Inflammatory bowel disease induces inflammatory and pre-neoplastic changes in the prostate

The role of proinflammatory cytokines and CXC chemokines (CXCL1-CXCL16) in the progression of prostate cancer: insights on their therapeutic management

Reproductive cancers are malignancies that develop in the reproductive organs. One of the leading cancers affecting the male reproductive system on a global scale is prostate cancer (PCa). The negative consequences of PCa metastases endure and are severe, significantly affecting mortality and life quality for those who are affected. The association between inflammation and PCa has captured interest for a while. Inflammatory cells, cytokines, CXC chemokines, signaling pathways, and other elements make up the tumor microenvironment (TME), which is characterized by inflammation. Inflammatory cytokines and CXC chemokines are especially crucial for PCa development and prognosis. Cytokines (interleukins) and CXC chemokines such as IL-1, IL-6, IL-7, IL-17, TGF-β, TNF-α, CXCL1-CXCL6, and CXCL8-CXCL16 are thought to be responsible for the pleiotropic effects of PCa, which include inflammation, progression, angiogenesis, leukocyte infiltration in advanced PCa, and therapeutic resistance. The inflammatory cytokine and CXC chemokines systems are also promising candidates for PCa suppression and immunotherapy. Therefore, the purpose of this work is to provide insight on how the spectra of inflammatory cytokines and CXC chemokines evolve as PCa develops and spreads. We also discussed recent developments in our awareness of the diverse molecular signaling pathways of these circulating cytokines and CXC chemokines, as well as their associated receptors, which may one day serve as PCa-targeted therapies. Moreover, the current status and potential of theranostic PCa therapies based on cytokines, CXC chemokines, and CXC receptors (CXCRs) are examined.

Two-sample Mendelian randomization study reveals no causal relationship between inflammatory bowel disease and urological cancers

Background: The relationship between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and urological cancers has been identified in epidemiological and observational studies, while the causality remains uncertain. We examined whether IBD is causally associated with urological cancers in a Mendelian randomization (MR) study. Methods: The causal relationship between IBD, its main subtypes, and urological cancers was investigated using genome-wide association study data. To obtain more reliable conclusions, all outcomes were divided into training and validation sets. Eligible single-nucleotide polymorphisms were selected as instrumental variables based on MR analysis assumptions. The inverse variance-weighted (IVW) method was employed as the main method along with four other complementary methods. Results: In this two-sample MR study, no genetic evidence for the causal effect of IBD on urological cancers was found in either the training or validation sets using the IVW method. Similarly, we did not observe any significant association between Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis and urological cancers. The results of the other methods are in accordance with those obtained using the IVW method. Conclusion: In this study, we confirmed that IBD is not a causal genetic risk factor for urological cancer in a European population.

Association of ulcerative colitis and acute gastroenteritis with prostate specific antigen: results from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from (2009 to 2010) and Mendelian randomization analyses

Background

An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that gastrointestinal inflammation may increase prostate cancer risk and raise the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. However, the association between ulcerative colitis (UC) and acute gastroenteritis (AGE) with PSA remains unclear and complicated. Herein, we evaluated the relationship between UC and AGE with PSA concentration using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database and Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses.

Materials and methods

A total of 1,234 participants fit into the study after conducting the screening based on the NHANES survey conducted from 2009 to 2010. UC and AGE were the independent variables, and PSA was the dependent variable. Weighted multiple linear regressions were utilized to estimate the association of UC and AGE with PSA concentration. To detect the causal relationship between UC and AGE with PSA, a two-sample Mendelian randomized analysis was conducted.

Results

After controlling for all covariates, PSA (log2 transform) concentrations in the UC group were increased by 0.64 (0.07, 1.21). AGE was not independently associated with PSA levels after adjusting potential confounders. In patients with coronary artery disease, AGE promotes elevated PSA (log2 transform) concentrations (β = 1.20, 95% CI: 0.21-2.20, p < 0.001). Moreover, an IVW MR analysis indicated that genetically predicted UC was associated with increased PSA, and that AGE was not associated with PSA.

Conclusion

This study indicated that a positive causal association exists between UC and the PSA level. However, there is no evidence to support the relationship between AGE and the PSA level.

Association between inflammatory bowel disease and risk of incident prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Numerous observational studies have been conducted to investigate the potential association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and prostate cancer (PCa). However, a definitive conclusion has yet to be established. We therefore performed a meta-analysis to explore the relationship between these two conditions.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were systematically searched to identify all relevant cohort studies that investigated the association between IBD and risk of incident PCa published from inception to February 2023. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was calculated as effect size for the outcome based on random-effects model meta-analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 18 cohort studies with 592,853 participants were included. The meta-analysis revealed that IBD was linked to an elevated risk of incident PCa (HR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.06-1.37, P = 0.004). Further subgroup analyses revealed that ulcerative colitis (UC) was linked to an increased risk of incident PCa (HR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.06-1.38, P = 0.006), while Crohn's disease (CD) is not significantly associated with a higher risk of PCa (HR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.91-1.17, P = 0.65). There was a significant correlation between IBD and an elevated risk of incident PCa in the European population, but such a correlation was not observed in the Asian and North American populations. Sensitivity analyses indicated that our results were robust.

