Upregulated EMMPRIN/CD147 might contribute to growth and angiogenesis of gastric carcinoma: a good marker for local invasion and prognosis

Potential Markers to Differentiate Uterine Leiomyosarcomas from Leiomyomas

Uterine leiomyomas (ULM) are the most common benign tumors of the female genitalia, while uterine leiomyosarcomas (ULMS) are rare. The sarcoma is diffuse growth, prone to hematogenous metastasis, and has a poor prognosis. Due to their similar clinical symptoms and morphological features, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish them, and the final diagnosis depends on histological diagnosis. Misdiagnosis of ULM as ULMS will lead to more invasive and extensive surgery when it is not needed, while misdiagnosis of ULMS as ULM may lead to delayed treatment and poor prognosis. This review searched and studied the published articles on ULM and ULMS, and summarized the potential markers for the differential diagnosis of ULMS. These markers will facilitate differential diagnosis and personalized treatment, providing timely diagnosis and potentially better prognosis for patients.

Tetrahydropalmatine: Orchestrating survival - Regulating autophagy and apoptosis via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in perforator flaps

BACKGROUND

Introduced in clinical practice in 1989, perforator flaps are vital for tissue defect repair, but they are challenged by distal necrosis. Tetrahydropalmatine (THP) from celandine is renowned for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. This study investigates THP's use in perforator flaps.

METHODS

Thirty rats were divided into a control group and four THP concentration groups, while seventy-eight rats were categorized as control, THP, THP combined with rapamycin (RAP), and RAP alone. We created 11 cm by 2.5 cm multi-regional perforator flaps on rat backs, assessing survival blood flow and extracting skin flap tissue for autophagy, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and angiogenesis markers.

RESULTS

The THP group exhibited significantly reduced distal necrosis, increased blood flow density, and survival area on the seventh day compared to controls. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot results demonstrated improved anti-oxidative stress and angiogenesis markers, along with decreased autophagy and apoptosis indicators. Combining THP with RAP diminished flap survival compared to THP alone. This was supported by protein expression changes in the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway.

CONCLUSION

THP enhances flap survival by modulating autophagy, reducing tissue edema, promoting angiogenesis, and mitigating apoptosis and oxidative stress. THP offers a potential strategy for enhancing multi-regional perforator flap survival through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. These findings highlight THP's promise in combatting perforator flap necrosis, uncovering a novel mechanism for its impact on flap survival.

CD147: an integral and potential molecule to abrogate hallmarks of cancer

CD147 also known as EMMPRIN, basigin, and HAb18G, is a single-chain type I transmembrane protein shown to be overexpressed in aggressive human cancers of CNS, head and neck, breasts, lungs, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, skin, hematological, and musculoskeletal. In these malignancies, the molecule is integral to the diverse but complimentary hallmarks of cancer: it is pivotal in cancerous proliferative signaling, growth propagation, cellular survival, replicative immortality, angiogenesis, metabolic reprogramming, immune evasion, invasion, and metastasis. CD147 also has regulatory functions in cancer-enabling characteristics such as DNA damage response (DDR) and immune evasion. These neoplastic functions of CD147 are executed through numerous and sometimes overlapping molecular pathways: it transduces signals from upstream molecules or ligands such as cyclophilin A (CyPA), CD98, and S100A9; activates a repertoire of downstream molecules and pathways including matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-2,3,9, hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF)-1/2α, PI3K/Akt/mTOR/HIF-1α, and ATM/ATR/p53; and also functions as an indispensable chaperone or regulator to monocarboxylate, fatty acid, and amino acid transporters. Interestingly, induced loss of functions to CD147 prevents and reverses the acquired hallmarks of cancer in neoplastic diseases. Silencing of Cd147 also alleviates known resistance to chemoradiotherapy exhibited by malignant tumors like carcinomas of the breast, lung, pancreas, liver, gastric, colon, ovary, cervix, prostate, urinary bladder, glioblastoma, and melanoma. Targeting CD147 antigen in chimeric and induced-chimeric antigen T cell or antibody therapies is also shown to be safer and more effective. Moreover, incorporating anti-CD147 monoclonal antibodies in chemoradiotherapy, oncolytic viral therapy, and oncolytic virus-based-gene therapies increases effectiveness and reduces on and off-target toxicity. This study advocates the expedition and expansion by further exploiting the evidence acquired from the experimental studies that modulate CD147 functions in hallmarks of cancer and cancer-enabling features and strive to translate them into clinical practice to alleviate the emergency and propagation of cancer, as well as the associated clinical and social consequences.

CD147 monoclonal antibody attenuates abdominal aortic aneurysm formation in angiotensin II-Infused apoE-/- mice

BACKGROUND

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a life threatening vascular disease. Our previous study reported the upregulation of CD147 expression in human aortic aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we injected apoE-/- mice intraperitoneally with CD147 monoclonal antibody or IgG control antibody to observe its effect on Angiotensin II (AngII) induced AAA formation.

METHODS

ApoE-/- mice were randomly divided into an AngⅡ+CD147 antibody group (n = 20) and an AngⅡ+IgG antibody group (n = 20). The Alzet osmotic minipump was implanted subcutaneously into the backs of mice to infuse AngII (1000 ng/kg/min) for 28 days and subsequently treated with CD147 monoclonal antibody or control IgG mAb (10 μg/mouse/day) beginning one day after surgery. Body weight, food intake, drinking volume and blood pressure were measured weekly throughout the study. After 4 weeks of injection, routine bloodwork measuring liver function, kidney function and lipid levels were recorded. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Masson's trichrome, and Elastic van Gieson (EVG) staining were used to evaluate the pathological changes in blood vessels. In addition, Immunohistochemical assay was used to detect infiltration of inflammatory cells. Tandem mass tag (TMT)-based proteomic analysis was used to define differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) using a p-value < 0.05 and fold change > 1.2 or < 0.83 as the threshold. Subsequently, we conducted protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and GO enrichment analysis to determine the core biological function altered after CD147 antibody injection.

RESULTS

The CD147 monoclonal antibody suppresses Ang II-induced AAA formation in apoE-/- mice and reduced aortic expansion, elastic lamina degradation, and inflammatory cells accumulation. Bioinformatics analysis showed that Ptk6, Itch, Casp3, and Oas1a were the hub DEPs. These DEPs in the two group were mainly involved in collagen fibril organization, extracellular matrix organization, and muscle contraction. These data robustly demonstrated that CD147 monoclonal antibody suppresses Ang II-induced AAA formation through reduction of inflammatory response and regulation of the above defined hub proteins and biological processes. Thus, the CD147 monoclonal antibody might be a promising target in the treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Antibody-drug conjugate as targeted therapeutics against hepatocellular carcinoma: preclinical studies and clinical relevance

An antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) is an advanced chemotherapeutic option with immense promises in treating many tumor. They are designed to selectively attack and kill neoplastic cells with minimal toxicity to normal tissues. ADCs are complex engineered immunoconjugates that comprise a monoclonal antibody for site-directed delivery and cytotoxic payload for targeted destruction of malignant cells. Therefore, it enables the reduction of off-target toxicities and enhances the therapeutic index of the drug. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a solid tumor that shows high heterogeneity of molecular phenotypes and is considered the second most common cause of cancer-related death. Studies show enormous potential for ADCs targeting GPC3 and CD24 and other tumor-associated antigens in HCC with their high, selective expression and show potential outputs in preclinical evaluations. The review mainly highlights the preclinical evaluation of different antigen-targeted ADCs such as MetFab-DOX, Anti-c-Met IgG-OXA, Anti CD 24, ANC-HN-01, G7mab-DOX, hYP7-DCand hYP7-PC, Anti-CD147 ILs-DOX and AC133-vcMMAF against hepatocellular carcinoma and its future relevance.

