CXC chemokine receptor 2 is associated with postoperative recurrence and survival of patients with non-metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma

Association between IL8RB C1208T mutation and risk of cancer: A pooled analysis based on 5299 cases and 6899 controls

INTRODUCTION

The CXC chemokines are unique cytokines that play a vital role in the progression of many cancers. Association between chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 2 (IL8RB) C1208T mutation and cancer risk remains incomprehensive.

METHODS

We therefore utilized odds ratios and in silico analysis to explore the relationship of IL8RB polymorphism on risk to cancer. Furthermore, we adopted gene set enrichment analysis to investigate the IL8RB expression in prostate adenocarcinoma.

RESULTS

A total of 14 case-control studies combined with 5299 cases and 6899 controls were included in our analysis. We revealed that individuals carrying TT genotype had an 14% increased cancer risk compared with those with TC + colon cancer (CC) genotype (odds ratio [OR] = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.05-1.25, P = .003, I2 = 35.6). Stratification analysis by race showed that East Asians with TT + TC genotype may have a 25% decreased cancer risk compared with control. Stratification analysis by cancer type revealed that individuals with TT genotype were associated with elevated risk of urinary cancer than control. The expression of IL8RB was attenuated in prostate adenocarcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

IL8RB C1208T may be correlated with the risk of cancer, especially prostate adenocarcinoma.

Impacts of Chemokine (C-X-C Motif) Receptor 2 C1208T Polymorphism on Cancer Susceptibility

Background

The CXC chemokines belong to a unique family of cytokines that participates in the progression and development of many malignant tumors. Evidence for the relationship between chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 2 (CXCR2) C1208T polymorphism and susceptibility to cancer remains inconsistent.

Methods

Odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and combined analysis were used to investigate the effect of CXCR2 variation on cancer risk. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were also used to evaluate the expression of CXCR2 in prostate cancer (PCA).

Results

Across 11 case-control studies, 4,909 cases and 5,884 controls were involved in the current analysis. Individuals with a TT genotype were associated with increased risk of digestive cancer, compared to those with a TC+CC genotype (OR = 1.16, 95%CI = 1.02-1.31, P = 0.025). Individuals carrying the TT genotype had a 39% higher risk of urinary cancer than those carrying CC genotype (OR = 1.39, 95%CI = 1.04-1.87, P = 0.025). Individuals with a TT genotype showed a 56% augmented breast cancer risk, compared to those with a CC genotype (OR = 1.56, 95%CI = 1.03-2.35, P = 0.034). It was found that CXCR2 expression was downregulated in PCA. Compared with PCA subjects carrying the CC genotype, the expression of CXCR2 was decreased in patients with the TT genotype.

Conclusions

The CXCR2 C1208T variation was associated with elevated risk of urinary, breast, and digestive cancer. However, the C1208T polymorphism was correlated with attenuated risk of lung cancer.

Effect of interleukin-8 receptor B (IL8RB) rs1126579 C>T variation on the risk to cancer

Chemokines are a type of cytokine that participate in the migration of macrophages and monocytes to inflammatory cells. In particular, CXC chemokines are involved in the development of many cancers. Evidence for the association between interleukin-8 receptor B (IL8RB) rs1126579 C > T variation and cancer risk remains contradictory. Here, we utilized a comprehensive analysis containing odds ratios (ORs), regression, and in silico tools to evaluate the effect of IL8RB polymorphism on cancer risk. We further employed Gene set enrichment analysis combined with ELISA to evaluate the IL8RB expression in patients with prostate cancer (PRAD). A total of 5,187 cancer cases and 6,691 controls were included in the present analysis. Individuals with the TT genotype were associated with an increased risk of cancer compared to those with the TC+CC genotype. In a subgroup analysis by type of cancer, individuals with the TT genotype had a 39% increased risk of urinary cancer compared to those with the CC genotype. A subgroup analysis by ethnicity showed that Asians carrying the TC genotype had a 26% lower risk of cancer than those carrying the CC genotype. We found that the expression of IL8RB was down-regulated in PRAD. Compared to that in PRAD subjects carrying the CC genotype, the expression of IL8RB was decreased in patients with the TT+TC genotype. In conclusion, the IL8RB rs1126579 C > T variation may be associated with cancer risk, especially in Asian populations and patients with PRAD.

