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Wang G, Fu J, Liu M, Zheng Q. CXC chemokines: Potential biomarker and immunotherapeutic target for uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0277872. [PMID: 38232115 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) is one of the most common type of gynecological malignancies. Multiple lines of evidence indicated that CXC chemokines exerted an anti-tumor immunological role in the tumor microenvironment which were critical regulators of cancer immunity. However, the relevance of CXC chemokines in the evaluation of prognosis and immune infiltration of UCEC remains to be explored. This study utilized various online databases, including TCGA, UALCAN, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, cBioPortal, TIMER2.0, TISIDB, and MethSurv to perform the analysis. Gene expression data from the TCGA-UCEC dataset indicated decreased expression of CXCL2/12 and increased expression of CXCL14/17. CXCL2/12 expression was negatively whereas CXCL14/17 expression was positively correlated with clinicopathological features of UCEC patients, including cancer stage, patients' age, weight and menopause status. Patients with higher CXCL12/14 expression corresponded with better clinical outcomes, which were not influenced by the genetic alterations. The differential expression of CXCL2/12/14/17 was not only significantly correlated with immune infiltration levels, but also the abundance of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Heatmaps of DNA methylation of CXCL2/12/14/17 were investigated, and 4 CpGs of CXCL2, 16 CpGs of CXCL12, 3 CpGs of CXCL14/17 were identified where altered methylation affected the prognosis of UCEC patients. These findings provided novel insights into the immunologic features of UCEC and might pave the way toward the prognostic evaluation and immunotherapy selection based on CXCL2/12/14/17 expression status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Wang
- Department of Dalian Key Laboratory of Reproduction and Mother-child Genetic, Reproductive & Genetic Medicine Center, Dalian Women and Children's Medical Group, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Juan Fu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Mulin Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Qin Zheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning Province, China
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2
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Song Y, Li R, Ye M, Pan C, Zheng L, Wang ZW, Zhu X. Differences in chemotaxis of human mesenchymal stem cells and cervical cancer cells. Apoptosis 2022; 27:840-851. [PMID: 35849265 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-022-01749-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In the last decade, there has been a rapid expansion in tumor targeted therapy using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) based on their unique tropism towards cancer cells. Despite similarities in morphology, immunophenotype, and differential potent in vitro, MSCs originated from different tissues do not necessarily have equivalent biological behaviors. It is important to screen the most chemotactic MSCs to cancer cells. In this study, different MSCs were isolated from various human tissues including adipose, umbilical cord, amniotic membrane, and chorion. The chemotaxis of human MSCs to cervical cancer cells was measured by CCK-8, ELISA and Transwell invasion assays. Western blotting was performed to explore the underlying mechanisms. MSCs derived from distinct sources can be differently recruited to cervical cancer cells, among which chorion-derived MSC (CD-MSC) possessed the strongest tropic capacity. CXCL12 was found to be highly secreted by cervical cancer cells, in parallel with the expression of CXCR4 in all MSCs. CD-MSC displayed the highest level of CXCR4. These results indicated that CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway contributed to the different chemotaxis to cervical cancer cells of each MSCs. This study proposed that CD-MSC with the highest CXCR4 expression is a promising therapeutic vehicle for targeted therapy in cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizuo Song
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, No. 109 Xueyuan Xi Road, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Ruyi Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, No. 109 Xueyuan Xi Road, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Miaomiao Ye
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, No. 109 Xueyuan Xi Road, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chunyu Pan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, No. 109 Xueyuan Xi Road, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lihong Zheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, No. 109 Xueyuan Xi Road, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhi-Wei Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, No. 109 Xueyuan Xi Road, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Xueqiong Zhu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, No. 109 Xueyuan Xi Road, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, China.
