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Martins JMES, Braga BL, Sampaio KNF, de Souza Garcia T, Van de Sande Lee J, Cechinel E, Simoni G, Nascimento ML, da Silva PCA, Fragoso MCV, Bachega TAAS, Nishi MY, Mendonca BB. Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome mimicking the classical form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia in newborn screening. ARCHIVES OF ENDOCRINOLOGY AND METABOLISM 2024; 68:e220395. [PMID: 38427811 PMCID: PMC10948032 DOI: 10.20945/2359-4292-2022-0395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is a common genetic congenital disease characterized by somatic overgrowth and its broad clinical spectrum includes pre- and post-natal macrosomia, macroglossia, visceromegaly, increased risk of neonatal hypoglycemia, and development of embryonic tumors. BWS occurs due to genetic/epigenetic changes involving growth-regulating genes, located on region 11p15, with an important genotype-phenotype correlation. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) comprises a spectrum of autosomal recessive diseases presenting a variety of clinical manifestations due to a deficiency in one of the enzymes involved in cortisol secretion. Early diagnosis based on newborn screening prevents the adrenal crisis and early infant death. However, high 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP) levels can occur in newborns or premature infants without CAH, in situations of stress due to maternal or neonatal factors. Here, we report new cases of false-positive diagnosis of 21-hydroxylase deficiency during newborn screening - two girls and one boy with BWS. Methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification revealed a gain of methylation in the H19 differentially methylated region. Notably, all three cases showed a complete normalization of biochemical changes, highlighting the transient nature of these hormonal findings that imitate the classical form of CAH. This report sheds light on a new cause of false-positive 21-hydroxylase deficiency diagnosis during newborn screening: Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Barbara Leitao Braga
- Departamento de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil,
| | - Klevia Nunes Feitosa Sampaio
- Departamento de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | | | | | - Edson Cechinel
- Hospital Infantil Joana de Gusmão, Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
| | - Genoir Simoni
- Hospital Infantil Joana de Gusmão, Florianópolis, SC, Brasil
| | | | | | - Maria C V Fragoso
- Departamento de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Tania A A S Bachega
- Departamento de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Mirian Y Nishi
- Departamento de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | - Berenice B Mendonca
- Departamento de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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2
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You Z, He J, Gao Z. Comprehensive analysis of the role of cuproptosis-related genes in the prognosis and immune infiltration of adrenocortical Carcinoma. Heliyon 2024; 10:e23661. [PMID: 38187219 PMCID: PMC10767392 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Cuproptosis is a recently discovered form of nonapoptotic programmed cell death. However, no research on cuproptosis in the context of adrenocortical carcinoma has been conducted, and the prognostic value of assessing cuproptosis remains unclear. Methods In this study, we established comprehensive models to assess gene expression changes, mutation status, and prognosis prediction and developed a prognostic nomogram for cuproptosis-related genes. Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases, an analysis of 11 cuproptosis-related genes was performed. Additionally, a risk scoring method and nomogram were used to assess the relationships among cuproptosis-associated genes, transcript expression, clinical characteristics, and prognosis. The connections among tumors, immune checkpoints, and immune infiltration were also analyzed. Results The patterns observed in patients with adrenocortical carcinoma who were assessed using cuproptosis-associated risk scores provide useful information for understanding gene mutations, clinical outcomes, immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoint analysis results. FDX1, LIPT1, MTF1, COX11, CYP2D6, DLAT, ATP7Band CDKN2A were differentially expressed in patients with adrenocortical carcinoma and normal controls. In addition, higher risk scores were significantly associated with poor overall survival and progression-free interval. The nomogram model subsequently developed to facilitate the clinical application of the analysis showed good predictive and calibration capabilities. GSE10927 and GSE33371 were used for independent cohort validation. Moreover, CDKN2A, FDX1, and other cuproptosis-related genes were significantly associated with immune infiltration and checkpoints. Conclusion We confirmed that our model had excellent predictive ability in patients with adrenocortical carcinoma. Therefore, an in-depth evaluation of patients using cuproptosis-related risk scores is clinically essential and can assist in therapy in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan You
- School of Clinical Medicine, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310005, China
| | - Jiqing He
- Department of Obstetrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310005, China
| | - Zhongming Gao
- Department of Neurology, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310005, China
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3
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Tai Y, Shang J. Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in the tumor progression of adrenocortical carcinoma. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 14:1260701. [PMID: 38269250 PMCID: PMC10806569 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1260701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an uncommon, aggressive endocrine malignancy with a high rate of recurrence, a poor prognosis, and a propensity for metastasis. Currently, only mitotane has received certification from both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency for the therapy of advanced ACC. However, treatment in the advanced periods of the disorders is ineffective and has serious adverse consequences. Completely surgical excision is the only cure but has failed to effectively improve the survival of advanced patients. The aberrantly activated Wnt/β-catenin pathway is one of the catalysts for adrenocortical carcinogenesis. Research has concentrated on identifying methods that can prevent the stimulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and are safe and advantageous for patients in view of the absence of effective treatments and the frequent alteration of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in ACC. Comprehending the complex connection between the development of ACC and Wnt/β-catenin signaling is essential for accurate pharmacological targets. In this review, we summarize the potential targets between adrenocortical carcinoma and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. We analyze the relevant targets of drugs or inhibitors that act on the Wnt pathway. Finally, we provide new insights into how drugs or inhibitors may improve the treatment of ACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanghao Tai
- Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jiwen Shang
- Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Taiyuan, China
- Department of Ambulatory Surgery, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Science, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
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4
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Ghosh C, Hu J, Kebebew E. Advances in translational research of the rare cancer type adrenocortical carcinoma. Nat Rev Cancer 2023; 23:805-824. [PMID: 37857840 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00623-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare malignancy with an annual worldwide incidence of 1-2 cases per 1 million and a 5-year survival rate of <60%. Although adrenocortical carcinoma is rare, such rare cancers account for approximately one third of patients diagnosed with cancer annually. In the past decade, there have been considerable advances in understanding the molecular basis of adrenocortical carcinoma. The genetic events associated with adrenocortical carcinoma in adults are distinct from those of paediatric cases, which are often associated with germline or somatic TP53 mutations and have a better prognosis. In adult primary adrenocortical carcinoma, the main somatic genetic alterations occur in genes that encode proteins involved in the WNT-β-catenin pathway, cell cycle and p53 apoptosis pathway, chromatin remodelling and telomere maintenance pathway, cAMP-protein kinase A (PKA) pathway or DNA transcription and RNA translation pathways. Recently, integrated molecular studies of adrenocortical carcinomas, which have characterized somatic mutations and the methylome as well as gene and microRNA expression profiles, have led to a molecular classification of these tumours that can predict prognosis and have helped to identify new therapeutic targets. In this Review, we summarize these recent translational research advances in adrenocortical carcinoma, which it is hoped could lead to improved patient diagnosis, treatment and outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jiangnan Hu
- Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Electron Kebebew
- Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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Warde KM, Smith LJ, Basham KJ. Age-related Changes in the Adrenal Cortex: Insights and Implications. J Endocr Soc 2023; 7:bvad097. [PMID: 37564884 PMCID: PMC10410302 DOI: 10.1210/jendso/bvad097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging is characterized by a gradual decline in physiological function. This process affects all organs including the adrenal cortex, which normally functions to produce essential steroid hormones including mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, and androgens. With increasing age, features such as reduced adrenal cortex size, altered zonation, and increased myeloid immune cell infiltration substantially alter the structure and function of the adrenal cortex. Many of these hallmark features of adrenal cortex aging occur both in males and females, yet are more enhanced in males. Hormonally, a substantial reduction in adrenal androgens is a key feature of aging, which is accompanied by modest changes in aldosterone and cortisol. These hormonal changes are associated with various pathological consequences including impaired immune responses, decreased bone health, and accelerated age-related diseases. One of the most notable changes with adrenal aging is the increased incidence of adrenal tumors, which is sex dimorphic with a higher prevalence in females. Increased adrenal tumorigenesis with age is likely driven by both an increase in genetic mutations as well as remodeling of the tissue microenvironment. Novel antiaging strategies offer a promising avenue to mitigate adrenal aging and alleviate age-associated pathologies, including adrenal tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M Warde
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Lorenzo J Smith
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Kaitlin J Basham
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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6
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Penny MK, Lerario AM, Basham KJ, Chukkapalli S, Mohan DR, LaPensee C, Converso-Baran K, Hoenerhoff MJ, Suárez-Fernández L, del Rey CG, Giordano TJ, Han R, Newman EA, Hammer GD. Targeting Oncogenic Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in Adrenocortical Carcinoma Disrupts ECM Expression and Impairs Tumor Growth. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3559. [PMID: 37509222 PMCID: PMC10377252 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15143559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare but highly aggressive cancer with limited treatment options and poor survival for patients with advanced disease. An improved understanding of the transcriptional programs engaged in ACC will help direct rational, targeted therapies. Whereas activating mutations in Wnt/β-catenin signaling are frequently observed, the β-catenin-dependent transcriptional targets that promote tumor progression are poorly understood. To address this question, we analyzed ACC transcriptome data and identified a novel Wnt/β-catenin-associated signature in ACC enriched for the extracellular matrix (ECM) and predictive of poor survival. This suggested an oncogenic role for Wnt/β-catenin in regulating the ACC microenvironment. We further investigated the minor fibrillar collagen, collagen XI alpha 1 (COL11A1), and found that COL11A1 expression originates specifically from cancer cells and is strongly correlated with both Wnt/β-catenin activation and poor patient survival. Inhibition of constitutively active Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the human ACC cell line, NCI-H295R, significantly reduced the expression of COL11A1 and other ECM components and decreased cancer cell viability. To investigate the preclinical potential of Wnt/β-catenin inhibition in the adrenal microenvironment, we developed a minimally invasive orthotopic xenograft model of ACC and demonstrated that treatment with the newly developed Wnt/β-catenin:TBL1 inhibitor Tegavivint significantly reduced tumor growth. Together, our data support that the inhibition of aberrantly active Wnt/β-catenin disrupts transcriptional reprogramming of the microenvironment and reduces ACC growth and survival. Furthermore, this β-catenin-dependent oncogenic program can be therapeutically targeted with a newly developed Wnt/β-catenin inhibitor. These results show promise for the further clinical development of Wnt/β-catenin inhibitors in ACC and unveil a novel Wnt/β-catenin-regulated transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan K. Penny
- Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Antonio M. Lerario
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kaitlin J. Basham
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sahiti Chukkapalli
- Mott Solid Tumor Oncology Program, C.S. Mott Children’s and Women’s Hospital, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Dipika R. Mohan
- Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Chris LaPensee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Kimber Converso-Baran
- UMH Frankel Cardiovascular Center Physiology and Phenotyping Core, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Mark J. Hoenerhoff
- In Vivo Animal Core, Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Laura Suárez-Fernández
- Department Head and Neck Oncology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Carmen González del Rey
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias, 33011 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Thomas J. Giordano
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Ruolan Han
- Iterion Therapeutics, Inc., Houston, TX 77021, USA
| | - Erika A. Newman
- Mott Solid Tumor Oncology Program, C.S. Mott Children’s and Women’s Hospital, Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Gary D. Hammer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Endocrine Oncology Program, Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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7
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Townsel A, Henry CJ. Sex, aging, immunity and adrenal cancer. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:764-765. [PMID: 37291221 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00440-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Townsel
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Curtis J Henry
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine and Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Winship Cancer Institute, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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8
