens were detected for the first time in bladder tumours, but not in healthy urothelia, highlighting their cancer-specific nature. These glycans were also overexpressed in advanced lesions, especially in cases showing muscle invasion. Glycoproteomic analyses of advanced bladder tumours based on enzymatic treatments, Vicia villosa lectin-affinity chromatography enrichment and nanoLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis resulted in the identification of several key cancer-associated glycoproteins (MUC16, CD44, integrins) carrying altered glycosylation. Of particular interest were MUC16 STn+ -glycoforms, characteristic of ovarian cancers, which were found in a subset of advanced-stage bladder tumours facing the worst prognosis. In summary, significant alterations in the O-glycome and O-glycoproteome of bladder tumours hold promise for the development of novel noninvasive diagnostic tools and targeted therapeutics. Furthermore, abnormal MUC16 glycoforms hold potential as surrogate biomarkers of poor prognosis and unique molecular signatures for designing highly specific targeted therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Cotton
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal
| | - Rita Azevedo
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Cristiana Gaiteiro
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal
| | - Dylan Ferreira
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal
| | - Luís Lima
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Andreia Peixoto
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Elisabete Fernandes
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Manuel Neves
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal
| | - Diogo Neves
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal
| | - Teresina Amaro
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Pedro Hispano, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Cruz
- Department of Urology, Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Tavares
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal.,Department of Pathology, Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria Rangel
- UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - André M N Silva
- UCIBIO-REQUIMTE/Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Lúcio Lara Santos
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal.,Health School of University Fernando Pessoa, Porto, Portugal.,Department of Surgical Oncology, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal
| | - José Alexandre Ferreira
- Experimental Pathology and Therapeutics Group, Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Porto, Portugal.,Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.,Porto Comprehensive Cancer Center (P.ccc), Portugal
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Abstract
Bladder cancer (BC) represents the fourth most common neoplasia in men and the ninth most common cancer in women, with a significant morbidity and mortality. Cystoscopy and voided urine cytology (involving the examination of cells in voided urine to detect the presence of cancerous cells) are currently the routine initial investigations in patients with hematuria or other symptoms suggestive of BC. Around 75-85% of the patients are diagnosed as having non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Despite the treatment, these patients have a probability of recurrence at 5 years ranging from 50 to 70% and of progression to muscle invasive disease of 10-15%. Patients with NMIBC must undergo life-long surveillance, consisting of serial cystoscopies, possibly urine cytology and ultrasonography. Cystoscopy is unsuitable for screening because of its invasiveness and costs; serial cystoscopies may cause discomfort and distress to patients. Furthermore, cystoscopy may be inconclusive, falsely positive or negative. Although urine cytology has a reasonable sensitivity for the detection of high-grade BC, it lacks sensitivity to detect low-grade tumors (sensitivity ranging from 4 to 31%). The overall sensitivity and specificity of urine cytology range from 7 to 100 and from 30 to 70%, respectively. There is a need for new urine biomarkers that may help in BC diagnosis and surveillance. A lot of urinary biomarkers with high sensitivity and/or specificity have been investigated. Although none of these markers have proven to be powerful enough to replace standard cystoscopy, some of them may represent accurate predictors of BC. A review of recent studies is presented.