CONCLUSIONS

Our latest evidence indicates that IBD was linked to an elevated risk of incident PCa, especially in UC patients and the European population.

A Brief Review on Chemoresistance; Targeting Cancer Stem Cells as an Alternative Approach

The acquisition of resistance to traditional chemotherapy and the chemoresistant metastatic relapse of minimal residual disease both play a key role in the treatment failure and poor prognosis of cancer. Understanding how cancer cells overcome chemotherapy-induced cell death is critical to improve patient survival rate. Here, we briefly describe the technical approach directed at obtaining chemoresistant cell lines and we will focus on the main defense mechanisms against common chemotherapy triggers by tumor cells. Such as, the alteration of drug influx/efflux, the enhancement of drug metabolic neutralization, the improvement of DNA-repair mechanisms, the inhibition of apoptosis-related cell death, and the role of p53 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in chemoresistance. Furthermore, we will focus on cancer stem cells (CSCs), the cell population that subsists after chemotherapy, increasing drug resistance by different processes such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), an enhanced DNA repair machinery, and the capacity to avoid apoptosis mediated by BCL2 family proteins, such as BCL-XL, and the flexibility of their metabolism. Finally, we will review the latest approaches aimed at decreasing CSCs. Nevertheless, the development of long-term therapies to manage and control CSCs populations within the tumors is still necessary.

Inflammatory bowel disease-associated malignancies and considerations for radiation impacting bowel: a scoping review

Background

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), subdivided into Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is an auto-inflammatory gastrointestinal condition with an established increased risk of certain malignancies. Compared to sporadic cancers in the general population, IBD-associated malignancies present unique challenges to providing quality care. Radiation therapy (RT) targeting IBD-associated malignancies may directly impact inflamed bowel, with special considerations for the risk of toxicities. Historically, patients with IBD have been less likely to receive radiotherapy in proximity to bowel due to a poor understanding of the potential for acute and chronic toxicities and unclear treatment outcomes. We present a scoping review, to more fully assess IBD-associated malignancies and their treatment. As opposed to a systematic review, this approach allows us to analyze the broadest range of literature, including experimental and non-experimental research, and reflect on current guidelines and practices.

Methods

Literature search: a systematic, scoping search of published literature was conducted using applicable PRISMA scoping review (ScR) guidelines. The literature search was conducted on PubMed and was searched systematically by screening all publications from January 1990 to June 2021. Citations from the included articles were also manually searched. Relevant National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines were reviewed. Final query was December 2021 in editing. Articles were selected for full text reading if the abstract reported on malignancy in IBD or bowel toxicities.

Results

The pelvic malignancies found in the IBD patient population, including colorectal carcinoma, anal carcinoma, lymphoma, small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA), and prostate cancer (PCa) are outlined in this scoping review. Additional cancers that have a contested relationship with IBD, including cervical, bladder, and upper GI cancers, are also explored. This review provides literature guided recommendations on the eligibility of patients with IBD to receive RT, management of IBD during and after treatment, and counseling for radiation-induced toxicities.

Conclusions

After review of the literature, IBD should not be considered an absolute contraindication to radiation therapy, given the lack of evidence for increased toxicities, and the evolution of RT techniques which limit radiation dose to the bowel.

Reactive Oxygen Species Bridge the Gap between Chronic Inflammation and Tumor Development

According to numerous animal studies, adverse environmental stimuli, including physical, chemical, and biological factors, can cause low-grade chronic inflammation and subsequent tumor development. Human epidemiological evidence has confirmed the close relationship between chronic inflammation and tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms driving the development of persistent inflammation toward tumorigenesis remain unclear. In this study, we assess the potential role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and associated mechanisms in modulating inflammation-induced tumorigenesis. Recent reports have emphasized the cross-talk between oxidative stress and inflammation in many pathological processes. Exposure to carcinogenic environmental hazards may lead to oxidative damage, which further stimulates the infiltration of various types of inflammatory cells. In turn, increased cytokine and chemokine release from inflammatory cells promotes ROS production in chronic lesions, even in the absence of hazardous stimuli. Moreover, ROS not only cause DNA damage but also participate in cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis by modulating several transcription factors and signaling pathways. We summarize how changes in the redox state can trigger the development of chronic inflammatory lesions into tumors. Generally, cancer cells require an appropriate inflammatory microenvironment to support their growth, spread, and metastasis, and ROS may provide the necessary catalyst for inflammation-driven cancer. In conclusion, ROS bridge the gap between chronic inflammation and tumor development; therefore, targeting ROS and inflammation represents a new avenue for the prevention and treatment of cancer.