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Di Santo R, Verdelli F, Niccolini B, Varca S, Gaudio AD, Di Giacinto F, De Spirito M, Pea M, Giovine E, Notargiacomo A, Ortolani M, Di Gaspare A, Baldi A, Pizzolante F, Ciasca G. Exploring novel circulating biomarkers for liver cancer through extracellular vesicle characterization with infrared spectroscopy and plasmonics. Anal Chim Acta 2024; 1319:342959. [PMID: 39122286 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2024.342959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2024] [Revised: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer, with cirrhosis being a major risk factor. Traditional blood markers like alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) demonstrate limited efficacy in distinguishing between HCC and cirrhosis, underscoring the need for more effective diagnostic methodologies. In this context, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as promising candidates; however, their practical diagnostic application is restricted by the current lack of label-free methods to accurately profile their molecular content. To address this gap, our study explores the potential of mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectroscopy, both alone and in combination with plasmonic nanostructures, to detect and characterize circulating EVs. RESULTS EVs were extracted from HCC and cirrhotic patients. Mid-IR spectroscopy in the Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) mode was utilized to identify potential signatures for patient classification, highlighting significant changes in the Amide I-II region (1475-1700 cm-1). This signature demonstrated diagnostic performance comparable to AFP and surpassed it when the two markers were combined. Further investigations utilized a plasmonic metasurface suitable for ultrasensitive spectroscopy within this spectral range. This device consists of two sets of parallel rod-shaped gold nanoantennas (NAs); the longer NAs produced an intense near-field amplification in the Amide I-II bands, while the shorter NAs were utilized to provide a sharp reflectivity edge at 1800-2200 cm-1 for EV mass-sensing. A clinically relevant subpopulation of EVs was targeted by conjugating NAs with an antibody specific to Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule (EpCAM). This methodology enabled the detection of variations in the quantity of EpCAM-presenting EVs and revealed changes in the Amide I-II lineshape. SIGNIFICANCE The presented results can positively impact the development of novel laboratory methods for the label-free characterization of EVs, based on the combination between mid-IR spectroscopy and plasmonics. Additionally, data obtained by using HCC and cirrhotic subjects as a model system, suggest that this approach could be adapted for monitoring these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Di Santo
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore & Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", IRCCS, Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, della salute e delle Professioni sanitarie, Link Campus University, Rome, Italy
| | - F Verdelli
- Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (DIFFER), Eindhoven 5600 HH, The Netherlands
| | - B Niccolini
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore & Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - S Varca
- UOC of Gastroenterology, Department of Medical and Surgery Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A.Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - A Del Gaudio
- UOC of Gastroenterology, Department of Medical and Surgery Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A.Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - F Di Giacinto
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore & Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - M De Spirito
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore & Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
| | - M Pea
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche IFN-CNR, Via Del Fosso Del Cavaliere 100, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - E Giovine
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche IFN-CNR, Via Del Fosso Del Cavaliere 100, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - A Notargiacomo
- Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche IFN-CNR, Via Del Fosso Del Cavaliere 100, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - M Ortolani
- Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - A Di Gaspare
- NEST, CNR - Istituto Nanoscienze and Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Baldi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1081, 1081 HV Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - F Pizzolante
- UOC of Gastroenterology, Department of Medical and Surgery Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A.Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - G Ciasca
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Sezione di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore & Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
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Pordel S, Khorrami M, Saadatpour F, Rezaee D, Cho WC, Jahani S, Aghaei-Zarch SM, Hashemi E, Najafi S. The role of microRNA-185 in the pathogenesis of human diseases: A focus on cancer. Pathol Res Pract 2023; 249:154729. [PMID: 37639952 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2023.154729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a widely-studied class of non-coding RNAs characterized by their short length (18-25 nucleotides). The precise functions of miRNAs are not well-elucidated; however, an increasing number of studies suggest their involvement in various physiologic processes and deregulation in pathologic conditions. miRNA-185 (miR-185) is among the mostly-studied miRNAs in human diseases, which is found to play putative roles in conditions like metabolic disorders, asthma, frailty, schizophrenia, and hepatitis. Notably, many cancer studies report the downregulation of miR-185 in cell lines, tumor tissues, and plasma specimens of patients, while it demonstrates a suppressing role on the malignant properties of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Accordingly, miR-185 can be considered a tumor suppressor miRNA in human malignancies, while a few studies also report inconsistent findings. Being suggested as a prognostic/diagnostic biomarker, mi-185 is also found to offer clinical potentials, particularly for early diagnosis and prediction of the prognosis of cancer patients. In this review, we have outlined the studies that have evaluated the functions and clinical significance of miR-185 in different human diseases with a particular focus on cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safoora Pordel
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Department of Immunology and Allergy, The Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Motahare Khorrami
- Immunology Research Center, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Saadatpour
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Lab, Department of Microbiology, School of Biology and Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Delsuz Rezaee
- School of Allied Medical Sciences, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
| | - William C Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 30 Gascoigne Road, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Seyed Mohsen Aghaei-Zarch
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Elham Hashemi
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sajad Najafi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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3
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You J, Xia H, Huang Z, He R, Zhao X, Chen J, Liu S, Xu Y, Cui Y. Research progress of circulating non-coding RNA in diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1204715. [PMID: 37546394 PMCID: PMC10400719 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1204715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant tumor that carries a significant risk of morbidity and mortality. This type of cancer is prevalent in Asia due to the widespread presence of risk factors. Unfortunately, HCC often goes undetected until it has reached an advanced stage, making early detection and treatment critical for better outcomes. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is commonly used in clinical practice for diagnosing HCC, but its sensitivity and specificity are limited. While surgery and liver transplantation are the main radical treatments, drug therapy and local interventions are better options for patients with advanced HCC. Accurately assessing treatment efficacy and adjusting plans in a timely manner can significantly improve the prognosis of HCC. Non-coding RNA gene transcription products cannot participate in protein production, but they can regulate gene expression and protein function through the regulation of transcription and translation processes. These non-coding RNAs have been found to be associated with tumor development in various types of tumors. Noncoding RNA released by tumor or blood cells can circulate in the blood and serve as a biomarker for diagnosis, prognosis, and efficacy assessment. This article explores the unique role of circulating noncoding RNA in HCC from various perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junqi You