BSG (CD147) Serum Level and Genetic Variants Are Associated with Overall Survival in Acute Myeloid Leukaemia

Basigin (BSG, CD147) is a multifunctional protein involved in cancer cell survival, mostly by controlling lactate transport through its interaction with monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) such as MCT1. Previous studies have found that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene coding for BSG and MCT1, as well as levels of the soluble form of BSG (sBSG), are potential biomarkers in various diseases. The goal of this study was to confirm BSG and MCT1 RNA overexpression in AML cell lines, as well as to analyse soluble BSG levels and selected BSG/MCT1 genetic variants as potential biomarkers in AML patients. We found that BSG and MCT1 were overexpressed in most AML cell lines. Soluble BSG was increased in AML patients compared to healthy controls, and correlated with various clinical parameters. High soluble BSG was associated with worse overall survival, higher bone marrow blast percentage, and higher white blood cell count. BSG SNPs rs4919859 and rs4682, as well as MCT1 SNP rs1049434, were also associated with overall survival of AML patients. In conclusion, this study confirms the importance of BSG/MCT1 in AML, and suggests that soluble BSG and BSG/MCT1 genetic variants may act as potential AML biomarkers.

EMMPRIN expression is associated with metastatic progression in osteosarcoma

Background

Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN), a cell-surface glycoprotein, is overexpressed in several cancer types. EMMPRIN induces a metastatic phenotype by triggering the production of matrix metalloproteinase proteins (MMPs) such as MMP1 and MMP2, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in cancer cells and the surrounding stromal cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression and role of EMMPRIN in osteosarcoma.

Methods

The level of EMMPRIN expression was evaluated using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 6 tumor-derived osteosarcoma cell lines and compared with that in normal osteoblasts. To study the prognostic significance of EMMPRIN expression, immunohistochemistry was carried out in prechemotherapy biopsies of 54 patients. siRNA knockdown of EMMPRIN in SaOS-2 cells was conducted to explore the role of EMMPRIN. To study the role of EMMPRIN in tumor-stromal interaction in MMP production and invasion, co-culture of SaOS-2 cells with osteoblasts and fibroblasts was performed. Osteosarcoma 143B cells were injected into the tail vein of BALB/c mice and lung metastasis was analyzed.

Results

EMMRIN mRNA expression was significantly higher in 5 of 6 (83%) tumor-derived cells than in MG63 cells. 90% of specimens (50/54) stained positive for EMMPRIN by immunohistochemistry, and higher expression of EMMPRIN was associated with shorter metastasis-free survival (p = 0.023). Co-culture of SaOS-2 with osteoblasts resulted in increased production of pro-MMP2 and VEGF expression, which was inhibited by EMMPRIN-targeting siRNA. siRNA knockdown of EMMPRIN resulted in decreased invasion. EMMPRIN shRNA-transfected 143B cells showed decreased lung metastasis in vivo.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that EMMPRIN acts as a mediator of osteosarcoma metastasis by regulating MMP and VEGF production in cancer cells as well as stromal cells. EMMPRIN could serve as a therapeutic target in osteosarcoma.

EMMPRIN in extracellular vesicles from peritoneal mesothelial cells stimulates the invasion activity of diffuse-type gastric cancer cells

Peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer (GC) results in extremely poor prognoses. The peritoneal cavity is covered by a monolayer of peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMCs). Interactions between GC cells and PMCs might play a pivotal role in peritoneal metastasis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) correlate with intercellular communication. Although intercellular communication between cancer cells and PMCs might be associated with the peritoneal metastatic process, the role of EVs from PMCs remains unclear. We investigated the effects of EVs from PMCs on GC cells. Three GC cell lines (OCUM-12, NUGC-3, and MKN74) and four mesothelial cell lines were used. The effects of EVs derived from the PMCs on the invasion and migration of GC cells were evaluated by Matrigel invasion assay. Factors contained in the PMC EVs were analyzed; extra-cellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) was detected in the EVs. The effects of an EMMPRIN inhibitor on the invasion-stimulating activity of EVs were examined. The EMMPRIN expressions of 110 GCs were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. PMC EVs significantly promoted the invasion of diffuse-type GC cells, i.e., OCUM-12 and NUGC-3 cells. EMMPRIN in the EVs stimulated the invasion of OCUM-12 and NUGC-3 cells. The invasion-stimulating activity of PMC EVs was inhibited by the EMMPRIN inhibitor. A high EMMPRIN expression in PMCs was significantly associated with worse cancer-specific survival and peritoneal-recurrence-free survival. EMMPRIN in EVs from PMCs might stimulate the malignant progression of diffuse-type GC. EMMPRIN might be a useful prognostic marker of recurrence in GC patients.

HIF1 may promote glycolysis in psoriasis vulgaris via upregulation of CD147 and GLUT1

OBJECTIVES

To analyze the expressions and distributions of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), CD147, and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) in epidermis from psoriasis vulgaris and normal people, and to explore the associations among these proteins and their roles in hypoxic HaCaT cell line.

METHODS

The expression levels of HIF-1α, CD147, and GLUT1 were determined by immunohistochemistry staining in skin biopsies from 48 psoriasis vularis patients and 33 healthy subjects. Cobalt chloride (CoCl2) was added into the culture media of HaCaT cells to mimic hypoxia while RNA interference and transfection technologies were used to explore the association among these proteins by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Glycolytic capacity was detected by ATP and lactate measurements.

RESULTS

HIF-1α, CD147, and GLUT1 were highly expressed and the glycolytic capacity was increased in lesions of psoriasis vulgaris; HIF-1α upregulated the expression of CD147 and GLUT1, increased the lactate production and decreased the ATP level in CoCl2-treated HaCaT cells, while CD147 and GLUT1 directly or indirectly bound to each other.

CONCLUSIONS

Glycolytic capacity increases in the injured keratinocytes of psoriasis vulgaris, suggesting that HIF-1α, CD147, and GLUT1 are associated with glycolysis, which can be considered as the promising targets for psoriasis therapy.