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Goïta AA, Guenot D. Colorectal Cancer: The Contribution of CXCL12 and Its Receptors CXCR4 and CXCR7. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:1810. [PMID: 35406582 PMCID: PMC8997717 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14071810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers, and diagnosis at late metastatic stages is the main cause of death related to this cancer. This progression to metastasis is complex and involves different molecules such as the chemokine CXCL12 and its two receptors CXCR4 and CXCR7. The high expression of receptors in CRC is often associated with a poor prognosis and aggressiveness of the tumor. The interaction of CXCL12 and its receptors activates signaling pathways that induce chemotaxis, proliferation, migration, and cell invasion. To this end, receptor inhibitors were developed, and their use in preclinical and clinical studies is ongoing. This review provides an overview of studies involving CXCR4 and CXCR7 in CRC with an update on their targeting in anti-cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dominique Guenot
- INSERM U1113/Unistra, IRFAC—Interface de Recherche Fondamentale et Appliquée en Cancérologie, 67200 Strasbourg, France;
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The Role of Chemokines in Cervical Cancers. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2021; 57:medicina57111141. [PMID: 34833360 PMCID: PMC8619382 DOI: 10.3390/medicina57111141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Both clinical-pathological and experimental studies have shown that chemokines play a key role in activating the immune checkpoint modulator in cervical cancer progression and are associated with prognosis in tumor cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, chemoresistance, and immunosuppression. Therefore, a clear understanding of chemokines and immune checkpoint modulators is essential for the treatment of this disease. This review discusses the origins and categories of chemokines and the mechanisms that are responsible for activating immune checkpoints in cervical dysplasia and cancer, chemokines as biomarkers, and therapy development that targets immune checkpoints in cervical cancer research.
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Kong W, Zhao G, Chen H, Wang W, Shang X, Sun Q, Guo F, Ma X. Analysis of therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers of CXC chemokines in cervical cancer microenvironment. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:399. [PMID: 34321012 PMCID: PMC8317415 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-02101-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The tumor microenvironment (TME) has received an increasing amount of attention. CXC chemokines can regulate immune cell transport and tumor cell activity to exert anti-tumor immunity. However, studies on the expression and prognosis of CXC chemokines in cervical cancer (CC) are more limited. Methods The study investigated the role of CXC chemokines in TME of CC by using public databases. Moreover, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) of CXC chemokines were performed to further verify. Results The transcriptional levels of CXCL1/3/5/6/8/9/10/11/13/16/17 in CC tissues were significantly elevated while the transcriptional levels of CXCL12/14 were significantly reduced. We reached a consistent conclusion that the expression of CXCL9/10/11/13 was verified by quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Moreover, CC patients with low transcriptional levels of CXCL1/2/3/4/5/8 were significantly associated with longer overall survival (OS). The CCL family was related to CXC chemokines neighboring alteration. RELA, NFKB1, LCK and PAK2 were the key transcription factors and kinase targets of CXC chemokines, respectively. We also found there were significant correlations between the expression of CXCL9/10/11 and the infiltration of immune cells (CD8+ T cell, CD4+ T cell, neutrophils and dendritic cells). Conclusions In brief, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of CXC chemokines via clinical data and some online public databases. Our results may provide a new idea for the selection of immunotherapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers for cervical cancer. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-021-02101-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weina Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Department of Clinical Laboratory Center, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University, No 789 Suzhou Road, Ürümqi, China
| | - Gang Zhao
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Ürümqi, China
| | - Haixia Chen
- Department of Pathology, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University, Ürümqi, China
| | - Weina Wang
- Department of Pathology, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University, Ürümqi, China
| | - Xiaoqian Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Department of Clinical Laboratory Center, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University, No 789 Suzhou Road, Ürümqi, China
| | - Qiannan Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Department of Clinical Laboratory Center, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University, No 789 Suzhou Road, Ürümqi, China
| | - Fan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Department of Clinical Laboratory Center, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University, No 789 Suzhou Road, Ürümqi, China.
| | - Xiumin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Department of Clinical Laboratory Center, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University, No 789 Suzhou Road, Ürümqi, China.
