Prognostic Value of KIF2A and HER2-Neu Overexpression in Patients With Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

KIF2A correlates with lymphovascular invasion and higher tumor stage, and can be used to predict worse prognosis in patients with endometrial carcinoma

Kinesin family protein 2A (KIF2A) is a microtubule depolymerase that participates in the progression of various cancers; however, its clinical utility in endometrial carcinoma (EC) remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to assess KIF2A expression and its relationship with prognosis in patients with EC. Data from 230 patients with EC who underwent tumor resection were reviewed in the current, retrospective study. KIF2A expression was measured in 230 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens of tumor tissue and 50 FFPE specimens of non-tumor tissue using immunohistochemistry (IHC). KIF2A expression was elevated in EC tumor tissue vs. non-tumor tissue (P<0.001). Furthermore, tumor KIF2A expression was linked with lymphovascular invasion (P=0.004) and higher International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (P=0.001). High tumor KIF2A expression (IHC score>3) was correlated with shorter disease-free survival (DFS; P=0.014) and overall survival (OS; P=0.012). Moreover, the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves revealed that tumor KIF2A expression had an acceptable use for estimating the relapse and death risks at each timepoint within 6 years, with each area under the curve remaining stable at ≥0.7. Notably, tumor KIF2A expression (high vs. low) independently forecast shorter DFS (hazard ratio, 2.506; P=0.013), but not OS (P>0.05). Furthermore, information from The Human Protein Atlas database indicated that high tumor KIF2A expression was associated with worse OS in patients with EC (P=0.027). Tumor KIF2A is not only associated with lymphovascular invasion and higher FIGO stage, but also reflects unfavorable survival in patients with EC.

In Silico Analysis of Selective Bioactive Compounds from Acronychia Pedunculata as a Potential Inhibitor of HER2 in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a pervasive malignancy that stands as a prominent contributor to global cancer-related mortality. Among the numerous causative factors, the overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is notably linked to CRC progression. Acronychia (A.) pedunculata has a longstanding history in folk medicine due to its multifaceted medicinal attributes. This study aimed to assess the potential of specific bioactive compounds derived from A. pedunculata for their inhibition of HER2 in CRC, utilizing in silico analysis. The compounds were systematically evaluated through a series of computational analyses. Drug-likeness assessment, pharmacokinetic evaluation, and toxicity analysis were conducted. Molecular docking studies were performed to investigate binding affinities with the HER2 target. Additionally, bioavailability radar analysis was employed to predict oral bioavailability, while molecular target prediction provided insights into potential protein interactions. All 12 compounds demonstrated favorable drug-likeness properties and adherence to Lipinski's rule of five, indicative of the potential for good oral bioavailability. Four compounds were found to have no toxicological endpoints. Molecular docking revealed two compounds, namely caryophylla-4 (14), 8 (15)-dien-5alpha-ol and (-)-globulol, which showed promising binding affinities between several compounds and HER2. From this study, two leads were identified from A. pedunculata. Further experimental studies are required to validate the action of leads.

Deregulated Metabolic Pathways in Ovarian Cancer: Cause and Consequence

Ovarian cancers are tumors that originate from the different cells of the ovary and account for almost 4% of all the cancers in women globally. More than 30 types of tumors have been identified based on the cellular origins. Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most common and lethal type of ovarian cancer which can be further divided into high-grade serous, low-grade serous, endometrioid, clear cell, and mucinous carcinoma. Ovarian carcinogenesis has been long attributed to endometriosis which is a chronic inflammation of the reproductive tract leading to progressive accumulation of mutations. Due to the advent of multi-omics datasets, the consequences of somatic mutations and their role in altered tumor metabolism has been well elucidated. Several oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes have been implicated in the progression of ovarian cancer. In this review, we highlight the genetic alterations undergone by the key oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes responsible for the development of ovarian cancer. We also summarize the role of these oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes and their association with a deregulated network of fatty acid, glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid and amino acid metabolism in ovarian cancers. Identification of genomic and metabolic circuits will be useful in clinical stratification of patients with complex etiologies and in identifying drug targets for personalized therapies against cancer.