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Haoming Xia
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Ziyue Huang
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Risheng He
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Xudong Zhao
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Jiali Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Sidi Liu
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yunfu Cui
- Department of Pancreatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
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Shahini E, Pasculli G, Solimando AG, Tiribelli C, Cozzolongo R, Giannelli G. Updating the Clinical Application of Blood Biomarkers and Their Algorithms in the Diagnosis and Surveillance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Critical Review. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054286. [PMID: 36901717 PMCID: PMC10001986 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The most common primary liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and its mortality rate is increasing globally. The overall 5-year survival of patients with liver cancer is currently 10-20%. Moreover, because early diagnosis can significantly improve prognosis, which is highly correlated with tumor stage, early detection of HCC is critical. International guidelines advise using α-FP biomarker with/without ultrasonography for HCC surveillance in patients with advanced liver disease. However, traditional biomarkers are sub-optimal for risk stratification of HCC development in high-risk populations, early diagnosis, prognostication, and treatment response prediction. Since about 20% of HCCs do not produce α-FP due to its biological diversity, combining α-FP with novel biomarkers can enhance HCC detection sensitivity. There is a chance to offer promising cancer management methods in high-risk populations by utilizing HCC screening strategies derived from new tumor biomarkers and prognostic scores created by combining biomarkers with distinct clinical parameters. Despite numerous efforts to identify molecules as potential biomarkers, there is no single ideal marker in HCC. When combined with other clinical parameters, the detection of some biomarkers has higher sensitivity and specificity in comparison with a single biomarker. Therefore, newer biomarkers and models, such as the Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive fraction of Alpha-fetoprotein (α-FP), α-FP-L3, Des-γ-carboxy-prothrombin (DCP or PIVKA-II), and the GALAD score, are being used more frequently in the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC. Notably, the GALAD algorithm was effective in HCC prevention, particularly for cirrhotic patients, regardless of the cause of their liver disease. Although the role of these biomarkers in surveillance is still being researched, they may provide a more practical alternative to traditional imaging-based surveillance. Finally, looking for new diagnostic/surveillance tools may help improve patients' survival. This review discusses the current roles of the most used biomarkers and prognostic scores that may aid in the clinical management of HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Endrit Shahini
- Gastroenterology Unit, National Institute of Gastroenterology-IRCCS “Saverio de Bellis”, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0804994249
| | - Giuseppe Pasculli
- National Institute of Gastroenterology-IRCCS “Saverio de Bellis”, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, Italy
| | - Antonio Giovanni Solimando
- Guido Baccelli Unit of Internal Medicine, Department of Precision and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area-(DiMePRe-J), University of Bari “A. Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
| | | | - Raffaele Cozzolongo
- Gastroenterology Unit, National Institute of Gastroenterology-IRCCS “Saverio de Bellis”, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Giannelli
- Scientific Director, National Institute of Gastroenterology-IRCCS “Saverio de Bellis”, Castellana Grotte, 70013 Bari, Italy
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Hou G, Xu W, Ding D, Tian T, Liu G, Yang Y, Liu H, Zhou W. Metabolome and transcriptome integration reveals metabolic profile of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 37:2321-2330. [PMID: 36208127 DOI: 10.1111/jgh.16024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Accumulated evidence highlights the role of metabolites in cancer diagnosis. However, the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), especially its early diagnosis, is still very difficult. The main purposes of the study are to explore the comprehensive characteristic metabolites of HCC through an integrated nontargeted metabolomics and transcriptomics approach and evaluate the diagnostic value of some metabolic changes in HCC. METHODS Dysregulated metabolites and pathways in HCC were identified by nontargeted metabolomics analysis of 72 pairs of matched liver tissues, including HCC tissue (HCT) and adjacent noncancerous tissue (ANT). Meanwhile, to ensure the reliability of the results, metabolic enzymes were quantified at the mRNA level by RNA sequencing. To facilitate the utilization of this information, a diagnostic model was developed based on binary logistic regression using 63 HCC serum samples collected from the aforementioned 72 patients and 40 noncancer serum samples. RESULTS The results showed that 267 metabolites were significantly altered in HCT. These differential metabolites binding to related differential metabolic enzyme genes were enriched in 14 metabolic pathways. And combination of 5-oxoproline, taurocholenate sulfate, and maltose could be used as a novel candidate early serum diagnostic marker for HCC. CONCLUSIONS We profiled the metabolic features of HCC and found global biochemical pathway aberration. The diagnostic potential of differential metabolites found in serum tissues, further validated in liver samples, showed that 5-oxoproline, taurocholenate sulfate, and maltose combination had a high accuracy for hepatocellular carcinoma detection, especially for alpha fetoprotein negative patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guojun Hou
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenfang Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dongyang Ding
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Tian
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Yang
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Liu
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiping Zhou
- The Third Department of Hepatic Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China
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Gramantieri L, Fornari F, Giovannini C, Trerè D. MicroRNAs at the Crossroad between Immunoediting and Oncogenic Drivers in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12070930. [PMID: 35883486 PMCID: PMC9313100 DOI: 10.3390/biom12070930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In recent years, treatments enhancing the antitumor immune response have revealed a new promising approach for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Beside favorable results in about one third of patients, much still remains to be done to face primary nonresponse, early, and late disease reactivation. Understanding the mechanisms underneath immune system modulation by immune checkpoint inhibitors in HCC might give additional opportunities for patient selection and combined approaches. MicroRNAs have emerged as relevant modulators of cancer cell hallmarks, including aberrant proliferation, invasion and migration capabilities, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and glycolytic metabolism. At the same time, they contribute to the immune system development, response, and programs activation, with particular regard towards regulatory functions. Thus, miRNAs are relevant not only in cancer cells’ biology, but also in the immune response and interplay between cancer, microenvironment, and immune system. Abstract Treatments aimed to reverse the tumor-induced immune tolerance represent a promising approach for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Notwithstanding, primary nonresponse, early, and late disease reactivation still represent major clinical challenges. Here, we focused on microRNAs (miRNAs) acting both as modulators of cancer cell hallmarks and immune system response. We outlined the bidirectional function that some oncogenic miRNAs play in the differentiation and program activation of the immune system development and, at the same time, in the progression of HCC. Indeed, the