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Warde KM, Smith LJ, Liu L, Stubben CJ, Lohman BK, Willett PW, Ammer JL, Castaneda-Hernandez G, Imodoye SO, Zhang C, Jones KD, Converso-Baran K, Ekiz HA, Barry M, Clay MR, Kiseljak-Vassiliades K, Giordano TJ, Hammer GD, Basham KJ. Senescence-induced immune remodeling facilitates metastatic adrenal cancer in a sex-dimorphic manner. NATURE AGING 2023; 3:846-865. [PMID: 37231196 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00420-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Aging markedly increases cancer risk, yet our mechanistic understanding of how aging influences cancer initiation is limited. Here we demonstrate that the loss of ZNRF3, an inhibitor of Wnt signaling that is frequently mutated in adrenocortical carcinoma, leads to the induction of cellular senescence that remodels the tissue microenvironment and ultimately permits metastatic adrenal cancer in old animals. The effects are sexually dimorphic, with males exhibiting earlier senescence activation and a greater innate immune response, driven in part by androgens, resulting in high myeloid cell accumulation and lower incidence of malignancy. Conversely, females present a dampened immune response and increased susceptibility to metastatic cancer. Senescence-recruited myeloid cells become depleted as tumors progress, which is recapitulated in patients in whom a low myeloid signature is associated with worse outcomes. Our study uncovers a role for myeloid cells in restraining adrenal cancer with substantial prognostic value and provides a model for interrogating pleiotropic effects of cellular senescence in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M Warde
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lorenzo J Smith
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lihua Liu
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Chris J Stubben
- Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Brian K Lohman
- Bioinformatics Shared Resource, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Parker W Willett
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Julia L Ammer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Sikiru O Imodoye
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Chenge Zhang
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kara D Jones
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Kimber Converso-Baran
- Frankel Cardiovascular Center Physiology and Phenotyping Core, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - H Atakan Ekiz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, Urla Izmir, Turkey
| | - Marc Barry
- Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Michael R Clay
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado School of Medicine at Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Katja Kiseljak-Vassiliades
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine at Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Thomas J Giordano
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Endocrine Oncology Program, Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Gary D Hammer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Endocrine Oncology Program, Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kaitlin J Basham
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
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9
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Sedlack AJH, Hatfield SJ, Kumar S, Arakawa Y, Roper N, Sun NY, Nilubol N, Kiseljak-Vassiliades K, Hoang CD, Bergsland EK, Hernandez JM, Pommier Y, del Rivero J. Preclinical Models of Adrenocortical Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:2873. [PMID: 37296836 PMCID: PMC10251941 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15112873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Adrenocortical cancer is an aggressive endocrine malignancy with an incidence of 0.72 to 1.02 per million people/year, and a very poor prognosis with a five-year survival rate of 22%. As an orphan disease, clinical data are scarce, meaning that drug development and mechanistic research depend especially on preclinical models. While a single human ACC cell line was available for the last three decades, over the last five years, many new in vitro and in vivo preclinical models have been generated. Herein, we review both in vitro (cell lines, spheroids, and organoids) and in vivo (xenograft and genetically engineered mouse) models. Striking leaps have been made in terms of the preclinical models of ACC, and there are now several modern models available publicly and in repositories for research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. H. Sedlack
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Samual J. Hatfield
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yasuhiro Arakawa
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nitin Roper
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nai-Yun Sun
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Naris Nilubol
- Surgical Oncology Program National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Katja Kiseljak-Vassiliades
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80016, USA
| | - Chuong D. Hoang
- Thoracic Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Emily K. Bergsland
- University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | | | - Yves Pommier
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jaydira del Rivero
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Ko YL, Kumar V, Lippert J, Diaz-Cano S, Skordilis K, Kimpel O, Kircher S, Asia M, Elhassan YS, Altieri B, Ronchi CL. Coincidence of primary adrenocortical carcinoma and melanoma: three CASE reports. BMC Endocr Disord 2023; 23:4. [PMID: 36604647 PMCID: PMC9817389 DOI: 10.1186/s12902-022-01253-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare endocrine malignancy with a heterogeneous prognosis, while adrenal metastasis from other primary cancers, including melanoma, may occur more frequently. ACC may rarely occur as part of familial cancer syndromes, but even in sporadic cases, a significant proportion of patients had other malignancies before or after diagnosis of ACC. Herein we present three cases where sporadic ACC was identified in patients with coexistent or previous history of melanoma. CASE DESCRIPTION Patient 1 - A 37-yr-old man with a superficial spreading BRAF-positive melanoma was found to harbour a progressively growing left adrenal mass. Initially, he was suspected of having adrenal metastasis, but the histology after adrenalectomy confirmed ACC. Patient 2 - A 68-year-old man with a history of recurrent BRAF-positive melanoma was diagnosed with disseminated metastatic melanoma recurrence, including a rapidly enlarging left adrenal mass. Consequently, he underwent left adrenalectomy, and histology again confirmed ACC. Patient 3 - A 50-yr-old man was referred with histological diagnosis of metastatic ACC. He had a background history of pT1 melanoma. We undertook targeted sequencing of ACC tissue samples in all cases. Somatic variants were observed in the known driver genes CTNNB1 (Patient 1), APC and KMT2D (Patient 2), and APC and TP53 (Patient 3). Germline TP53 variants (Li-Fraumeni syndrome) were excluded in all cases. Retrospective review of our patient cohort in the last 21 years revealed a frequency of 0.5% of histologically diagnosed melanoma metastasis among patients referred for adrenal masses. On the other hand, 1.6% of patients with histologically confirmed ACC had a previous history of melanoma. CONCLUSION Sporadic ACC can occur in the background of melanoma, even if adrenal metastasis might appear to be the most likely diagnosis. Coexistent primary adrenal malignancy should be considered and investigated for in all patients with a history of melanoma with suspicious adrenal lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Lynn Ko
- Department of Endocrinology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Vaishnavi Kumar
- Department of Endocrinology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Juliane Lippert
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Salvador Diaz-Cano
- Department of Histopathology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Kassiani Skordilis
- Department of Histopathology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Otilia Kimpel
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Kircher
- Institute for Pathology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Miriam Asia
- Department of Endocrinology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Yasir S Elhassan
- Institute of Metabolism and System Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, UK
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism (CEDAM), Birmingham Health Partners, Birmingham, UK
| | - Barbara Altieri
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Cristina L Ronchi
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- Institute of Metabolism and System Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, UK.
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism (CEDAM), Birmingham Health Partners, Birmingham, UK.
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11
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Guan Y, Yue S, Chen Y, Pan Y, An L, Du H, Liang C. Molecular Cluster Mining of Adrenocortical Carcinoma via Multi-Omics Data Analysis Aids Precise Clinical Therapy. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233784. [PMID: 36497046 PMCID: PMC9737968 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a malignancy of the endocrine system. We collected clinical and pathological features, genomic mutations, DNA methylation profiles, and mRNA, lncRNA, microRNA, and somatic mutations in ACC patients from the TCGA, GSE19750, GSE33371, and GSE49278 cohorts. Based on the MOVICS algorithm, the patients were divided into ACC1-3 subtypes by comprehensive multi-omics data analysis. We found that immune-related pathways were more activated, and drug metabolism pathways were enriched in ACC1 subtype patients. Furthermore, ACC1 patients were sensitive to PD-1 immunotherapy and had the lowest sensitivity to chemotherapeutic drugs. Patients with the ACC2 subtype had the worst survival prognosis and the highest tumor-mutation rate. Meanwhile, cell-cycle-related pathways, amino-acid-synthesis pathways, and immunosuppressive cells were enriched in ACC2 patients. Steroid and cholesterol biosynthetic pathways were enriched in patients with the ACC3 subtype. DNA-repair-related pathways were enriched in subtypes ACC2 and ACC3. The sensitivity of the ACC2 subtype to cisplatin, doxorubicin, gemcitabine, and etoposide was better than that of the other two subtypes. For 5-fluorouracil, there was no significant difference in sensitivity to paclitaxel between the three groups. A comprehensive analysis of multi-omics data will provide new clues for the prognosis and treatment of patients with ACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Guan
- Department of Urology, The First Affifiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218th Jixi Road, Hefei 230022, China
- Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, 81th Meishan Road, Hefei 230022, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Diseases, Anhui Medical University (AHMU), 81th Meishan Road, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Shaoyu Yue
- Department of Urology, The First Affifiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218th Jixi Road, Hefei 230022, China
- Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, 81th Meishan Road, Hefei 230022, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Diseases, Anhui Medical University (AHMU), 81th Meishan Road, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Yiding Chen
- Department of Urology, The First Affifiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218th Jixi Road, Hefei 230022, China
- Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, 81th Meishan Road, Hefei 230022, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Diseases, Anhui Medical University (AHMU), 81th Meishan Road, Hefei 230022, China
| | - Yuetian Pan
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, D-81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Lingxuan An
- Department of General, Visceral, and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, D-81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Hexi Du
- Department of Urology, The First Affifiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218th Jixi Road, Hefei 230022, China
- Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, 81th Meishan Road, Hefei 230022, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Diseases, Anhui Medical University (AHMU), 81th Meishan Road, Hefei 230022, China
- Correspondence: (H.D.); (C.L.); Tel.: +86-18856040979 (H.D.); +86-13505604595 (C.L.)
| | - Chaozhao Liang
- Department of Urology, The First Affifiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, 218th Jixi Road, Hefei 230022, China
- Institute of Urology, Anhui Medical University, 81th Meishan Road, Hefei 230022, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Diseases, Anhui Medical University (AHMU), 81th Meishan Road, Hefei 230022, China
- Correspondence: (H.D.); (C.L.); Tel.: +86-18856040979 (H.D.); +86-13505604595 (C.L.)
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12
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Lerario AM, Mohan DR, Hammer GD. Update on Biology and Genomics of Adrenocortical Carcinomas: Rationale for Emerging Therapies. Endocr Rev 2022; 43:1051-1073. [PMID: 35551369 PMCID: PMC9695111 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnac012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The adrenal glands are paired endocrine organs that produce steroid hormones and catecholamines required for life. Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare and often fatal cancer of the peripheral domain of the gland, the adrenal cortex. Recent research in adrenal development, homeostasis, and disease have refined our understanding of the cellular and molecular programs controlling cortical growth and renewal, uncovering crucial clues into how physiologic programs are hijacked in early and late stages of malignant neoplasia. Alongside these studies, genome-wide approaches to examine adrenocortical tumors have transformed our understanding of ACC biology, and revealed that ACC is composed of distinct molecular subtypes associated with favorable, intermediate, and dismal clinical outcomes. The homogeneous transcriptional and epigenetic programs prevailing in each ACC subtype suggest likely susceptibility to any of a plethora of existing and novel targeted agents, with the caveat that therapeutic response may ultimately be limited by cancer cell plasticity. Despite enormous biomedical research advances in the last decade, the only potentially curative therapy for ACC to date is primary surgical resection, and up to 75% of patients will develop metastatic disease refractory to standard-of-care adjuvant mitotane and cytotoxic chemotherapy. A comprehensive, integrated, and current bench-to-bedside understanding of our field's investigations into adrenocortical physiology and neoplasia is crucial to developing novel clinical tools and approaches to equip the one-in-a-million patient fighting this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Marcondes Lerario
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2200, USA
| | - Dipika R Mohan
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2200, USA
| | - Gary D Hammer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2200, USA
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2200, USA
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2200, USA
- Department of Cell & Developmental Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2200, USA
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13
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Transgenic Mouse Models to Study the Development and Maintenance of the Adrenal Cortex. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232214388. [PMID: 36430866 PMCID: PMC9693478 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232214388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The cortex of the adrenal gland is organized into concentric zones that produce distinct steroid hormones essential for body homeostasis in mammals. Mechanisms leading to the development, zonation and maintenance of the adrenal cortex are complex and have been studied since the 1800s. However, the advent of genetic manipulation and transgenic mouse models over the past 30 years has revolutionized our understanding of these mechanisms. This review lists and details the distinct Cre recombinase mouse strains available to study the adrenal cortex, and the remarkable progress total and conditional knockout mouse models have enabled us to make in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating the development and maintenance of the adrenal cortex.