Identification of Cyclophilin A as a Potential Anticancer Target of Novel Nargenicin A1 Analog in AGS Gastric Cancer Cells

We recently discovered a novel nargenicin A1 analog, 23-demethyl 8,13-deoxynargenicin (compound 9), with potential anti-cancer and anti-angiogenic activities against human gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) cells. To identify the key molecular targets of compound 9, that are responsible for its biological activities, the changes in proteome expression in AGS cells following compound 9 treatment were analyzed using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), followed by MALDI/TOF/MS. Analyses using chemical proteomics and western blotting revealed that compound 9 treatment significantly suppressed the expression of cyclophilin A (CypA), a member of the immunophilin family. Furthermore, compound 9 downregulated CD147-mediated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, including c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) by inhibiting the expression of CD147, the cellular receptor of CypA. Notably, the responses of AGS cells to CypA knockdown were significantly correlated with the anticancer and antiangiogenic effects of compound 9. CypA siRNAs reduced the expression of CD147 and phosphorylation of JNK and ERK1/2. In addition, the suppressive effects of CypA siRNAs on proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis induction of AGS cells were associated with G2/M cell cycle arrest, caspase-mediated apoptosis, inhibition of MMP-9 and MMP-2 expression, inactivation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, and inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression. The specific interaction between compound 9 and CypA was also confirmed using the drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) approaches. Moreover, in silico docking analysis revealed that the structure of compound 9 was a good fit for the cyclosporin A binding cavity of CypA. Collectively, these findings provide a novel molecular basis for compound 9-mediated suppression of gastric cancer progression through the targeting of CypA.

Immunology of COVID-19: Mechanisms, clinical outcome, diagnostics, and perspectives-A report of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI)

With the worldwide spread of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) resulting in declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, the SARS‐CoV‐2‐induced coronavirus disease‐19 (COVID‐19) has become one of the main challenges of our times. The high infection rate and the severe disease course led to major safety and social restriction measures worldwide. There is an urgent need of unbiased expert knowledge guiding the development of efficient treatment and prevention strategies. This report summarizes current immunological data on mechanisms associated with the SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and COVID‐19 development and progression to the most severe forms. We characterize the differences between adequate innate and adaptive immune response in mild disease and the deep immune dysfunction in the severe multiorgan disease. The similarities of the human immune response to SARS‐CoV‐2 and the SARS‐CoV and MERS‐CoV are underlined. We also summarize known and potential SARS‐CoV‐2 receptors on epithelial barriers, immune cells, endothelium and clinically involved organs such as lung, gut, kidney, cardiovascular, and neuronal system. Finally, we discuss the known and potential mechanisms underlying the involvement of comorbidities, gender, and age in development of COVID‐19. Consequently, we highlight the knowledge gaps and urgent research requirements to provide a quick roadmap for ongoing and needed COVID‐19 studies.

Role of extra cellular proteins in gastric cancer progression and metastasis: an update

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers in the world with a high ratio of mortality. Regarding the late diagnosis, there is a high ratio of distant metastasis among GC cases. Despite the recent progresses in therapeutic modalities, there is not still an efficient therapeutic method to increase survival rate of metastatic GC cases.

Main body

Apart from the various intracellular signaling pathways which are involved in tumor cell migration and metastasis, the local microenvironment is also a critical regulator of tumor cell migration. Indeed, the intracellular signaling pathways also exert their final metastatic roles through regulation of extra cellular matrix (ECM). Therefore, it is required to assess the role of extra cellular components in biology of GC.

Conclusion

In the present review, we summarize 48 of the significant ECM components including 17 ECM modifying enzymes, seven extracellular angiogenic factors, 13 cell adhesion and cytoskeletal organizers, seven matricellular proteins and growth factors, and four proteoglycans and extra cellular glycoproteins. This review paves the way of determination of a specific extra cellular diagnostic and prognostic panel marker for the GC patients.

Tumor-stroma interaction increases CD147 expression in neoplastic B lymphocytes in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

BACKGROUND

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) microenvironment plays a critical role in disease pathogenesis. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in CLL-B cell migration and survival. CD147 is associated with MMPs production by tumor and stromal cells.

AIM

To analyze CD147, MMP2 and MMP9 expression in CLL-B cells and its modulation by fibroblasts (Fb)-CLL-B cell interaction.

METHODS

CLL-B cells were co-cultured with Fb, as a simulation of CLL microenvironment. CD147 was evaluated in healthy donor (HD)-B cells and CLL-B cells by flow cytometry. MMP2 and MMP9 activity in CLL-plasma samples and conditioned media (CMs) was studied by zymography.

RESULTS

MMP9/MMP2 plasma levels were significantly higher in CLL patients than in HD. CD147 expression (median fluorescence intensity) in CLL patients characterized 3 groups: low- (19.1 ± 3.2; n=3), middle- (42.7 ± 12.8; n=18) and high- (76.5 ± 9.6; n=5) related to CD147 expression in HD-B cells. CD147 expression significantly increased in CLL-B cells after Fb-CLL-B cell co-culture. A significant increase in proMMP2 activity was observed in CMs obtained from Fb-CLL-B cell co-cultures in comparison with isolated CLL-B cells.

CONCLUSIONS

CD147 expression in CLL-B cells and MMPs secretion was induced by Fb-CLL-B cell contact, suggesting CD147 participation in the CLL pathophysiology.

CD147 Is a Promising Target of Tumor Progression and a Prognostic Biomarker

Microenvironment plays a crucial role in tumor development and progression. Cancer cells modulate the tumor microenvironment, which also contribute to resistance to therapy. Identifying biomarkers involved in tumorigenesis and cancer progression represents a great challenge for cancer diagnosis and therapeutic strategy development. CD147 is a glycoprotein involved in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment and cancer progression by several mechanisms—in particular, by the control of glycolysis and also by its well-known ability to induce proteinases leading to matrix degradation, tumor cell invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated the role of CD147 expression in tumor progression and prognosis, suggesting it as a relevant tumor biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, as well as validating its potential as a promising therapeutic target in cancers.

Microbial carcinogenesis: Lactic acid bacteria in gastric cancer

While Helicobacter pylori is a fundamental risk factor, gastric cancer (GC) aetiology involves combined effects of microbial (both H. pylori and non-H. pylori), host and environmental factors. Significant differences exist between the gastric microbiome of those with gastritis, intestinal metaplasia and GC, suggesting that dysbiosis in the stomach is dynamic and correlates with progression to GC. Most notably, a consistent increase in abundance of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has been observed in GC patients including Streptococcus, Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Lactococcus. This review summarises how LAB can influence GC by a number of mechanisms that include supply of exogenous lactate -a fuel source for cancer cells that promotes inflammation, angiogenesis, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and immune evasion-, production of reactive oxygen species and N-nitroso compounds, as well as anti-H. pylori properties that enable colonization by other non-H. pylori carcinogenic pathobionts.

TMEM119 promotes gastric cancer cell migration and invasion through STAT3 signaling pathway

Objective

TMEM119 is a member of transmembrane proteins family, which is abnormally expressed in human cancers and associated with tumorigenesis. In this study, we focused on the expression of TMEM119 and its role in cell invasion and migration in gastric cancer.

Methods

Real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were performed to examine the expression of TMEM119 in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines. After transfection with TMEM119 siRNA or recombined TMEM119-expressing vector, the invasion and migration ability of MKN45 and SGC-7901 cells was measured by transwell assay. The expression of TMEM119, p-STAT3, STAT3, VEGF, MMP2, and MMP9 proteins in SGC-7901 and MKN45 cells treated with TMEM119 siRNA, TMEM119-expressing vector, or AG490 was measured by Western blotting.

Results

We found that higher TMEM119 expression was found in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines and was associated with lower survival rate. TMEM119 knockdown inhibited SGC-7901 cell invasion and migration, along with the expression of p-STAT3, VEGF, MMP2, and MMP9. TMEM119 overexpression promoted MKN45 cell invasion and migration, along with the expression of p-STAT3, VEGF, MMP2, and MMP9. Additionally, AG490 treatment significantly corrected TMEM119-induced MKN45 cell migration and invasion and expression of p-STAT3, VEGF, MMP9, and MMP2 proteins.