Acute Kidney Injury-Induced Systemic Inflammation and Risk of Kidney Cancer Formation

In this issue of Cancer Research, Zhou and colleagues investigate the role of acute kidney injury (AKI) and AKI-associated systemic inflammation in the development of kidney cancer. They demonstrate a positive association between the formation of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma and AKI induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury in genetically modified mice. In parallel with the emergence of kidney tumors, mice with ischemic injury develop systemic inflammation associated with tissue infiltration by neutrophils and fibroblasts and upregulated expression of several inflammatory factors, with CXCL1 displaying the highest levels of upregulation. Accordingly, blockade of CXCL1-mediated signaling inhibited the emergence of kidney tumors in mice subjected to ischemic kidney injury. The study provides evidence for a new experimental approach to prevent the formation of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma and reduce kidney cancer incidence through modulation of the AKI-induced inflammatory response using inhibitors of CXC/CXCR2 axis. As the incidence of kidney cancer continues to increase, new treatment strategies for this devastating disease are urgently needed. Zhou and colleagues provide preclinical proof of concept for a new therapeutic strategy and address an unmet need for this difficult to prevent and treat cancer disease.See related article by Zhou et al., p. 2690.

Review of Prognostic Expression Markers for Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Context: The number of prognostic markers for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has been increasing regularly over the last 15 years, without being integrated and compared.

Objective: Our goal was to perform a review of prognostic markers for ccRCC to lay the ground for their use in the clinics.

Evidence Acquisition: PubMed database was searched to identify RNA and protein markers whose expression level was reported as associated with survival of ccRCC patients. Relevant studies were selected through cross-reading by two readers.

Evidence Synthesis: We selected 249 studies reporting an association with prognostic of either single markers or multiple-marker models. Altogether, these studies were based on a total of 341 distinct markers and 13 multiple-marker models. Twenty percent of these markers were involved in four biological pathways altered in ccRCC: cell cycle, angiogenesis, hypoxia, and immune response. The main genes (VHL, PBRM1, BAP1, and SETD2) involved in ccRCC carcinogenesis are not the most relevant for assessing survival.

Conclusion: Among single markers, the most validated markers were KI67, BIRC5, TP53, CXCR4, and CA9. Of the multiple-marker models, the most famous model, ClearCode34, has been highly validated on several independent datasets, but its clinical utility has not yet been investigated.

Patient Summary: Over the years, the prognosis studies have evolved from single markers to multiple-marker models. Our review highlights the highly validated prognostic markers and multiple-marker models and discusses their clinical utility for better therapeutic care.

CXCL5/CXCR2 axis in tumor microenvironment as potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target

The components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in solid tumors, especially chemokines, are currently attracting much attention from scientists. C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CXCL5) is one of the important chemokines in TME. Overexpression of CXCL5 is closely related to the survival time, recurrence and metastasis of cancer patients. In TME, CXCL5 binds to its receptors, such as C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2), to participate in the recruitment of immune cells and promote angiogenesis, tumor growth, and metastasis. The CXCL5/CXCR2 axis can act as a bridge between tumor cells and host cells in TME. Blocking the transmission of CXCL5/CXCR2 signals can increase the sensitivity and effectiveness of immunotherapy and slow down tumor progression. CXCL5 and CXCR2 are also regarded as biomarkers for predicting prognosis and molecular targets for customizing the treatment. In this review, we summarized the current literature regarding the biological functions and clinical significance of CXCL5/CXCR2 axis in TME. The possibility to use CXCL5 and CXCR2 as potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer is also discussed.

FMNL1 Exhibits Pro-Metastatic Activity via CXCR2 in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Formin-like (FMNL) proteins are responsible for cytoskeletal remodeling and have been implicated in the progression and spread of human cancers. Yet the clinical significance and biological function of FMNL1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remain unclear. In this study, the expression of FMNL1 in ccRCC and its clinical value were determined by tissue microarray-based IHC and statistical analyses. The role of FMNL1 in ccRCC metastasis and the underlying mechanism were investigated via in vitro and in vivo models using gene regulation detection, ChIP, Luciferase reporter assays, and rescue experiments. We show that FMNL1 is upregulated in ccRCC and exhibits pro-metastatic activity via induction of CXCR2. High expression of FMNL1 is significantly correlated with advanced tumor stage, higher pathological tumor grade, tumor metastasis, and unfavorable prognosis in two independent cohorts containing over 800 patients with ccRCC. The upregulation of FMNL1 in ccRCC is mediated by the loss of GATA3. Ectopic expression of FMNL1 promotes, whereas FMNL1 depletion inhibits cell migration in vitro and tumor metastasis in vivo. The FMNL1-enhanced cell mobility is markedly attenuated by the knockdown of CXCR2. Further studies demonstrate that FMNL1 increases the expression of CXCR2 via HDAC1. In clinical samples, FMNL1 expression is positively associated with CXCR2, and is negatively connected to GATA3 expression. Collectively, our data suggest FMNL1 serve as a potential prognostic factor and function as an oncogene. The axis of GATA3/FMNL1/CXCR2 may present a promising therapeutic target for tumor metastasis in ccRCC.