Nucleic acid vaccination strategies for ovarian cancer

High grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) is one of the most lethal ovarian cancers that is characterised by asymptomatic tumour growth, insufficient knowledge of malignant cell origin and sub-optimal detection. HGSC has been recently shown to originate in the fallopian tube and not in the ovaries. Conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and surgery depend upon the stage of the disease and have resulted in higher rates of relapse. Hence, there is a need for alternative treatments. Differential antigen expression levels have been utilised for early detection of the cancer and could be employed in vaccination strategies using nucleic acids. In this review the different vaccination strategies in Ovarian cancer are discussed and reviewed. Nucleic acid vaccination strategies have been proven to produce a higher CD8+ CTL response alongside CD4+ T-cell response when compared to other vaccination strategies and thus provide a good arena for antitumour immune therapy. DNA and mRNA need to be delivered into the intracellular matrix. To overcome ineffective naked delivery of the nucleic acid cargo, a suitable delivery system is required. This review also considers the suitability of cell penetrating peptides as a tool for nucleic acid vaccine delivery in ovarian cancer.

Kinesin family member 2A links with advanced tumor stage, reduced chemosensitivity and worse prognosis in gastric cancer

Background

Kinesin family member 2A (KIF2A) induces gastric cancer (GC) growth and invasion, while its clinical relevance in GC patients is not reported. This study aimed to investigate the linkage of KIF2A with clinicopathological features, prognosis, and chemosensitivity of GC.

Methods

A total of 160 surgical GC patients were reviewed, with their tumor and adjacent tissues acquired for immunohistochemical (IHC) assay to measure KIF2A expression, then scored by a semi‐quantitative method (IHC score: 0–12). KIF2A siRNA or nonsense‐siRNA were transfected into HGC‐27 and NCI‐N87 cells underwent various concentrations of capecitabine or oxaliplatin treatment followed by chemosensitivity assessment.

Results

Kinesin family member 2A expression was elevated in the tumor tissue compared to the adjacent tissue (IHC score: 5.6 ± 3.1 vs. 2.9 ± 1.7, p < 0.001). Besides, tumor KIF2A expression was related to larger tumor size (p = 0.014), higher N stage (p = 0.004) and TNM stage (p = 0.011); however, it was not linked with other clinicopathological features (all p > 0.05). Signally, tumor KIF2A high expression predicted poor overall survival (p = 0.037). After adjustment via multivariate Cox's regression, tumor KIF2A high expression independently linked with worse disease‐free survival (p = 0.033). Finally, KIF2A knockdown improved the oxaliplatin chemosensitivity vastly but only slightly affected capecitabine chemosensitivity in HGC‐27 and NCI‐N87 cells.

Conclusion

Kinesin family member 2A reflects larger tumor size, advanced TNM stage, improved chemosensitivity, and predicts unfavorable survival in GC.

Identifying Mitotic Kinesins as Potential Prognostic Biomarkers in Ovarian Cancer Using Bioinformatic Analyses

Ovarian cancer (OC) is characterized by late-stage presentation, chemoresistance, and poor survival. Evaluating the prognosis of OC patients via effective biomarkers is essential to manage OC progression and to improve survival; however, it has been barely established. Here, we intend to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) as potential prognostic biomarkers of OC via bioinformatic analyses. Initially, a total of thirteen DEGs were extracted from different public databases as candidates. The expression of KIF20A, one of the DEGs, was correlated with a worse outcome of OC patients. The functional correlation of the DEGs with mitosis and the prognostic value of KIF20A imply a high correlation between mitotic kinesins (KIFs) and OC development. Finally, we found that KIF20A, together with the other nine mitotic KIFs (4A, 11, 14, 15, 18A, 18B, 23, C1, and2C) were upregulated and activated in OC tissues. Among the ten, seven overexpressed mitotic KIFs (11, 14, 18B, 20A, 23, and C1) were correlated with unfavorable clinical prognosis. Moreover, KIF20A and KIF23 overexpression was associated with worse prognosis in OC patients treated with platinum/taxol chemotherapy, while OCs overexpressing mitotic KIFs (11, 15, 18B, and C1) were resistant to MAPK pathway inhibitors. In conclusion, worse outcomes of OC patients were correlated with overexpression of several mitotic KIFs, which may serve both as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for OC.