Conclusion

The results indicated that TMEM119 promotes gastric cancer cell migration and invasion through activation of STAT3 signaling pathway, and TMEM119 may therefore act as a novel therapeutic target for gastric cancer.

Copy number variation in progression of inverted papilloma to squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal cavity

Inverted papilloma (IP) is a benign tumor occurring in nasal cavity. It can recur or progress to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The molecular mechanism of their biologic behavior is not fully revealed. Copy number variation (CNV) may contribute to progression of IP. We performed microarray comparative genome hybridization (aCGH). Five cases of IP, 2 cases of IP with dysplasia, 7 cases of SCC arising in a background of IP were submitted. The average numbers of somatic CNVs and copy number variable regions (CNVRs) were 991.9 and 866.9, respectively. Gain of 19p13.3, including 30 protein-coding genes, was observed in 2 IP and 7 SCC cases. Among those genes, BSG encoding the extracellular matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) inducer (EMMPRIN)/CD147 may play more important role in the progression of IP to SCC. Further study for validation of the aCGH result is necessary.

Matrix metalloprotease-9 expresssion in meningioma: Correlation with growth fraction and role of gender. A pilot immunohistochemical study

OBJECTIVE

Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs), particularly MMP2 and MMP9 increase tumor invasion and edema in meningiomas. Although lesser recognized, MMPs may also enhance cell growth via liberating growth factors or via cleaving inactive growth factors into active isoforms. However, there exist very few studies, which investigated correlation of MMPs with growth fraction in meningiomas. Meningiomas are seen more frequently in women and their growth accelarate during pregnancy. However, no study examined whether MMP-expressions in meningioma differ with gender.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In a pilot immunohistochemical study, we analyzed the correlation of MMP9 expression with Ki67 index and whether gender influences MMP9 expression. We retrospectively selected 24 meningioma cases including 10 cases with WHO Grade-1 tumors and 7 cases each with WHO Grade-2 and 3 tumors, respectively.

RESULTS

We separately determined the intensity and area of MMP9 staining and also calculated an expression index by multiplying these two parameters. Spearman correlation analyses revealed that MMP9 staining intensity, staining area and expression index significantly correlated with Ki67 proliferation index. MMP9 staining indices were significantly higher in women specimens.

CONCLUSION

If these findings will be confirmed in larger series, MMP-inhibitors and female hormone receptor-antagonists may be combined to augment chemotherapy efficacy and to attenuate invasion in high-grade meningiomas.

CD147 overexpression may serve as a promising diagnostic and prognostic marker for gastric cancer: evidence from original research and literature

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. The expression of CD147 protein is associated with GC. However, the clinical role of CD147 in GC has not been investigated extensively. Hence, we focused on studying the association between the expression of CD147 and clinicopathological features of GC patients in this study. Firstly, sixteen publications (1752 cases and 391 controls) and one from our own original research (143 cases) were included in the meta-analysis to obtain a more precise estimation of the diagnostic value of CD147. The results showed that expression rate of CD147 in the GC group is higher than that in control group. Moreover, gender, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, and depth of invasion are all associated with CD147. Further, sections of gastric tissue from 143 cases underwent immunohistochemical staining for evaluation of CD147 protein expression. Our retrospective analysis demonstrated CD147 protein expression was significantly associated with clinical N stage, and tumor stage. Meanwhile, it can also serve as an independent prognosis biomarker. In conclusion, our results support the role of CD147 as a good indicator of diagnosis and prognosis.

Prognostic role of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer/CD147 in gastrointestinal cancer: a meta-analysis of related studies

The prognostic role of Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN/ CD147) in gastrointestinal cancer remains controversial. We systematically reviewed the evidence of assessment of CD147 expression in gastrointestinal cancer to help clarify this issue. Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases were searched to identify eligible studies to evaluate the association of CD147 expression and disease-free and overall survival of gastrointestinal cancer. Hazard ratios (HRs) were pooled to estimate the effect. CD147 overexpression was significantly correlated with poor disease-free survival (HR 2.38, 95% CI 1.43–3.97) and overall survival (HR 1.64, 95% CI 1.25–2.14) of cancer patients. Furthermore, CD147 overexpression was significantly association with TNM stage (TIII/TIV vs TI/TII: OR 3.60, 95% CI 1.85–7.01), the depth of invasion (T3/T4 vs T1/T2: OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.25–3.33), lymph node metastasis (positive vs negative: 2.35, 95% CI 1.14–4.86), distant metastasis (positive vs negative: OR 4.78, 95% CI 1.43–16.00). Our analyses demonstrate that CD147 was effectively predictive of worse prognosis in gastrointestinal cancer. Moreover, Identifying CD147 may help identify new drug targets for cancer therapy.

Basigin expression as a prognostic indicator in stage I pulmonary adenocarcinoma

We established the KU-Lu-8 monoclonal antibody (MoAb) using a lung cancer cell line as an antigen and a random immunization method. The KU-Lu-8 MoAb recognizes basigin (BSG), which is a transmembrane-type glycoprotein that is strongly expressed on the cell membranes of lung cancer cells. This study aimed to clarify the relationships between BSG expression and clinicopathological parameters and determine the prognostic significance of BSG expression in pulmonary adenocarcinoma (AC) patients. To evaluate the significance of BSG expression in lung cancer, we immunohistochemically analyzed 113 surgically resected pulmonary adenocarcinomas, and the associations between BSG expression and various clinicopathological parameters were evaluated. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate the effects of BSG expression on survival. Clinicopathologically, BSG expression was significantly associated with tumor differentiation, vascular invasion, lymphatic invasion, and a poor prognosis. In particular, BSG expression was significantly correlated with poorer survival in patients with stage I AC. The high BSG expression group (compared with the low BSG expression group) exhibited adjusted hazard ratios for mortality of 4.694. BSG expression is indicative of a poor prognosis in AC patients, particularly in those with stage I disease.

Characterization of human gastric adenocarcinoma cell lines established from peritoneal ascites

The three cell lines, designated as gastric cancer (GC)1401, GC1415 and GC1436 were derived from peritoneal effusions from patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. Cell lines were established in tissue culture and in immunodeficient, non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency (NOD/SCID) mice. All cell lines were cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with 5% fetal bovine serum. These cell lines were grown as an adherent monolayer with doubling time ranging between 25 h (GC1436 cell line) and 30–34 h (GC1401 and GC1415, respectively). All cells showed morphological features of epithelial-like cells, forming sheets of polygonal cells. Chromosomal analysis showed that the modal numbers ranged from 52 (GC1401), 51–56 (GC1415) and 106 (GC1436). High heterogeneity, resulting from several structural and numerical chromosomal abnormalities were evident in all cell lines. The surface marker expression suggested a tumor origin of the cells, and indicated the intestinal phenotype of a GC (CD10⁺, MUC1). All three cell lines were tumorigenic but not metastatic, in vivo, in NOD/SCID mice. The lack of metastatic potential was suggested by the lack of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1A1 activity. In conclusion, these newly established GC cell lines widen the feasibility of the functional studies on biology of GC as well as drug testing for potential therapeutic purposes.