multifaceted spectrum of miRNA targets allows the modulation of both immune-associated factors and oncogenic or tumor suppressor drivers at the same time. Understanding the molecular changes contributing to disease onset, progression, and resistance to treatments might help to identify possible novel biomarkers for selecting patient subgroups, and to design combined tailored treatments to potentiate antitumor approaches. Preliminary findings seem to argue in favor of a bidirectional function of some miRNAs, which enact an effective modulation of molecular pathways driving oncogenic and immune-skipping phenotypes associated with cancer aggressiveness. The identification of these miRNAs and the characterization of their ‘dual’ role might help to unravel novel biomarkers identifying those patients more likely to respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors and to identify possible therapeutic targets with both antitumor and immunomodulatory functions. In the present review, we will focus on the restricted panel of miRNAs playing a bidirectional role in HCC, influencing oncogenic and immune-related pathways at once. Even though this field is still poorly investigated in HCC, it might represent a source of candidate molecules acting as both biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the setting of immune-based treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gramantieri
- Division of Internal Medicine, Hepatobiliary and Immunoallergic Diseases, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Francesca Fornari
- Department for Life Quality Studies (QuVi), University of Bologna, 47921 Rimini, Italy
- Centre for Applied Biomedical Research-CRBA, University of Bologna, IRCCS St. Orsola Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Catia Giovannini
- Centre for Applied Biomedical Research-CRBA, University of Bologna, IRCCS St. Orsola Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
| | - Davide Trerè
- Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine (DIMES), University of Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
- Departmental Program in Laboratory Medicine, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, 40138 Bologna, Italy
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Wang J, Wang X, Zhang X, Shao T, Luo Y, Wang W, Han Y. Extracellular Vesicles and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Opportunities and Challenges. Front Oncol 2022; 12:884369. [PMID: 35692794 PMCID: PMC9175035 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.884369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is increasing worldwide. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) contain sufficient bioactive substances and are carriers of intercellular information exchange, as well as delivery vehicles for nucleic acids, proteins and drugs. Although EVs show great potential for the treatment of HCC and their role in HCC progression has been extensively studied, there are still many challenges such as time-consuming extraction, difficult storage, easy contamination, and low drug loading rate. We focus on the biogenesis, morphological characteristics, isolation and extraction of EVs and their significance in the progression of HCC, tumor invasion, immune escape and cancer therapy for a review. EVs may be effective biomarkers for molecular diagnosis of HCC and new targets for tumor-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Wang
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xiaoya Wang
- Clinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xintong Zhang
- Clinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Tingting Shao
- Clinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yanmei Luo
- Clinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Clinical Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yunwei Han
- Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.,Department of Oncology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Academician (Expert) Workstation of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, China.,Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Luzhou, China.,School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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Yu B, Zhou S, Liang H, Ye Q, Wang Y. Development and Validation of a Novel Circulating miRNA-Based Diagnostic Score for Early Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Dig Dis Sci 2022; 67:2283-2292. [PMID: 33982217 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-021-07031-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the rise of liquid biopsy in oncology, circulating miRNAs have become one of the most promising noninvasive biomarkers for early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, a reliable HCC-related circulating miRNA panel and corresponding diagnostic model remain to be explored. METHODS Five large public datasets related to intact miRNA profiles in the serum or tumors of HCC patients were included and divided into training cohorts (GSE113740 and TCGA-LIHC) and validation cohorts (GSE112264, GSE113486 and GSE106817). Compared with non-cancer controls and high-risk patients, key miRNAs dysregulated in both the serum and tumors of HCC patients were identified by differential expression analysis and overlapping analysis. The corresponding diagnostic model was constructed by LASSO logistic regression and evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curves and a nomogram with calibration plot. RESULTS A distinctive panel of HCC-related circulating miRNAs, including three upregulated miRNAs (miR-184, miR-532-5p, miR-221-3p) and three downregulated miRNAs (miR-5589-5p, let-7b-3p, miR-26b-3p), were rigorously screened out, all of which displayed significant discriminability between HCC patients and controls (all P < 0.05). In addition, a reliable six-circulating miRNA-based diagnostic score was constructed and displayed robust diagnostic ability for HCC (particularly for early-stage HCC) (AUC = 0.9535, P < 0.05) compared with that of the serum α-fetoprotein test. Importantly, its efficacy was sufficiently validated in three independent datasets (AUC = 0.9780/0.9961/0.9681, all P < 0.05). Furthermore, a visual nomogram based on the diagnostic score was correspondingly established to strengthen its clinical applicability. CONCLUSION The six-circulating miRNA-based diagnostic score may be a reliable noninvasive biomarker for early-stage HCC screening and dynamic monitoring of postoperative recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bin Yu
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Shujun Zhou
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Han Liang
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, People's Republic of China
| | - Qifa Ye
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, People's Republic of China.,The 3rd Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Research Center of National Health Ministry on Transplantation Medicine Engineering and Technology, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanfeng Wang
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Transplant Center of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Wuhan, Hubei, 430071, People's Republic of China.
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1,8 Cineole and Ellagic acid inhibit hepatocarcinogenesis via upregulation of MiR-122 and suppression of TGF-β1, FSCN1, Vimentin, VEGF, and MMP-9. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0258998. [PMID: 35081125 PMCID: PMC8791452 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most burdened tumors worldwide, with a complex and multifactorial pathogenesis. Current treatment approaches involve different molecular targets. Phytochemicals have shown considerable promise in the prevention and treatment of HCC. We investigated the efficacy of two natural components, 1,8 cineole (Cin) and ellagic acid (EA), against diethylnitrosamine/2-acetylaminofluorene (DEN/2-AAF) induced HCC in rats. DEN/2-AAF showed deterioration of hepatic cells with an impaired functional capacity of the liver. In addition, the levels of tumor markers including alpha-fetoprotein, arginase-1, alpha-L-fucosidase, and ferritin were significantly increased, whereas the hepatic miR-122 level was significantly decreased in induced-HCC rats. Interestingly, treatment with Cin (100mg/kg) and EA (60mg/kg) powerfully restored these biochemical alterations. Moreover, Cin and EA treatment exhibited significant downregulation in transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1), Fascin-1 (FSCN1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) key marker, vimentin, along with a restoration of histopathological findings compared to HCC group. Such effects were comparable to Doxorubicin (DOX) (2mg/kg); however, a little additive effect was evident through combining these phytochemicals with DOX. Altogether, this study highlighted 1,8 cineole and ellagic acid for the first time as promising phytochemicals for the treatment of hepatocarcinogenesis via regulating multiple targets.
