Amplification of the PPFIA1 gene region on 11q13 in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC)

High expression of PPFIA1 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma correlates with tumor metastasis and poor prognosis

BACKGROUND

PTPRF interacting protein alpha 1 (PPFIA1) is reportedly related to the occurrence and progression of several kinds of malignancies. However, its role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is unclear. This current study investigated the prognostic significance and biological functions of PPFIA1 in ESCC.

METHODS

Oncomine, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were used to investigate PPFIA1 expression in esophageal cancer. The relationship between PPFIA1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics and patient survival was evaluated in GSE53625 dataset, and verified in the cDNA array based on qRT-PCR and tissue microarray (TMA) dataset based on immunohistochemistry. The impact of PPFIA1 on the migration and invasion of cancer cells were investigated by wound-healing and transwell assays, respectively.

RESULTS

The expression of PPFIA1 was obviously increased in ESCC tissues versus adjacent esophageal tissues according to online database analyses (all P < 0.05). High PPFIA1 expression was closely related to several clinicopathological characteristics, including tumor location, histological grade, tumor invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage. High PPFIA1 expression was related to worse outcomes and was identified as an independent prognostic factor of overall survival in ESCC patients (GSE53625 dataset, P = 0.019; cDNA array dataset, P < 0.001; TMA dataset, P = 0.039). Downregulation of PPFIA1 expression can significantly reduce the migration and invasion ability of ESCC cells.

CONCLUSION

PPFIA1 is related to the migration and invasion of ESCC cells, and can be used as a potential biomarker to evaluate the prognosis of ESCC patients.

Detection of cytogenetic changes and chromosomal aneuploidy with fluorescent in situ hybridization in cytological specimens of oral cancers in Fanconi anemia-Proof of concept

OBJECTIVES

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare inherited DNA instability disorder with a remarkably elevated risk of neoplasia compared with the general population, mainly leukemia and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Two thirds of the SCCs arise in the oral cavity and are typically preceded by visible lesions. These lesions can be classified with brush biopsy-based cytological methods regarding their risk of a malignant transformation. As a proof of concept, this study aims to investigate genetic changes and chromosomal aneuploidy using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) on oral squamous cells derived from FA affected individuals.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Five FA oral SCC (OSCC) tumor cell lines, one FA OSCC cervical lymph node metastasis as well as tumor-negative and atypical smears from oral brush biopsies were analyzed with FISH probes covering 5p15.2, MYC, EGFR, TERC, 9q34.1, CCND1, 9p21 and centromeres of chromosomes 3, 6, 7, 9, 11, and 17.

RESULTS

OSCC specimens showed gains of all analyzed chromosomal regions. Chromosomal aneuploidy was observed in five of the six OSCC specimens in two multicolor FISH assays with panels of four probes each. Five out of six OSCC specimens displayed a relative deletion of 9p21. Applied on atypical brush biopsy-based smears, chromosomal aneuploidy was detected in malignant lesions but not in the smear derived from a severe parodontitis.

CONCLUSIONS

As proof of concept, FISH was able to detect genetic changes and chromosomal aneuploidy discriminating oral cancer from noncancerous lesions in individuals with FA. This supports its application on oral brush biopsy-based cytology.

circ_0080145 Enhances Imatinib Resistance of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia by Regulating miR-326/PPFIA1 Axis

Background: Acquired multidrug resistance is often blamed for the failure of chemotherapy in patients with malignant tumors, including chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). In this study, the authors investigated the role of circular RNA 0080145 (circ_0080145) in imatinib (IM) resistance of CML. Materials and Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was applied to measure the expression of circ_0080145, microRNA-326 (miR-326), and PTPRF interacting protein alpha 1 (PPFIA1) mRNA. 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to determine the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of IM and cell proliferation. Flow cytometry analysis was utilized to assess cell apoptosis. The levels of glucose uptake and lactate production were examined using specific kits. Protein levels were detected through western blot assay. The targeting relationship between miR-326 and circ_0080145 or PPFIA1 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The murine xenograft model was constructed to investigate the effect of circ_0080145 in vivo. Results: circ_0080145 was upregulated in IM-resistant CML patients and cells. circ_0080145 silencing suppressed IM resistance, cell growth, and glycolysis and induced apoptosis in IM-resistant CML cells in vitro. Moreover, circ_0080145 knockdown blocked tumor growth and IM resistance in vivo. miR-326 was a target of circ_0080145, and miR-326 inhibition restored the effects of circ_0080145 silencing on cell progression and IM resistance. In addition, PPFIA1 was a target gene of miR-326. The suppressive roles in IM resistance, cell growth and glycolysis, and the promotional role in apoptosis mediated by miR-326 were abolished by PPFIA1 overexpression in IM-resistant CML cells. Conclusion: circ_0080145 contributes to IM resistance via modulating miR-326/PPFIA1 axis, which might provide a novel avenue for CML therapy.

