Epstein-Barr virus infection associated with pepsinogens and Helicobacter pylori infection in patients with gastric cancer

Role of lncRNAs in Helicobacter pylori and Epstein-Barr virus associated gastric cancers

Helicobacter pylori infection is a risk factor for the development of gastric cancer (GC), and the role of co-infection with viruses, such as Epstein-Barr virus, in carcinogenesis cannot be ignored. Furthermore, it is now known that genetic factors such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in many diseases, including GC. On the other side, they can also be used as therapeutic goals. Modified lncRNAs can cause aberrant expression of genes encoding proximal proteins, which are essential for the development of carcinoma. In this review, we present the most recent studies on lncRNAs in GC, concentrating on their roles in H. pylori and EBV infections, and discuss some of the molecular mechanisms of these GC-related pathogens. There was also a discussion of the research gaps and future perspectives.

Low serum pepsinogen II levels are closely linked with a risk of metabolic syndrome among healthy individuals with asymptomatic Helicobacter pylori infection: a cross-sectional study

Aim: Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection has a connection with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Pepsinogen II (PGII) is a marker for gastric epithelial function. The present research was aimed at determining the associations among serum PGII levels, Hp infection and MetS in healthy subjects. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 1242 healthy people, including 545 subjects with asymptomatic Hp infection and 697 subjects without Hp infection. Based on the number of MetS components present, subjects with Hp infection were assigned to the following groups: group 1, no component (126 subjects); group 2, one or two components (260 subjects); and group 3, three or more components (159 subjects). Physical measurements and biochemical indices were recorded. Serum PGII levels were recorded using ELISA. SPSS and GraphPad Prism were used for statistical analyses. Results: Among subjects with Hp infection, serum PGII was evidently downregulated in group 3 compared with group 1 (14.95 ± 8.24 vs 17.97 ± 9.08 μg/l; p = 0.015). Serum PGII levels were correlated with an increased risk of MetS (odds ratio: 0.867; 95% CI: 0.772-0.974; p = 0.016), as indicated by the multivariate logistic regression analysis. Grouping subjects with Hp infection according to quartiles of serum PGII levels identified an evident difference in MetS prevalence among the four quartile-based groups (p = 0.047). Conclusions: Among healthy subjects with asymptomatic Hp infection, serum PGII levels were lower in those with MetS than in those without MetS. Serum PGII levels showed an independent and negative correlation with the risk of MetS in healthy subjects with Hp infection.

A Clinical Analysis and Literature Review of Six Cases with Primary Pulmonary Lymphoepithelioma-Like Carcinoma

Methods

The clinical data of six patients with primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma treated in Zhejiang Taizhou Hospital of Taizhou Enze Medical Center (Group) from May 2014 to December 2018 were summarized and analyzed. Combined with the relevant literature, the primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma was analyzed retrospectively.

Results

The main manifestations of six patients were respiratory symptoms, and cough was the most common. The imaging features of six patients were mainly round-like high-density mass shadow or nodule shadow. All patients were diagnosed by pathology. Microscopically, the cancer cells were nested, with large nuclei and vacuoles and abundant lymphocyte infiltration in the tumor stroma. The positive rates of EBER, p63, CK5/6, and Ki-67 were high, and TTF-1 was negative. Five patients received surgical treatment. One patient developed brain metastasis 12 months after operation and received craniocerebral radiotherapy. The other patients did not receive radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and one patient did not receive treatment. After follow-up, four patients survived so far, the longest survival time was 82 months, one patient lost follow-up, and one patient died of lung metastasis 24 months after operation.

Conclusion

Primary pulmonary lymphoepitheliomatoid-like carcinoma is a rare lung malignant tumor, whose pathogenesis is related to Epstein-Barr virus infection. The clinical manifestations are nonspecific, but with unique pathological characteristics. Surgical resection is the proper treatment for early-stage patients, and comprehensive treatment with surgery as the main treatment is suitable for late-stage patients. The prognosis is good.