The altered glucose metabolism in tumor and a tumor acidic microenvironment associated with extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer and monocarboxylate transporters

Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer, also knowns as cluster of differentiation 147 (CD147) or basigin, is a widely distributed cell surface glycoprotein that is involved in numerous physiological and pathological functions, especially in tumor invasion and metastasis. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) catalyze the proton-linked transport of monocarboxylates such as L-lactate across the plasma membrane to preserve the intracellular pH and maintain cell homeostasis. As a chaperone to some MCT isoforms, CD147 overexpression significantly contributes to the metabolic transformation of tumor. This overexpression is characterized by accelerated aerobic glycolysis and lactate efflux, and it eventually provides the tumor cells with a metabolic advantage and an invasive phenotype in the acidic tumor microenvironment. This review highlights the roles of CD147 and MCTs in tumor cell metabolism and the associated molecular mechanisms. The regulation of CD147 and MCTs may prove to be with a therapeutic potential for tumors through the metabolic modification of the tumor microenvironment.

Immunohistochemical expression of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) in normal oral mucosa, oral epithelial dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma

Background:

In oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) expression has been noted in the cell membrane throughout the epithelium of the lesion, suggesting its increased expression.

Objectives:

The present study was conducted to evaluate and compare the expression of EMMPRIN in the normal oral mucosa (NOM), different histological grades of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) and OSCC.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 100 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of NOM (n = 10), 20 cases each of mild, moderate and severe (OED) (n = 60), and 10 cases each of well differentiated, moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated carcinomas (n = 30) were included in the study. The tissues sections were immunohistochemically stained and were evaluated for intensity and area of expression in different groups.

Results:

Out of 60 cases of OED, 29 (48%) cases showed intense dark brown staining in the epithelium. The stroma in 38 (63%) cases showed positive immunoexpression. The expression of EMMPRIN in OSCC revealed intense dark brown staining in 9 (90%) cases of well differentiated, and a decent thereon in 8 (80%) cases of moderately differentiated and 4 (40%) cases of poorly differentiated carcinomas.

Conclusion:

The role of EMMPRIN in precarcinogenesis and early carcinogenesis needs to be studied on considerable sample size. This can enable oncologists to detect cancer at an early stage before it progresses to malignancy.

Overexpression of EMMPRIN is associated with lymph node metastasis and advanced stage of non-small cell lung cancer: a retrospective study

Background

Previous studies show that overexpression of EMMPRIN involved in the malignant biological behavior of tumors. This investigation was to disclose the expression status of EMMPRIN in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its clinical value for the diagnosis of NSCLC.

Methods

The expression of EMMPRIN was examined using immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The clinical value of EMMPRIN was evaluated by drawing a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

NSCLC tissues and serum exhibited higher expression levels of EMMPRIN than the normal control (p < 0.05), and the expression of the EMMPRIN was significantly associated with lymphatic invasion and advanced stage of NSCLC (p < 0.05). ROC curve suggested that the threshold level of serum EMMPRIN for distinguishing NSCLC from control group was 80.3 pg/mL, and displayed a sensitivity of 97.22% and a specificity of 95%. And higher EMMPRIN expression in serum and tissues appeared to be risk factors for NSCLC development (risk ratio =1.56 and 1.1).

Conclusion

Overexpression of EMMPRIN was associated with lymphatic metastasis and advanced stage of NSCLC and test of serum EMMPRIN contributes to the NSCLC diagnosis.

CD147 expression was positively linked to aggressiveness and worse prognosis of gastric cancer: a meta and bioinformatics analysis

CD147 (also named as Basigin or EMMPRIN) might promote cancer invasion and metastasis by inducing MMP and VEGF synthesis in tumor microenvironment. We performed a systematic meta and bioinformatics analysis through multiple online databases up to March 14, 2017. Up-regulated CD147 expression was found in gastric cancer, compared with normal mucosa (p < 0.05). The male patients with gastric cancer showed higher CD147 expression than the female ones (p < 0.0001). CD147 expression was positively correlated with tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, TNM staging and unfavorable prognosis of gastric cancer (p < 0.05). At mRNA level, CD147 expression was higher in intestinal-type and mixed-type gastric carcinomas than normal tissues (p < 0.05). CD147 mRNA expression was negatively associated with histological grading and dedifferentiation of gastric cancer (p < 0.05). A higher CD147 mRNA expression was negatively correlated with overall and progression-free survival rates of all cancer patients, even stratified by clinicopathological features (p < 0.05). These findings indicated that CD147 expression might be employed as a potential marker to indicate gastric carcinogenesis and subsequent progression, even prognosis.

The clinicopathological significance and prognostic value of EMMPRIN overexpression in cancers: evidence from 39 cohort studies

Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) has been reported to be associated with tumor formation and invasion in many studies. However, the clinicopathological significance and prognosis of EMMPRIN in cancer patients remains inconclusive. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to assess the predictive potential of EMMPRIN in various cancers. By searching Pubmed, Cochrane library database and web of science comprehensively, 39studies with 5739 cases were included in our meta-analysis. The results indicated that EMMPRIN overexpression was significantly associated with poor outcome of cancers (HR=2.46, 95% CI: 2.21-2.75, P<0.0001). In addition, a significant relation was found between EMMPRIN overexpression and clinicopathological features, such as tumor stage (T3+T4/ T1+T2, OR=1.87, 95% CI:1.64-2.12, P<0.0001), tumor differentiation (poor/ well+ moderate, OR=1.09, 95% CI:1.60-2.23, P<0.0001), clinical stage (III+IV /I +II, OR=1.96, 95% CI:1.69-2.27, P<0.0001) and nodal metastasis (positive/negative, OR=2.37, 95% CI:1.93-2.90, P<0.0001). However, the expression of EMMRIN was not significantly associated with tumor stage in cervical cancer (OR=1.35, 95%CI: 0.73-2.48, P=0.33). In conclusion, EMMPRIN overxepression is significantly associated with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of cancers. Thus, EMMPRIN may be regarded as a promising bio-marker in predicting the clinical outcome of patients in cancers and could be used as the therapeutic target during clinical practices.

Expression levels of transcription factors c-Fos and c-Jun and transmembrane protein HAb18G/CD147 in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic significance of the expression of transcription factors, c-Fos, c-Jun and transmembrane protein CD147, in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB). The current study investigated the clinical significance of these factors in the development, progression and survival analysis of UCB. Immunohistochemistry was employed to analyze c-Fos, c-Jun and CD147 expression in 41 UCB cases and 34 non-cancerous human bladder tissues. These results were scored in a semi-quantitative manner based on the intensity and percentage of tumor cells that presented immunoreactivity. Protein levels of CD147, c-Fos and c-Jun expression were upregulated in 22 (53.7%), 10 (24.4%) and 9 (22.0%) UCB cases, respectively. High levels of c-Jun correlated with the AJCC cancer staging manual (7th edition; P=0.038). Univariate analysis revealed that upregulated CD147 (P=0.038) or c-Jun (P=0.008) was associated with poor overall survival (OS), respectively. Further analysis revealed that either CD147-c-Fos-c-Jun co-expression (P=0.004), or CD147-c-Jun co-expression (P=0.037) and c-Fos-c-Jun co-expression (P<0.001) were associated with poor OS. Multivariate analysis suggested that either upregulation of CD147, c-Jun or c-Fos were independent risk indicators for death in UCB patients. Increased expression of c-Jun or CD147, as well as co-expression of CD147-c-Jun, c-Jun-c-Fos or CD147-c-Jun-c-Fos has prognostic significance for UCB patients. Therefore, high CD147 and c-Jun expression may serve roles in tumor progression and may be diagnostic and therapeutic targets in UCB whether alone or in combination.