The clinical value of kinesin superfamily protein 2A in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate the clinical value of kinesin superfamily protein 2A (KIF2A) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

METHODS

This study retrospectively analyzed 196 HCC patients who underwent hepatic resection, and their preoperative clinical characteristics were collected from the medical records. Immunohistochemical (IHC) assay was performed to detect KIF2A expression, subsequently KIF2A expression was evaluated by a semi-quantitative IHC score (according to IHC staining density and intensity of positively stained cells) and then graded as KIF2A^-/KIF2A⁺/KIF2A⁺⁺/KIF2A⁺⁺⁺ for analysis. Overall survival (OS) was calculated from the date of resection to the date of death.

RESULTS

Compared to adjacent tissue, both KIF2A IHC score and grade were higher in tumor tissue (Both P < 0.001). Tumor KIF2A expression was positively correlated with performance status score (P = 0.001), multifocal tumor nodule (P = 0.018), largest tumor size (P = 0.015) and Barcelona clinic liver cancer stage (P < 0.001). Regarding live function indexes, tumor KIF2A expression was positively associated with aspartate aminotransferase (P = 0.006). As to tumor markers, tumor KIF2A expression showed a trend to be positively correlated with alpha fetoprotein (P = 0.060) and carbohydrate antigen 199 (P = 0.053), but no statistical significance. Kaplan-Meier curve showed that tumor higher KIF2A expression was associated with worse OS (P < 0.001), which was further validated by multivariate Cox's regression analysis as higher an independent factor predicting shorter OS (P = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

KIF2A is upregulated in tumor tissue than adjacent tissue, importantly, tumor KIF2A is associated with worse liver function, raised tumor stage and poor OS in HCC patients.

Research Progress in Prognostic Factors and Biomarkers of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is a serious threat to women's health; its early diagnosis rate is low and prone to metastasis and recurrence. The current conventional treatment for ovarian cancer is a combination of platinum and paclitaxel chemotherapy based on surgery. The recurrence and progression of ovarian cancer with poor prognosis is a major challenge in treatment. With rapid advances in technology, understanding of the molecular pathways involved in ovarian cancer recurrence and progression has increased, biomarker-guided treatment options can greatly improve the prognosis of patients. This review systematically discusses and summarizes existing and new information on prognostic factors and biomarkers of ovarian cancer, which is expected to improve the clinical management of patients and lead to effective personalized treatment.

Clinical significance of kinesin family member 2A as a facilitating biomarker of disease surveillance and prognostication in cervical cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is one of the most common and fatal malignancies among females, and biomarkers are essential for assisting in its management. Kinesin family member 2A (KIF2A) has been exhibited to be a potential maker in various cancers; however, its role in cervical cancer has yet to be reported. Therefore, we aimed to assess the expression of KIF2A and its correlation with clinicopathological characteristics as well as survival profile in cervical cancer patients.

METHODS

A hundred and thirty-five cervical cancer patients who underwent simple trachelectomy or radical hysterectomy were retrospectively analyzed. Tumor tissues and paired adjacent tissues were acquired, in which KIF2A mRNA and protein expressions were determined by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry assay, respectively. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were documented with a median follow-up duration of 28.0 months.