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Higgs JA, Quinn AP, Seely KD, Richards Z, Mortensen SP, Crandall CS, Brooks AE. Pathophysiological Link between Insulin Resistance and Adrenal Incidentalomas. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23084340. [PMID: 35457158 PMCID: PMC9032410 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Adrenal incidentalomas are incidentally discovered adrenal masses greater than one centimeter in diameter. An association between insulin resistance and adrenal incidentalomas has been established. However, the pathophysiological link between these two conditions remains incompletely characterized. This review examines the literature on the interrelationship between insulin resistance and adrenal masses, their subtypes, and related pathophysiology. Some studies show that functional and non-functional adrenal masses elicit systemic insulin resistance, whereas others conclude the inverse. Insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and the anabolic effects on adrenal gland tissue, which have insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptors, offer possible pathophysiological links. Conversely, autonomous adrenal cortisol secretion generates visceral fat accumulation and insulin resistance. Further investigation into the mechanisms and timing of these two pathologies as they relate to one another is needed and could be valuable in the prevention, detection, and treatment of both conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan A. Higgs
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Rocky Vista University, Ivins, UT 84738, USA; (J.A.H.); (A.P.Q.); (Z.R.); (S.P.M.); (C.S.C.)
| | - Alyssa P. Quinn
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Rocky Vista University, Ivins, UT 84738, USA; (J.A.H.); (A.P.Q.); (Z.R.); (S.P.M.); (C.S.C.)
| | - Kevin D. Seely
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Rocky Vista University, Ivins, UT 84738, USA; (J.A.H.); (A.P.Q.); (Z.R.); (S.P.M.); (C.S.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Zeke Richards
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Rocky Vista University, Ivins, UT 84738, USA; (J.A.H.); (A.P.Q.); (Z.R.); (S.P.M.); (C.S.C.)
| | - Shad P. Mortensen
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Rocky Vista University, Ivins, UT 84738, USA; (J.A.H.); (A.P.Q.); (Z.R.); (S.P.M.); (C.S.C.)
| | - Cody S. Crandall
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Rocky Vista University, Ivins, UT 84738, USA; (J.A.H.); (A.P.Q.); (Z.R.); (S.P.M.); (C.S.C.)
| | - Amanda E. Brooks
- Department of Research and Scholarly Activity, Rocky Vista University, Ivins, UT 84738, USA;
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Ma J, Jin Y, Gong B, Li L, Zhao Q. Pan-cancer analysis of necroptosis-related gene signature for the identification of prognosis and immune significance. Discov Oncol 2022; 13:17. [PMID: 35312867 PMCID: PMC8938586 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-022-00477-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Necroptosis is a novel programmed cell death mode independent on caspase. A number of studies have revealed that the induction of necroptosis could act as an alternative therapeutic strategy for drug-resistant tumors as well as affect tumor immune microenvironment. METHODS Gene expression profiles and clinical data were downloaded from XENA-UCSC (including The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype-Tissue Expression), Gene Expression Omnibus, International Cancer Genome Consortium and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas. We used non-negative matrix factorization method to conduct tumor classification. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression was applied to establish risk models, whose prognostic effectiveness was examined in both training and testing sets with Kaplan-Meier analysis, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves as well as uni- and multi-variate survival analysis. Principal Component Analysis, t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding and Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection were conducted to check the risk group distribution. Gene Set Enrichment Analyses, immune infiltration analysis based on CIBERSORT, EPIC, MCPcounter, ssGSEA and ESTIMATE, gene mutation and drug sensitivity between the risk groups were also taken into consideration. RESULTS There were eight types of cancer with at least ten differentially expressed necroptosis-related genes which could influence patients' prognosis, namely, adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC), acute myeloid leukemia (LAML), brain lower grade glioma (LGG), pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD), liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) and thymoma (THYM). Patients could be divided into different clusters with distinct overall survival in all cancers above except for LIHC. The risk models could efficiently predict prognosis of ACC, LAML, LGG, LIHC, SKCM and THYM patients. LGG patients from high-risk group had a higher infiltration level of M2 macrophages and cancer-associated fibroblasts. There were more CD8+ T cells, Th1 cells and M1 macrophages in low-risk SKCM patients' tumor microenvironment. Gene mutation status and drug sensitivity are also different between low- and high-risk groups in the six cancers. CONCLUSIONS Necroptosis-related genes can predict clinical outcomes of ACC, LAML, LGG, LIHC, SKCM and THYM patients and help to distinguish immune infiltration status for LGG and SKCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jincheng Ma
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Yan Jin
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Baocheng Gong
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Long Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Diseases of Educational Ministry of China, Department of Immunology, The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Qiang Zhao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Department of Pediatric Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.
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16
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Identification of Dysregulated Expression of G Protein Coupled Receptors in Endocrine Tumors by Bioinformatics Analysis: Potential Drug Targets? Cells 2022; 11:cells11040703. [PMID: 35203352 PMCID: PMC8870215 DOI: 10.3390/cells11040703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Many studies link G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) to cancer. Some endocrine tumors are unresponsive to standard treatment and/or require long-term and poorly tolerated treatment. This study explored, by bioinformatics analysis, the tumoral profiling of the GPCR transcriptome to identify potential targets in these tumors aiming at drug repurposing. Methods: We explored the GPCR differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from public datasets (Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)). The GEO datasets were available for two medullary thyroid cancers (MTCs), eighty-seven pheochromocytomas (PHEOs), sixty-one paragangliomas (PGLs), forty-seven pituitary adenomas and one-hundred-fifty adrenocortical cancers (ACCs). The TCGA dataset covered 92 ACCs. We identified GPCRs targeted by approved drugs from pharmacological databases (ChEMBL and DrugBank). Results: The profiling of dysregulated GPCRs was tumor specific. In MTC, we found 14 GPCR DEGs, including an upregulation of the dopamine receptor (DRD2) and adenosine receptor (ADORA2B), which were the target of many drugs. In PGL, seven GPCR genes were downregulated, including vasopressin receptor (AVPR1A) and PTH receptor (PTH1R), which were targeted by approved drugs. In ACC, PTH1R was also downregulated in both the GEO and TCGA datasets and was the target of osteoporosis drugs. Conclusions: We highlight specific GPCR signatures across the major endocrine tumors. These data could help to identify new opportunities for drug repurposing.
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17
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Cai H, Chen SM, Ke ZB, Chen H, Zhu JM, Lin TT, Huang F, Wei Y, Zheng QS, Xue XY, Sun XL, Xu N. Development and Validation of Hub Genes for Adrenal Aldosterone-Producing Adenoma by Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis. Int J Gen Med 2021; 14:10003-10013. [PMID: 34984024 PMCID: PMC8702988 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s330956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To develop and validate hub genes involving in the development and progression of primary aldosteronism (PA) and adrenal aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA). MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of four datasets of gene expression profiles related to APA were downloaded from GEO datasets. GSE60042 and GSE8514 were used to identify DEGs. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network module analysis were conducted. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis was performed. GSE10927 and GSE33371 were used for further external validation. RESULTS We identified a total of 892 DEGs from GSE60042 and 1167 DEGs from GSE8514. WGCNA analysis demonstrated that the blue module (255 genes) and turquoise module (303 genes) were significantly correlated with APA. PPI networks were then constructed. GO term enrichment analysis suggested that cellular divalent inorganic cation homeostasis, calcium ion homeostasis, collagen-containing extracellular matrix, transport vesicle and metal ion transmembrane transporter activity were the vital annotations. KEGG pathway analysis found that these genes were significantly enriched in neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, calcium signaling pathway. Finally, we identified a total of 11 candidate genes involving in the development and progression of APA and PA. Besides, two independent datasets (GSE10927 and GSE33371) were used for external validation, and there were seven hub genes successfully verified, including C3, GRM3, AVPR1A, WFS1, PTGFR, NTSR2, and JUN. CONCLUSION These newly identified genes could contribute to the understanding of potential mechanism in APA and PA and might be promising targets for the treatment of APA and PA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Cai
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shao-Ming Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Bin Ke
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hang Chen
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jun-Ming Zhu
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ting-Ting Lin
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fei Huang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Cancer, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China
- Central Lab, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yong Wei
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qing-Shui Zheng
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xue-Yi Xue
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiong-Lin Sun
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ning Xu
- Department of Urology, Urology Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine for Cancer, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350005, People’s Republic of China
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18
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In Silico Analysis of the Gene Expression Patterns between Aldosterone-Producing Adenoma and Nonfunctional Adrenocortical Adenoma. Genet Res (Camb) 2021; 2021:9553637. [PMID: 34690553 PMCID: PMC8505127 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9553637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary aldosteronism is the most common form of secondary hypertension, and aldosteronoma makes up a significant proportion of primary aldosteronism cases. Aldosteronoma is also called aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA). Although there have been many studies about APA, the pathogenesis of this disease is not yet fully understood. In this study, we aimed to find out the difference of gene expression patterns between APA and nonfunctional adrenocortical adenoma (NFAA) using a weighted gene coexpression network (WGCNA) and differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis; only the genes that meet the corresponding standards of both methods were defined as real hub genes and then used for further analysis. Twenty-nine real hub genes were found out, most of which were enriched in the phospholipid metabolic process. WISP2, S100A10, SSTR5-AS1, SLC29A1, APOC1, and SLITRK4 are six real hub genes with the same gene expression pattern between the combined and validation datasets, three of which indirectly or directly participate in lipid metabolism including WISP2, S100A10, and APOC1. According to the gene expression pattern of DEGs, we speculated five candidate drugs with potential therapeutic value for APA, one of which is cycloheximide, an inhibitor for phospholipid biosynthesis. All the evidence suggests that phospholipid metabolism may be an important pathophysiological mechanism for APA. Our study provides a new perspective regarding the pathophysiological mechanism of APA and offers some small molecules that may possibly be effective drugs against APA.