Chemokines and their receptors promoting the recruitment of myeloid-derived suppressor cells into the tumor

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) expand in tumor-bearing host. They suppress anti-tumor immune response and promote tumor growth. Chemokines play a vital role in recruiting MDSCs into tumor tissue. They can also induce the generation of MDSCs in the bone marrow, maintain their suppressive activity, and promote their proliferation and differentiation. Here, we review CCL2/CCL12-CCR2, CCL3/4/5-CCR5, CCL15-CCR1, CX3CL1/CCL26-CX3CR1, CXCL5/2/1-CXCR2, CXCL8-CXCR1/2, CCL21-CCR7, CXCL13-CXCR5 signaling pathways, their role in MDSCs recruitment to tumor tissue, and their correlation with tumor development, metastasis and prognosis. Targeting chemokines and their receptors may serve as a promising strategy in immunotherapy, especially combined with other strategies such as chemotherapy, cyclin-dependent kinase or immune checkpoints inhibitors.

C-X-C chemokine receptor 2 correlates with unfavorable prognosis and facilitates malignant cell activities via activating JAK2/STAT3 pathway in non-small cell lung cancer

This study aimed to investigate the correlation of C-X-C chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) with clinicopathological characteristics and survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and further explore its effect on proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, stemness, chemosensitivity as well as JAK2/STAT3 pathway in NSCLC cells. The expression of CXCR2 in tumor tissues and adjacent tissues from 340 NSCLC patients received surgery was detected by immunohistochemistry. CXCR2 overexpression and knockdown were constructed through plasmid transfection and the effect of CXCR2 dysregulation on cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, stemness, chemosensitivity as well as its regulatory effect on JAK2/STAT signaling pathway was assessed in NCI-H1437 cells and NCI-H1299 cells. CXCR2 expression was higher in tumor tissues than that in paired adjacent tissues, and it was correlated with poor pathological differentiation, greater tumor size, lymph node metastasis, higher TNM stage and poor survival in NSCLC patients. In vitro, CXCR2 expression was increased in human NSCLC cell lines compared with human normal lung bronchus epithelial cells. CXCR2 promoted cell proliferation and invasion, while suppressed cell apoptosis in NCI-H1437/NCI-H1299 cells. Additionally, CXCR2 increased CD133⁺ cell rate and cell sphere-forming ability, while reduced chemosensitivity to cisplatin and gemcitabine in NCI-H1437/NCI-H1299 cells. Besides, CXCR2 activated the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in NCI-H1437/NCI-H1299 cells. In conclusion, the clinical implication and the molecular function of CXCR2 discovered in our study reveal the potential of CXCR2 as a future target for disease monitoring and treatment of NSCLC.

New CXCR1/CXCR2 inhibitors represent an effective treatment for kidney or head and neck cancers sensitive or refractory to reference treatments

Clear cell Renal Cell (RCC) and Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas (HNSCC) are characterized by a pro-angiogenic/pro-inflammatory context. Despite conventional or targeted therapies, metastatic RCC and HNSCC remain incurable. Alternative treatments to reference therapies (sunitinib, a multi tyrosine kinase inhibitor for RCC or cisplatin for HNSCC) are urgently needed on relapse. Here, we described the relevance of targeting the ELR+CXCL cytokines receptors, CXCR1/2, for the treatment of these two cancer types. Methods: The relevance to patient treatment was evaluated by correlating the ELR⁺CXCL/CXCR1/2 levels to survival using online available data. We report herein the synthesis of new pharmacological inhibitors of CXCR1/2 with anti-proliferation/survival activity. The latter was evaluated with the XTT assay with leukemic, breast, RCC and HNSCC cell lines. Their relevance as an alternative treatment was tested on sunitinib- and cisplatin- resistant cells. The most efficient compound was then tested in a mouse model of RCC and HNSCC. Results: RCC and HNSCC expressed the highest amounts of CXCR1/2 of all cancers. High levels of ELR⁺CXCL cytokines (CXCL1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8) correlated to shorter survival. Among the 33 synthesized and tested molecules, compound C29 reduced ELR⁺CXCL/CXCR1/2-dependent proliferation and migration of endothelial cells. C29 exerted an anti-proliferation/survival activity on a panel of cancer cells including naive and resistant RCC and HNSCC cells. C29 reduced the growth of experimental RCC and HNSCC tumors by decreasing tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis and ELR⁺/CXCL-mediated inflammation. Conclusion: Our study highlights the relevance of new CXCR1/2 inhibitors for the treatment of RCC or HNSCC as first-line treatment or at relapse on reference therapies.

