The relationship of cytoplasmic intermediate filaments and membrane antigens with hormone receptors, nuclear staining density, and mode of stromal invasion in human breast cancer

An integrative analysis of meningioma tumors reveals the determinant genes and pathways of malignant transformation

Meningiomas are frequent central nervous system neoplasms, which despite their predominant benignity, show sporadically malignant behavior. Type 2 neurofibromatosis and polymorphisms in several genes have been associated with meningioma risk and are probably involved in its pathogenesis. Although GWAS studies have found loci related to meningioma risk, little is known about the factors determining malignant transformation. Thus, this study is aimed to identify the genomic and transcriptomic factors influencing evolution from benignity toward aggressive phenotypes. By applying an integrative bioinformatics pipeline combining public information on a wealth of biological layers of complexity (from genetic polymorphisms to protein interactions), this study identified a module of co-expressed genes highly correlated with tumor stage and statistically linked to several genomic regions (module Quantitative Trait Loci, mQTLs). Ontology analysis of the transcription hub genes identified microtubule-associated cell-cycle processes as key drivers of such network. mQTLs and single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with meningioma stage were replicated in an alternative meningioma cohort, and integration of these results with up-to-date scientific literature and several databases retrieved a list of genes and pathways with a potentially important role in meningioma malignancy. As a result, cytoskeleton and cell-cell adhesion pathways, calcium-channels and glutamate receptors, as well as oxidoreductase and endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation pathways were found to be the most important and redundant findings associated to meningioma progression. This study presents an integrated view of the pathways involved in meningioma malignant conversion and paves the way for the development of new research lines that will improve our understanding of meningioma biology.

Characterization of breast cancer interstitial fluids by TmT labeling, LTQ-Orbitrap Velos mass spectrometry, and pathway analysis

Cancer is currently considered as the end point of numerous genomic and epigenomic mutations and as the result of the interaction of transformed cells within the stromal microenvironment. The present work focuses on breast cancer, one of the most common malignancies affecting the female population in industrialized countries. In this study, we perform a proteomic analysis of bioptic samples from human breast cancer, namely, interstitial fluids and primary cells, normal vs disease tissues, using tandem mass tags (TmT) quantitative mass spectrometry combined with the MudPIT technique. To the best of our knowledge, this work, with over 1700 proteins identified, represents the most comprehensive characterization of the breast cancer interstitial fluid proteome to date. Network analysis was used to identify functionally active networks in the breast cancer associated samples. From the list of differentially expressed genes, we have retrieved the associated functional interaction networks. Many different signaling pathways were found activated, strongly linked to invasion, metastasis development, proliferation, and with a significant cross-talking rate. This pilot study presents evidence that the proposed quantitative proteomic approach can be applied to discriminate between normal and tumoral samples and for the discovery of yet unknown carcinogenesis mechanisms and therapeutic strategies.

SVEP1 expression is regulated in estrogen-dependent manner

The SVEP1 protein comprises modules related to the selectin super family and other motifs found in cell surface molecules. Earlier, we demonstrated that SVEP1 is expressed in osteogenic cells both in vivo and in vitro; in the current study we elaborate on the regulation of SVEP1 by 17beta-Estradiol (17betaE2). SVEP1 message is expressed in vivo by bone marrow cells of sham-operated rats, but not in estrogen-depleted ovariectomized (OVX) rats. We demonstrated that 17betaE2 treatment increases the level of the SVEP1 expression in cultured osteoblasts. SVEP1 was identified also in breast carcinoma (BC) cells known to reside in bone when metastasized from the primary tumor. SVEP1 expression was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) on various BC cell lines. The chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay was applied to analyze the estrogen receptor (ER) binding to the putative SVEP1 promoter. We demonstrated that treatment with 17betaE2 or ICI 182,780 affects this binding and regulates the mRNA and protein levels of SVEP1 in BC cells. We propose that SVEP1 may serve as a useful biomarker for studying the mechanism of cells interactions within the local microenvironment affected by estrogen.

Decreased stromal expression and increased epithelial expression of WFDC1/ps20 in prostate cancer is associated with reduced recurrence-free survival

BACKGROUND

WAP-type four disulfide core (WFDC1)/ps20 is a member of the whey acidic protein family, which includes several serine protease inhibitors. Expression of WFDC1/ps20 was previously demonstrated in the normal human prostate stromal compartment. To further current understanding of the role of WFDC1/ps20 in prostate cancer, altered expression of WFDC1/ps20 protein in prostate cancer was evaluated.