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Chen Q, Qiu B, Zeng X, Hu L, Huang D, Chen K, Qiu X. Identification of a tumor microenvironment-related gene signature to improve the prediction of cervical cancer prognosis. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:182. [PMID: 33766042 PMCID: PMC7992856 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-01867-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Previous studies have found that the microenvironment of cervical cancer (CESC) affects the progression and treatment of this disease. Thus, we constructed a multigene model to assess the survival of patients with cervical cancer. Methods We scored 307 CESC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and divided them into high and low matrix and immune scores using the ESTIMATE algorithm for differential gene analysis. Cervical cancer patients were randomly divided into a training group, testing group and combined group. The multigene signature prognostic model was constructed by Cox analyses. Multivariate Cox analysis was applied to evaluate the significance of the multigene signature for cervical cancer prognosis. Prognosis was assessed by Kaplan–Meier curves comparing the different groups, and the accuracy of the prognostic model was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic-area under the curve (ROC-AUC) analysis and calibration curve. The Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database was used to analyze the relationship between the multigene signature and immune cell infiltration. Results We obtained 420 differentially expressed genes in the tumor microenvironment from 307 patients with cervical cancer. A three-gene signature (SLAMF1, CD27, SELL) model related to the tumor microenvironment was constructed to assess patient survival. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients with high risk scores had a poor prognosis. The ROC-AUC value indicated that the model was an accurate predictor of cervical cancer prognosis. Multivariate cox analysis showed the three-gene signature to be an independent risk factor for the prognosis of cervical cancer. A nomogram combining the three-gene signature and clinical features was constructed, and calibration plots showed that the nomogram resulted in an accurate prognosis for patients. The three-gene signature was associated with T stage, M stage and degree of immune infiltration in patients with cervical cancer. Conclusions This research suggests that the developed three-gene signature may be applied as a biomarker to predict the prognosis of and personalized therapy for CESC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Chen
- Department of Research, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China.,Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China
| | - Bingqing Qiu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China
| | - Xiaoyun Zeng
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China
| | - Lang Hu
- Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China
| | - Dongping Huang
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China
| | - Kaihua Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Qiu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, China.
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Chen S, Gao C, Wu Y, Huang Z. Identification of Prognostic miRNA Signature and Lymph Node Metastasis-Related Key Genes in Cervical Cancer. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:544. [PMID: 32457603 PMCID: PMC7226536 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background miRNAs and genes can serve as biomarkers for the prognosis and therapy of cervical tumors whose metastasis into lymph nodes is closely associated with disease progression and poor prognosis. Methods R software and Bioconductor packages were employed to identify differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. GEO2R detected differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the GSE7410 dataset originating from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). A Cox proportional hazard regression model was established to select prognostic miRNA biomarkers. Online tools such as TargetScan and miRDB predicted target genes, and overlapping DEGs and target genes were defined as consensus genes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment and Gene Ontology (GO) function annotations were performed to discern the potential functions of consensus genes. STRING and Cytoscape screened key genes and constructed a regulatory network. Results A combination of four miRNAs (down-regulated miR-502 and miR-145, up-regulated miR-142 and miR-33b) was identified as an independent prognostic signature of cervical cancer. A total of 94 consensus genes were significantly enriched in 7 KEGG pathways and 19 GO function annotations including the cAMP signaling pathway, the plasma membrane, integral components of the plasma membrane, cell adhesion, etc. The module analysis suggested that CXCL12, IGF1, PTPRC CDH5, RAD51B, REV3L, and WDHD1 are key genes that significantly correlate with cervical cancer lymph node metastasis. Conclusions This study demonstrates that a four-miRNA signature can be a prognostic biomarker, and seven key genes are significantly associated with lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer patients. These miRNAs and key genes have the potential to be therapeutic targets for cervical cancer. Among them, two miRNAs (miR-502 and miR-33b) and two key genes (PTPRC and CDH5) were first reported to be potential novel biomarkers for cervical cancer. The current study further characterizes the progression of lymph node metastasis and mechanism of cervical tumors; therefore, it provides a novel diagnostic indicator and therapeutic targets for future clinical treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuoling Chen