RESULTS

KIF2A protein (P < 0.001) and mRNA (P < 0.001) expressions were both upregulated in tumor tissues compared to paired adjacent tissues in cervical cancer patients. In addition, tumor tissue KIF2A protein and mRNA expressions were positively associated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.025 and P = 0.010, respectively) and FIGO stage (P = 0.022 and P = 0.015, respectively) in cervical cancer patients. Moreover, patients with tumor tissue KIF2A high expression (mRNA and protein) displayed worse DFS (P = 0.010 and P = 0.046, respectively) and OS (P = 0.042 and P = 0.030, respectively) compared to patients with tumor tissue KIF2A low expression (mRNA and protein).

CONCLUSION

Tumor tissue KIF2A expression could serve as a biomarker enhancing the disease surveillance and prognostication in cervical cancer management.

Chimeric Antigen Receptor Design and Efficacy in Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Our increased understanding of tumour biology gained over the last few years has led to the development of targeted molecular therapies, e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) antagonists, poly[ADP-ribose] polymerase 1 (PARP1) inhibitors in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome (BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutants), increasing survival and improving the quality of life. However, the majority of ovarian cancer (OC) patients still do not have access to targeted molecular therapies that would be capable of controlling their disease, especially resistant or relapsed. Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are recombinant receptor constructs located on T lymphocytes or other immune cells that change its specificity and functions. Therefore, in a search for a successful solid tumour therapy using CARs the specific cell surface antigens identification is crucial. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as studies on humans, prove that targeting overexpressed molecules, such as mucin 16 (MUC16), annexin 2 (ANXA2), receptor tyrosine-protein kinase erbB-2 (HER2/neu) causes high tumour cells toxicity and decreased tumour burden. CARs are well tolerated, side effects are minimal and they inhibit disease progression. However, as OC is heterogenic in its nature with high mutation diversity and overexpression of different receptors, there is a need to consider an individual approach to treat this type of cancer. In this publication, we would like to present the history and status of therapies involving the CAR T cells in treatment of OC tumours, suggest potential T cell-intrinsic determinants of response and resistance as well as present extrinsic factors impacting the success of this approach.

Association of kinesin family member 2A with increased disease risk, deteriorative clinical characteristics, and shorter survival profiles in acute myeloid leukemia

This study aimed to explore the correlation of kinesin family member 2A (KIF2A) expression with disease risk, clinical characteristics, and prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and investigate the effect of KIF2A knockdown on AML cell activities in vitro. Bone marrow samples were collected from 176 AML patients and 40 healthy donors, and KIF2A expression was measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Treatment response, event-free survival (EFS), and overall survival (OS) were assessed in AML patients. In vitro, KIF2A expression in AML cell lines and CD34⁺ cells (from healthy donors) was measured, and the effect of KIF2A knockdown on AML cell proliferation and apoptosis in HL-60 and KG-1 cells was detected. KIF2A expression was greater in AML patients compared to healthy donors, and receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that KIF2A expression predicted increased AML risk (area under curve: 0.793 (95%CI: 0.724-0.826)). In AML patients, KIF2A expression positively correlated with white blood cells, monosomal karyotype, and high risk stratification. Furthermore, no correlation of KIF2A expression with complete remission or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was found. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that KIF2A expression was negatively correlated with EFS and OS. In vitro experiments showed that KIF2A was overexpressed in AML cell lines (KG-1, HL-60, ME-1, and HT-93) compared to CD34⁺ cells, moreover, cell proliferation was reduced but apoptosis was increased by KIF2A knockdown in HL-60 and KG-1 cells. In conclusion, KIF2A showed potential to be a biomarker and treatment target in AML.

Identification of Kinesin Family Member 2A (KIF2A) as a Promising Therapeutic Target for Osteosarcoma

Background

Osteosarcoma is known as a type of common human bone malignancy, and more therapeutic targets are still required to combat this disease. In recent years, the involvement of KIF2A in cancer progression has been widely revealed; however, its potential effect on osteosarcoma development remains unknown. This study is to assess the KIF2A expression levels in human osteosarcoma tissues and explore its potential role in osteosarcoma development.