General Features and Novel Gene Signatures That Identify Epstein-Barr Virus-Associated Epithelial Cancers

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with various types of human malignancies, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), EBV-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC), and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The present study aimed to identify gene signatures and common signaling pathways that can be used to predict the prognosis of EBV-associated epithelial cancers (EBVaCAs) by performing an integrated bioinformatics analysis of cell lines and tumor tissues. We identified 12 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the EBVaCA cell lines. Among them, only four DEGs, including BAMBI, SLC26A9, SGPP2, and TMC8, were significantly upregulated. However, SLC26A9 and TMC8, but not BAMBI and SGPP2, were significantly upregulated in EBV-positive tumor tissues compared to EBV-negative tumor tissues. Next, we identified IL6/JAK/STAT3 and TNF-α/NF-κB signaling pathways as common hallmarks of EBVaCAs. The expression of key genes related to the two hallmarks was upregulated in both EBV-infected cell lines and EBV-positive tumor tissues. These results suggest that SLC26A9 and TMC8 might be gene signatures that can effectively predict the prognosis of EBVaCAs and provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of EBV-driven epithelial cancers.

EBV-Positive Gastric Cancer: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common malignant tumor and second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. With the improved understanding of gastric cancer, a subset of gastric cancer patients infected with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) has been identified. EBV-positive gastric cancer is a type of tumor with unique genomic aberrations, significant clinicopathological features, and a good prognosis. After EBV infects the human body, it first enters an incubation period in which the virus integrates its DNA into the host and expresses the latent protein and then affects DNA methylation through miRNA under the action of the latent protein, which leads to the occurrence of EBV-positive gastric cancer. With recent developments in immunotherapy, better treatment of EBV-positive gastric cancer patients appears achievable. Moreover, studies show that treatment with immunotherapy has a high effective rate in patients with EBV-positive gastric cancer. This review summarizes the research status of EBV-positive gastric cancer in recent years and indicates areas for improvement of clinical practice.

Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma: a rare type of lung cancer with a favorable outcome in comparison to squamous carcinoma

Background

Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is a rare tumor and often misdiagnosed as squamous carcinoma. In the current study, clinical characteristics and outcome of primary pulmonary LELC were systematically compared with pulmonary squamous carcinoma.

Methods

Forty-two cases of primary pulmonary LELC and 134 squamous carcinomas were enrolled retrospectively. Characteristic and prognosis difference between the two groups was compared, and the independent prognostic factor for pulmonary LELC was identified as well.

Results

In comparison to squamous carcinoma, pulmonary LELC was more common in women with a younger median age and less smokers. LELC seemed to be smaller in diameter on computed tomography (CT) scans than squamous carcinoma, with scarce spiculation and vascular convergence signs. Epstein-Bar virus-encoded RNA (EBER) by in-situ hybridization was detected in 33 LELC cases, among whom 27 ones were positive in serum EBV-DNA examination. LELC patients presented a much longer median progression-free survival (PFS) than squamous carcinoma. Positive serum EBV-DNA, distant lymph node invasion, advanced clinical stage and receiving radiotherapy were correlated with the shorter PFS in LELC patients. However, only positive serum EBV-DNA was the independent PFS predictor.

Conclusion

Pulmonary LELC looks like distinct from squamous carcinoma. Middle-aged women and nonsmokers are comparatively predominated. CT features of pulmonary LELC are relatively less-malignant. Correspondently, the progression of pulmonary LELC is seemingly favorable than squamous carcinoma and the positive serum EBV-DNA appears to be the predictor of PFS.

TRP channels in gastric cancer: New hopes and clinical perspectives

Gastric cancer is a multifactorial disease associated with a combination of and environmental factors. Each year, one million new gastric cancer cases are diagnosed worldwide and two-thirds end up losing the battle with this devastating disease. Currently, surgery represents the only effective treatment option for patients with early stage tumors. However, the asymptomatic phenotype of this disease during the early stages poses as a significant limiting factor to diagnosis and often renders treatments ineffective. To address these issues, scientists are focusing on personalized medicine and discovering new ways to treat cancer patients. Emerging therapeutic options include the transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. Since their discovery, TRP channels have been shown to contribute significantly to the pathophysiology of various cancers, including gastric cancer. This review will summarize the current knowledge about gastric cancer and provide a synopsis of recent advancements on the role and involvement of TRP channels in gastric cancer as well as a discussion of the benefits of targeting TPR channel in the clinical management of gastric cancer.

Diagnostic value of serum pepsinogen in gastric diseases

Serum pepsinogen can reflect the functional status of the gastric mucosa. The pathological changes of the gastric mucosa include chronic gastritis, gastric ulcer, atrophic gastritis, and gastric cancer, and the relationship between serum pepsinogen and gastric cancer/atrophic gastritis is the most prominent. Since the detection of serum pepsinogen is simple, inexpensive, time-saving, highly sensitive, and highly specific, it has attracted great attention from scholars and is regarded as "serological biopsy". In this paper, we discuss the value of serum pepsinogen in the diagnosis of gastric diseases.