β3GnT8 Promotes Gastric Cancer Invasion by Regulating the Glycosylation of CD147

β1, 3-N-acetylglucosminyltransferase 8(β3GnT8) synthesizes a unique cabohydrate structure known as polylactosamine, and plays a vital role in progression of various human cancer types. However, its involvement in gastric cancer remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the expression and clinical significance of β3GnT8 by Western blot in 6 paired fresh gastric cancer tissues, noncancerous tissues and immunohistochemistry on 110 paraffin-embedded slices. β3GnT8 was found to be over-expressed in gastric cancer tissues, which correlated with lymph node metastasis and TNM stage. Forced the expression of β3GnT8 promoted migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells, whereas β3GnT8 knockdown led to the opposite results. Further studies showed that the regulated β3GnT8 could convert the heterogeneous N-glycosylated forms of CD147 and change the polylactosamine structures carried on CD147. In addition, our data suggested the annexin A2 (ANXA2) to be an essential interaction partner of β3GnT8 during the process of CD147 glycosylation. Collectively, these results provide a novel molecular mechanism for β3GnT8 in promotion of gastric cancer invasion and metastasis. Targeting β3GnT8 could serve as a new strategy for future gastric cancer therapy.

CD147/EMMPRIN overexpression and prognosis in cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

CD147/EMMPRIN (extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer) plays an important role in tumor progression and a number of studies have suggested that it is an indicator of tumor prognosis. This current meta-analysis systematically reevaluated the predictive potential of CD147/EMMPRIN in various cancers. We searched PubMed and Embase databases to screen the literature. Fixed-effect and random-effect meta-analytical techniques were used to correlate CD147 expression with outcome measures. A total of 53 studies that included 68 datasets were eligible for inclusion in the final analysis. We found a significant association between CD147/EMMPRIN overexpression and adverse tumor outcomes, such as overall survival, disease-specific survival, progression-free survival, metastasis-free survival or recurrence-free survival, irrespective of the model analysis. In addition, CD147/EMMPRIN overexpression predicted a high risk for chemotherapy drugs resistance. CD147/EMMPRIN is a central player in tumor progression and predicts a poor prognosis, including in patients who have received chemo-radiotherapy. Our results provide the evidence that CD147/EMMPRIN could be a potential therapeutic target for cancers.

The downregulation of ANGPTL4 inhibits the migration and proliferation of tongue squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is the most common malignant cancer in the oral cavity, with a high rate of metastasis to the neck lymphoid node. Angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) and microvessel density (MVD) may be novel indicators for tumor metastasis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and function of ANGPTL4 in TSCC and the relationship between ANGPTL4 and MVD.

METHODS

The expression levels of ANGPTL4 and MVD (CD34) were analyzed in 65 TSCC specimens and the adjacent non-cancerous tissues using immunohistochemistry (IHC). siRNA was delivered into TSCCA cells to downregulate ANGPTL4 expression. Subsequently, validation with real-time RT-PCR and western blot analyses was performed to analyze ANGPTL4 expression levels. In addition, a proliferation assay, migration and invasion assays were carried out.

RESULTS

ANGPTL4 expression was associated with tumor stage, lymph node metastasis and MVD expression. Cox regression analysis showed that high levels of ANGPTL4 expression were closely associated with poor survival time. In vitro analyses using qRT-PCR and western blot confirmed that ANGPTL4 was successfully inhibited in TSCCA cells. Suppressing ANGPTL4 resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation and migration, but neither invasion nor cisplatin resistance was significantly affected.

CONCLUSION

High expression levels of ANGPTL4 are associated with the T stage, lymphatic metastasis, angiogenesis and poor overall survival in TSCC patients. The downregulation of ANGPTL4 inhibits the migration and proliferation of cells in TSCC. Taken together, ANGPTL4 may serve as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for TSCC.

EMMPRIN, SP1 and microRNA-27a mediate physcion 8-O-β-glucopyranoside-induced apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells

Physcion 8-O-β-glucopyranoside (PG), the main active ingredient of Rumex japonicus, induces apoptosis and causes cell cycle arrest in human lung cancer cells. However, its anti-tumor effects are not fully understood. In this study, we explored the mechanisms underlying PG induced apoptosis in the osteosarcoma cell line MG-63. Our results showed that PG exerted anti-proliferative effects and induced apoptosis in MG-63 cells via the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway, accompanied by loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and cytochrome C release from the mitochondria. In addition, physcion treatment significantly inhibited extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) expression in MG-63 cells, in a dose-dependent manner; meanwhile, EMMPRIN protein overexpression markedly reduced PG-induced apoptosis. Moreover, our findings suggested that the modulatory effects of PG on EMMPRIN were due, at least in part, to regulation of an ROS-miR-27a/ZBTB10-Sp1 transcription factor pathway.

EMMPRIN/CD147 is an independent prognostic biomarker in cutaneous melanoma

CD147 has been implicated in melanoma invasion and metastasis mainly through increasing metalloproteinase synthesis and regulating VEGF/VEGFR signalling. In this study, the prognostic value of CD147 expression was investigated in a cohort of 196 cutaneous melanomas including 136 consecutive primary malignant melanomas, 30 lymph nodes, 16 in-transit and 14 visceral metastases. A series of 10 normal skin, 10 blue nevi and 10 dermal nevi was used as control. CD147 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry, and the association of its expression with the clinicopathological characteristics of patients and survival was evaluated using univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. Univariate analysis showed that high CD147 expression was significantly associated with metastatic potential and with a reduced overall survival (P < 0.05 for both) in primary melanoma patients. CD147 expression level was correlated with histological factors which were associated with prognosis: Clark level, ulceration status and more particularly with Breslow index (r = 0.7, P < 10(-8) ). Multivariate analysis retained CD147 expression level and ulceration status as predicting factors for metastasis and overall survival (P < 0.05 for both). CD147 emerges as an important factor in the aggressive behaviour of melanoma and deserves further evaluation as an independent prognostic biomarker.

Hispidulin induces mitochondrial apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia cells by targeting extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represents a heterogeneous group of hematological neoplasms with marked heterogeneity in response to both standard therapy and survival. Hispidulin, a flavonoid compound that is anactive ingredient in the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Salvia plebeia R. Br, has recently been reported to have anantitumor effect against solid tumors in vitro and in vivo. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of hispidulin on the human leukemia cell line in vitro and the underlying mechanisms of its actions on these cells. Our results showed that hispidulin inhibits AML cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and induces cell apoptosis throughan intrinsic mitochondrial pathway. Our results also revealed that hispidulin treatment significantly inhibits extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) expression in both tested AML cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, and that the overexpression of EMMPRIN protein markedly attenuates hispidulin-induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, our results strongly indicated that the modulating effect of hispidulin on EMMPRIN is correlated with its inhibitory effect on both the Akt and STAT3 signaling pathways.