Chemokine Network and Overall Survival in TP53 Wild-Type and Mutant Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC) has the highest mortality rate among gynecological malignancies. Because chemokine network is involved in OC progression, we evaluated associations between chemokine expression and survival in tumor suppressor protein p53 (TP53) wild-type (TP53WT) and mutant (TP53m) OC datasets. TP53 was highly mutated in OC compared to other cancer types. Among OC subtypes, CXCL14 was predominantly expressed in clear cell OC, and CCL15 and CCL20 in mucinous OC. TP53WT endometrioid OC highly expressed CXCL14 compared to TP53m, showing better progression-free survival but no difference in overall survival (OS). TP53m serous OC highly expressed CCL8, CCL20, CXCL10 and CXCL11 compared to TP53WT. CXCL12 and CCL21 were associated with poor OS in TP53WT serous OC. CXCR2 was associated with poor OS in TP53m serous OC, while CXCL9, CCL5, CXCR4, CXCL11, and CXCL13 were associated with better OS. Taken together, specific chemokine signatures may differentially influence OS in TP53WT and TP53m OC.

Volatile anaesthetics enhance the metastasis related cellular signalling including CXCR2 of ovarian cancer cells

The majority of ovarian cancer patients relapse after surgical resection. Evidence is accumulating regarding the role of surgery in disseminating cancer cells; in particular anaesthesia may have an impact on cancer re-occurrence. Here, we have investigated the metastatic potential of volatile anaesthetics isoflurane, sevoflurane and desflurane on ovarian cancer cells.

Human ovarian carcinoma cells (SKOV3) were exposed to isoflurane (2%), sevoflurane (3.6%) or desflurane (10.3%) for 2 hours. Metastatic related gene expression profiles were measured using the Tumour Metastasis PCR Array and qRT-PCR. Subsequently vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), matrix metalloproteinase 11 (MMP11), transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) and chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 2 (CXCR2) proteins expression were determined using immunofluorescent staining. The migratory capacities of SK-OV3 cells were assessed with a scratch assay and the potential role of CXCR2 in mediating the effects of volatile anaesthetics on cancer cell biology were further investigated with CXCR2 knockdown by siRNA.

All three volatile anaesthetics altered expression of 70 out of 81 metastasic related genes with significant increases in VEGF-A, MMP-11, CXCR2 and TGF-β genes and protein expression with a magnitude order of desflurane (greatest), sevoflurane and isoflurane. Scratch analysis revealed that exposure to these anesthetics increased migration, which was abolished by CXCR2 knockdown.

Volatile anaesthetics at clinically relevant concentrations have strong effects on cancer cell biology which in turn could enhance ovarian cancer metastatic potential. This work raises the urgency for further in vivo studies and clinical trials before any conclusions can be made in term of the alteration of clinical practice.

CXCR1 expression predicts benefit from tyrosine kinase inhibitors therapy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma

PURPOSE

CXCR1 signaling promotes tumor progression in various cancers, and clinical trial has proved efficacy of CXCR1 inhibitor in metastatic breast cancer. Therefore, we investigated the prognostic value of CXCR1 in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients treated with sunitinib or sorafenib were retrospectively enrolled (n = 111). CXCR1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarrays of primary tumor, and its association with prognosis and therapeutic response were evaluated. To explore possible mechanism related to CXCR1 expression, gene set enrichment analysis was performed based on The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort.