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Ruggiero C, Doghman-Bouguerra M, Lalli E. How good are the current models of adrenocortical carcinoma for novel drug discovery? Expert Opin Drug Discov 2021; 17:211-213. [PMID: 34666583 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.1993817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Ruggiero
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire CNRS UMR, Valbonne, France.,Université Côte d'Azur, Valbonne, France
| | - Mabrouka Doghman-Bouguerra
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire CNRS UMR, Valbonne, France.,Université Côte d'Azur, Valbonne, France
| | - Enzo Lalli
- Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire CNRS UMR, Valbonne, France.,Université Côte d'Azur, Valbonne, France.,Inserm, Valbonne, France
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20
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Lopez AG, Duparc C, Wils J, Naccache A, Castanet M, Lefebvre H, Louiset E. Steroidogenic cell microenvironment and adrenal function in physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 535:111377. [PMID: 34216641 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The human adrenal cortex is a complex organ which is composed of various cell types including not only steroidogenic cells but also mesenchymal cells, immunocompetent cells and neurons. Intermingling of these diverse cell populations favors cell-to-cell communication processes involving local release of numerous bioactive signals such as biogenic amines, cytokines and neuropeptides. The resulting paracrine interactions play an important role in the regulation of adrenocortical cell functions both in physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Especially, recent evidence indicates that adrenocortical cell microenvironment is involved in the pathogenesis of adrenal disorders associated with corticosteroid excess. The paracrine factors involved in these intraadrenal regulatory mechanisms may thus represent valuable targets for future pharmacological treatments of adrenal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine-Guy Lopez
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM, U1239, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Rouen, France; Rouen University Hospital, Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Rouen, France
| | - Céline Duparc
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM, U1239, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Rouen, France
| | - Julien Wils
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM, U1239, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Rouen, France; Rouen University Hospital, Department of Pharmacology, Rouen, France
| | - Alexandre Naccache
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM, U1239, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Rouen, France; Rouen University Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Rouen, France
| | - Mireille Castanet
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM, U1239, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Rouen, France; Rouen University Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Rouen, France
| | - Hervé Lefebvre
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM, U1239, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Rouen, France; Rouen University Hospital, Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Rouen, France.
| | - Estelle Louiset
- Normandie Univ, UNIROUEN, INSERM, U1239, Laboratory of Neuronal and Neuroendocrine Differentiation and Communication, Rouen, France
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21
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Abstract
Resident progenitor and/or stem cell populations in the adult adrenal cortex enable cortical cells to undergo homeostatic renewal and regeneration after injury. Renewal occurs predominantly in the outer layers of the adrenal gland but newly formed cells undergo centripetal migration, differentiation and lineage conversion in the process of forming the different functional steroidogenic zones. Over the past 10 years, advances in the genetic characterization of adrenal diseases and studies of mouse models with altered adrenal phenotypes have helped to elucidate the molecular pathways that regulate adrenal tissue renewal, several of which are fine-tuned via complex paracrine and endocrine influences. Moreover, the adrenal gland is a sexually dimorphic organ, and testicular androgens have inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and progenitor cell recruitment in the adrenal cortex. This Review integrates these advances, including the emerging role of sex hormones, into existing knowledge on adrenocortical cell renewal. An in-depth understanding of these mechanisms is expected to contribute to the development of novel therapies for severe endocrine diseases, for which current treatments are unsatisfactory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodanthi Lyraki
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Nice, France
| | - Andreas Schedl
- Université Côte d'Azur, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Valrose, Nice, France.
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22
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The Sexually Dimorphic Adrenal Cortex: Implications for Adrenal Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094889. [PMID: 34063067 PMCID: PMC8124132 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Many adrenocortical diseases are more prevalent in women than in men, but the reasons underlying this sex bias are still unknown. Recent studies involving gonadectomy and sex hormone replacement experiments in mice have shed some light onto the molecular basis of sexual dimorphism in the adrenal cortex. Indeed, it has been shown that gonadal hormones influence many aspects of adrenal physiology, ranging from stem cell-dependent tissue turnover to steroidogenesis and X-zone dynamics. This article reviews current knowledge on adrenal cortex sexual dimorphism and the potential mechanisms underlying sex hormone influence of adrenal homeostasis. Both topics are expected to contribute to personalized and novel therapeutic approaches in the future.
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Xu F, Guan Y, Ma Y, Xue L, Zhang P, Yang X, Chong T. Bioinformatic analyses and experimental validation of the role of m6A RNA methylation regulators in progression and prognosis of adrenocortical carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:11919-11941. [PMID: 33952721 PMCID: PMC8109058 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
M6A-related genes have been proven to play an important role in many cancers. However, the role of that in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) has not been fully elucidated. In the present study, 77 ACC samples from TCGA database were divided into localized (n = 46) and metastatic (n = 31) groups. Three differential expression genes (DEGs) and five prognostic m6A genes were screened out. M6A-related risk signature (RBM15 and HNRNPC) was constructed by the Lasso regression analysis. In TCGA cohort (training cohort), the risk signature was identified as an ACC-independent prognostic factor and can distinguish the prognostic difference of ACC patients with clinical stage I-II, T3-4 and N0 stages. A nomogram combining T stage and m6A risk score was constructed to predict the overall survival rate (OSR) of individual at 1,2,3 year. Meanwhile, its prognostic value was also confirmed in the validation cohort (GSE33371 dataset). The potential associations between m6A risk level and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy were also investigated via the TISIDB online tool. High m6A risk not only can suppress immunotherapy-related biological processes, but also repress the expressions of immune-checkpoint markers. Moreover, five pairs of clinical specimens were collected to confirm the overexpression of HNRNPC and non-ectopic expression of RBM15 in tumor tissues. HNRNPC was proven to promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of H295R and SW13 cells through MTT and Transwell assays. In conclusion, the m6A-related risk signature was beneficial for prognostic analysis and can affect immune microenvironment in ACC. HNRNPC played a pro-cancer role in ACC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangshi Xu
- Department of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Yibing Guan
- Department of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Yubo Ma
- Department of Medicine, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Li Xue
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710000, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710000, China
| | - Xiaojie Yang
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710000, China
| | - Tie Chong
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710000, China
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Araujo-Castro M, Pascual-Corrales E, Molina-Cerrillo J, Alonso-Gordoa T. Immunotherapy in Adrenocortical Carcinoma: Predictors of Response, Efficacy, Safety, and Mechanisms of Resistance. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9030304. [PMID: 33809752 PMCID: PMC8002272 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9030304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare endocrine malignancy with limited treatment options in the advanced stages. Immunotherapy offers hope for altering the orthodox management of cancer, and its role in advanced ACC has been investigated in different studies. With the aim clarifying the role of immunotherapy in ACC we performed a comprehensive review about this topic focusing on the predictors of response, efficacy, safety, and the mechanisms of resistance. Five clinical trials with four immune checkpoint inhibitors (pembrolizumab, avelumab, nivolumab, and ipilimumab) have investigated the role of immunotherapy in advanced ACC. Despite, the different primary endpoints used in these studies, the reported rates of overall response rate and progression free survival were generally poor. Three main potential markers of response to immunotherapy in ACC have been described: Expression of PD-1 and PD-L1, microsatellite instability and tumor mutational burden. However, none of them has been validated in prospective studies. Several mechanisms of ACC immunoevasion may be responsible of immunotherapy failure, and a greater knowledge of these mechanisms might lead to the development of new strategies to overcome the immunotherapy resistance. In conclusion, although currently the role of immunotherapy is limited, the identification of immunological markers of response and the implementation of strategies to avoid immunotherapy resistance could improve the efficacy of this therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Araujo-Castro
- Neuroendocrinology Unit, Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Ramón y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain;
- Correspondence:
| | - Eider Pascual-Corrales
- Neuroendocrinology Unit, Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Ramón y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Javier Molina-Cerrillo
- Medical Oncology Department, Ramón y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain; (J.M.-C.); (T.A.-G.)
| | - Teresa Alonso-Gordoa
- Medical Oncology Department, Ramón y Cajal Health Research Institute (IRYCIS), Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, 28034 Madrid, Spain; (J.M.-C.); (T.A.-G.)
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The Role of Immunohistochemical Markers for the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Adrenocortical Neoplasms. J Pers Med 2021; 11:jpm11030208. [PMID: 33804047 PMCID: PMC8001501 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11030208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Adrenal cortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare cancer with poor prognosis that needs to be distinguished from adrenocortical adenomas (ACAs). Although, the recently developed transcriptome analysis seems to be a reliable tool for the differential diagnosis of adrenocortical neoplasms, it is not widely available in clinical practice. We aim to evaluate histological and immunohistochemical markers for the distinction of ACCs from ACAs along with assessing their prognostic role. Clinical data were retrospectively analyzed from 37 patients; 24 archived, formalin-fixed, and paraffin-embedded ACC samples underwent histochemical analysis of reticulin and immunohistochemical analysis of p27, p53, Ki-67 markers and were compared with 13 ACA samples. Weiss and Helsinki scores were also considered. Kaplan-Meier and univariate Cox regression methods were implemented to identify prognostic effects. Altered reticulin pattern, Ki-67% labelling index and overexpression of p53 protein were found to be useful histopathological markers for distinguishing ACAs from ACCs. Among the studied markers, only pathological p53 nuclear protein expression was found to reach statistically significant association with poor survival and development of metastases, although in a small series of patients. In conclusion, altered reticulin pattern and p53/Ki-67 expression are useful markers for distinguishing ACCs from ACAs. Immunohistopathology alone cannot discriminate ACCs with different prognosis and it should be combined with morphological criteria and transcriptome analysis.
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26
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Little DW, Dumontet T, LaPensee CR, Hammer GD. β-catenin in adrenal zonation and disease. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 522:111120. [PMID: 33338548 PMCID: PMC8006471 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.111120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The Wnt signaling pathway is a critical mediator of the development and maintenance of several tissues. The adrenal cortex is highly dependent upon Wnt/β-catenin signaling for proper zonation and endocrine function. Adrenocortical cells emerge in the peripheral capsule and subcapsular cortex of the gland as progenitor cells that centripetally differentiate into steroid hormone-producing cells of three functionally distinct concentric zones that respond robustly to various endocrine stimuli. Wnt/β-catenin signaling mediates adrenocortical progenitor cell fate and tissue renewal to maintain the gland throughout life. Aberrant Wnt/β-catenin signaling contributes to various adrenal disorders of steroid production and growth that range from hypofunction and hypoplasia to hyperfunction, hyperplasia, benign adrenocortical adenomas, and malignant adrenocortical carcinomas. Great strides have been made in defining the molecular underpinnings of adrenocortical homeostasis and disease, including the interplay between the capsule and cortex, critical components involved in maintaining the adrenocortical Wnt/β-catenin signaling gradient, and new targets in adrenal cancer. This review seeks to examine these and other recent advancements in understanding adrenocortical Wnt/β-catenin signaling and how this knowledge can inform therapeutic options for adrenal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Typhanie Dumontet
- Training Program in Organogenesis, Center for Cell Plasticity and Organ Design, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, USA
| | - Christopher R LaPensee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, USA
| | - Gary D Hammer
- Doctoral Program in Cancer Biology, USA; Training Program in Organogenesis, Center for Cell Plasticity and Organ Design, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, USA; Endocrine Oncology Program, Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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27
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Leal LF, Szarek E, Berthon A, Nesterova M, Faucz FR, London E, Mercier C, Abu-Asab M, Starost MF, Dye L, Bilinska B, Kotula-Balak M, Antonini SR, Stratakis CA. Pde8b haploinsufficiency in mice is associated with modest adrenal defects, impaired steroidogenesis, and male infertility, unaltered by concurrent PKA or Wnt activation. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 522:111117. [PMID: 33338547 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.111117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PDE8B, PRKAR1A and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling are involved in endocrine disorders. However, how PDEB8B interacts with both Wnt and protein kinase A (PKA) signaling in vivo remains unknown. We created a novel Pde8b knockout mouse line (Pde8b-/-); Pde8b haploinsufficient (Pde8b+/-) mice were then crossed with mice harboring: (1) constitutive beta-catenin activation (Pde8b+/-;ΔCat) and (2) Prkar1a haploinsufficieny (Pde8b+/-;Prkar1a+/-). Adrenals and testes from mice (3-12-mo) were evaluated in addition to plasma corticosterone, aldosterone and Dkk3 concentrations, and the examination of expression of steroidogenesis-, Wnt- and cAMP/PKA-related genes. Pde8b-/- male mice were infertile with down-regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway which did not change significantly in the Pde8b+/-;ΔCat mice. Prkar1a haploinsufficiency also did not change the phenotype significantly. In vitro studies showed that PDE8B knockdown upregulated the Wnt pathway and increased proliferation in CTNNB1-mutant cells, whereas it downregulated the Wnt pathway in PRKAR1A-mutant cells. These data support an overall weak, if any, role for PDE8B in adrenocortical tumorigenesis, even when co-altered with Wnt signaling or PKA upregulation; on the other hand, PDE8B appears to play a significant role in male fertility.