Prognostic Indications of Elevated MCT4 and CD147 across Cancer Types: A Meta-Analysis

Background. Metabolism in the tumor microenvironment can play a critical role in tumorigenesis and tumor aggression. Metabolic coupling may occur between tumor compartments; this phenomenon can be prognostically significant and may be conserved across tumor types. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) play an integral role in cellular metabolism via lactate transport and have been implicated in metabolic synergy in tumors. The transporters MCT1 and MCT4 are regulated via expression of their chaperone, CD147. Methods. We conducted a meta-analysis of existing publications on the relationship between MCT1, MCT4, and CD147 expression and overall survival and disease-free survival in cancer, using hazard ratios derived via multivariate Cox regression analyses. Results. Increased MCT4 expressions in the tumor microenvironment, cancer cells, or stromal cells were all associated with decreased overall survival and decreased disease-free survival (p < 0.001 for all analyses). Increased CD147 expression in cancer cells was associated with decreased overall survival and disease-free survival (p < 0.0001 for both analyses). Few studies were available on MCT1 expression; MCT1 expression was not clearly associated with overall or disease-free survival. Conclusion. MCT4 and CD147 expression correlate with worse prognosis across many cancer types. These results warrant further investigation of these associations.

The roles of CD147 in the progression of gliomas

Gliomas are characterized by their invasiveness, angiogenesis, glycolysis and poor prognosis. Determining how to inhibit angiogenesis and glycolysis and induce cell death in gliomas is essential to the development of an effective therapy. CD147, a highly glycosylated transmembrane glycoprotein with two Ig-like extracellular domains that belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily, plays an important role in the regulation of tumor invasiveness, angiogenesis and glycolysis by inducing the secretion of matrix metalloproteinases and vascular endothelial growth factor and by interacting with monocarboxylate transporters. In this review, we first summarize the roles played by CD147 in gliomas and then propose that CD147 may be a complementary prognostic biomarker and a possible therapeutic target for glioma treatment.

EMMPRIN (CD147) Expression in Smooth Muscle Tumors of the Uterus

Smooth muscle tumors of the uterus are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gynecologic tract. The vast majority of these are benign leiomyomas that present no diagnostic difficulty. Because some benign smooth muscle tumors may degenerate and uncommon variants exist, the diagnosis can be challenging in some cases. The goal of this research was to investigate EMMPRIN expression in leiomyomas, leiomyoma variants, and leiomyosarcomas (LMS) to determine whether it has a potential role in differential diagnosis. EMMPRIN expression was investigated with immunohistochemistry in 103 uterine smooth muscle tumors, which included 19 usual leiomyomas, 52 leiomyoma variants, and 32 LMS. They were evaluated on the basis of staining extent, intensity, and also their combined score, and the groups were compared. EMMPRIN expression was present in 3 of 19 (15.7%) usual leiomyomas, 23 of 52 (44.3%) leiomyoma variants, and 28 of 32 (87.5%) LMS. There were statistically significant differences in staining extent and intensity, and also for their combined scores, between the LMS and benign groups. Although uterine smooth muscle tumors are usually diagnosed easily with conventional diagnostic criteria, the differentiation of LMS from some variants of leiomyoma can be challenging based soley on morphology. EMMPRIN may be a valuable immunohistochemical marker for differentiating LMS from benign smooth muscle tumors in problematic cases.

EMMPRIN in gynecologic cancers: pathologic and therapeutic aspects

The highly glycosylated transmembrane protein extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) is associated with several pathological conditions, including various types of cancers. In different gynecological malignancies, such as ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancers, EMMPRIN plays significant roles in cell adhesion modulation, tumor growth, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis by inducing the production of various molecules, including matrix metalloproteinases and vascular endothelial growth factor. Because of its high level of expression, EMMPRIN can possibly be used as a diagnostic marker of gynecological cancers. Recent studies have showed that targeting EMMPRIN, especially by RNA interference (RNAi) technology, has promising therapeutic potential in basic research on gynecological cancer treatments, which make a platform for the future clinical success. This review study focused on the association of EMMPRIN in gynecological cancers in the perspectives of pathogenesis, diagnosis, and therapeutics.

Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer and matrix metalloproteinase-2 overexpression is associated with loss of hormone receptor expression and poor prognosis in endometrial cancer

Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (CD147) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) have been documented in various malignancies. CD147 is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, which promotes the production and release of MMPs in mesenchymal cells and tumor cells. MMP-2 has been extensively studied and is considered to be particularly important in cancer invasion and metastasis. However, studies investigating the expression and prognostic value of CD147 in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma (EEC) are limited. The present study analyzed the expression of CD147 and MMP-2 by immunohistochemistry in endometrial tissue samples from 107 patients with EEC and 30 patients with benign uterus myoma. The association between CD147 and MMP-2 expression and clinicopathological characteristics was evaluated. The results showed that the overexpression of MMP-2 was significantly associated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage (P=0.007), depth of invasion (P=0.037) and reduced expression of progesterone receptor (P=0.005). Kaplan-Meier analyses indicated that CD147 overexpression alone (P<0.05 for disease-specific survival) or in combination with MMP-2 (P<0.001 for disease-specific survival) was correlated with adverse prognosis in EEC patients. Multivariate analysis revealed that the combined overexpression of CD147 and MMP-2 was an independent prognostic factor for disease-specific survival (hazard ratio=5.141, P=0.001) in EEC patients. CD147 and MMP-2 overexpression was positively correlated with aggressive phenotypic features in EEC, however it was negatively correlated with hormone receptor expression. The combination of CD147 and MMP-2 overexpression in EEC further distinguished a subgroup of patients with poor prognosis. Thus, the results of present study indicate that the co-expression of CD147 and MMP-2 may be an independent prognostic factor in EEC patients.

MiR-492 is functionally involved in Oxaliplatin resistance in colon cancer cells LS174T via its regulating the expression of CD147

Chemotherapy remains the core of anticancer treatment. However, despite the tremendous strides made in the development of targeted anticancer therapies, emergence of resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs is still a major obstacle in the successful management of resistant tumors. Therefore, profound investigation into the in-depth molecular mechanisms of drug resistance is essential and may hopefully translate into effective therapies that can flip the switch from drug resistance to susceptibility. To develop novel-targeted therapy holds promise for conquering chemotherapy resistance, one of the major hurdles in current colon cancer treatment. Previous studies indicate that CD147 is involved in the progression of chemotherapy resistance in breast cancer and ovarian cancer cells and its expression is negative regulated by miR-492 in muscles cells. In the present study, we found that lower level of miR-492 is accompanied with increased expression of CD147 in Oxaliplatin-resistant colon cancer cell line LS174T/L-OHP as compared with its parental cell line LS174T. Exogenous expression of miR-492 in LS174T/L-OHP could sensitize its reaction on the treatment of Oxaliplatin, which is coincided with its directly reducing the expression of CD147. Furthermore, we found that knockdown of CD147 in LS174T/L-OHP could also sensitize its reaction of the treatment with Oxaliplatin. Besides, intratumoral delivering of miR-492 could also restore Oxaliplatin treatment response in Oxaliplatin-resistant xenografts in vivo. These findings provide direct evidences that the miR-492/CD147 axis might play an essential role in the Oxaliplatin resistance of colon cancer cells, suggesting that the miR-492/CD147 signaling cohort could be served as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of chemotherapy resistant in colon cancer.