RESULTS

High CXCR1 expression was associated with poorer overall survival (P = 0.015) and was an independent prognostic factor for patients with mRCC treated by TKIs (Hazard Ratio = 1.683, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.109-2.553, P = 0.014). CXCR1 expression was also associated with worse therapeutic response of TKIs (P = 0.017). Thirteen pathways, including hypoxia and angiogenesis, were identified to be enriched in CXCR1 positive patients.

CONCLUSIONS

High CXCR1 expression indicates reduced benefit from TKIs therapy in patients with mRCC. The mechanism may be attributed to the enriched pathways of hypoxia and angiogenesis in CXCR1 positive patients. CXCR1 may be a potential therapeutic target for mRCC, but further studies are required.

Increased B4GALT1 expression associates with adverse outcome in patients with non-metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma

B4GALT1 is one of seven beta-1, 4-galactosyltransferase (B4GALT) genes, which has distinct functions in various malignances. Here, we evaluate the association of B4GALT1 expression with oncologic outcome in patients with non-metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). A retrospective analysis of 438 patients with non-metastatic ccRCC at two academic medical centers between 2005 and 2009 was performed. The first cohort with 207 patients was treated as training cohort and the other as validation cohort. Tissue microarrays (TMAs) were created in triplicate from formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded specimens. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed and the association of B4GALT1 expression with standard pathologic features and prognosis were evaluated. B4GALT1 expression was significantly associated with tumor T stage (P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively), Fuhrman grade (P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively) and necrosis (P=0.021 and P=0.002, respectively) in both training and validation cohorts. And high B4GALT1 expression indicated poor overall survival (OS) (P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively) in the two cohorts. Furthermore, B4GALT1 expression was identified as an independent adverse prognostic factor for survival (P=0.007 and P=0.002, respectively). Moreover, the accuracy of established prognostic models was improved when B4GALT1 expression was added. Therefore, a predictive nomogram was generated with identified independent prognosticators to assess patients' OS at 5 and 10 years. Increased B4GALT1 expression is a potential independent adverse prognostic factor for OS in patients with non-metastatic ccRCC.

The prognostic value of CXC chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) in cancers: a meta-analysis

Background & Aims

Quite a few studies had investigated the correlation between CXC chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) and cancer. This meta-analysis was aimed to comprehensively summarize the previous studies and to explore the prognostic value of CXCR2 in patients with cancer.

Materials and Methods

An adequate literature search in EMBASE and PubMed was conducted. Articles in English which have reported CXCR2 expression in patients and enough data to calculate hazard ratio (HR) were included. Effect estimates were analyzed with Review Manager 5.2. The endpoint was overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS).

Result

Twelve studies from 10 publications with a total of 2,461 patients were identified. It was shown that high level of CXCR2 was significantly associated with poorer overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.46-1.96, p < 0.0001, I² = 45%) and RFS (HR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.25-1.80, p < 0.0001, I² = 6%). The analyses of different analysis models (univariate or multivariate models), sample size (< 300 or ≥ 300) and ethnicity (Asian and Caucasian) have indicated the negative impact of CXCR2 over-expression on survival of patients with cancer. Stratified by cancer type, high-expression of CXCR2 was associated with unfavorable OS in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, lung cancer, pancreatic ductal carcinoma, clear-cell renal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma; however, there was significant difference between high- and low-expression of CXCR2 in digestive tract cancer (esophageal adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma procession, resected esophageal carcinoma, esophageal cancer and gastric cancer).

Conclusions

CXCR2 is an unfavorable predictor in terms of OS and RFS in patients with cancer except for digestive tract cancer and is related with poorer prognostic.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of the prognostic value of CXCR2 in solid tumor patients

CXC chemokine receptor-2 (CXCR2) expression is associated with the prognosis of multiple cancers. We performed a meta-analysis to determine the association between the CXCR2 expression in tumor tissue and patient prognosis. We compiled related literature from PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science (last updated July 31, 2017). A total of 4012 patients with solid tumors from 21 studies were included to evaluate the association between CXCR2 and overall survival, recurrence-free survival, or disease-free survival. High CXCR2 expression was significantly associated with poor overall survival (pooled HR = 1.82; 95% CI = 1.63-2.03; P < 0.001), recurrence-free survival (pooled HR = 1.40; 95% CI = 1.21-1.62; P < 0.001), and disease-free survival (pooled HR = 1.89; 95% CI = 1.05-3.40; P = 0.033), especially in patients with digestive system neoplasms. Thus high CXCR2 expression in tumor tissue appears predictive of a poor prognosis in patients with solid tumors. Further studies will be required to determine whether CXCR2 blockade has a favorable effect on the prognosis of patients with cancer.