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MESH Headings
- 3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases/genetics
- 3',5'-Cyclic-AMP Phosphodiesterases/metabolism
- Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/blood
- Adrenal Glands/drug effects
- Adrenal Glands/pathology
- Adrenal Glands/physiopathology
- Aldosterone/blood
- Animals
- Cell Line
- Cell Proliferation/drug effects
- Corticosterone/blood
- Crosses, Genetic
- Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases/metabolism
- Dexamethasone/pharmacology
- Female
- Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects
- Haploinsufficiency/genetics
- Infertility, Male/blood
- Infertility, Male/genetics
- Male
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Phenotype
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Spermatogenesis/drug effects
- Spermatogenesis/genetics
- Steroids/biosynthesis
- Testis/drug effects
- Testis/ultrastructure
- Wnt Proteins/metabolism
- beta Catenin/metabolism
- Mice
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Ferro Leal
- Section on Endocrinology and Genetics, Program on Developmental Endocrinology & Genetics (PDEGEN), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA; Departments of Pediatrics, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, 14049-900, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, Brazil; Barretos School of Health Sciences, Dr. Paulo Prata - FACISB, Barretos, Brazil
| | - Eva Szarek
- Section on Endocrinology and Genetics, Program on Developmental Endocrinology & Genetics (PDEGEN), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Annabel Berthon
- Section on Endocrinology and Genetics, Program on Developmental Endocrinology & Genetics (PDEGEN), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Maria Nesterova
- Section on Endocrinology and Genetics, Program on Developmental Endocrinology & Genetics (PDEGEN), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Fabio R Faucz
- Section on Endocrinology and Genetics, Program on Developmental Endocrinology & Genetics (PDEGEN), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Edra London
- Section on Endocrinology and Genetics, Program on Developmental Endocrinology & Genetics (PDEGEN), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Christopher Mercier
- Section on Endocrinology and Genetics, Program on Developmental Endocrinology & Genetics (PDEGEN), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Mones Abu-Asab
- Section on Endocrinology and Genetics, Program on Developmental Endocrinology & Genetics (PDEGEN), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Matthew F Starost
- National Institutes of Health, Division of Veterinary Resources, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Louis Dye
- Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Microscopy and Imaging Core Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Barbara Bilinska
- Department of Endocrinology, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Gronostajowa, Krakow, Poland
| | - Malgorzata Kotula-Balak
- University Centre of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Mickiewicza, Krakow, Poland
| | - Sonir R Antonini
- Departments of Pediatrics, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, 14049-900, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Constantine A Stratakis
- Section on Endocrinology and Genetics, Program on Developmental Endocrinology & Genetics (PDEGEN), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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28
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Low Protein Expression of both ATRX and ZNRF3 as Novel Negative Prognostic Markers of Adult Adrenocortical Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22031238. [PMID: 33513905 PMCID: PMC7866180 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22031238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy that is associated with a dismal prognosis. Pan-genomic studies have demonstrated the involvement of ATRX and ZNRF3 genes in adrenocortical tumorigenesis. Our aims were to evaluate the protein expression of ATRX and ZNRF3 in a cohort of 82 adults with ACC and to establish their prognostic value. Two pathologists analyzed immuno-stained slides of a tissue microarray. The low protein expression of ATRX and ZNRF3 was associated with a decrease in overall survival (OS) (p = 0.045, p = 0.012, respectively). The Cox regression for ATRX protein expression of >1.5 showed a hazard ratio (HR) for OS of 0.521 (95% CI 0.273-0.997; p = 0.049) when compared with ≤1.5; for ZNRF3 expression >2, the HR for OS was 0.441 (95% CI, 0.229-0.852; p = 0.015) when compared with ≤2. High ATRX and ZNRF3 protein expressions were associated with optimistic recurrence-free survival (RFS) (p = 0.027 and p = 0.005, respectively). The Cox regression of RFS showed an HR of 0.332 (95%CI, 0.111-0.932) for ATRX expression >2.7 (p = 0.037), and an HR of 0.333 (95%CI, 0.140-0.790) for ZNRF3 expression >2 (p = 0.013). In conclusion, low protein expression of ATRX and ZNRF3 are negative prognostic markers of ACC; however, different cohorts should be evaluated to validate these findings.
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29
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Hammer GD, Basham KJ. Stem cell function and plasticity in the normal physiology of the adrenal cortex. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 519:111043. [PMID: 33058950 PMCID: PMC7736543 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.111043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The adrenal cortex functions to produce steroid hormones necessary for life. To maintain its functional capacity throughout life, the adrenal cortex must be continually replenished and rapidly repaired following injury. Moreover, the adrenal responds to endocrine-mediated organismal needs, which are highly dynamic and necessitate a precise steroidogenic response. To meet these diverse needs, the adrenal employs multiple cell populations with stem cell function. Here, we discuss the literature on adrenocortical stem cells using hematopoietic stem cells as a benchmark to examine the functional capacity of particular cell populations, including those located in the capsule and peripheral cortex. These populations are coordinately regulated by paracrine and endocrine signaling mechanisms, and display remarkable plasticity to adapt to different physiological and pathological conditions. Some populations also exhibit sex-specific activity, which contributes to highly divergent proliferation rates between sexes. Understanding mechanisms that govern adrenocortical renewal has broad implications for both regenerative medicine and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary D Hammer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Endocrine Oncology Program, Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Kaitlin J Basham
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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30
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Di Dalmazi G, Altieri B, Scholz C, Sbiera S, Luconi M, Waldman J, Kastelan D, Ceccato F, Chiodini I, Arnaldi G, Riester A, Osswald A, Beuschlein F, Sauer S, Fassnacht M, Appenzeller S, Ronchi CL. RNA Sequencing and Somatic Mutation Status of Adrenocortical Tumors: Novel Pathogenetic Insights. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2020; 105:5900388. [PMID: 32875319 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Pathogenesis of autonomous steroid secretion and adrenocortical tumorigenesis remains partially obscure. OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between transcriptome profile and genetic background in a large series of adrenocortical tumors and identify new potential pathogenetic mechanisms. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING University Hospitals of the European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumors (ENSAT). PATIENTS We collected snap-frozen tissue from patients with adrenocortical tumors (n = 59) with known genetic background: 26 adenomas with Cushing syndrome (CS- cortisol-producing adenoma [CPA]), 17 adenomas with mild autonomous cortisol secretion (MACS-CPAs), 9 endocrine-inactive adenomas (EIAs), and 7 adrenocortical carcinomas (ACCs). INTERVENTION Ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Gene expression, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) expression, and gene fusions. Correlation with genetic background defined by targeted Sanger sequencing, targeted panel- or whole-exome sequencing. RESULTS Transcriptome analysis identified 2 major clusters for adenomas: Cluster 1 (n = 32) mainly consisting of MACS-CPAs with CTNNB1 or without identified driver mutations (46.9% of cases) and 8/9 EIAs; Cluster 2 (n = 18) that comprised CP-CPAs with or without identified driver mutation in 83.3% of cases (including all CS-CPAs with PRKACA mutation). Two CS-CPAs, 1 with CTNNB1 and 1 with GNAS mutation, clustered separately and relatively close to ACC. lncRNA analysis well differentiate adenomas from ACCs. Novel gene fusions were found, including AKAP13-PDE8A in one CS-CPA sample with no driver mutation. CONCLUSIONS MACS-CPAs and EIAs showed a similar transcriptome profile, independently of the genetic background, whereas most CS-CPAs clustered together. Still unrevealed molecular alterations in the cAMP/PKA or Wnt/beta catenin pathways might be involved in the pathogenesis of adrenocortical tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido Di Dalmazi
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Barbara Altieri
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Claus Scholz
- Life and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, Germany
| | - Silviu Sbiera
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Michaela Luconi
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Italy
| | | | - Darko Kastelan
- Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Filippo Ceccato
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medicine DIMED, University-Hospital of Padua, Italy
| | - Iacopo Chiodini
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Unit for Bone Metabolism Diseases and Diabetes & Lab of Endocrine and Metabolic Research, Milan, Italy
- University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Arnaldi
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Anna Riester
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrea Osswald
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Felix Beuschlein
- Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Klinik für Endokrinologie Diabetologie und Klinische Ernährung, Universitäts Spital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sascha Sauer
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine/Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Fassnacht
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Silke Appenzeller
- Core Unit BioinformaticFsupps, Comprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Cristina L Ronchi
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom
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31
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Lv J, He Y, Li L, Wang Z. Alternative Splicing Events and Splicing Factors Are Prognostic in Adrenocortical Carcinoma. Front Genet 2020; 11:918. [PMID: 33101358 PMCID: PMC7494975 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing is involved in the pathogenesis of human diseases, including cancer. Here, we investigated the potential application of alternative splicing events (ASEs) and splicing factors (SFs) in the prognosis of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). Transcriptome data from 79 ACC cases were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database, and percent spliced-in values of seven splicing types were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas SpliceSeq database. By the univariate Cox regression analysis, 1,839 survival-related ASEs were identified. Prognostic indices based on seven types of survival-related ASEs were calculated by multivariate Cox regression analysis. Survival curves and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to assess the diagnostic value of the prognostic model. Independent prognosis analysis identified several ASEs (e.g., THNSL2| 54469| ME) that could be used as biomarkers to predict the prognosis of patients with ACC accurately. By analyzing the co-expression correlation between SFs and ASEs, 188 highly correlated interactions were established. From the protein interaction network, we finally screened six hub SFs, including YBX1, SART1, PRCC, SNRPG, SNRPE, and SF3B4, whose expression levels were significantly related to the overall survival and prognosis of ACC. Our findings provide a reliable model for predicting the prognosis of ACC patients based on aberrant alternative splicing patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Lv
- Central Laboratory, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuan He
- Central Laboratory, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lili Li
- Central Laboratory, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhihua Wang
- Central Laboratory, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Department of Cardiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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32
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Chehade M, Bullock M, Glover A, Hutvagner G, Sidhu S. Key MicroRNA's and Their Targetome in Adrenocortical Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E2198. [PMID: 32781574 PMCID: PMC7465134 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12082198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Adrenocortical Carcinoma (ACC) is a rare but aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis and limited response to available systemic therapies. Although complete surgical resection gives the best chance for long-term survival, ACC has a two-year recurrence rate of 50%, which poses a therapeutic challenge. High throughput analyses focused on characterizing the molecular signature of ACC have revealed specific micro-RNAs (miRNAs) that are associated with aggressive tumor phenotypes. MiRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by inhibiting mRNA translation or degrading mRNA transcripts and have been generally implicated in carcinogenesis. This review summarizes the current insights into dysregulated miRNAs in ACC tumorigenesis, their known functions, and specific targetomes. In addition, we explore the possibility of particular miRNAs to be exploited as clinical biomarkers in ACC and as potential therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marthe Chehade
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Kolling Institute, Northern Sydney Local Health District, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia; (M.C.); (M.B.); (A.G.)
- Sydney Medical School Northern, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia
| | - Martyn Bullock
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Kolling Institute, Northern Sydney Local Health District, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia; (M.C.); (M.B.); (A.G.)
- Sydney Medical School Northern, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia
| | - Anthony Glover
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Kolling Institute, Northern Sydney Local Health District, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia; (M.C.); (M.B.); (A.G.)
- Sydney Medical School Northern, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia
- Endocrine Surgery Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital, Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, St. Leonards, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Gyorgy Hutvagner
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Stan Sidhu
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Kolling Institute, Northern Sydney Local Health District, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, Australia; (M.C.); (M.B.); (A.G.)