Cyclin D1 Gene Numerical Imbalances in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Tissue Microarray Grid Based Analysis

BACKGROUND

Deregulation of critical proteins involved in cell cycle stability, such as cyclins, is a frequent genetic event in the development and progression of solid malignancies. Concerning laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), cyclin D1 oncogenic transformation leads to an aberrant protein expression and seems to affect the biological behaviour of the neoplasm. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation of cyclin D1 numerical imbalances with the corresponding protein expression levels in LSCCs.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Using tissue microarray (TMA) technology, fifty (n=50) histologically confirmed primary LSSCs were cored at a diameter of 1.5 mm. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) analyses were applied. Concerning the screening process in CISH slides, a novel real-time reference and calibration grid platform was implemented.

RESULTS

Protein overexpression was observed in 22/50 (44%) cases; whereas, gene amplification was seen in 13/50 (26%) cases (p=0.02). Combined protein/ gene deregulation was associated with the stage of malignancy (p= 0.0014, p=0.001), whereas overall protein expression was strongly correlated with the grade of tumour (p= 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Cyclin D1 gene amplification led to aberrant protein expression in LSCCs and it was also correlated with an aggressive biological behaviour. To best of our knowledge, this study was the first described grid based CISH analysis under conventional bright field microscopy for detecting gene numerical imbalances while providing a novel and accurate description for screening-mapping process in the entire slide area.<br />.

Combined expression and prognostic significance of PPFIA1 and ALG3 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

PPFIA family members and ALG3 play important roles in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. However, the exact roles of distinct PPFIA family members and ALG3 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain unclear. We studied the mRNA expressions of PPFIA family members and ALG3 in a variety of tumor types compared with the normal controls using the Oncomine database along with meta-analyses of their expressions in HNSCC cancer cell line. The mRNA expressions of PPFIA family members and ALG3 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cell line and normal laryngeal cell line were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Based on the cBioportal database, we further studied mRNA expression alterations and co-occurrence relationships of the PPFIA family members and ALG3 in HNSCC. The relationship between PPFIA1 and ALG3 mRNA expression alterations and prognoses in patients with HNSCC was explored. We found that PPFIA1 and ALG3 were distinctively overexpressed at the mRNA level in HNSCC tissues compared with normal tissues, they had a significant co-occurrence relationship, their mRNA expressions were significantly higher than other PPFIA family members in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cell line, and their mRNA expressions were also significantly higher in laryngeal carcinoma cell line than in normal laryngeal cell line. Patients without both PPFIA1 and ALG3 mRNA expression alterations had better overall survival and disease/progression-free survival compared with patients with both PPFIA1 and ALG3 alterations. Based on these findings, PPFIA1 and ALG3 may play roles in oncogene expression in HNSCC. Their combined overexpression is significantly associated with poor survival outcomes. The relationship between them and the mechanism of action in head and neck cancers deserve further investigation.

Discovery of the Oncogenic Parp1, a Target of bcr-abl and a Potential Therapeutic, in mir-181a/PPFIA1 Signaling Pathway

miR-181a is downregulated in leukemia and affects its progression, drug resistance, and prognosis. However, the exact mechanism of its targets in leukemia, particularly in chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), has not previously been established. Here, we use a multi-omics approach to demonstrate that protein tyrosine phosphatase, receptor type, f polypeptide, leukocyte common antigen (LAR) interacting protein (liprin), alpha 1 (PPFIA1) is a direct target for miR-181a in CML. Phospho-array assay shows that multiple phosphorylated proteins, particularly KIT signaling molecules, were downregulated in PPFIA1 inhibition. Additionally, PPFIA1 bound PARP1, a common molecule downstream of both PPFIA1 and BCR/ABL, to upregulate KIT protein through activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB)-P65 expression. Targeted inhibition of PPFIA1 and PARP1 downregulated c-KIT level, inhibited CML cell growth, and prolonged mouse survival. Overall, we report a critical regulatory miR-181a/PPFIA1/PARP1/NF-κB-P65/KIT axis in CML, and our preclinical study supports that targeted PPFIA1 and PARP1 may serve as a potential CML therapy.