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Hu X, Chen R, Wei Q, Xu X. The Landscape Of Alpha Fetoprotein In Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Where Are We? Int J Biol Sci 2022; 18:536-551. [PMID: 35002508 PMCID: PMC8741863 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.64537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer and has been acknowledged as a leading cause of death among cirrhosis patients. Difficulties in early diagnosis and heterogeneity are obstacles to effective treatment, especially for advanced HCC. Liver transplantation (LT) is considered the best therapy for HCC. Although many biomarkers are being proposed, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), which was identified over 60 years ago, remains the most utilized. Recently, much hope has been placed in the immunogenicity of AFP to develop novel therapies, such as AFP vaccines and AFP-specific adoptive T-cell transfer (ACT). This review summarizes the performance of AFP as a biomarker for HCC diagnosis and prognosis, as well as its correlation with molecular classes. In addition, the role of AFP in LT is also described. Finally, we highlight the mechanism and application prospects of two immune therapies (AFP vaccine and ACT) for HCC. In general, our review points out the prevalence of AFP in HCC, accompanied by some controversies and novel directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Hu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Center for Integrated Oncology and Precision Medicine, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China.,Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Ronggao Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Qiang Wei
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Center for Integrated Oncology and Precision Medicine, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Center for Integrated Oncology and Precision Medicine, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310006, China.,Zhejiang University Cancer Center, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, China.,Institute of Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310003, China
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11
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Nie G, Peng D, Li B, Lu J, Cai Y, Xiong X, Cheng N. Diagnostic Accuracy of Serum/Plasma Circular RNAs and the Combination of Circular RNAs and α-Fetoprotein for Detecting Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis. Front Genet 2021; 12:722208. [PMID: 34659344 PMCID: PMC8514948 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.722208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The lack of an accurate biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has hindered early detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), which can be used as novel biomarkers in liquid biopsies, have been brought to light as a result of the advances in research on molecular biomarkers and the progression of genomic medicine. We conducted a meta-analysis of the diagnostic accuracy of serum/plasma circRNAs or the combination of circRNAs and α-fetoprotein (AFP) in HCC. We identified eight studies that met the inclusion/exclusion criteria from PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. The data were pooled, and the sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), positive likelihood ratio (+LR), and negative likelihood ratio (-LR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The areas under the summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curves (AUCs) were also calculated. The sensitivity of circRNAs was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.78-0.85), and the specificity was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.78-0.86). The sensitivity of AFP was 0.65 (95% CI: 0.61-0.68), and the specificity was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.85-0.93). The AUC was 0.89 (95% CI: 0.86-0.91) for circRNAs and 0.77 (95% CI: 0.74-0.81) for AFP. The sensitivity of the combination of circRNAs and AFP was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.84-0.92), specificity was 0.86 (95% CI: 0.80-0.91), and AUC was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91-0.96). Additionally, a subgroup analysis was conducted based on the control groups used; the diagnostic accuracy was particularly high in the comparison of HCC vs. healthy controls. In summary, serum/plasma circRNAs are accurate biomarkers suitable for clinical use for detecting HCC, and the combination of circRNAs and AFP improved the diagnostic accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilin Nie
- Department of Biliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.,Department of Biliary Disease Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Dingzhong Peng
- Department of Biliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Bei Li
- Department of Biliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiong Lu
- Department of Biliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yulong Cai
- Department of Biliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xianze Xiong
- Department of Biliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Nansheng Cheng
- Department of Biliary Surgery, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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12
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Hu X, Han D, Wang Y, Gu J, Wang X, Jiang Y, Yang Y, Liu J. Phospho-Smad3L promotes progression of hepatocellular carcinoma through decreasing miR-140-5p level and stimulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Dig Liver Dis 2021; 53:1343-1351. [PMID: 33775574 DOI: 10.1016/j.dld.2021.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) activates JNK, phosphorylates Smad3 to linker-phosphorylated Smad3 (pSmad3L), resulting in liver tumorigenesis. However, the effect of pSmad3L on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis is obscure. AIM To detect the effect of pSmad3L on HCC prognosis and investigate the mechanism. METHODS The expressions of pSmad3L, E-cadherin, vimentin and MicroRNA-140-5p (miR-140-5p) were detected by using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and in situ hybridization. Next, the relationships of pSmad3L and HCC patients' prognoses, pSmad3L and EMT markers, pSmad3L and miR-140-5p were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation test. JNK/pSmad3L specific inhibitor SP600125 or Smad3 mutant plasmid was used to suppress JNK/pSmad3L pathway, and QPCR assay was performed to investigate the effect of pSmad3L on miR-140-5p level. The proliferation and invasion of hepatoma cells were observed using colony formation assay and transwell assay. RESULTS We demonstrated that patient with high level of pSmad3L predicted poor prognosis. Next, we verified that pSmad3L promoted EMT of hepatoma cells in vivo and in vitro. In order to investigate the mechanism, we verified a negative correlation between pSmad3L and miR-140-5p, which was an EMT inhibitor, in the liver tissues of HCC patient and diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced rat HCC model. We further used SP600125 or pSmad3L mutant plasmid to decrease pSmad3L level of hepatoma cells, and inhibition of pSmad3L increased miR-140-5p level and suppressed EMT of hepatoma cells. CONCLUSIONS JNK/pSmad3L pathway induces EMT by inhibiting miR-140-5p in HCC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangpeng Hu
- Digestive Department, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Dan Han
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Biopharmaceutical Research Institute, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yanyan Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Biopharmaceutical Research Institute, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jiong Gu
- Department of General Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xian Wang
- Department of Pathology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yufeng Jiang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yan Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Biopharmaceutical Research Institute, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Functional experiment center, School of Basic Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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13
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The Role of Long Non-Coding RNA and microRNA Networks in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Its Tumor Microenvironment. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910630. [PMID: 34638971 PMCID: PMC8508708 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common liver malignancy with high morbidity and poor prognosis. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in crucial biological processes of tumorigenesis and progression, and play four major regulatory roles, namely signal, decoy, guide, and scaffold, to regulate gene expression. Through these processes, lncRNAs can target microRNAs (miRNAs) to form lncRNA and miRNA networks, which regulate cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, drug resistance, and the tumor microenvironment. Here, we summarize the multifaceted functions of lncRNA and miRNA networks in the pathogenesis of HCC, the potential use of diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers, and novel therapeutic targets in HCC. This review also highlights the regulatory effects of lncRNA and miRNA networks in the tumor microenvironment of HCC.