Methods

Immunohistochemical (IHC) assays were conducted to evaluate the expression levels of KIF2A in a total of 74 samples of osteosarcoma tissues and adjacent nontumor tissues. According to the staining intensity in tumor tissues, patients were divided into highly expressed and low expression KIF2A groups. The possible links between the KIF2A expression and the clinical pathological features were explored and analyzed, and the effects of KIF2A on osteosarcoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were detected through colony formation assay, MTT assay, wound closure assay, and transwell assay, respectively. The effects of KIF2A on tumor growth and metastasis were detected by the use of animal models.

Results

KIF2A was highly expressed in human osteosarcoma tissues. Meanwhile, KIF2A was obviously correlated to the tumor size (P = 0.001^∗) and clinical stage (P = 0.014^∗) of osteosarcoma patients. Our results also revealed that the ablation of KIF2A dramatically blocked the proliferation, migration, and invasion capacity of osteosarcoma cells in vitro and blocked tumor growth and metastasis in mice.

Conclusions

We investigated the involvement of KIF2A in the development and metastasis of osteosarcoma and therefore thought KIF2A as a promising therapeutic target for osteosarcoma treatment.

KIF2A promotes the progression via AKT signaling pathway and is upregulated by transcription factor ETV4 in human gastric cancer

Kinesin family protein 2A (KIF2A), an M-type nonmotile microtubule depolymerase, plays essential roles in development and progression of various human cancers. However, its exact function and the underlying mechanism in tumorigenesis of gastric cancer (GC) haven't been fully elucidated. In the present study, KIF2A was overexpressed in human GC and predicted poor prognosis according to the results of GEPIA analysis. KIF2A was also observed to be upregulated in 82 GC samples compared with paired pericarcinoma tissues. Its overexpression was associated with tumor metastasis (P = 0.047) and Ⅲ stage GC (P = 0.0267). The mRNA and protein expression levels of KIF2A were significantly suppressed in KIF2A specific siRNA transfected GC cells compared with the wild-type and negative control (NC) siRNA transfected cells. Furthermore, the effects of KIF2A on the growth, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of GC cell were evaluated in vitro and the underlying mechanisms were explored. It was found that silencing KIF2A effectively induced the apoptosis, and inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion capacities of GC cells. Western blot analysis demonstrated that silencing of KIF2A significantly decreased the expression levels of AKT, Cyclin D1 and S6K. Moreover, bioinformatics analysis showed that the promoter (from -414 to -407bp) of KIF2A has the ability to bind to transcription factor ETV4, which was confirmed by bi-luciferase reporter assay using 293T cells. The level of ETV4 was upregulated and positively correlated with KIF2A in human GC tissues. Our results also proved that ETV4 upregulated the expression of KIF2A and blocked the decline of proliferation induced by KIF2A knockdown in MKN-45 and AGS cells. In summary, KIF2A is upregulated by transcription factor ETV4, and its knockdown can effectively inhibit the proliferation and induce the apoptosis of GC cells through the AKT signaling pathway in GC cells, implying that the inhibition of KIF2A expression is a potential target for GC therapy.

Prognostic significance of KIF2A and KIF20A expression in human cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The kinesin family (KIF) is reported to be aberrantly expressed and significantly correlated with survival outcomes in patients with various cancers. This meta-analysis was carried out to quantitatively evaluate the prognostic values of partial KIF members in cancer patients.

METHODS

Two well-known KIF members, KIF2A and KIF20A, were investigated to evaluate their potential values as novel prognostic biomarkers in human cancer. A comprehensive literature search was carried out of the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases up to April 2019. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to assess the association of KIF2A and KIF20A expression with overall survival (OS) and clinicopathological parameters.