High CXC chemokine receptor 1 level represents an independent negative prognosticator in non-metastatic clear-cell renal cell carcinoma patients

CXC chemokine receptor 1 (CXCR1) signaling has been shown as an essential molecular nexus regarding cancer cell proliferation, tumor inflammation, and angiogenesis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of CXCR1 in patients with non-metastatic ccRCC. Data from 446 consecutive non-metastatic ccRCC patients, operated between 2003 and 2008 at a single institution, were evaluated retrospectively. The cohort was split into a training set (n = 223) and a validation set (n = 223). CXCR1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry staining and its association with clinicopathologic features and prognosis were evaluated. High CXCR1 epithelial expression presented prognostic value, and indicated poor overall survival (OS) (P = 0.010 and P = 0.015, respectively) and recurrence-free survival (P = 0.011 and P = 0.019, respectively) in the training and validation sets. The incorporation of CXCR1 into the T stage and SSIGN score would help to refine individual risk stratification. Multivariate analysis identified increased epithelial CXCR1 was statistically significantly associated with a poor outcome for OS (HR [95% CI] 1.808 [1.184-2.761]; P = 0.006) and RFS (HR [95% CI] 1.570 [1.076-2.290]; P = 0.019) in all non-metastatic ccRCC patients. Predictive nomograms were generated with identified independent prognosticators to assess patient overall survival and recurrence-free survival at 3, 5 and 10 y. Furthermore, high CXCR1 expression were correlated with elevated infiltrated neutrophils and enriched MMP family gene expression. To conclude, high CXCR1 level within epithelial area represented a potential independent negative prognostic factor regarding OS and RFS in non-metastatic ccRCC patients after nephrectomy.

A positive crosstalk between CXCR4 and CXCR2 promotes gastric cancer metastasis

The molecular mechanism underlying gastric cancer (GC) invasion and metastasis is still poorly understood. In this study, we tried to investigate the roles of CXCR4 and CXCR2 signalings in gastric cancer metastasis. A highly invasive gastric cancer cell model was established. Chemokines receptors were profiled to search for the accountable ones. Then the underlying molecular mechanism was investigated using both in vitro and in vivo techniques, and the clinical relevance of CXCR4 and CXCR2 expression was studied in gastric cancer samples. CXCR4 and CXCR2 were highly expressed in a high invasive gastric cancer cell model and in gastric cancer tissues. Overexpression of CXCR4 and CXCR2 was associated with more advanced tumor stage and poorer survival for GC patients. CXCR4 and CXCR2 expression strongly correlated with each other in the way that CXCR2 expression changed accordingly with the activity of CXCR4 signaling and CXCR4 expression also changed in agreement with CXCR2 activity. Further studies demonstrated CXCR4 and CXCR2 can both activated NF-κB and STAT3 signaling, while NF-κBp65 can then transcriptionally activate CXCR4 and STAT3 can activate CXCR2 expression. This crosstalk between CXCR4 and CXCR2 contributed to EMT, migration and invasion of gastric cancer. Finally, Co-inhibition of CXCR4 and CXCR2 is more effective in reducing gastric cancer metastasis. Our results demonstrated that CXCR4 and CXCR2 cross-activate each other to promote the metastasis of gastric cancer.

CXC chemokine receptor 1 predicts postoperative prognosis and chemotherapeutic benefits for TNM II and III resectable gastric cancer patients

Backround: Abnormal expression of CXC chemokine receptor 1 (CXCR1) has shown the ability to promote tumor angiogensis, invasion and metastasis in several cancers. The purpose of our curret study is to discover the clinical prognostic significance of CXCR1 in resectable gastric cancer.

METHODS

330 gastric cancer patients who underwent R0 gastrectomy with standard D2 lymphadenectomy at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University between 2007 and 2008 were enrolled. CXCR1 expression was evaluated with use of immunohistochemical staining. The relation between CXCR1 expression and clinicopathological features and postoperative prognosis was respectively inspected.

RESULTS

In both discovery and validation data sets, CXCR1 high expression indicated poorer overall survival (OS) in TNM II and III patients. Furthermore, multivariate analysis identified CXCR1 expression and TNM stage as two independent prognostic factors for OS. Incorporating CXCR1 expression into current TNM staging system could generate a novel clinical predictive model for gastric cancer, showing better prognostic accuracy with respect to patients' OS. More importantly, TNM II patients with higher CXCR1 expression were shown to significantly benefit from postoperative 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) based adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT).