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Jia AY, Castillo-Martin M, Domingo-Domenech J, Bonal DM, Sánchez-Carbayo M, Silva JM, Cordon-Cardo C. A common MicroRNA signature consisting of miR-133a, miR-139-3p, and miR-142-3p clusters bladder carcinoma in situ with normal umbrella cells. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2013; 182:1171-9. [PMID: 23410519 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2013.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2012] [Revised: 12/05/2012] [Accepted: 01/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
miRNAs are small noncoding RNAs with critical roles in a large variety of biological processes such as development and tumorigenesis. miRNA expression profiling has been reported to be a powerful tool to classify tissue samples, including cancers, based on their developmental lineage. In this study, we have profiled the expression of miRNAs in bladder carcinoma in situ (CIS) and distinct cell compartments of the normal bladder, namely umbrella and basal-intermediate urothelial cells, as well as the muscularis propria. We identified several miRNAs differentially expressed between umbrella and basal-intermediate cells (miR-133a, miR-139-3p, miR-142-3p, miR-199b-5p, and miR-221). In situ hybridization confirmed the expression of miR-133a and miR-139-3p in umbrella cells, and miR-142-3p in basal-intermediate cells. Strikingly, miRNA expression levels of CIS most closely resembled the miRNA profile of umbrella cells. Finally, we examined well-established umbrella and basal-intermediate cell immunohistochemical biomarkers in an independent series of CIS samples. Again, this analysis revealed the significant expression of umbrella-specific markers in CIS when compared to non-CIS lesions. Overall, our studies represent a comprehensive and accurate description of the different miRNAs expressed in CIS tumors and three distinct histological areas of the urinary bladder. Notably, this study provides evidence of the possible origin relationship between CIS and normal umbrella cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Y Jia
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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Abstract
Biomarkers are increasingly being applied to the clinical management of patients with bladder cancer. The biomarkers in current clinical use focus on bladder cancer detection. Biomarkers for prognosis and as intermediate endpoints for chemoprevention are being evaluated in clinical trials. This review provides an overview of the performance characteristics of current clinical markers and other markers that are currently under evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- H B Grossman
- The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Box 110, Houston, TX 77030-4095, USA
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Castillo-Martin M, Domingo-Domenech J, Karni-Schmidt O, Matos T, Cordon-Cardo C. Molecular pathways of urothelial development and bladder tumorigenesis. Urol Oncol 2010; 28:401-8. [PMID: 20610278 DOI: 10.1016/j.urolonc.2009.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2009] [Revised: 04/27/2009] [Accepted: 04/28/2009] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Bladder cancer is the fifth most common human malignancy and the second most frequently diagnosed genitourinary tumor after prostate cancer. The majority of malignant tumors arising in the urinary bladder are urothelial carcinomas. Clinically, superficial bladder tumors (stages Ta and Tis) account for 75% to 85% of neoplasms, while the remaining 15% to 25% are invasive (T1, T2-T4) or metastatic lesions at the time of initial presentation. Several studies have revealed that distinct genotypic and phenotypic patterns are associated with early vs. late stages of bladder cancer. Early superficial disease appears to segregate into 2 main pathways: (1) superficial papillary bladder tumors, which are characterized by gain-of-function mutations affecting oncogenes such as H-RAS, FGFR3, and PI3K, and deletions of the long arm of chromosome 9 (9q); (2) Carcinoma in situ, a "flat" high grade lesion considered to be a precursor of invasive cancer, is characterized by loss-of-function mutations affecting tumor suppressor genes, such as p53, RB, and PTEN. Based on these data, a model for bladder tumor progression has been proposed in which 2 separate genetic pathways characterize the evolution of early bladder neoplasms. Several molecular markers have been correlated with tumor stage, but the rationale for these 2 well-defined genetic pathways still remains unclear. Normal urothelium is a pseudo-stratified epithelium that coats the bladder, composed of 3 cell types: basal, intermediate, and superficial ("umbrella") cells. We have identified a series of markers that are differently expressed in these distinct cells types, and postulated a novel model for urothelium development and configuration. Briefly, it is our working hypothesis that 2 distinct progenitor cells are responsible for basal/intermediate cells and "umbrella" cells, respectively. Basal and intermediate cells are characterized by a p63 positive phenotype, as well as expression of high molecular weight cytokeratins (CKs), such as CK5, CK10, and CK14. On the contrary, "umbrella" cells display a p63 negative phenotype and are characterized by expression of 2 specific low molecular weight CKs: CK18 and CK20. Neither urothelial stem cells nor bladder cancer stem cells have been identified to date. In this review, we will further expand on the issues discussed above.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mireia Castillo-Martin