- Key Laboratory of Big Data Mining and Precision Drug Design of Guangdong Medical University, Research Platform Service Management Center, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China.,The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Chang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Big Data Mining and Precision Drug Design of Guangdong Medical University, Research Platform Service Management Center, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China.,Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Natural Drugs of Guangdong Province, School of Pharmacy, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Yangyuan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Big Data Mining and Precision Drug Design of Guangdong Medical University, Research Platform Service Management Center, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China.,The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China
| | - Zunnan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Big Data Mining and Precision Drug Design of Guangdong Medical University, Research Platform Service Management Center, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China.,Institute of Marine Biomedical Research, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
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Romain B, Benbrika-Nehmar R, Marisa L, Legrain M, Lobstein V, Oravecz A, Poidevin L, Bour C, Freund JN, Duluc I, Guenot D, Pencreach E. Histone hypoacetylation contributes to CXCL12 downregulation in colon cancer: impact on tumor growth and cell migration. Oncotarget 2018; 8:38351-38366. [PMID: 28418886 PMCID: PMC5503537 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
CXCL12 has been shown to be involved in colon cancer metastasis, but its expression level and molecular mechanisms regulating its expression remain controversial. We thus evaluated CXCL12 expression in a large cohort of colon adenomas and carcinomas, investigated for an epigenetic mechanism controlling its expression and evaluated the impact of CXCL12 levels on cell migration and tumor growth. CXCL12 expression was measured in human colon adenomas and carcinomas with transcriptome array and RT-qPCR. The promoter methylation was analyzed with whole-genome DNA methylation chips and protein expression by immunohistochemistry. We confirm a reduced expression of CXCL12 in 75% of MSS carcinomas and show that the decrease is an early event as already present in adenomas. The methylome analysis shows that the CXCL12 promoter is methylated in only 30% of microsatellite-stable tumors. In vitro, treatments with HDAC inhibitors, butyrate and valproate restored CXCL12 expression in three colon cell lines, increased acetylation of histone H3 within the CXCL12 promoter and inhibited cell migration. In vivo, valproate diminished (65%) the number of intestinal tumors in APC mutant mice, slowed down xenograft tumor growth concomitant to restored CXCL12 expression. Finally we identified loss of PCAF expression in tumor samples and showed that forced expression of PCAF in colon cancer cell lines restored CXCL12 expression. Thus, reduced PCAF expression may participate to CXCL12 promoter hypoacetylation and its subsequent loss of expression. Our study is of potential clinical interest because agents that promote or maintain histone acetylation through HDAC inhibition and/or HAT stimulation, may help to lower colon adenoma/carcinoma incidence, especially in high-risk families, or could be included in therapeutic protocols to treat advanced colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoît Romain
- Université de Strasbourg, Progression Tumorale et Microenvironnement, Approches Translationnelles et Epidémiologie, Strasbourg, France.,Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Service de Chirurgie Générale et Digestive, Strasbourg, France
| | - Radhia Benbrika-Nehmar
- Université de Strasbourg, Progression Tumorale et Microenvironnement, Approches Translationnelles et Epidémiologie, Strasbourg, France
| | - Laetitia Marisa
- Cartes d'Identité des Tumeurs Program, Ligue Nationale Contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Michèle Legrain
- Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Laboratoire de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, Strasbourg, France
| | - Viviane Lobstein
- Université de Strasbourg, Progression Tumorale et Microenvironnement, Approches Translationnelles et Epidémiologie, Strasbourg, France
| | - Attila Oravecz
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Department of Computer Science, ICube, Strasbourg, France
| | - Laetitia Poidevin
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Department of Computer Science, ICube, Strasbourg, France
| | - Cyril Bour
- Université de Strasbourg, Progression Tumorale et Microenvironnement, Approches Translationnelles et Epidémiologie, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Isabelle Duluc
- Université de Strasbourg, INSERM Unit 1113, Strasbourg, France
| | - Dominique Guenot
- Université de Strasbourg, Progression Tumorale et Microenvironnement, Approches Translationnelles et Epidémiologie, Strasbourg, France
| | - Erwan Pencreach
- Université de Strasbourg, Progression Tumorale et Microenvironnement, Approches Translationnelles et Epidémiologie, Strasbourg, France.,Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Laboratoire de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, Strasbourg, France.,Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Centre de Ressources Biologiques, Département de Pathologie, Strasbourg, France