CONCLUSION

CXCR1 in gastric cancer was identified as an independent adverse prognostic factor. Combining CXCR1 expression with current TNM staging system could lead to better risk stratification and more accurate prognosis for gastric cancer patients. High expression of CXCR1 identified a subgroup of TNM stage II gastric cancer patients who appeared to benefit from 5-FU based ACT.

Glycoprotein 130 is associated with adverse postoperative clinical outcomes of patients with late-stage non-metastatic gastric cancer

The interaction of glycoprotein 130 (gp130) with the cytokines of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) family has proved to play a crucial part in several cancers. Our current study is designed to discover the clinical prognostic significance of gp130 in non-metastatic gastric cancer. We examined intratumoral gp130 expression in retrospectively enrolled 370 gastric cancer patients who underwent radical gastrectomy with standard D2 lymphadenectomy at Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University during 2007 and 2008 by immunohistochemical staining. The expression of gp130 was significantly correlated with T classification, N classification and TNM stage (P = 0.003, P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively; T, N, TNM refers to Tumor Invasion, Regional lymph node metastasis and Tumor Node Metastasis, respectively). Elevated intratumoral gp130 expression implied unfavourable overall survival (OS) (P < 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (P < 0.001), respectively. Furthermore, among TNM II and III gp130-high patients, those who were treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) based adjuvant chemotherapy had better OS (P < 0.001). The generated nomogram performed well in predicting the 3- and 5-year OS of gastric cancer patients. The incorporation of gp130 into contemporary TNM staging system would be of great significance to improve the current individual risk stratification. These findings contribute to better clinical management for those patients who would benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

Cytokine Regulation of Metastasis and Tumorigenicity

The human body combats infection and promotes wound healing through the remarkable process of inflammation. Inflammation is characterized by the recruitment of stromal cell activity including recruitment of immune cells and induction of angiogenesis. These cellular processes are regulated by a class of soluble molecules called cytokines. Based on function, cell target, and structure, cytokines are subdivided into several classes including: interleukins, chemokines, and lymphokines. While cytokines regulate normal physiological processes, chronic deregulation of cytokine expression and activity contributes to cancer in many ways. Gene polymorphisms of all types of cytokines are associated with risk of disease development. Deregulation RNA and protein expression of interleukins, chemokines, and lymphokines have been detected in many solid tumors and hematopoetic malignancies, correlating with poor patient prognosis. The current body of literature suggests that in some tumor types, interleukins and chemokines work against the human body by signaling to cancer cells and remodeling the local microenvironment to support the growth, survival, and invasion of primary tumors and enhance metastatic colonization. Some lymphokines are downregulated to suppress tumor progression by enhancing cytotoxic T cell activity and inhibiting tumor cell survival. In this review, we will describe the structure/function of several cytokine families and review our current understanding on the roles and mechanisms of cytokines in tumor progression. In addition, we will also discuss strategies for exploiting the expression and activity of cytokines in therapeutic intervention.

Galectin-8 is associated with recurrence and survival of patients with non-metastatic gastric cancer after surgery

The expression of galectin family has been unraveled in many malignant tumors and related with clinical outcomes. Our current study aims to investigate the prognostic value of galectin-8 expression and refine the current risk stratification system in non-metastatic gastric cancer patients. We retrospectively enrolled 421 patients with gastric cancer from Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University in 2008. The expression of galectin-8 was detected by immunohistochemistry, and its association with clinicopathological features and prognostic outcomes were assessed. We found that galectin-8 expression was significantly associated with tumor size (P = 0.007), T stage (P = 0.001), N stage (P < 0.001), and tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage (P < 0.001). In addition, low galectin-8 expression indicated poor overall survival (OS) (P < 0.001) and disease-free survival (DFS) (P < 0.001). Furthermore, galectin-8 expression level was identified as an independent favorable prognostic factor for OS (P < 0.001). A predictive nomogram was generated with identified independent prognosticators to evaluate patient OS at 3 and 5 years. Our study suggested that galectin-8 is a potential independent favorable prognostic biomarker for survival and recurrence of patients with gastric cancer after surgical resection and the integration of intratumoral galectin-8 expression level into current TNM staging system would help to refine individual risk stratification.