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14
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Farid AAA, Afify NAA, Alsharnoby AAA, Abdelsameea E, Bedair HM. Predictive Role of AURKA rs 1047972 Gene Polymorphism and the Risk of Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Immunol Invest 2021; 51:1211-1221. [PMID: 34018460 DOI: 10.1080/08820139.2021.1920609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
ABBREVIATION AFP: alpha-fetoprotein; ALP: alkaline phosphatase; ALT: alanine aminotransferase; AST: aspartate aminotransferase; AURKA: aurora kinase A; BCLC: Barcelona- Clinic Liver Cancer; CBC: complete blood count; CT: computed tomography; DM: diabetes mellitus; DNA: deoxyribonucleic acid; EDTA: ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid; GGT: gamma-glutamyl transferase; HB: hemoglobin; HBV: hepatitis B virus; HBsAg: hepatitis B surface antigen; HCC: hepatocellular carcinoma; HCV: hepatitis C virus; INR: international normalized ratio; mRNA: messenger ribonucleic acid; OR: odds ratio; PVT: portal vein thrombosis; RT-PCR: real-time polymerase chain reaction; SNP: single nucleotide polymorphism; WBCs: white blood cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Abd-Almonem Farid
- Departement of Clinical Pathology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt
| | | | | | - Eman Abdelsameea
- Departement of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt
| | - Hanan M Bedair
- Departement of Clinical Pathology, National Liver Institute, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt
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15
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Yang X, Sun J, Sun H, Wen B, Zhang M, An H, Chen W, Zhao W, Zhong X, He C, Pang J, He S. MicroRNA-30a-3p acts as a tumor suppressor in MHCC-97H hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting COX-2. J Cancer 2021; 12:3945-3957. [PMID: 34093801 PMCID: PMC8176251 DOI: 10.7150/jca.52298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNAs which can bind to target mRNAs and regulate gene expression. Increasing evidences suggest that miRNAs play an important role in driving hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression by regulating tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration. In this study, we demonstrated that the expression of microRNA-30a-3p (miR-30a-3p) was reduced in HCC cell lines in comparison to immortalized liver cell line, LO2. Augmented miR-30a-3p level markedly inhibited MHCC-97H cell growth, migration and invasion in vitro. MiR-30a-3p was also found to inhibit tumor growth in vivo using tumor-bearing mice. Mechanismly, COX-2 was discovered to be a direct and functional target of miR-30a-3p in MHCC-97H cells. Raised miR-30a-3p expression reduced the transcriptional level of COX-2 in MHCC-97H cells, while genetically upregulated COX-2 expression was able to reverse the function of miR-30a-3p-mediated suppression of MHCC-97H cells growth, migration and invasion. In addition, we found that using a COX-2 inhibitor, celecoxib, could enhance the anti-metastatic role of miR-30a-3p in MHCC-97H cells. Lastly, we found that decreased COX-2 protein level affected PGE2 production, leading to lower Bcl-2, Caspase-3, MMP2 and MMP9 expression but higher Bax and E-cadherin expression, which in turn culminated in higher rates of cell death and lower rates of cell migration. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that miR-30a-3p could be a target for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma cells progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- XueMei Yang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - JiaLing Sun
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - HaiTao Sun
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Bin Wen
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Air Force Hospital Of Southern Theater Command, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - MingJia Zhang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - HaiYan An
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - WeiCong Chen
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - WenTing Zhao
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - XiaoDan Zhong
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - ChunYu He
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jie Pang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - SongQi He
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
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16
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Guan MC, Wang MD, Liu SY, Ouyang W, Liang L, Pawlik TM, Xu QR, Huang DS, Shen F, Zhu H, Yang T. Early diagnosis and therapeutic strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma: From bench to bedside. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2021; 13:197-215. [PMID: 33889272 PMCID: PMC8040062 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v13.i4.197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The prognosis of patients with HCC remains poor largely due to the late diagnosis and lack of effective treatments. Despite being widely used, alpha-fetoprotein serology and ultrasonography have limited diagnostic performance for early-stage HCC. The emergence of omics strategies has contributed to significant advances in the development of non-invasive biomarkers for the early diagnosis of HCC including proteins, metabolites, circulating tumor deoxyribonucleic acid, and circulating non-coding ribonucleic acid. Early diagnosis is beneficial to patients as it increases the proportion who can be treated with curative treatment, thus prolonging survival outcomes. Currently, multiple clinical trials involving locoregional, systemic therapies, and combinations of these modalities are changing therapeutic strategies for different stage HCC. Success in several preclinical trials that involve immunotherapeutic innovations has created the potential to complement and enforce other treatment strategies in the future. This review summarizes the most recent advances in non-invasive early molecular detection, current therapy strategies, and potential immunotherapeutic innovations of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Cheng Guan
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ming-Da Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital (Navy Medical University), Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Si-Yu Liu
- Department of Laboratory, Lishui Municipal Central Hospital, Lishui 323000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Wei Ouyang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Lei Liang
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Timothy M Pawlik
- Department of Surgery, Ohio State University, Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, United States
| | - Qiu-Ran Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Dong-Sheng Huang
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Feng Shen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital (Navy Medical University), Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Hong Zhu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215006, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Tian Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital (Navy Medical University), Second Military Medical University, Shanghai 200438, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (People’s Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
- Department of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Minimal Invasive Surgery, Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Diagnosis and Individualized Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China
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Gawish EA, Abu-Raia GY, Osheba I, Sabry A, Allam E. Association between miR-196a2 polymorphism and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in the Egyptian population. EGYPTIAN LIVER JOURNAL 2020. [DOI: 10.1186/s43066-020-0019-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, small (17–25 nucleotides) non-coding RNAs that are overexpressed in many human cancers including HCC. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of miRNAs play an important role in the pathogenesis of HCC. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the role of miR-196a2 rs11614913 polymorphism in the development of HCC. A total of 200 subjects, including 80 HCC patients, 60 patients with liver cirrhosis, and 60 healthy controls were selected. The polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was taken to determine miR-196a2 rs11614913 polymorphism.