- Sydney Medical School Northern, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2065, Australia
- Endocrine Surgery Unit, Royal North Shore Hospital, Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, St. Leonards, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
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Berthon A, Bertherat J. Update of Genetic and Molecular Causes of Adrenocortical Hyperplasias Causing Cushing Syndrome. Horm Metab Res 2020; 52:598-606. [PMID: 32097969 DOI: 10.1055/a-1061-7349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Bilateral hyperplasias of the adrenal cortex are rare causes of chronic endogenous hypercortisolemia also called Cushing syndrome. These hyperplasias have been classified in two categories based on the adrenal nodule size: the micronodular types include Primary Pigmented Nodular Adrenocortical Disease (PPNAD) and isolated Micronodular Adrenal Disease (iMAD) and the macronodular also named Primary Bilateral Macronodular Adrenal Hyperplasia (PBMAH). This review discusses the genetic and molecular causes of these different forms of hyperplasia that involve mutations and dysregulation of various regulators of the cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) pathway. PKA signaling is the main pathway controlling cortisol secretion in adrenocortical cells under ACTH stimulation. Although mutations of the regulatory subunit R1α of PKA (PRKAR1A) is the main cause of familial and sporadic PPNAD, inactivation of two cAMP-binding phosphodiesterases (PDE11A and PDE8B) are associated with iMAD even if they are also found in PPNAD and PBMAH cases. Interestingly, PBMAH that is observed in multiple familial syndrome such as APC, menin, fumarate hydratase genes, has initially been associated with the aberrant expression of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) leading to an activation of cAMP/PKA pathway. However, more recently, the discovery of germline mutations in Armadillo repeat containing protein 5 (ARMC5) gene in 25-50% of PBMAH patients highlights its importance in the development of PBMAH. The potential relationship between ARMC5 mutations and aberrant GPCR expression is discussed as well as the potential other causes of PBMAH.
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Borges KS, Pignatti E, Leng S, Kariyawasam D, Ruiz-Babot G, Ramalho FS, Taketo MM, Carlone DL, Breault DT. Wnt/β-catenin activation cooperates with loss of p53 to cause adrenocortical carcinoma in mice. Oncogene 2020; 39:5282-5291. [PMID: 32561853 PMCID: PMC7378041 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-020-1358-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare and aggressive malignancy with limited therapeutic options. The lack of mouse models that recapitulate the genetics of ACC has hampered progress in the field. We analyzed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset for ACC and found that patients harboring alterations in both p53/Rb and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways show a worse prognosis compared with patients that harbored alterations in only one. To model this, we utilized the Cyp11b2(AS)Cre mouse line to generate mice with adrenocortical-specific Wnt/β-catenin activation, Trp53 deletion, or the combination of both. Mice with targeted Wnt/β-catenin activation or Trp53 deletion showed no changes associated with tumor formation. In contrast, alterations in both pathways led to ACC with pulmonary metastases. Similar to ACCs in humans, these tumors produced increased levels of corticosterone and aldosterone and showed a high proliferation index. Gene expression analysis revealed that mouse tumors exhibited downregulation of Star and Cyp11b1 and upregulation of Ezh2, similar to ACC patients with a poor prognosis. Altogether, these data show that altering both Wnt/β-catenin and p53/Rb signaling is sufficient to drive ACC in mouse. This autochthonous model of ACC represents a new tool to investigate the biology of ACC and to identify new treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kleiton Silva Borges
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
| | - Emanuele Pignatti
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Sining Leng
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Division of Medical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Dulanjalee Kariyawasam
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Gerard Ruiz-Babot
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Fernando Silva Ramalho
- Department of Pathology, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Brazil
| | - Makoto Mark Taketo
- Division of Experimental Therapeutics, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8506, Japan
| | - Diana L Carlone
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - David T Breault
- Division of Endocrinology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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Kar A, Wierman ME, Kiseljak-Vassiliades K. Update on in-vivo preclinical research models in adrenocortical carcinoma. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes 2020; 27:170-176. [PMID: 32304391 PMCID: PMC8103733 DOI: 10.1097/med.0000000000000543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The aim of this review is to summarize recent advances on development of in vivo preclinical models of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). RECENT FINDINGS Significant progress has been achieved in the underlying molecular mechanisms of adrenocortical tumorigenesis over the last decade, and recent comprehensive profiling analysis of ACC tumors identified several genetic and molecular drivers of this disease. Therapeutic breakthroughs, however, have been limited because of the lack of preclinical models recapitulating the molecular features and heterogeneity of the tumors. Recent publications on genetically engineered mouse models and development of patient-derived ACC xenografts in both nude mice and humanized mice now provide researchers with novel tools to explore therapeutic targets in the context of heterogeneity and tumor microenvironment in human ACC. SUMMARY We review current in-vivo models of ACC and discuss potential therapeutic opportunities that have emerged from these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adwitiya Kar
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz Medical Campus Aurora
| | - Margaret E. Wierman
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz Medical Campus Aurora
- Research Service, Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Katja Kiseljak-Vassiliades
- Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz Medical Campus Aurora
- Research Service, Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Ikeya A, Nakashima M, Yamashita M, Kakizawa K, Okawa Y, Saitsu H, Sasaki S, Sasano H, Suda T, Oki Y. CCNB2 and AURKA overexpression may cause atypical mitosis in Japanese cortisol-producing adrenocortical carcinoma with TP53 somatic variant. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231665. [PMID: 32287321 PMCID: PMC7156056 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Many genomic analyses of cortisol-producing adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) have been reported, but very few have come from East Asia. The first objective of this study is to verify the genetic difference with the previous reports by analyzing targeted deep sequencing of 7 Japanese ACC cases using next-generation sequencing (NGS). The second objective is to compare the somatic variant findings identified by NGS analysis with clinical and pathological findings, aiming to acquire new knowledge about the factors that contribute to the poor prognosis of ACC and to find new targets for the treatment of ACC. Method DNA was extracted from ACC tissue of seven patients and two reference blood samples. Targeted deep sequencing was performed using the MiSeq system for 12 genes, and the obtained results were analyzed using MuTect2. The hypothesis was obtained by integrating the somatic variant findings with clinical and pathological data, and it was further verified using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset for ACC. Results Six possible pathogenic and one uncertain significance somatic variants including a novel PRKAR1A (NM_002734.4):c.545C>A (p.T182K) variant were found in five of seven cases. By integrating these data with pathological findings, we hypothesized that cases with TP53 variants were more likely to show atypical mitotic figures. Using TCGA dataset, we found that atypical mitotic figures were associated with TP53 somatic variant, and mRNA expression of CCNB2 and AURKA was significantly high in TP53 mutated cases and atypical mitotic figure cases. Conclusion We believe this is the first report that discusses the relationship between atypical mitotic figures and TP53 somatic variant in ACC. We presumed that overexpression of CCNB2 and AURKA mRNA may cause atypical mitosis in TP53 somatic mutated cases. Because AURKA is highly expressed in atypical mitotic cases, it may be an appropriate indicator for AURKA inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akira Ikeya
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Mitsuko Nakashima
- Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Miho Yamashita
- Department Internationalization Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Keisuke Kakizawa
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Yuta Okawa
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Hirotomo Saitsu
- Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
- Department Internationalization Center, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Shigekazu Sasaki
- Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Hironobu Sasano
- Department of Pathology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Takafumi Suda
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
| | - Yutaka Oki
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Shizuoka, Japan
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Reimondo G, Muller A, Ingargiola E, Puglisi S, Terzolo M. Is Follow-up of Adrenal Incidentalomas Always Mandatory? Endocrinol Metab (Seoul) 2020; 35:26-35. [PMID: 32207261 PMCID: PMC7090287 DOI: 10.3803/enm.2020.35.1.26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Adrenal masses are mainly detected unexpectedly by an imaging study performed for reasons unrelated to any suspect of adrenal diseases. Such masses are commonly defined as "adrenal incidentalomas" and represent a public health challenge because they are increasingly recognized in current medical practice. Management of adrenal incidentalomas is currently matter of debate. Although there is consensus on the need of a multidisciplinary expert team evaluation and surgical approach in patients with significant hormonal excess and/or radiological findings suspicious of malignancy demonstrated at the diagnosis or during follow-up, the inconsistency between official guidelines and the consequent diffuse uncertainty on management of small adrenal incidentalomas still represents a considerable problem in terms of clinical choices in real practice. The aim of the present work is to review the proposed strategies on how to manage patients with adrenal incidentalomas that are not candidates to immediate surgery. The recent European Society of Endocrinology/European Network for the Study of Adrenal Tumors guidelines have supported the view to avoid surveillance in patients with clear benign adrenal lesions <4 cm and/or without any hormonal secretion; however, newer prospective studies are needed to confirm safety of this strategy, in particular in younger patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Reimondo
- Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, University of Turin, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Muller
- Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, University of Turin, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Elisa Ingargiola
- Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, University of Turin, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Soraya Puglisi
- Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, University of Turin, Orbassano, Italy.
| | - Massimo Terzolo
- Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, University of Turin, Orbassano, Italy
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Rubin B, Pilon C, Pezzani R, Rebellato A, Fallo F. The effects of mitotane and 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 on Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in human adrenocortical carcinoma cells. J Endocrinol Invest 2020; 43:357-367. [PMID: 31587178 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-019-01127-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Mitotane is the only chemotherapeutic agent available for the treatment of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), however, the anti-neoplastic efficacy is limited due to several side-effects in vivo. There is, therefore, a need of exploring for new anti-tumoral agents which can be used either alone or in combination with mitotane. The active vitamin D metabolite 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1α,25(OH)2D3) acts as an anti-proliferative agent in human cancer by inhibiting the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway through the vitamin D receptor (VDR). The aim of this study was to study the effects of mitotane and 1α,25(OH)2D3, individually or in combination, in an in vitro model with H295R ACC cells, and to elucidate the molecular events behind their effects involving the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling. METHODS AND RESULTS Multiple concentrations of mitotane and 1α,25(OH)2D3, individually or in combination, were tested on H295R cells for 24-96 h, and the effects analysed by MTT. A reduction in cell growth was observed in a dose/time-dependent manner for both mitotane and 1α,25(OH)2D3. In addition, a combination of clinically sub-therapeutic concentrations of mitotane with 1α,25(OH)2D3, had an additive anti-proliferative effect (Combination Index = 1.02). In a wound healing assay, individual treatments of both mitotane and 1α,25(OH)2D3 reduced the migration ability of H295R cells, with the effect further enhanced on combining both the agents. Western blotting and qRT-PCR analysis showed a modulation of the Wnt/beta-catenin and VDR signaling pathways. CONCLUSION Our results show an additive effect of mitotane and 1α,25(OH)2D3 on the inhibition of H295R ACC cell growth and viability, and suggest that molecular mechanisms of their effects involve a functional link between VDR and Wnt/beta-catenin pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Rubin
- Endocrine-Metabolic Laboratory, Clinica Medica 3, Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - C Pilon
- Endocrine-Metabolic Laboratory, Clinica Medica 3, Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - R Pezzani
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - A Rebellato
- Endocrine-Metabolic Laboratory, Clinica Medica 3, Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - F Fallo
- Endocrine-Metabolic Laboratory, Clinica Medica 3, Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padova, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128, Padua, Italy.