- Department of Pathology, Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Li J, Abraham S, Cheng L, Witzmann FA, Koch M, Xie J, Rahman M, Mohammed SI. Proteomic-based approach for biomarkers discovery in early detection of invasive urothelial carcinoma. Proteomics Clin Appl 2008; 2:78-89. [DOI: 10.1002/prca.200780027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2007] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Tong GX, Yee H, Chiriboga L, Hernandez O, Waisman J. Fascin-1 expression in papillary and invasive urothelial carcinomas of the urinary bladder. Hum Pathol 2005; 36:741-6. [PMID: 16084942 DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2005.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2004] [Accepted: 05/03/2005] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Fascin-1 is an actin-bundling protein that plays an important role in cell motility and adhesion. The level of fascin-1 is low or undetectable in normal epithelial cells. However, overexpression is reported in transformed epithelial cells and in several common types of carcinomas [Bioessays. 2002;24:359-361]. Up-regulation of fascin-1 is associated with higher grades and with aggressive tumors with poorer prognoses. We found no report on the role or the protein expression of fascin-1 in urothelial carcinomas (UCs) of the urinary bladder. In this study, we examined by immunohistochemistry the expression of fascin-1 in the normal human transitional epithelium, benign vesical lesions, and different types of UCs. We found no detectable fascin-1 in the normal transitional epithelium. There was no increase of fascin-1 expression in cystitis cystica, cystitis glandularis, nephrogenic adenoma (n = 10), inverted papilloma (n = 5), and classic exophytic papilloma (n = 4) or in adjacent transitional epithelia associated with these conditions. Patchy or diffusely weak fascin-1 expression was observed in 42% (5/12) of superficial papillary UCs (Ta), and 95% (19/20) of invasive UCs (T2 or higher) demonstrated diffuse strong staining for fascin-1. The microinvasive foci in the lamina propria of UC (T1, n = 8) were also positive for fascin-1, although they were not as strongly stained as in the deeply invasive tumors. Interestingly, the neoplastic cells in the tips of microinvasive carcinomas were distinctly positive for fascin-1. There were significant numbers of fascin-1-positive cells (>50% of the neoplastic cells) in UCs in situ (n = 10). These findings suggest an association between increased fascin-1 expression and increased invasiveness of carcinomas in the urinary bladder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Xia Tong
- Department of Pathology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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Abstract
Tumour development is usually associated with changes in cell surface carbohydrates. These are often divided into changes related to terminal carbohydrate structures, which include incomplete synthesis and modification of normally existing carbohydrates, and changes in the carbohydrate core structure. The latter includes chain elongation of both glycolipids and proteins, increased branching of carbohydrates in N-linked glycoproteins, and blocked synthesis of carbohydrates in O-linked mucin-like glycoproteins. In mature organisms, expression of distinct carbohydrates is restricted to specific cell types; within a given tissue, variation in expression may be related to cell maturation. Tumour-associated carbohydrate structures often reflect a certain stage of cellular development; most of these moieties are structures normally found in other adult or embryonic tissues. There is no unique tumour carbohydrate structure, since certain structures which are tumour-related in one organ may be normal constituents of other tissues. Tumour-associated carbohydrate changes have been used in the diagnosis of human cancers. Recently, however, it has been demonstrated that the expression of some carbohydrate structures is associated with prognosis. Tn, sialyl-Tn, and T are cell membrane-bound mucin-like carbohydrate structures that may be expressed in tumours due to blocked synthesis of the core carbohydrate chain of mucin-like structures. Their expression is strongly associated with prognosis in certain tumours, but the biological relationship between their expression and tumour progression is at present unknown. The blood group-related carbohydrate structures Le(x), sialyl-Le(x), ABH, and Le(y) are examples of terminal carbohydrate structures which are related to tumour prognosis. These structures are of increasing interest since they may function as adhesion molecules; adhesion of tumour cells to endothelial cells of blood vessels may be mediated by an interaction between sialosyl-Le(x) and E-selectin and studies indicate that Le(y) is related to cell motility. These findings are now the basis for tumour therapeutic experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Dabelsteen
- School of Dentistry, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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