Functional polymorphisms in the IL6 gene promoter and the risk of urinary bladder cancer in India

Network Pharmacology Combined with Bioinformatics Analysis to Texplore the Potential Mechanism of Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex Against Bladder Cancer

The pharmacological mechanism of Phellodendri Chinensis cortex (PCC) against diseases, especially bladder cancer (BC), has never been reported systematically. This study was designed to explore potential mechanism of PCC in treatment of BC. First, we used network pharmacology to discover the potential mechanism of Phellodendri Chinensis cortex and phellodendrine against bladder cancer. Then, we used bioinformatics analysis to verify the correlation between gene expression analysis, survival analysis and common targets. Finally, molecular docking was used to calculate the binding energies of phellodendrine and common targets.A total of 264 targets for PCC were predicted, and 391 BC-related targets were obtained from 4 databases. There were 54 potential targets, 315 biological processes, and 120 signaling pathways involved for PCC against BC. The CDKN2A expression increased and the ESR1, JUN, IL6, AR, and PTGS2 levels decreased in BC according to Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis version 2. The high expression of JUN, MYC, EGFR, and EGF and low expression of VEGFA and PPARG were associated with short overall survival (OS). The high expression of AKT1, EGFR, and EGF and low expression of IL1β were associated with poor disease-free survival (DFS). The search of the intersection of phellodendrine and BC targets yielded 11 common targets, 50 biological processes, and 13 signaling pathways involved. High AURKA and FASN and low ESR1, JUN, ABCB1, and PTGS1 were expressed in BC. The high expression of FASN, ABCC1, PTGS1, JUN, and PIK3CA was associated with short OS, the high expression of PIK3CA and ABCC1 was associated with poor DFS prognosis. Phellodendrine showed a better binding affinity for PTGS2 protein with a docking score of -7.183 and a MM-GBSA result of -46.47 kcal/mol. This study revealed potential mechanism of PCC and phellodendrine against BC through network pharmacology and bioinformatics.

Association of interleukin6 rs1800796 gene polymorphism and serum level with bladder cancer in Egyptian population

BACKGROUND

Urinary bladder cancer (UBC)is a common tumor of the urinary tract.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the diagnostic significance of IL6 rs1800796 gene polymorphism and IL6 serum level among Egyptian patients with UBC.

DESIGN AND METHODS

One hundred patients with UBC were selected from the Mansoura Urology and Nephrology Center, in addition to 100 healthy control subjects; using PCR and ELISA techniques for IL6 detection.

RESULTS

The rs1800796 GC, CC genotypes, and C allele were significantly more prevalent in the cases with bladder cancer compared to the healthy group (p < 0.001, = 0.021, < 0.001 respectively). There was a clear association between elevated levels of IL6 and bladder cancer versus the control group (median = 4.2, 0.89 respectively, p < 0.001). Serum IL6 levels showed significantly higher levels in patients carrying CC, followed by GC then GG genotypes. No significant association was found between IL6 rs1800796 gene polymorphism or serum level with demographic or laboratory data.

CONCLUSION

It is suggested that there is a clear link between elevated IL6 levels as well as IL6 rs1800796 gene polymorphism with bladder cancer, suggesting their potential utility as biomarkers for the disease.

The Effect of IL-6 174G > C Gene Polymorphism on Gastrointestinal Cancer: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

IL-6 gene polymorphisms can play a role in the development or control of cancer by affecting cytokines. Gastrointestinal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of polymorphism of the IL-6 174G > C gene on gastrointestinal cancers based on a systematic review and meta-analysis, including gastric, colorectal, and esophageal cancer. In this study, a systematic and meta-analytical review of the study data on the effect of polymorphism of IL-6 174G > C gene on gastrointestinal cancer (gastric, colorectal, and esophageal cancer) in Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, PubMed, and Science Direct Databases was extracted without any time limit until April 2020. In order to perform the analysis of eligible studies, the model of random effects was used and the heterogeneity of studies was investigated with I2 index. Data analysis was performed with Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (Version 2). The total number of surveyed studies in patients with colorectal cancer was 22 studies. Based on the results of meta-analysis, the odds ratio of GG genotype in patients with colorectal cancer was 0.88. The odds ratio of GC genotype obtained in patients with colorectal cancer was 0.88 and the odds ratio of CC genotype in patients with colorectal cancer was 0.92. The total number of surveyed studies in patients with gastric cancer was 12. Based on the meta-analysis results, the odds ratio of GG genotype in patients with gastric cancer was 0.74, the odds ratio of GC genotype in patients with gastric cancer was 1.27, and the odds ratio of CC genotype in patients with gastric cancer was 0.78. The total number of surveyed studies in esophageal cancer patients was 3 studies. Based on the results of meta-analysis, the odds ratio of GG genotype in patients with esophageal cancer was 0.57, the odds ratio of GC genotype in patients with esophageal cancer was 0.44, and the odds ratio of chance of CC genotype in patients with esophageal cancer was 0.99. In general, different genotypes of polymorphism of the IL-6 174G > C gene reduce the risk of gastric, colorectal, and esophageal cancer. However, the GC genotype of this gene was associated with a 27% increased risk of gastric cancer.