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Moon SJ, Kim JH, Kong SH, Shin CS. Protein Expression of Cyclin B1, Transferrin Receptor, and Fibronectin Is Correlated with the Prognosis of Adrenal Cortical Carcinoma. Endocrinol Metab (Seoul) 2020; 35:132-141. [PMID: 32207273 PMCID: PMC7090291 DOI: 10.3803/enm.2020.35.1.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adrenal cortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare cancer with a variable prognosis. Several prognostic factors of ACC have been previously reported, but a proteomic analysis has not yet been performed. This study aimed to investigate prognostic biomarkers for ACC using a proteomic approach. METHODS We used reverse-phase protein array data from The Cancer Proteome Atlas, and identified differentially expressed proteins in metastatic ACCs. Multivariate Cox regression analysis adjusted by age and staging was used for survival analysis, and the C-index and category-free net reclassification improvement (cfNRI) were utilized to evaluate additive prognostic value. RESULTS In 46 patients with ACC, cyclin B1, transferrin receptor (TfR1), and fibronectin were significantly overexpressed in patients with distant metastasis. In multivariate models, high expression of cyclin B1 and TfR1 was significantly associated with mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 6.13; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02 to 36.7; and HR, 6.59; 95% CI, 1.14 to 38.2; respectively), whereas high fibronectin expression was not (HR, 3.92; 95% CI, 0.75 to 20.4). Combinations of high cyclin B1/high TfR1, high cyclin B1/high fibronectin, and high TfR1/high fibronectin were strongly associated with mortality ([HR, 13.72; 95% CI, 1.89 to 99.66], [HR, 9.22; 95% CI, 1.34 to 63.55], and [HR, 18.59; 95% CI, 2.54 to 135.88], respectively). In reclassification analyses, cyclin B1, TfR1, fibronectin, and combinations thereof improved the prognostic performance (C-index, 0.78 to 0.82-0.86; cfNRI, all P values <0.05). CONCLUSION In ACC patients, the overexpression of cyclin B1, TfR1, and fibronectin and combinations thereof were associated with poor prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Joon Moon
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jung Hee Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Sung Hye Kong
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Chan Soo Shin
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Zhou T, Luo P, Wang L, Yang S, Qin S, Wei Z, Liu J. CTNNB1 Knockdown Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Aldosterone Secretion Through Inhibiting Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in H295R Cells. Technol Cancer Res Treat 2020; 19:1533033820979685. [PMID: 33287648 PMCID: PMC7727057 DOI: 10.1177/1533033820979685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Aldosterone-producing adenomas (APA) is one of the causative factors of primary aldosteronism. Previous studies have suggested that there are somatic CTNNB1 mutations in APA, but the specific mechanism of CTNNB1 mutation in APA tumorigenesis and aldosterone secretion remains unclear. In the present study, human adrenocortical carcinoma cell line H295 R was used to establish stable CTNNB1 knockdown cell lines. Cell proliferation and aldosterone secretion of H295 R cells in response to angiotensin Ⅱ (Agn Ⅱ) were analyzed. We found that CTNNB1 knockdown reduced β-catenin expression and inhibited proliferation of H295 R cells. CTNNB1 knockdown inhibited Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and downregulated expression of downstream genes including axin 2, lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1), and cyclin D1. In addition, CTNNB1 knockdown decreased responses of H295 R cells to Agn Ⅱ and decreased aldosterone secretion. Our findings suggest that CTNNB1 knockdown can inhibit H295 R cell proliferation and decrease aldosterone secretion in the responses of H295 R cells to Ang II through inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, indicating that targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway may be an important approach to decrease aldosterone secretion in the treatment of aldoster-producing adenomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Zhou
- Department of Urology, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command PLA, Chengdu, China
| | - Pengwei Luo
- Department of Urology, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command PLA, Chengdu, China
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of Urology, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command PLA, Chengdu, China
| | - Shiwei Yang
- Department of Urology, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command PLA, Chengdu, China
| | - Shiyuan Qin
- Department of Urology, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command PLA, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhitao Wei
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College
| | - Jiwen Liu
- Department of Urology, The General Hospital of Western Theater Command PLA, Chengdu, China
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Xie L, Wang Q, Nan F, Ge L, Dang Y, Sun X, Li N, Dong H, Han Y, Zhang G, Zhu W, Guo X. OSacc: Gene Expression-Based Survival Analysis Web Tool For Adrenocortical Carcinoma. Cancer Manag Res 2019; 11:9145-9152. [PMID: 31749633 PMCID: PMC6817837 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s215586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression profiling data with long-term clinical follow-up information are great resources to screen, develop, evaluate and validate prognostic biomarkers in translational cancer research. However, an easy-to-use interactive online tool is needed to analyze these profiling and clinical data. In the current work, we developed OSacc (Online consensus Survival analysis of ACC), a web tool that provides rapid and user-friendly survival analysis based on seven independent transcriptomic profiles with long-term clinical follow-up information of 259 ACC patients gathered from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. OSacc allows researchers and clinicians to evaluate the prognostic value of genes of interest by Kaplan–Meier (KM) survival plot with hazard ratio (HR) and log-rank test in ACC. OSacc is freely available at http://bioinfo.henu.edu.cn/ACC/ACCList.jsp.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longxiang Xie
- Bioinformatics Department of Predictive Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Cell Signal Transduction Laboratory, Bioinformatics Center, Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Software, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Bioinformatics Department of Predictive Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Cell Signal Transduction Laboratory, Bioinformatics Center, Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Software, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, People's Republic of China
| | - Fangmei Nan
- Bioinformatics Department of Predictive Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Cell Signal Transduction Laboratory, Bioinformatics Center, Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Software, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, People's Republic of China
| | - Linna Ge
- Bioinformatics Department of Predictive Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Cell Signal Transduction Laboratory, Bioinformatics Center, Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Software, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, People's Republic of China
| | - Yifang Dang
- Bioinformatics Department of Predictive Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Cell Signal Transduction Laboratory, Bioinformatics Center, Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Software, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoxiao Sun
- Bioinformatics Department of Predictive Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Cell Signal Transduction Laboratory, Bioinformatics Center, Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Software, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Li
- Bioinformatics Department of Predictive Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Cell Signal Transduction Laboratory, Bioinformatics Center, Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Software, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, People's Republic of China
| | - Huan Dong
- Bioinformatics Department of Predictive Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Cell Signal Transduction Laboratory, Bioinformatics Center, Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Software, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, People's Republic of China
| | - Yali Han
- Bioinformatics Department of Predictive Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Cell Signal Transduction Laboratory, Bioinformatics Center, Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Software, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, People's Republic of China
| | - Guosen Zhang
- Bioinformatics Department of Predictive Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Cell Signal Transduction Laboratory, Bioinformatics Center, Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Software, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, People's Republic of China
| | - Wan Zhu
- Department of Anesthesia, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xiangqian Guo
- Bioinformatics Department of Predictive Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Informatics, Cell Signal Transduction Laboratory, Bioinformatics Center, Henan Provincial Engineering Center for Tumor Molecular Medicine, School of Software, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, People's Republic of China
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Levasseur A, Dumontet T, Martinez A. “Sexual dimorphism in adrenal gland development and tumorigenesis”. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coemr.2019.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Vilela LAP, Rassi-Cruz M, Guimaraes AG, Moises CCS, Freitas TC, Alencar NP, Petenuci J, Goldbaum TS, Maciel AAW, Pereira MAA, Silva GV, Pio-Abreu A, Zerbini MCN, Cavalcante ACBS, Carnevale FC, Pilan B, Yamauchi F, Srougi V, Tanno FY, Chambo JL, Latronico AC, Mendonca BB, Fragoso MCBV, Bortolotto LA, Drager LF, Almeida MQ. KCNJ5 Somatic Mutation Is a Predictor of Hypertension Remission After Adrenalectomy for Unilateral Primary Aldosteronism. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2019; 104:4695-4702. [PMID: 31216002 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2019-00531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Primary aldosteronism (PA) is the most common cause of endocrine hypertension (HT). HT remission (defined as blood pressure <140/90 mm Hg without antihypertensive drugs) has been reported in approximately 50% of patients with unilateral PA after adrenalectomy. HT duration and severity are predictors of blood pressure response, but the prognostic role of somatic KCNJ5 mutations is unclear. OBJECTIVE To determine clinical and molecular features associated with HT remission after adrenalectomy in patients with unilateral PA. METHODS We retrospectively evaluated 100 patients with PA (60 women; median age at diagnosis 48 years with a median follow-up of 26 months). Anatomopathological analysis revealed 90 aldosterone-producing adenomas, 1 carcinoma, and 9 unilateral adrenal hyperplasias. All patients had biochemical cure after unilateral adrenalectomy. KCNJ5 gene was sequenced in 76 cases. RESULTS KCNJ5 mutations were identified in 33 of 76 (43.4%) tumors: p.Gly151Arg (n = 17), p.Leu168Arg (n = 15), and p.Glu145Gln (n = 1). HT remission was reported in 37 of 100 (37%) patients. Among patients with HT remission, 73% were women (P = 0.04), 48.6% used more than three antihypertensive medications (P = 0.0001), and 64.9% had HT duration <10 years (P = 0.0015) compared with those without HT remission. Somatic KCNJ5 mutations were associated with female sex (P = 0.004), larger nodules (P = 0.001), and HT remission (P = 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, only a somatic KCNJ5 mutation was an independent predictor of HT remission after adrenalectomy (P = 0.004). CONCLUSION The presence of a KCNJ5 somatic mutation is an independent predictor of HT remission after unilateral adrenalectomy in patients with unilateral PA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia A P Vilela
- Unidade de Suprarrenal, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM/42, Serviço de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcela Rassi-Cruz
- Unidade de Suprarrenal, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM/42, Serviço de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Augusto G Guimaraes
- Unidade de Suprarrenal, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM/42, Serviço de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caio C S Moises
- Unidade de Suprarrenal, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM/42, Serviço de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thais C Freitas
- Unidade de Suprarrenal, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM/42, Serviço de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Natalia P Alencar
- Unidade de Suprarrenal, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM/42, Serviço de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Janaina Petenuci
- Unidade de Suprarrenal, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM/42, Serviço de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tatiana S Goldbaum
- Unidade de Suprarrenal, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM/42, Serviço de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Alice W Maciel
- Unidade de Suprarrenal, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM/42, Serviço de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Adelaide A Pereira
- Unidade de Suprarrenal, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM/42, Serviço de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Giovanio V Silva
- Unidade de Hipertensão, Disciplina de Nefrologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andrea Pio-Abreu
- Unidade de Hipertensão, Disciplina de Nefrologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Claudia N Zerbini
- Divisão de Anatomia Patológica, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aline C B S Cavalcante
- Instituto de Radiologia InRad, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Francisco C Carnevale
- Instituto de Radiologia InRad, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bruna Pilan
- Instituto de Radiologia InRad, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando Yamauchi
- Instituto de Radiologia InRad, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vitor Srougi
- Serviço Urologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fabio Y Tanno
- Serviço Urologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jose L Chambo
- Serviço Urologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Claudia Latronico
- Unidade de Suprarrenal, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM/42, Serviço de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Berenice B Mendonca
- Unidade de Suprarrenal, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM/42, Serviço de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Candida B V Fragoso
- Unidade de Suprarrenal, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM/42, Serviço de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Servico de Endocrinologia, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luiz A Bortolotto
- Unidade de Hipertensão, Instituto do Coração (InCor), Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luciano F Drager
- Unidade de Hipertensão, Disciplina de Nefrologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Unidade de Hipertensão, Instituto do Coração (InCor), Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Madson Q Almeida
- Unidade de Suprarrenal, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM/42, Serviço de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Servico de Endocrinologia, Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo (ICESP), Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Xu WH, Wu J, Wang J, Wan FN, Wang HK, Cao DL, Qu YY, Zhang HL, Ye DW. Screening and Identification of Potential Prognostic Biomarkers in Adrenocortical Carcinoma. Front Genet 2019; 10:821. [PMID: 31572440 PMCID: PMC6749084 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare but aggressive malignant cancer that has been attracting growing attention over recent decades. This study aims to integrate protein interaction networks with gene expression profiles to identify potential biomarkers with prognostic value in silico. Methods: Three microarray data sets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) according to the normalization annotation information. Enrichment analyses were utilized to describe biological functions. A protein-protein interaction network (PPI) of the DEGs was developed, and the modules were analyzed using STRING and Cytoscape. LASSO Cox regression was used to identify independent prognostic factors. The Kaplan-Meier method for the integrated expression score was applied to analyze survival outcomes. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed with area under curve (AUC) analysis to determine the diagnostic ability of the candidate biomarkers. Results: A total of 150 DEGs and 24 significant hub genes with functional enrichment were identified as candidate prognostic biomarkers. LASSO Cox regression suggested that ZWINT, PRC1, CDKN3, CDK1 and CCNA2 were independent prognostic factors in ACC. In multivariate Cox analysis, the integrated expression scores of the modules showed statistical significance in predicting disease-free survival (DFS, P = 0.019) and overall survival (OS, P < 0.001). Meanwhile, ROC curves were generated to validate the ability of the Cox model to predict prognosis. The AUC index for the integrated genes scores was 0.861 (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study identifies DEGs and hub genes that may be involved in poor prognosis and early recurrence of ACC. The expression levels of ZWINT, PRC1, CDKN3, CDK1 and CCNA2 are of high prognostic value, and may help us understand better the underlying carcinogenesis or progression of ACC. Further studies are required to elucidate molecular pathogenesis and alteration in signaling pathways for these genes in ACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Hao Xu
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junlong Wu
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang-Ning Wan
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong-Kai Wang
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Da-Long Cao
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Qu
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hai-Liang Zhang
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ding-Wei Ye
- Department of Urology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Abstract
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare, aggressive, and frequently deadly cancer. Up to 75% of all patients will eventually develop metastatic disease, and our current medical therapies for ACC provide limited - if any - survival benefit. These statistics highlight a crucial need for novel approaches. Recent studies performing comprehensive molecular profiling on ACC have illuminated that ACC is comprised of three clinically distinct molecular subtypes, bearing differential regulation of cell cycle, epigenetics, Wnt/β-catenin signaling, PKA signaling, steroidogenesis and immune cell biology. Furthermore, these studies have spurred the development of molecular subtype-based biomarkers, contextualized outcomes of recent clinical trials, and advanced our understanding of the underlying biology of adrenocortical homeostasis and cancer. In this review, we describe these findings and their implications for new strategies to apply targeted therapies to ACC.