RESULTS

Twenty-five studies involving 7262 patients were finally incorporated, including nine about KIF2A and sixteen about KIF20A. Our results indicated that patients with high expression of KIF2 and KIF20A tended to have shorter OS than those with low expression (HR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.87-2.65, P < .001; HR = 1.77, 95% CI = 1.57-1.99, P < .001, respectively). Moreover, high expression of these 2 KIF members was significantly associated with advanced clinical stage (OR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.57-2.50, P < .001; OR = 2.63, 95% CI: 2.03-3.41, P < .001, respectively), positive lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.65-3.27, P < .001; OR = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.59-2.83, P < .001, respectively), and distant metastasis (OR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.21-3.99, P = .010; OR = 5.25, 95% CI: 2.82-9.77, P < .001, respectively); only high KIF20A expression was related to poor differentiation grade (OR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.09-3.07, P = .023).

CONCLUSIONS

High expression of KIF2 and KIF20A in human cancer was significantly correlated with worse prognosis and unfavorable clinicopathological features, suggesting that these 2 KIF members can be used as prognostic biomarkers for different types of tumors.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42019134928.

Androgen receptor status predicts development of brain metastases in ovarian cancers

Brain metastases are uncommon localizations in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), their reported incidence is increasing and no predictive biomarkers have been identified yet. Goals of this study were: i) to define a possible association between Estrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PR), Androgen Receptor (AR), human EGF receptor 2 (HER2) and brain progression in EOC patients, and ii) to identify differences in ER, PR, AR and HER2 protein expression from primary EOC and its matched resected brain metastasis. A retrospective series of 11 EOC with matched brain metastasis surgically removed was collected. For comparison, a “Control dataset” of 22 patients, without evidence of brain involvement after an adequate follow up was matched. ER, PR, AR and HER2 status were analyzed by means of immunohistochemistry forCases (both primary and metastatic lesions) and Controls.

Univariate analysis showed that AR status was significantly associated with brain localization, both considered as discrete variable (cut-off: 10%, p=0.013) and as continuous one (p=0.035). Multivariate analysis confirmed this trend (p=0.053). When considered as continuous variables, ER and AR showed greater expression in primary tumors in comparison with brain metastases (p=0.013 and p=0.032, respectively).

In our series, AR predicts brain involvement, with a 9.5 times higher propensity for AR-negative EOC. Moreover, brain dissemination is probably the result of progressive dedifferentiation of primary tumor, shown by reduction of ER and AR expression in metastases. Further studies are required, in order to anticipate and improve multimodal treatment of brain metastases.

Obtaining and characterization of monoclonal antibodies against recombinant extracellular domain of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is an important biomarker for detection and treatment of different types of cancers such as breast, ovarian, stomach cancer. In this study, we developed a monoclonal antibody against the extracellular domain (ECD) of HER2 biomarker of breast cancer. For this purpose, the ECD-HER2 gene was amplified and cloned into an expression vector. Gene was generated in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) strain for expression of recombinant protein. The expressed protein was separated by SDS-PAGE and detected by anti-his monoclonal antibody in immunoblotting. Hybridoma cells were obtained by fusing myeloma cells with mouse spleen cells injected with recombinant ECD-HER2 and screened by ELISA for the production of monoclonal antibody. The results indicate that out of three candidate hybridoma cells one clone (1E7) was producing the highest titer and antibody specificity was envisioned in ELISA results. In vivo scaling up culture of hybridoma cells in BALB/C mice lead to significant increase in the monoclonal antibody concentration up to 16 mg/ml. Immunochemical methods demonstrated the specificity of developed antibody against ECD-HER2 protein.

The prognostic value of HER2 in ovarian cancer: A meta-analysis of observational studies

BACKGROUND

The prognostic role of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in ovarian cancer has been investigated in previous studies, but the results remain controversial. Here we present a meta-analysis to systematically review the association between HER2 expression and ovarian cancer prognosis.

METHOD

Observational studies published until July 2017 were searched in Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane library databases. Hazard ratios (HRs) for survival with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), subgroup analyses, publication bias and sensitivity analyses were implemented under a standard manner. Estimates of overall survival (OS), progress-free survival (PFS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were weighted and pooled using Der Simonian-Laird random-effect model.