Results
The genotype distribution of the TC and CC, TC + CC genotypes, and the C allele were significantly higher in HCC patients than control and cirrhotic groups (P = 0.02, P = 0.005, and P = 0.003, respectively). Compared with the wild-type TT genotype, both the variant TC, CC, TC + CC genotypes were associated with an elevated risk of HCC (OR = 2.77, 95% CI = 1.27–6.04), (OR = 4.94, 95% CI = 1.74–14.07), (OR = 3.24, 95% CI = 1.55–6.78) respectively. Moreover, the C allele was correlated with an increased risk of HCC (OR = 2.30, 95% CI = 1.40–3.76) compared to the wide-type T allele. Also, there is no significant correlation between the different miR-196a2 genotypes and either the clinico-pathologic features of HCC or its aggressiveness.
Conclusion
Our results suggest that the miR-196a2 rs11614913 polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of HCC in the Egyptian population.
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Guo Z, Wang J, Li L, Liu R, Fang J, Tie B. Value of miR-1271 and glypican-3 in evaluating the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. World J Clin Cases 2020; 8:3493-3502. [PMID: 32913856 PMCID: PMC7457095 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v8.i16.3493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer death, causing about 750000 deaths worldwide every year. Patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma will often only receive transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Glypican-3 (GPC3) is one of the most promising serum markers for HCC. Abnormal expression of miRNAs may be involved in the occurrence and development of tumor.
AIM To explore the value of miR-1271 and GPC3 in evaluating the prognosis of patients with HCC after TACE.
METHODS From January 2016 to December 2018, 162 patients with advanced HCC who received TACE in our hospital were selected into the cancer group, and 162 patients who underwent physical examination during the same period were selected into the health group. The patients in the HCC group were treated with TACE. The changes of serum GPC3 and circulating miR-1271 in the HCC before and after TACE were analyzed. The expression of serum GPC3 was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the expression of circulating miR-1271 was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The methodological results of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of miR-1271 and GPC3 alone and joint detection of HCC were also evaluated.
RESULTS The level of serum GPC3 in patients with HCC was significantly higher than that in healthy controls. GPC3 levels were increased in both HCC patients and those treated with TACE compared with healthy controls. After TACE, the level of serum GPC3 was significantly lower than that before treatment (P < 0.05), and the level of circulating miR-1271 was significantly higher than that before treatment (P < 0.05). There were 112 cases (69.14%) with remission (complete remission + complete remission + stable disease) and 50 cases (30.86%) with relapse disease progression in HCC patients. After TACE, the miR-1271 level in patients with remission and relapse was lower than that in the healthy group, and the GPC3 level was higher than that in the healthy group, the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The miR-1271 of relapsed patients was lower than that of remission patients, and the level of GPC3 was higher than that of remission patients, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The sensitivity of combined detection of miR-1271 and GPC3 was significantly higher than that of single detection, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05); while the specificity of the two combined detections was lower than that of the single detection; and the accuracy was slightly higher than that of single detection, but the difference was not statistically significant.
CONCLUSION The level of miR-1271 in patients with HCC was significantly increased and the level of GPC3 was decreased after TACE. Monitoring the levels of serum GPC3 and circulating miR-1271 has important clinical reference value for evaluating the prognosis of patients with HCC. The levels of serum GPC3 and circulating miR-1271 may help to determine tumor recurrence, evaluate survival status, and guide the next step of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Guo
- Department of Interventional Medicine, the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Emergency Department, the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Interventional Medicine, the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Rong Liu
- Department of Interventional Medicine, the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Jin Fang
- Department of Interventional Medicine, the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
| | - Bin Tie
- Department of Interventional Medicine, the First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu Province, China
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The Effect of Methylselenocysteine and Sodium Selenite Treatment on microRNA Expression in Liver Cancer Cell Lines. Pathol Oncol Res 2020; 26:2669-2681. [PMID: 32656599 PMCID: PMC7471166 DOI: 10.1007/s12253-020-00870-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The unique character of selenium compounds, including sodium selenite and Se-methylselenocysteine (MSC), is that they exert cytotoxic effects on neoplastic cells, providing a great potential for treating cancer cells being highly resistant to cytostatic drugs. However, selenium treatment may affect microRNA (miRNA) expression as the pattern of circulating miRNAs changed in a placebo-controlled selenium supplement study. This necessitates exploring possible changes in the expression profiles of miRNAs. For this, miRNAs being critical for liver function were selected and their expression was measured in hepatocellular carcinoma (HLE and HLF) and cholangiocarcinoma cell lines (TFK-1 and HuH-28) using individual TaqMan MicroRNA Assays following selenite or MSC treatments. For establishing tolerable concentrations, IC50 values were determined by performing SRB proliferation assays. The results revealed much lower IC50 values for selenite (from 2.7 to 11.3 μM) compared to MSC (from 79.5 to 322.6 μM). The treatments resulted in cell line-dependent miRNA expression patterns, with all miRNAs found to show fold change differences; however, only a few of these changes were statistically different in treated cells compared to untreated cells below IC50. Namely, miR-199a in HLF, miR-143 in TFK-1 upon MSC treatment, miR-210 in HLF and TFK-1, miR-22, -24, -122, -143 in HLF upon selenite treatment. Fold change differences revealed that miR-122 with both selenium compounds, miR-199a with MSC and miR-22 with selenite were affected. The miRNAs showing minimal alterations included miR-125b and miR-194. In conclusion, our results revealed moderately altered miRNA expression in the cell lines (less alterations following MSC treatment), being miR-122, -199a the most affected and miR-125b, -194 the least altered miRNAs upon selenium treatment.