Genomic Copy Number Variations Characterize the Prognosis of Both P16-Positive and P16-Negative Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma After Curative Resection

Recently increasing high-risk HPV+ OSCC exhibits unique clinical and molecular characteristics compared to HPV-unrelated (HPV-) counterpart. Genomic copy number variations (CNVs), unique in HPV+ OSCCs, and their role for the prognosis prediction remains poorly studied. Here, we analyzed the distinct genomic copy number variations (CNVs) in human papillomavirus-related (HPV+) oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and their role as a prognosticator after curative resection. For 58 consecutive, Korean OSCC patients that underwent surgery-based treatment with median 10 years of follow-up, HPV-related markers, and genome-wide CNV analysis were analyzed. Clinical associations between the CNV profile and survival analyses were followed. p16 expression predicted the overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.27, confidence interval [CI]: 0.39-0.80, P = 0.0006) better than HPV L1 PCR (HR = 0.83, CI: 0.66-1.29, P = 0.64), smoking, or other variables. Although the overall number of CNVs was not significantly different, 30 loci showed unique CNV patterns between the p16+ and p16- groups. A region containing PRDM2 was amplified only in the p16+ group, whereas EGFR and 11q13.3 showed increased amplification in p16- counterpart. Loss of a locus containing FGF18 led to a worse, but gain of region including CDK10 and RAD18 led to better overall survival (OS) in all OSCC patients. Meanwhile, subgroup analysis of p16+ OSCC revealed that amplification of regions harboring HRAS and loss of locus bearing KDR led to better OS. p16+ OSCC exhibit distinct CNV patterns compared with p16- counterpart. Specific patterns of CNVs predict better survival, especially in p16+ OSCC. This might allow better insights of the outcome after curative resection for HPV+ and HPV- OSCC.

Prognostic significance of TMEM16A, PPFIA1, and FADD expression in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast

Background

11q13 region is a frequently amplified locus in human malignancies. Among the genes located in this region, FADD is one of the alleged driving genes. Because amplification is not generally confined to a single gene and amplified genes may not show increased expression, we need to evaluate clinical significance of changes occurring in 11q13 region to understand their roles in carcinogenesis. Therefore, we screened expressions of FADD and closely located genes (PPFIA1 and TMEM16A) and evaluated the expressions to find clinical significance in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast.

Methods

Ninety-eight cases of invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast were collected. Using archival tissues resected from the cases, we built a tissue microarray and used it in immunohistochemistry. We evaluated the association of FADD, PPFIA1, and TMEM16A expression scores with clinicopathological parameters, including disease-free survival.

Results

FADD expression was associated with T stage (P = 0.046). The combined score of FADD, PPFIA1, and TMEM16A gene expressions was associated with perineural invasion (P = 0.022). Although individual gene expressions of TMEM16A, FADD, and PPFIA1 failed to show significant association with disease-free survival, combined gene expression scores did show association with disease-free survival (P = 0.034).

Conclusions

FADD, TMEM16A, and PPFIA1 gene expressions as a whole were associated with disease-free survival in breast cancer.

Influence of epidermal growth factor receptor expression on the cetuximab and panitumumab response rates of head and neck carcinoma cells

OBJECTIVES

To examine the impact of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression level on the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies against the EGFR.

METHODS

In four human head and neck carcinoma cell lines, epidermal growth factor expression was knocked down by lentiviral RNA interference. Next, the efficacies of cetuximab and panitumumab at concentrations of 4, 40, and 400 μg/ml were measured by real time cell analysis for a 48-h duration. Finally, the different response rates to the drugs were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS

The lentiviral EGFR knockdown efficiency ranged from 18 to 54 % across all of the cell lines. All original cell lines exhibited rather poor or inverse responses with regard to EGFR-AB treatment. In contrast, inhibiting EGFR expression in the same cell lines yielded statistically significant better responses to cetuximab or panitumumab treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The cell lines used in this study responded poorly to cetuximab and panitumumab. Better anti-EGFR treatment efficacy was related to lower EGFR expression in head and neck cancer cell lines. These findings might influence the selection of patients to receive cetuximab and panitumumab treatment for head and neck cancer.

Imaging angiogenesis: perspectives and opportunities in tumour research - a method display

The growth of solid tumours necessitates angiogenesis. The aim of this paper is the presentation and evaluation of different ex vivo methods for analysing tumour angiogenesis. Oral squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) were induced in mice by subcutaneous injection of tumour cells in the groin region and processed for histology and microvascular corrosion casting. Vascularization was analysed light microscopically using CD31 immunochemistry. Corrosion casts were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), micro computed tomography (μCT) and synchrotron radiation-based micro computed tomography (SRμCT). Immunochemistry allows for a simple and authentic detection and stereological quantification of the SCC vascularization. μCT imaging of the corrosion casts gives a high-quality overview over the three-dimensional (3D) microvascular architecture. SEM and SRμCT allow a high-definition display of the vessel morphology, providing magnificent detail recognition down to the capillary level enabling imaging of different forms of tumour angiogenesis, e.g., sprouting and intussusceptive angiogenesis. Immunochemistry and SEM are regarded as suitable for most of the morphometrical and morphological assessments because of the simple procedure and the high explanatory power, especially in combination with each other. High resolution SRμCT helps answering specialized questions, however, requires sophisticated data processing for visualization and is of limited availability.