The Interplay between Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Angiogenesis in Bladder Cancer Development

In 2018, 550,000 people were diagnosed with bladder cancer (BC), of which nearly 200,000 people died. Moreover, men are 4 times more likely than women to be diagnosed with BC. The risk factors include exposure to environmental and occupational chemicals, especially tobacco smoke, benzidine and genetic factors. Despite numerous studies, the molecular basis of BC development remains unclear. A growing body of evidence suggests that inflammation, oxidant-antioxidant imbalance and angiogenesis disorders may play a significant role in the development and progression of bladder cancer. The patients with bladder cancer were characterised by an increased level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the products of lipid peroxidation, proinflammatory cytokines and proangiogenic factors as compared to controls. Furthermore, it was shown that polymorphisms localised in genes associated with these pathways may modulate the risk of BC. Interestingly, ROS overproduction may induce the production of proinflammatory cytokines, which finally activated angiogenesis. Moreover, the available literature shows that both inflammation and oxidative stress may lead to activation of angiogenesis and tumour progression in BC patients.

Interaction of tobacco chewing and smoking habit with interleukin 6 promoter polymorphism in oral precancerous lesions and oral cancer

OBJECTIVE

Our study aims to determine the influence of smoking or tobacco chewing and the association of Interleukin 6 (IL-6) polymorphism, where G is substituted by A at the position - 596 (IL-6 - 596 G/A) and substitution of G by cytosine (C) at position - 572 (IL-6 - 572 G/C) on the susceptibility of precancerous oral lesions and oral cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The participants consisted of 250 subjects among which 75 were suffering from oral cancer, 75 subjects with precancerous oral lesions and 100 were healthy controls. Single-nucleotide polymorphism study (SNP) was done by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP).

RESULTS

IL-6 - 596 G/A SNP revealed genotypes, GG, and GA in subjects with precancerous oral lesions and oral cancer, and AA genotype was not found in any subject. IL-6 - 596 G/A was strongly associated with oral precancerous lesions but not with oral cancer. The present study reports that smokers carrying GA for IL-6 - 596 G/A were at several folds higher risk of developing oral precancerous lesions. Smokers with GC and CC for IL-6 - 572 G/C were at higher risk of developing oral precancerous lesions. No significant interaction was observed between these habits and IL-6 - 596 G/A and IL-6 - 572 G/C SNP with oral cancer.

CONCLUSION

The interaction of variant A allele of IL-6 - 596 G/A and C allele of IL-6 - 572 G/C polymorphism with smoking and increases the risk of oral precancerous lesions. Tobacco chewing was not related with IL-6 - 596 G/A or IL-6 - 572 G/C in oral precancerous lesions or oral cancer.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The study will help to determine the susceptibility of individuals with smoking or chewing habits to the development of oral precancerous lesion and oral cancer by monitoring the IL-6 SNPs which can be used as a biomarker for risk determination.

A genome-wide association study uncovers a critical role of the RsPAP2 gene in red-skinned Raphanus sativus L

Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) taproot contains high concentrations of flavonoids, including anthocyanins (ATCs), in red-skinned genotypes. However, little information on the genetic regulation of ATC biosynthesis in radish is available. A genome-wide association study of radish red skin color was conducted using whole-genome sequencing data derived from 179 radish genotypes. The R2R3-MYB transcription factor production of anthocyanin pigment 2 (PAP2) gene was found in the region associated with a leading SNP located on chromosome 2. The amino acid sequence encoded by the RsPAP2 gene was different from those of the other published RsMYB genes responsible for the red skin color of radish. The overexpression of the RsPAP2 gene resulted in ATC accumulation in Arabidopsis and radish, which was accompanied by the upregulation of several ATC-related structural genes. RsPAP2 was found to bind the RsUFGT and RsTT8 promoters, as shown by a dual-luciferase reporter system and a yeast one-hybrid assay. The promoter activities of the RsANS, RsCHI, RsPAL, and RsUFGT genes could be strongly activated by coinfiltration with RsPAP2 and RsTT8. These findings showed the effectiveness of GWAS in identifying candidate genes in radish and demonstrated that RsPAP2 could (either directly or together with its cofactor RsTT8) regulate the transcript levels of ATC-related genes to promote ATC biosynthesis, facilitating the genetic enhancement of ATC contents and other related traits in radish.