METHODS

Immunohistochemical staining for WFDC1/ps20 was performed using tissue microarrays. Quantitation was based on the percentage of positive-staining stromal or epithelial cells and staining intensity. Resulting data was analyzed relative to the recurrence-free survival data and additional information for this patient set.

RESULTS

Decreased stromal expression of WFDC1/ps20 predicted shorter recurrence-free survival time by univariate analysis. Decreased stromal WFDC1/ps20 expression correlated with higher radical prostatectomy Gleason scores, positive surgical margins, extracapsular extension, higher clinical stage, and higher preoperative prostate specific antigen levels. Increased epithelial expression of WFDC1/ps20 also predicted shorter recurrence-free survival times by univariate analysis. Increased epithelial expression of WFDC1/ps20 correlated with higher biopsy and radical prostatectomy Gleason scores, and higher clinical stage.

CONCLUSIONS

Decreased stromal WFDC1/ps20 expression reflects the evolution of a prostate cancer reactive stroma, while increased epithelial WFDC1/ps20 expression may indicate progression to a more aggressive epithelial phenotype and may indicate an epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Further evaluation of WFDC1/ps20 biologic functions will aid in the understanding of this interesting expression profile.

Co-expression of tenascin-C and vimentin in human breast cancer cells indicates phenotypic transdifferentiation during tumour progression: correlation with histopathological parameters, hormone receptors, and oncoproteins

Loss of epithelial morphology and the acquisition of mesenchymal characteristics are typical for carcinoma cells in tumour progression. In human breast carcinomas, up-regulation of tenascin-C (TN-C) and vimentin (Vim) is frequently observed in cancer cells and correlates with increased malignancy. Thus, it is possible that TN-C is co-expressed with Vim, representing cancer cells that have undergone epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). This study examined 128 breast carcinomas using immunohistochemical techniques to demonstrate that mammary cancer cells are a prominent source of both TN-C and Vim. Statistical analysis revealed a significant association between TN-C and Vim expression in cancer cells. TN-C expression also correlated positively with overexpression of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein and down-regulation of oestrogen receptors (ERs). Eleven human mammary cancer cell lines and two 'normal' cell lines were examined by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Co-expression of TN-C and Vim was detected in the carcinosarcoma cell line HS 578T, SK-BR-3 (B), fibroblast-like MDA-MB-231 cells, and the myoepithelial cell line HBL 100. These findings suggest that TN-C and Vim, when co-expressed in mammary carcinoma cells, represent regulator genes likely to be involved in EMT during mammary carcinogenesis.

Vimentin expression in cervical carcinomas: association with invasive and migratory potential

Vimentin is an intermediate filament protein normally expressed in mesenchymal cells, but evidence is accumulating in the literature which suggests that the aberrant expression of vimentin in epithelial cancer cells might be related to local invasiveness and metastatic potential. Vimentin expression has previously been associated with invasive properties in an in vitro model consisting of a set of HPV-33-transformed cervical keratinocyte cell lines. In the present study, in order to emphasize those in vitro findings, the expression of vimentin has been investigated in cervical neoplasms of different grades, using immunohistochemistry. A clear association is reported between vimentin expression and metastatic progression, since vimentin was detected in all invasive carcinomas and lymph node metastases, but not in CIN III lesions. These in vivo results are compared with present and previous data obtained in vitro on cervical keratinocyte cell lines, where vimentin expression also correlated with in vitro invasiveness.

Quantitative morphology of collagen fibers in cutaneous malignant melanoma and melanocytic nevus

Since tumor growth and metastastatic spread are considered to depend on tumor-stroma interaction, the present study describes the architecture of collagen fibers in 12 cases each of primary melanoma (vertical tumor thickness > 1 mm) and common melanocytic nevi in azan-stained sections by using automated image analysis. In each case, at least 100 high-power fields were consecutively sampled from the tumor center, the tumor periphery, and the surrounding normal-appearing reticular dermis. In both diagnostic groups, collagen density (amount of collagen per tissue volume) and mean collagen fiber bundle diameter was significantly lower in the tumor periphery than in the surrounding stroma and again lower in the tumor center than in the tumor periphery. When melanomas and nevi were compared with each other, melanomas had fewer, but thicker, collagen bundles than did nevi, particularly at the tumor periphery. Taking the mean values of each case as classifiers in multivariate logistic regression analysis, 21 of 24 cases were correctly classified (chi-squared test, p < 0.0001), indicating that the parameters of collagen architecture at least in part reflect biological differences between benign and malignant melanocytic skin lesions.