Role of the APRIL molecule in solid tumors

Anti-inflammatory role of APRIL by modulating regulatory B cells in antigen-induced arthritis

APRIL (A Proliferation-Inducing Ligand), a member of the TNF superfamily, was initially described for its ability to promote proliferation of tumor cells in vitro. Moreover, this cytokine has been related to the pathogenesis of different chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. This study aimed to evaluate the ability of APRIL in regulating B cell-mediated immune response in the antigen-induced arthritis (AIA) model in mice. AIA was induced in previously immunized APRIL-transgenic (Tg) mice and their littermates by administration of antigen (mBSA) into the knee joints. Different inflammatory cell populations in spleen and draining lymph nodes were analyzed using flow cytometry and the assay was performed in the acute and chronic phases of the disease, while cytokine levels were assessed by ELISA. In the acute AIA, APRIL-Tg mice developed a less severe condition and a smaller inflammatory infiltrate in articular tissues when compared with their littermates. We also observed that the total cellularity of draining lymph nodes was decreased in APRIL-Tg mice. Flow cytometry analysis revealed an increase of CD19+IgM+CD5+ cell population in draining lymph nodes and an increase of CD19+CD21hiCD23hi (B regulatory) cells in APRIL-Tg mice with arthritis as well as an increase of IL-10 and CXCL13 production in vitro.

Expression of Immune-Related and Inflammatory Markers and Their Prognostic Impact in Colorectal Cancer Patients

The tumor microenvironment of colorectal cancer (CRC) is heterogenous; thus, it is likely that multiple immune-related and inflammatory markers are simultaneously expressed in the tumor. The aim of this study was to identify immune-related and inflammatory markers expressed in freshly frozen CRC tissues and to investigate whether they are related to the clinicopathological features and prognosis of CRC. Seventy patients with CRC who underwent curative surgical resection between December 2014 and January 2017 were included in this study. Tissue samples were obtained from tumor and non-tumor areas in the patients' colons. The concentrations of immune-related markers (APRIL/TNFSF13, BAFF, LAG-3, PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4) and inflammatory markers (CHIT, MMP-3, osteocalcin, pentraxin-3, sTNF-R1, and sTNF-R2) in the samples were measured using the Bio-plex Multiplex Immunoassay system. The concentrations of APRIL/TNFSF13, BAFF, and MMP-3 in the samples were significantly high; thus, we conducted analyses based on the cut-off values for these three markers. The high-APRIL/TNFSH13-expression group showed a significantly higher rate of metastatic lesions than the low-expression group, whereas the high-MMP-3-expression group had higher CEA levels, more lymph node metastases, and more advanced disease stages than the low-expression group. The five-year disease-free survival of the high-MMP-3-expression group was significantly shorter than that of the low-expression group (65.1% vs. 90.2%, p = 0.033). This study provides evidence that the APRIL/TNFSF13, BAFF, and MMP-3 pathway is overexpressed in CRC tissues and is associated with unfavorable clinicopathological features and poor prognosis in CRC patients. These markers could serve as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for CRC.

BRAK and APRIL as novel biomarkers for ovarian tumors

Aims: To evaluate BRAK and APRIL in serum samples from healthy patients and an ovarian tumor group and analyze their effective value as biomarkers. Materials & methods: BRAK and APRIL were measured in 197 serum samples including 34 healthy controls, 48 patients with benign ovarian cysts and 115 patients with ovarian cancer, and the best statistical cutoff values were calculated. Then, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for selected cutoff points were assessed. Results: The healthy control group had statistically significant higher BRAK and lower APRIL than the ovarian tumor group. BRAK was excellent for differentiating healthy patients from patients with ovarian tumors, showing area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.983, 98.16% sensitivity and 100% specificity. When BRAK was combined with APRIL and CA-125, it also played a role in distinguishing benign cysts from malignancies with area under the curve 0.864, 81.74% sensitivity and 79.17% specificity. Conclusions: BRAK and APRIL are good candidates for ovarian tumor biomarkers.

MicroRNA-383: A tumor suppressor miRNA in human cancer

Downregulated expression of anti-tumor miR-383 has been found in many kinds of cancer. MiR-383 family members can directly target the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the mRNA of some pro-tumor genes to attenuate several cancer-related processes, including cell proliferation, invasion, migration, angiogenesis, immunosuppression, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, glycolysis, chemoresistance, and the development of cancer stem cells, whilst promoting apoptosis. Functionally, miR-383 operates as a tumor inhibitor miRNA in many types of cancer, including breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, glioma, medulloblastoma, melanoma, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, oral squamous cell carcinoma, thyroid cancer, and B-cell lymphoma. Both pro-tumor and anti-tumor effects have been attributed to miR-383 in ovarian cancer. However, only the pro-tumor effects of miR-383 were reported in cholangiocarcinoma. The restoration of miR-383 expression could be considered a possible treatment for cancer. This review discusses the anti-tumor effects of miR-383 in human cancers, emphasizing their downstream target genes and potential treatment approaches.