A functional variant rs1464938 in the promoter of fibroblast growth factor 12 is associated with an increased risk of bladder transitional cell carcinoma

Increasing evidence shows that inflammation plays critical roles in the tumorigenesis of bladder cancer. Fibroblast growth factor 12 (FGF12), a kind of inflammatory cytokine, is located in the region of 3q28 that has been demonstrated to be a bladder cancer risk locus by genome wide association study (GWAS). In this study, we aimed to investigate the association of GWAS signal rs710521 and rs884309 and rs1464938 in the promoter of FGF12 with the risk of bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). The polymorphisms were analyzed by using a Taqman assay in 331 TCC patients and 516 age-, gender-, and ethnicity-matched controls. The expression levels of FGF12 mRNA were examined in TCC and non-cancerous normal tissues by using quantitative real-time PCR and the luciferase activity was determined by using the Dual-Luciferase Assay System. The rs1464938 AA genotype and A allele were associated with a significantly increased risk of TCC (AA vs. GG: adjusted OR = 2.54, 95% CI, 1.49-4.35, P < 0.001; AA vs. AG/GG: adjusted OR = 2.25, 95% CI, 1.36-3.71, P = 0.002; A vs. G: adjusted OR = 1.44, 95% CI, 1.15-1.80, P = 0.001, respectively). Haplotype analysis showed that rs884309G- rs1464938A haplotype was associated with an increased risk of TCC (OR = 1.61, 95% CI, 1.23-2.11, P = 0.001). Functional analysis showed that the rs1464938 AG/AA genotypes exhibited higher levels of FGF12 mRNA in TCC tissues and the rs1464938 A allele enhanced FGF12 promoter activity (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the rs1464938 A allele at the 3q28 locus contribute to the development of TCC by regulating FGF12 expression levels.

Effects of the IL6 -174G>C promoter polymorphism and IL-6 serum levels on the progression of cutaneous malignant melanoma

Cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) is one of the most immunogenic types of cancer, with a 6-fold higher rate of spontaneous regression than any other malignancy. In addition to responsiveness to different immunotherapies, the immunogenicity of CMM highlights the important role of the host immune system in the response to CMM. The present study aimed to explore the role of two functional promoter polymorphisms [IL6 -174G>C (rs1800785) and TNFA -308G>A (rs1800629)] in the regulation of the genes encoding the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α, specifically in patients with CMM. A total of 76 patients with CMM and 200 control subjects were genotyped using PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The genotype frequencies for both single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) did not differ significantly between the patients and controls (P=0.358 and P=0.810 for IL6 and TNFA, respectively). However, compared with carriers of C-allele genotypes (CG+CC), patients with the IL6 -174GG genotype exhibited more advanced melanoma (Clark scale ≥3; P=0.037) and shorter survival times, particularly those who worked outdoors (in conditions with increased sunlight exposure; P=0.016). Furthermore, the serum IL-6 levels of patients with CMM were significantly higher than those of the control subjects, which were associated with unfavorable blood and serum characteristics and tumor progression (development of new distant metastases; P=0.004), and with a shorter overall survival time (P=0.042). Using a Cox proportional hazard model, the IL6 -174GG genotype was found to be an independent prognostic factor for reduced survival time (P=0.030), together with sex (being male; P=0.004) and occupations with higher exposure to sunlight (P=0.047). In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that the promoter polymorphisms IL6 -174G>C and TNFA -308G>A are not predisposing factors for CMM. However, the IL6 -174G>C SNP and IL-6 serum concentrations are likely to influence the progression of the disease, and the GG genotype and higher IL-6 serum levels may indicate shorter survival.

Systematic Review: Genetic Associations for Prognostic Factors of Urinary Bladder Cancer

INTRODUCTION

Many germline associations have been reported for urinary bladder cancer (UBC) outcomes and prognostic characteristics. It is unclear whether there are overlapping genetic patterns for various prognostic endpoints. We aimed to review contemporary literature on genetic associations with UBC prognostic outcomes and to identify potential overlap in reported genes.

METHODS

EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PubMed databases were queried for relevant articles in English language without date restrictions. The initial search identified 1346 articles. After exclusions, 112 studies have been summarized. Cumulatively, 316 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were reported across prognostic outcomes (recurrence, progression, death) and characteristics (tumor stage, grade, size, age, risk group). There were considerable differences between studied outcomes in the context of genetic associations. The most commonly reported SNPs were located in OGG1, TP53, and MDM2. For outcomes with the highest number of reported associations (ie, recurrence and death), functional enrichment annotation yields different terms, potentially indicating separate biological mechanisms.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that all UBC prognostic outcomes may have different biological origins with limited overlap. Further validation of these observations is essential to target a phenotype that could best predict patient outcome and advance current management practices.