Study on extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 protein expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma using a quantum dot-based immunofluorescence technique

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2 protein expression in papillary thyroid carcinoma with lymph node metastasis (LNM), as well as the correlation between the two types of protein expression. A quantum dot-based immunofluorescence technique was used to detect EMMPRIN and HER-2 protein expression in 75 papillary thyroid carcinoma cases (including 70 cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues and 5 cases of peri-tumor tissues). The positive rate and expression of EMMPRIN and HER-2 were compared and observed. The positive rate of EMMPRIN was 75.71% in papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues and 20.00% in peri-tumor tissues (P<0.05). The positive rate of HER-2 was 45.71% in papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues and 0% in peri-tumor tissues (P>0.05). The expression of EMMPRIN and HER-2 in papillary thyroid carcinoma was significantly associated with LNM (P<0.05). In addition, in the 70 papillary thyroid carcinoma tissues, the expression of EMMPRIN and HER-2 was positively and significantly correlated. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the co-evolution of EMMPRIN and HER-2 may promote the occurrence and development of papillary thyroid carcinoma and LNM.

CD147 and Ki-67 overexpression confers poor prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma of oral tongue: a tissue microarray study

OBJECTIVE

Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue (SCCOT) exhibits high risk for recurrence and regional metastasis even after surgical resection. We assessed the clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of a group of functionally related biomarkers.

STUDY DESIGN

We used a tissue microarray consisting of SCCOT from 32 patients for this study. These patients were treated at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from 1995 to 2008. Biomarker expression levels were examined by immunohistochemistry and graded semiquantitatively to determine their prognostic significance.

RESULTS

CD147 and Tp63 expressions were significantly associated with a higher T stage and Ki-67 labeling index, as well as a shorter overall survival (OS) rate. Expression of Tp63 associated positively with poorly differentiated histology. There was significant association of Tp63 with the expression levels of CD147 and Glut-1. Glut-1 overexpression was marginally associated with a higher T stage. There was no prognostic significance of CD44 v6 expression in SCCOT.

CONCLUSION

SCCOT with CD147 overexpression in combination with high Ki-67 labeling index had poor OS. CD147 and Ki-67 overexpression is associated with aggressive disease with poor prognosis in SCCOT.

Downregulation of MACC1 inhibits invasion, migration and proliferation, attenuates cisplatin resistance and induces apoptosis in tongue squamous cell carcinoma

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and function of metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) and its relationship with the expression of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) (CD147). Levels of MACC1 and EMMPRIN expression were analyzed in 65 paraffin‑embedded tissue specimens of TSCC and in the adjacent non-cancerous tissues using immunohistochemistry (IHC). MACC1 expression was highly associated with lymphatic metastasis and EMMPRIN expression. Overexpression of MACC1 was significantly correlated with poor overall patient survival. A small interfering RNA (siRNA) was delivered into TSCCA cells to downregulate MACC1 expression. The CCK-8 assay showed that TSCCA cell proliferation was markedly reduced and that cisplatin resistance was attenuated. The suppression of MACC1 promoted the apoptosis of the TSCCA cell line. A Transwell experiment demonstrated that the migration and invasion abilities of the TSCCA cells were extremely downregulated. An ELISA experiment and western blotting revealed that the secretion of urokinase-type plasminogen activator system (uPA) in the supernatant of the culture medium and uPA expression were significantly reduced. Experiments revealed that the secretion of metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) in the supernatant of the culture medium and MMP2 expression were not affected. MACC1 may serve as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for TSCC.

CD147 expression in human gastric cancer is associated with tumor recurrence and prognosis

CD147 is correlated with tumor aggressiveness in various human malignancies. Here, we investigated CD147 protein expression in 223 patients with gastric cancer by immunohistochemistry and analyzed its association with disease-free and overall survival. CD147 was increased in gastric cancer compared to normal tissues. Additionally, CD147 expression was associated with gastric cancer invasion, metastasis and TNM stage, whereas it was not related to age, sex, differentiation status, tumor site or Lauren classification. Kaplan-Meier analysis confirmed that CD147 was associated with disease-free and overall survival in patients with gastric cancer; i.e., patients with positive CD147 staining tend to have worse disease-free and overall survival. Moreover, Cox's proportional hazards analysis demonstrated that CD147 was an independent marker of disease-free and overall survival for patients with gastric cancer. These results confirm the association of CD147 with gastric cancer invasion and metastasis and prove that CD147 might be an indicator of tumor recurrence and prognosis in gastric cancer.

EMMPRIN expression in oral squamous cell carcinomas: correlation with tumor proliferation and patient survival

The aim of our study was to explore the clinicopathological and prognostic significance of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) expression in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC), and its relation with the proliferative tumor status of OSCC. We examined EMMPRIN and Ki-67 proteins expression by immunohistochemistry in 74 cases with OSCC. Statistical analysis was conducted to examine their clinicopathological and prognostic significance in OSCC. EMMPRIN membrane expression was observed in all cases, with both membrane and cytoplasmic tumor expression in 61 cases (82.4%). EMMPRIN overexpression was observed in 56 cases (75.7%). Moderately or poorly differentiated tumors showed EMMPRIN overexpression more frequently than well-differentiated tumors (P = 0.002). Overexpression of EMMPRIN was correlated with high Ki-67 expression (P = 0.004). In the multivariate analysis, EMMPRIN overexpression reveals an adverse independent prognostic value for cancer-specific survival (CSS) (P = 0.034). Our results reveal that EMMPRIN protein is overexpressed in more than two-thirds of OSCC cases, especially in high proliferative and less differentiated tumors. The independent value of EMMPRIN overexpression in CSS suggests that this protein could be used as an important biological prognostic marker for patients with OSCC. Moreover, the high expression of EMMPRIN makes it a possible therapeutic target in OSCC patients.

Downregulation of CD147 by chitooligosaccharide inhibits MMP-2 expression and suppresses the metastatic potential of human gastric cancer

Metastasis is considered to be the major cause of mortality in patients with cancer, and gastric cancer is a highly metastatic cancer. In the present study, the anti-metastatic activity of chitooligosaccharide (COS) in human gastric cancer cells and its underlying mechanism were investigated. It was found that COS significantly inhibited SGC-7901 cell proliferation and metastasis in a dose-dependent manner, as observed by MTT, wound-healing and Transwell assays. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis indicated that COS could decrease the expression of cluster of differentiation 147 (CD147) and subsequently reduce matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression. A clear dose-dependent inhibition of MMP-2 activity was also observed in SGC-7901 cells following treatment with COS in gelatin zymography experiments. Furthermore, overexpression of CD147 (when transfected with pEGFP-C1 plasmid) in SGC-7901 cells partially protected against COS-induced inhibition of MMP-2. The results of the present study demonstrated the potential of COS in suppressing gastric cancer metastasis, and that the CD147/MMP-2 pathway may be involved as the key mechanism of its anti-metastatic effect.