RESULT

Thirty-four studies that include 5180 ovarian cancer patients were collected for analysis. Expression of HER2 was negatively correlated with clinical prognosis of overall survival (HR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.31 to 1.89, P < 0.001) and disease-free survival / progress-free survival (HR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.06 to 1.49) in ovarian cancers. The association between HER2 expression and poor ovarian cancer prognosis in overall survival was also statistically significant in subgroups of unclassified ovarian cancer, Caucasian population and Asian population, while irrespective of detection method.

CONCLUSION

HER2 expression was related with poor prognosis in ovarian cancer patients and can be used as a predicting cancer prognostic biomarker in ovarian cancer patients.

High KIF2A expression predicts unfavorable prognosis in diffuse large B cell lymphoma

Kinesin family member 2A (KIF2A), a conserved motor protein, plays a critical role in the pathogenesis and prognosis of several malignant tumors. The aim of the present study was to investigate KIF2A expression in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), evaluate the association between KIF2A expression and the clinical parameters of the disease, and determine its prognostic value. KIF2A expression was evaluated in 134 DLBCL and 57 reactive hyperplasia samples using immunohistochemistry on a tissue microarray. The correlations between KIF2A expression with clinical parameters and prognosis were estimated using univariate and multivariate analyses. The expression of KIF2A was significantly higher in DLBCL tissue samples compared with those from subjects with reactive hyperplasia (P=0.002). Furthermore, increased expression of KIF2A protein in DLBCL was related to Ann Arbor stage (P=0.027) and international prognostic index (IPI) score (P=0.01). The survival analysis showed that KIF2A expression (P=0.016), serum LDH level (P=0.049), and IPI score (P<0.001) were independent prognostic markers for DLBCL. Our findings also confirmed that downregulating KIF2A expression decreased tumor cell viability, accompanied by downregulation of pAKT levels. Taken together, these data provide the first evidence that increased KIF2A expression predicts poor prognosis in patients with DLBCL, and a rationale for treatment of DLBCL by targeting KIF2A.

Prognostic and therapeutic value of disruptor of telomeric silencing-1-like (DOT1L) expression in patients with ovarian cancer

Background

Epigenetics has been known to play a critical role in regulating the malignant phenotype. This study was designed to examine the expression of DOT1L (histone 3 lysine 79 methyltransferase) and H3K79 methylation in normal ovarian tissues and ovarian tumors and to explore the function of DOT1L and its underline mechanisms in ovarian cancer.

Methods

The expression of DOT1L and H3K79 methylation in 250 ovarian tumor samples and 24 normal ovarian samples was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The effects of DOT1L on cell proliferation in vitro were evaluated using CCK8, colony formation and flow cytometry. The DOT1L-targeted genes were determined using chromatin immune-precipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq) and ChIP-PCR. Gene expression levels were measured by real-time PCR and immunoblotting. The effects of DOT1L on tumor growth in vivo were evaluated using an orthotopic ovarian tumor model.

Results

DOT1L expression and H3K79 methylation was significantly increased in malignant ovarian tumors. High DOT1L expression was associated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, histologic grade, and lymphatic metastasis. DOT1L was an independent prognostic factor for the overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of ovarian cancer, and higher DOT1L expression was associated with poorer OS and PFS. Furthermore, DOT1L regulates the transcription of G1 phase genes CDK6 and CCND3 through H3K79 dimethylation; therefore, blocking DOT1L could result in G1 arrest and thereby impede the cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo.

Conclusions

Our findings first demonstrate that DOT1L over-expression has important clinical significance in ovarian cancer and also clarify that it drives cell cycle progression through transcriptional regulation of CDK6 and CCND3 through H3K79 methylation, suggesting that DOT1L might be potential target for prognostic assessment and therapeutic intervention in ovarian cancer.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13045-017-0400-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.