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20
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Mocan T, Simão AL, Castro RE, Rodrigues CMP, Słomka A, Wang B, Strassburg C, Wöhler A, Willms AG, Kornek M. Liquid Biopsies in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Are We Winning? J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9051541. [PMID: 32443747 PMCID: PMC7291267 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9051541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Revised: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the third most common cause of cancer-related death. One of the major problems faced by researchers and clinicians in this area is the lack of reliable disease biomarkers, which would allow for an earlier diagnosis, follow-up or prediction of treatment response, among others. In this regard, the “HCC circulome”, defined as the pool of circulating molecules in the bloodstream derived from the primary tumor, represents an appealing target, the so called liquid biopsy. Such molecules encompass circulating tumor proteins, circulating tumor cells (CTCs), extracellular vesicles (EVs), tumor-educated platelets (TEPs), and circulating tumor nucleic acids, namely circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and circulating tumor RNA (ctRNA). In this article, we summarize recent findings highlighting the promising role of liquid biopsies as novel potential biomarkers in HCC, emphasizing on its clinical performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tudor Mocan
- Octavian Fodor Institute for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Iuliu Haţieganu, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400162 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - André L. Simão
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal; (A.L.S.); (R.E.C.); (C.M.P.R.)
| | - Rui E. Castro
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal; (A.L.S.); (R.E.C.); (C.M.P.R.)
| | - Cecília M. P. Rodrigues
- Research Institute for Medicines (iMed.ULisboa), Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-003 Lisbon, Portugal; (A.L.S.); (R.E.C.); (C.M.P.R.)
| | - Artur Słomka
- Department of Pathophysiology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | - Bingduo Wang
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (B.W.); (C.S.)
| | - Christian Strassburg
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (B.W.); (C.S.)
| | - Aliona Wöhler
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, German Armed Forces Central Hospital Koblenz, 56072 Koblenz, Germany; (A.W.); (A.G.W.)
| | - Arnulf G. Willms
- Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, German Armed Forces Central Hospital Koblenz, 56072 Koblenz, Germany; (A.W.); (A.G.W.)
| | - Miroslaw Kornek
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University, 53127 Bonn, Germany; (B.W.); (C.S.)
- Correspondence:
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Pratedrat P, Chuaypen N, Nimsamer P, Payungporn S, Pinjaroen N, Sirichindakul B, Tangkijvanich P. Diagnostic and prognostic roles of circulating miRNA-223-3p in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0232211. [PMID: 32330203 PMCID: PMC7182200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to dysregulate in many cancer types including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of this study was to examine the potential diagnostic or prognostic roles of circulating miRNAs in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC. Methods Paired cancerous and adjacent non-cancerous liver tissue specimens of patients with HBV-related HCC were used as a discovery set for screening 800 miRNAs by a Nanostring quantitative assay. Differentially expressed miRNAs were then examined by SYBR green quantitative RT-PCR in a validation cohort of serum samples obtained from 70 patients with HBV-related HCC, 70 HBV patients without HCC and 50 healthy controls. Results The discovery set identified miR-223-3p, miR-199a-5p and miR-451a significantly lower expressed in cancerous tissues compared with non-cancerous tissues. In the validated cohort, circulating miR-223-3p levels were significantly lower in the HCC group compared with the other groups. The combined use of serum alpha-fetoprotein and miR-223-3p displayed high sensitivity for detecting early HCC (85%) and intermediate/advanced stage HCC (100%). Additionally, serum miR-223-3p had a negative correlation with tumor size and BCLC stage. On multivariate analysis, serum miR-223-3p was identified as an independent prognostic factor of overall survival in patients with HCC. In contrast, circulating miRNA-199a-5p and miR-451a did not show any clinical benefit for the diagnosis and prognostic prediction of HCC. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that miR-223-3p was differentially expressed in cancerous compared with paired adjacent non-cancerous tissues. In addition, circulating miRNA-223-3p could represent a novel diagnostic and prognostic marker for patients with HBV-related HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pornpitra Pratedrat
- Center of Excellence in Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Natthaya Chuaypen
- Center of Excellence in Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Pattaraporn Nimsamer
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sunchai Payungporn
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nutcha Pinjaroen
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Pisit Tangkijvanich
- Center of Excellence in Hepatitis and Liver Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- * E-mail:
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22
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Circulating MicroRNA-122 for the Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:5353695. [PMID: 32309434 PMCID: PMC7139899 DOI: 10.1155/2020/5353695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Background Circulating microRNA-122 (miR-122) has been recognized as a marker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The current meta-analysis was performed to quantitatively evaluate the diagnostic performance of circulating miR-122 for HCC. Methods Related studies that evaluated the diagnostic performance of circulating miR-122 determined from pathophysiological examination for HCC were obtained by systematic searches of the PubMed and Embase databases. A randomized fixed effects model was applied according to the heterogeneity among studies. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were calculated to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy. Publication bias was detected by Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test. Results Thirteen studies providing data for 920 HCC patients and 1217 controls were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivities, specificities, and AUCs of serum miR-122 were 0.76, 0.75, and 0.82, respectively, for discriminating HCC patients from overall controls; 0.85, 0.83, and 0.91, respectively, for discriminating HCC patients from healthy controls; 0.79, 0.82, and 0.87, respectively, for discriminating HCC from HBV or HCV infection; and 0.65, 0.75, and 0.74, respectively, for discriminating HCC from liver cirrhosis or dysplastic nodule formation. No significant publication bias was detected. Conclusions Serum miR-122 confers moderate efficacy for discriminating HCC patients from healthy controls or patients with HBV or HCV infection, but not for discriminating HCC patients from those with liver cirrhosis or dysplastic nodule formation.