Inflammatory cytokines in bladder cancer

The presence of inflammatory cells and their products in the tumor microenvironment plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of a tumor. Releasing the cytokines from a host in response to infection and inflammation can inhibit tumor growth and progression. However, tumor cells can also respond to the host cytokines with increasing the growth/invasion/metastasis. Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancers in the world. The microenvironment of a bladder tumor has been indicated to be rich in growth factors/inflammatory cytokines that can induce the tumor growth/progression and also suppress the immune system. On the contrary, modulate of the cancer progression has been shown following upregulation of the cytokines-related pathways that suggested the cytokines as potential therapeutic targets. In this study, we provide a summary of cytokines that are involved in BC formation/regression with both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory properties. A more accurate understanding of tumor microenvironment creates favorable conditions for cytokines targeting to treat BC.

Signal Transductions of BEAS-2B Cells in Response to Carcinogenic PM2.5 Exposure Based on a Microfluidic System

PM_2.5 (particulate matter less than 2.5 μm in diameter) is considered as a harmful carcinogen. Determining the precise relationship between the chemical constituents of PM_2.5 in the air and cancer progression could aid the treatment of environment related disease and establishing risk reduction strategies. Herein, we used transcriptomics (RNA-seq) and an integrated microfluidic system to identify the global gene expression and differential target proteins expression induced by ambient fine particles collected from the heavy haze in China. The results clearly indicated that cancer related pathways exhibited the strongest dysregulation. The ambient fine particles could be uptaken into the cells by pinocytosis, mainly promoting the PI3K-Akt pathway, FGF/FGFR/MAPK/VEGF signaling, and the JAK-STAT pathway, leading to evading apoptosis, sustained angiogenesis, and cell proliferation, which are the most important hallmarks of cancer. And fine particles also have been demonstrated to create intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial ROS, change intracellular free Ca²⁺, and induce apoptosis, which are all key players in mediating cancer progression. It was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that the particles from the haze could enter the mitochondria, resulting in disturbance of the mitochondrial membrane and disruption of the mitochondria, and these particles can even enter inside the nucleus. It was also found in our study of organics (OC, PAHs) and metals (Zn, As, V) that compounds of fine particles were more closely associated with the exacerbation of cancer and secondary aerosols generated by traffic had the largest impact on cancer related signal transductions.

Possible role of IL-6 and TIE2 gene polymorphisms in predicting the initial high transport status in patients with peritoneal dialysis: an observational study

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of interleukin (IL)-6 and TIE2 gene polymorphisms on baseline peritoneal transport property.

DESIGN

An observational study.

SETTING

Renji Hospital in Shanghai, China.

PARTICIPANTS

This study included 220 patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (PD).

OUTCOME MEASURES

Patients were divided into 2 groups based on the results of an initial peritoneal equilibration test performed within 3 months of starting PD therapy: group 1 consisted of low/low average transporters (n=123), and group 2 consisted of high/high average transporters (n=97). We genotyped TIE2 and IL-6 polymorphisms and analysed their effects on baseline transport status.

RESULTS

The genotype AT in IL-6 Rs13306435 and the genotype CC in TIE2 Rs639225 were both negatively associated with a higher initial peritoneal transport status (IL-6 Rs13306435: OR=0.408, 95% CI 0.227 to 0.736; TIE2 Rs639225: OR=0.188, 95% CI 0.044 to 0.806).

CONCLUSIONS

IL-6 and TIE2 polymorphisms are associated with baseline peritoneal transport property.

A Functional rs353293 Polymorphism in the Promoter of miR-143/145 Is Associated with a Reduced Risk of Bladder Cancer

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

MicroRNA (miR)-143/145, known as tumor suppressors, can promote cell apoptosis and differentiation, and suppress cell proliferation, invasion and migration. We performed a case-control study to investigate the association of rs353293 in the promoter region of miR-143/145 with bladder cancer risk.

METHODS

In total, 869 subjects including 333 cases and 536 controls were enrolled in this study, and the rs353293 polymorphism was genotyped by using a Taqman assay. The promoter activity was measured by the Dual-Luciferase Assay System.

RESULTS

We calculated an adjusted odds ratio of 0.64 for the presence of either AA/AG genotypes (95% CI 0.46-0.90) and 0.64 (95% CI 0.47-0.87) for carrying at least one A allele in bladder cancer. Stratified analyses showed that the AA/AG genotypes and the A allele were less prevalent in patients with low grade tumors, compared to those harboring higher grade bladder cancers (adjusted OR = 0.53, 95% CI, 0.30-0.94, P = 0.03 and adjusted OR = 0.54, 95% CI, 0.32-0.92, P = 0.02, respectively). In vitro luciferase reporter analysis showed that rs353293A allele had a lower activity compared with the rs353293G allele (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that the functional rs353293 polymorphism may be a useful biomarker to predict the risk of bladder cancer.