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Li H, Sun G, Liu C, Wang J, Jing R, Wang J, Zhao X, Xu X, Yang Y. PBX3 is associated with proliferation and poor prognosis in patients with cervical cancer. Onco Targets Ther 2017; 10:5685-5694. [PMID: 29225475 PMCID: PMC5709993 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s150139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pre-B-cell leukemia homeobox 3 (PBX3) is upregulated in various malignancies; however, the role of PBX3 in cervical cancer (CC) is unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore the expression characteristics, clinicopathological significance, and molecular biological function of PBX3 in CC. The expression levels of PBX3 were analyzed in CC cell lines and tumor specimens by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining. The clinicopathological characteristics associated with PBX3 expression were evaluated. An RNA interference approach was employed to suppress PBX3 expression in CC in vitro and in vivo, determine its role in cell proliferation and analyze its molecular function. We found that PBX3 expression was significantly upregulated in CC cell lines and clinical specimens compared with normal cells and adjacent nontumorous cervical tissues. PBX3 was an independent predictive factor of poor prognosis, and its expression was correlated with tumor diameter, pathological grading, lymph node metastasis, invasion depth, vascular invasion, and clinical stage of CC. Multivariate analysis suggested that PBX3 expression may represent an independent prognostic indicator of the survival of CC patients. CC patients with high PBX3 expression exhibited reduced overall survival compared with those with low PBX3 expression. Additionally, stable downregulation of PBX3 expression in CC cell lines suppressed cell proliferation and decreased p-AKT protein expression levels in vitro. Similarly, in vivo assays demonstrated that PBX3 downregulation in CC cells markedly inhibited tumor size and weight. Overall, we demonstrated that PBX3 can promote CC cell proliferation via the AKT signaling pathway and that it may serve as a prognostic marker. Our data indicate that inactivation of PBX3 may be an effective clinical treatment for CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongfang Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First People's Hospital of Lanzhou City.,Department of Gynecology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou
| | - Gaogao Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First People's Hospital of Lanzhou City
| | - Chang Liu
- Department of Gynecology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Gynecology, Longhua District People's Hospital of Shenzhen City, Shenzhen.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou
| | - Rong Jing
- Department of Gynecology, Tianjin Fifth Central Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Wang
- Department of Gynecology, Longhua District People's Hospital of Shenzhen City, Shenzhen.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou
| | - Xiaohuan Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First People's Hospital of Lanzhou City
| | - Xiaoyan Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First People's Hospital of Lanzhou City
| | - Yongxiu Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First People's Hospital of Lanzhou City.,Department of Gynecology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou
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Dai Y, Tong R, Guo H, Yu T, Wang C. Association of CXCR4, CCR7, VEGF-C and VEGF-D expression with lymph node metastasis in patients with cervical cancer. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2017; 214:178-183. [PMID: 28535405 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2017.04.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Revised: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We attempted to investigate the expression of CXCR4, CCR7, VEGF-C and VEGF-D in cervical cancer specimens, and the association between CXCR4, CCR7, VEGF-C and VEGF-D expression with the clinicopathological parameters of patients with cervical cancer. STUDY DESIGN 57 tissue microarrays including 9 normal cervical tissues and 48 cervical cancer tissues were purchased from Biomax. The association between CXCR4, CCR7, VEGF-C and VEGF-D expression with the clinicopathological parameters were evaluated. Then immunohistochemistry was used to assess the expression of CXCR4, CCR7, VEGF-C and VEGF-D in cervical cancer specimens. Finally, Spearman correlations were used for the correlation analyses between CXCR4, CCR7, VEGF-C and VEGF-D. RESULTS We revealed that CXCR4 expression was significantly higher in patients with squamous cell carcinomas (P=0.002) and lymph node metastasis (P=0.038), while CCR7 expression was significantly elevated in patients with lymph node metastasis (P=0.037). VEGF-C expression was markedly up-regulated in patients exhibiting FIGO stage II-III tumors (P=0.015) and lymph node metastasis (P=0.038), while VEGF-D expression was obviously increased in patients displaying FIGO stage II-III tumors (P=0.025), squamous carcinomas (P=0.017) and lymph node metastasis (P=0.037). The correlation analysis indicated that CXCR4, CCR7, VEGF-C and VEGF-D expression have a significant correlation to each other. CONCLUSION These results suggested that CXCR4, CCR7, VEGF-C and VEGF-D expression might have synergistic effects on the lymph node metastasis in patients with cervical cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifei Dai
- Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University & Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, China
| | - Rui Tong
- Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University & Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, China
| | - Hui Guo
- Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University & Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, China
| | - Tingting Yu
- Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University & Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, China
| | - Chunyan Wang
- Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, Cancer Hospital of China Medical University & Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute, China.
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