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Wang W, Wei C. Advances in the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Genes Dis 2020; 7:308-319. [PMID: 32884985 PMCID: PMC7452544 DOI: 10.1016/j.gendis.2020.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers globally. In contrast to the declining death rates observed for all other common cancers such as breast, lung, and prostate cancers, the death rates for HCC continue to increase by ~2–3% per year because HCC is frequently diagnosed late and there is no curative therapy for an advanced HCC. The early diagnosis of HCC is truly a big challenge. Over the past years, the early diagnosis of HCC has relied on surveillance with ultrasonography (US) and serological assessments of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). However, the specificity and sensitivity of US/AFP is not satisfactory enough to detect early onset HCC. Recent technological advancements offer hope for early HCC diagnosis. Herein, we review the progress made in HCC diagnostics, with a focus on emerging imaging techniques and biomarkers for early disease diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyi Wang
- Xiamen Amplly Bio-engineering Co., Ltd, Xiamen, PR China
| | - Chao Wei
- Xiamen Amplly Bio-engineering Co., Ltd, Xiamen, PR China
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24
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Mjelle R, Dima SO, Bacalbasa N, Chawla K, Sorop A, Cucu D, Herlea V, Sætrom P, Popescu I. Comprehensive transcriptomic analyses of tissue, serum, and serum exosomes from hepatocellular carcinoma patients. BMC Cancer 2019; 19:1007. [PMID: 31660891 PMCID: PMC6816220 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-019-6249-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is a promising prognostic and diagnostic tool in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here we performed small RNA sequencing (sRNA-seq) of tissue, serum and serum exosomes to investigate changes in miRNA expression between the different sample types and correlated the expression with clinical parameters. We also performed gene expression arrays on tumor and normal tissue. RESULTS Paired tissue, serum and serum exosomes sequencing revealed consistent positive correlation of miR-21 between serum exosomes and tumor tissue, indicating that miR-21 could be exported from tissue to circulation via exosomes. We found that let-7 miRNAs are generally upregulated in serum exosomes compared to whole serum, indicating that these miRNAs could be preferentially loaded into exosomes. Comparing serum from HCC patients with serum from healthy individuals revealed a global increase of miRNAs in serum from HCC patients, including an almost 4-fold increase of several miRNAs, including the liver-specific miR-122. When correlating miRNA expression with clinical parameters we detected significant association between hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and miR-122 in serum as well as several serum and tissue-miRNAs that correlated with surgery type. We found that miR-141 and miR-146 correlated with cirrhosis in tumor tissue and normal tissue, respectively. Finally, high expression of miR-21 in tumors were associated with poor survival. Focusing on gene expression we found several significant messenger RNAs (mRNAs) between tumor and normal tissue and a Gene Ontology (GO) analysis revealed that these changes were mainly related to cell cycle and metabolism. Further, we detected mRNAs that correlated with cirrhosis and HBV infection in tissue. Finally, GO analysis of predicted targets for miRNAs down-regulated in tumor found that these were enriched for functions related to collagen synthesis. CONCLUSIONS Our combined data point to altered miRNA and mRNA expression contributing to both generally impaired lipid metabolism and increased cell proliferation and a miRNA-driven increase in collagen synthesis in HCC. Our results further indicate a correlation in miRNA expression between exosomes, serum, and tissue samples suggesting export from tumors via exosomes. This correlation could provide a basis for a more tumor-specific miRNA profile in serum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Mjelle
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Erling Skjalgssons gt 1, 7030, Trondheim, Norway. .,Department of Computer Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Simona O Dima
- Center of Digestive Diseases and Liver Transplantation, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania.,Center of Excellence in Translational Medicine, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Nicolae Bacalbasa
- Center of Digestive Diseases and Liver Transplantation, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania.,Center of Excellence in Translational Medicine, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Konika Chawla
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Erling Skjalgssons gt 1, 7030, Trondheim, Norway.,Bioinformatics Core Facility-BioCore, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Andrei Sorop
- Center of Excellence in Translational Medicine, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Dana Cucu
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Biophysics, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Vlad Herlea
- Center of Excellence in Translational Medicine, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania.,K.G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Pål Sætrom
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Erling Skjalgssons gt 1, 7030, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Computer Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.,Bioinformatics Core Facility-BioCore, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway.,K.G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Irinel Popescu
- Center of Digestive Diseases and Liver Transplantation, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania.,Center of Excellence in Translational Medicine, Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest, Romania.,Acad. Nicolae Cajal Institute of Medical Scientific Research, Titu Maiorescu University, Bucharest, Romania
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Assmann TS, Milagro FI, Martínez JA. Crosstalk between microRNAs, the putative target genes and the lncRNA network in metabolic diseases. Mol Med Rep 2019; 20:3543-3554. [PMID: 31485667 PMCID: PMC6755190 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.10595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that regulate gene expression. Emerging knowledge has suggested that miRNAs have a role in the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders, supporting the hypothesis that miRNAs may represent potential biomarkers or targets for this set of diseases. However, the current evidence is often controversial. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine the associations between miRNAs-target genes, miRNA-long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), and miRNAs-small molecules in human metabolic diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The metabolic disease-related miRNAs were obtained from the Human MicroRNA Disease Database (HMDD) and miR2Disease database. A search on the databases Matrix Decomposition and Heterogeneous Graph Inference (MDHGI) and DisGeNET were also performed. miRNAs target genes were obtained from three independent sources: Microcosm, TargetScan and miRTarBase. The interactions between miRNAs-lncRNA and miRNA-small molecules were performed using the miRNet web tool. The network analyses were performed using Cytoscape software. As a result, a total of 20 miRNAs were revealed to be associated with metabolic disorders in the present study. Notably, 6 miRNAs (miR-17-5p, miR-29c-3p, miR-34a-5p, miR-103a-3p, miR-107 and miR-132-3p) were found in the four resources (HMDD, miR2Disease, MDHGI, and DisGeNET) used for these analyses, presenting a stronger association with the diseases. Furthermore, the target genes of these miRNAs participate in several pathways previously associated with metabolic diseases. In addition, interactions between miRNA-lncRNA and miRNA-small molecules were also found, suggesting that some molecules can modulate gene expression via such an indirect way. Thus, the results of this data mining and integration analysis provide further information on the possible molecular basis of the metabolic disease pathogenesis as well as provide a path to search for potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets concerning metabolic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taís Silveira Assmann
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Fermín I Milagro
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - José Alfredo Martínez
- Department of Nutrition, Food Science and Physiology, Center for Nutrition Research, University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
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