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El-Maouche D, Hannah-Shmouni F, Mallappa A, Hargreaves CJ, Avila NA, Merke DP. Adrenal morphology and associated comorbidities in congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2019; 91:247-255. [PMID: 31001843 PMCID: PMC6635023 DOI: 10.1111/cen.13996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2018] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Adrenonodular hyperplasia and tumour formation are potential long-term complications of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) with little known regarding the clinical implications. Our aim was to describe volumetric adrenal morphology and determine the association between radiological findings and comorbidities in adults with classic CAH. DESIGN This was a cross-sectional study of 88 patients (mean age 29.2 ± 13 years, 47 females) with classic CAH seen in a tertiary referral centre. METHODS CT imaging, performed at study entry or when reaching adulthood, was used to create 3-dimensional volumetric models. Clinical, genetic and hormonal evaluations were collected and correlated with adrenal morphology and tumour formation. RESULTS Over one-third of the cohort was obese. 53% had elevated 17-OH-progesterone or androstenedione; and 60% had adrenal hyperplasia. Tumours included 11 myelolipomas, 8 benign adrenocortical adenomas, 1 pheochromocytoma and 50% of men had testicular adrenal rest tissue. CAH patients with adrenal hyperplasia had significantly higher number of comorbidities than those with morphologically normal adrenals (P = 0.03). Variables that positively correlated with adrenal volume included hypogonadal/oligomenorrhoeic status, hypertension, androstenedione, aldosterone, and triglyceride levels, and in women, low HDL and insulin resistance. Elevated aldosterone was observed in a subset of patients with simple virilizing CAH. CONCLUSIONS Adrenocortical hyperplasia is associated with a number of comorbidities, especially hypogonadism. Aldosterone production associated with adrenal enlargement may play a role in the development of metabolic risk factors. Further studies are needed to assess the long-term impact of the excess adrenal steroid milieu associated with adrenal enlargement to develop improved management strategies for CAH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diala El-Maouche
- The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
| | - Fady Hannah-Shmouni
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
| | - Ashwini Mallappa
- The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
| | | | - Nilo A. Avila
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
| | - Deborah P. Merke
- The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
- The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
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Chen JJ, Xiao ZJ, Meng X, Wang Y, Yu MK, Huang WQ, Sun X, Chen H, Duan YG, Jiang X, Wong MP, Chan HC, Zou F, Ruan YC. MRP4 sustains Wnt/β-catenin signaling for pregnancy, endometriosis and endometrial cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2019; 9:5049-5064. [PMID: 31410201 PMCID: PMC6691374 DOI: 10.7150/thno.32097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Abnormal Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the endometrium can lead to both embryo implantation failure and severe pathogenic changes of the endometrium such as endometrial cancer and endometriosis. However, how Wnt/β-catenin signaling is regulated in the endometrium remains elusive. We explored possible regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by multi-drug resistance protein 4 (MRP4), a potential target in cancer chemotherapy, and investigated the mechanism. Methods: Knockdown of MRP4 was performed in human endometrial cells in vitro or in a mouse embryo-implantation model in vivo. Immunoprecipitation, immunoblotting and immunofluorescence were used to assess protein interaction and stability. Wnt/β-catenin signaling was assessed by TOPflash reporter assay and quantitative PCR array. Normal and endometriotic human endometrial tissues were examined. Data from human microarray or RNAseq databases of more than 100 participants with endometriosis, endometrial cancer or IVF were analyzed. In vitro and in vivo tumorigenesis was performed. Results: MRP4-knockdown, but not its transporter-function-inhibition, accelerates β-catenin degradation in human endometrial cells. MRP4 and β-catenin are co-localized and co-immunoprecipitated in mouse and human endometrium. MRP4-knockdown in mouse uterus reduces β-catenin levels, downregulates a series of Wnt/β-catenin target genes and impairs embryo implantation, which are all reversed by blocking β-catenin degradation. Analysis of human endometrial biopsy samples and available databases reveals significant and positive correlations of MRP4 with β-catenin and Wnt/β-catenin target genes in the receptive endometrium in IVF, ectopic endometriotic lesions and endometrial cancers. Knockdown of MRP4 also inhibits in vitro and in vivo endometrial tumorigenesis. Conclusion: A previously undefined role of MRP4 in stabilizing β-catenin to sustain Wnt/β-catenin signaling in endometrial cells is revealed for both embryo implantation and endometrial disorders, suggesting MRP4 as a theranostic target for endometrial diseases associated with Wnt/β-catenin signaling abnormality.
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Abstract
The diagnosis of low-grade adrenal cortical carcinoma (ACC) confined to the adrenal gland can be challenging. Although there are diagnostic and prognostic molecular tests for ACC, they remain largely unutilized. We examined the diagnostic and prognostic value of altered reticulin framework and the immunoprofile of biomarkers including IGF-2, proteins involved in cell proliferation and mitotic spindle regulation (Ki67, p53, BUB1B, HURP, NEK2), DNA damage repair (PBK, γ-H2AX), telomere regulation (DAX, ATRX), wnt-signaling pathway (beta-catenin) and PI3K signaling pathway (PTEN, phospho-mTOR) in a tissue microarray of 50 adenomas and 43 carcinomas that were characterized for angioinvasion as defined by strict criteria, Weiss score, and mitotic rate-based tumor grade. IGF-2 and proteins involved in cell proliferation and mitotic spindle regulation (Ki67, p53, BUB1B, HURP, NEK2), DNA damage proteins (PBK, γ-H2AX), regulators of telomeres (DAXX, ATRX), and beta-catenin revealed characteristic expression profiles enabling the distinction of carcinomas from adenomas. Not all biomarkers were informative in all carcinomas. IGF-2 was the most useful biomarker of malignancy irrespective of tumor grade and cytomorphologic features, as juxtanuclear Golgi-pattern IGF-2 reactivity optimized for high specificity was identified in up to 80% of carcinomas and in no adenomas. Loss rather than qualitative alterations of the reticulin framework yielded statistical difference between carcinoma and adenoma. Angioinvasion defined as tumor cells invading through a vessel wall and intravascular tumor cells admixed with thrombus proved to be the best prognostic parameter, predicting adverse outcome in the entire cohort as well as within low-grade ACCs. Low mitotic tumor grade, Weiss score, global loss of DAXX expression, and high phospho-mTOR expression correlated with disease-free survival, but Weiss score and biomarkers failed to predict adverse outcome in low-grade disease. Our results underscore the importance of careful morphologic assessment coupled with ancillary diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of ACC.
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Pittaway JFH, Guasti L. Pathobiology and genetics of adrenocortical carcinoma. J Mol Endocrinol 2019; 62:R105-R119. [PMID: 30072419 DOI: 10.1530/jme-18-0122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy with an incidence worldwide of 0.7-2.0 cases/million/year. Initial staging is the most important factor in determining prognosis. If diagnosed early, complete surgical resection +/- adjuvant treatment can lead to 5-year survival of up to 80%. However, often it is diagnosed late and in advanced disease, 5-year survival is <15% with a high recurrence rate even after radical surgery. The mainstay of adjuvant treatment is with the drug mitotane. Mitotane has a specific cytotoxic effect on steroidogenic cells of the adrenal cortex, but despite this, progression through treatment is common. Developments in genetic analysis in the form of next-generation sequencing, aided by bioinformatics, have enabled high-throughput molecular characterisation of these tumours. This, in addition to a better appreciation of the processes of physiological, homeostatic self-renewal of the adrenal cortex, has furthered our understanding of the pathogenesis of this malignancy. In this review, we have detailed the pathobiology and genetic alterations in adrenocortical carcinoma by integrating current understanding of homeostasis and self-renewal in the normal adrenal cortex with molecular profiling of tumours from recent genetic analyses. Improved understanding of the mechanisms involved in self-renewal and stem cell hierarchy in normal human adrenal cortices, together with the identification of cell populations likely to be co-opted by oncogenic mutations, will enable further progress in the definition of the molecular pathways involved in the pathogenesis of ACC. The combination of these advances eventually will lead to the development of novel, effective and personalised strategies to eradicate molecularly annotated ACCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- James F H Pittaway
- Centre for Endocrinology, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Leonardo Guasti
- Centre for Endocrinology, William Harvey Research Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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Sydney GI, Ioakim KJ, Paschou SA. Insulin resistance and adrenal incidentalomas: A bidirectional relationship. Maturitas 2018; 121:1-6. [PMID: 30704559 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
An adrenal incidentaloma (AI) is an adrenal mass incidentally found via a radiological modality, independent of an endocrinological investigation. In this review, we aimed to investigate the possible reasons behind the increased frequency in AI detection, especially in ageing populations. The pathophysiological effects of insulin resistance (IR), hyperinsulinemia and various anabolic pathways are analyzed. In addition, we review data from studies indicating an increased incidence of adrenal adenomas and carcinomas in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The establishment of obesity as a global epidemic, with a higher prevalence in the female than in the male population, coincide with data regarding AIs and the conditions may share a pathophysiological basis. Furthermore, we discuss the bidirectional association of AIs with obesity, insulin resistance and T2DM, especially in patients with autonomous cortisol secretion. Lastly, as per the definition of an AI, we touch upon the evolution of radiological imaging as another possible cause of the rise in prevalence of AIs, especially concerning the greater use and precision of computed tomography (CT).
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy I Sydney
- School of Medicine, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | | | - Stavroula A Paschou
- School of Medicine, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus; Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, "Aghia Sophia" Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
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