Evaluation of diagnostic value of four tumor markers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of peripheral lung cancer

Prognostic value of neuron specific enolase in patients with advanced and metastatic non-neuroendocrine non-small cell lung cancer

Background: Increased serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) level was found in a substantial proportion (30–69%) of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but little was known about the clinical properties of NSE in NSCLC.

Objective: We aimed to assess the level of serum NSE to predict prognosis and treatment response in patients with advanced or metastatic non-neuroendocrine NSCLC.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 363 patients with advanced and metastatic NSCLC between January 2011 and October 2016. The serum NSE level was measured before initiation of treatment.

Results: Patients with high NSE level (≥26.1 ng/ml) showed significantly shorter progression-free survival (PFS) (5.69 vs 8.09 months; P=0.02) and significantly shorter overall survival (OS) than patients with low NSE level (11.41 vs 24.31 months; P=0.01).

NSE level was an independent prognostic factor for short PFS (univariate analysis, hazard ratio [HR] = 2.40 (1.71–3.38), P<0.001; multivariate analysis, [HR] = 1.81 (1.28–2.56), P=0.001) and OS (univariate analysis, [HR] = 2.40 (1.71–3.37), P<0.001; multivariate analysis, [HR] = 1.76 (1.24–2.50), P=0.002).

Conclusion: The survival of NSCLC patients with high serum NSE level was shorter than that of NSCLC patients with low serum NSE levels. Serum NSE level was a predictor of treatment response and an independent prognostic factor.

Lung cancer molecular mutations and abnormal glycosylation as biomarkers for early diagnosis

Lung cancer is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in tumor-related deaths in the world. Early detection of tumors can greatly improve the survival rate of patients. However, the lack of reliable blood biomarkers remains a major challenge for early diagnosis. The blood proteins secreted by the lung bronchi and bronchial arteries may have characteristic glycosylation patterns associated with tumors, which are different from normal physiological and pathological conditions. In this review, we outline the oncogenic drivers, signaling pathways related to KRAS, gene and protein mutations, and oncogenic regulation of protein glycosylation. Based on to the TCGA transcriptomics and antibody-based proteomics data, we discussed oncogene and glycoproteins detected in the blood as tumor biomarkers. We hypothesize that glycoproteins whose glycosylation can be reversed by targeted drugs may serve as potential tumor biomarkers.

Diagnostic efficacy of broncho-alveolar lavage carcino-embronic antigen in carcinoma of lung

Context:

Biomarkers can be used for screening lung cancer and the clinician can decide for further invasive workup for diagnosis.

Aims:

To know the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in Broncho Alveolar Lavage Fluid (BALF) and serum of bronchogenic carcinoma.

Settings and Design:

Case-Control study was conducted in the Medical College Hospital during a period of 2 years.

Methods and Material:

We randomly selected 50 cases and 50 controls subjects. Cases were the patients with proven malignancy by biopsy or cytology, and controls were other non-malignant pulmonary diseases. All patients’ CEA of Broncho Alveolar Lavage Fluid and serum was done.

Statistical Analysis:

The mean and receiver operating curve were done for CEA of serum and BAL fluid, and based on the cut-off values, sensitivity and specificity were calculated.

Results:

Mean value of CEA in both BALF and serum in non-smoker patients of the malignant lesion was significantly higher than the non-malignant lesion. Mean value of CEA in both BALF and serum in smoker patients of the malignant lesion was higher than the benign lesion, but statistically not significant. The cut-off value for Serum CEA is 1μg/l, whereas for BALF CEA is 2μg/l. Sensitivity, specificity of CEA of Serum and BALF combined were 92% and 62% respectively.

Conclusions:

Determination of CEA in the BALF and serum may be helpful as a screening tool for further workup for malignancy.

Matrix metalloproteinase-7 may serve as a novel biomarker for cervical cancer

Background

The biological and clinical significance of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7) in cervical cancer remains unknown. Here, we investigated the function of MMP-7 in cervical cancer cells and evaluated its clinical significance in both tissues and serum from cervical cancer patients.

Methods

First, we analyzed the expression of MMP-7 in cervical cancer using Oncomine microarray data and examined its expression in cervical tissues by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. Second, we utilized gene silencing to explore the role of MMP-7 in cells. Finally, we examined the MMP-7 levels in patients with cervical cancer and normal serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Moreover, we further investigated the relationship between MMP-7 expression and pathological features.

Results

The mRNA and protein MMP-7 levels were higher in cervical cancer tissues than in healthy controls. Silencing of MMP-7 significantly decreased cervical cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The serum MMP-7 levels were significantly higher in cervical cancer patients than in healthy subjects (P<0.01). Further, higher MMP-7 expression was associated with increased lymph metastasis (P=0.021), pathological grade (P=0.039, P=0.047), and clinical stage (P=0.049, P=0.046).

Conclusion

MMP-7 appears to act as an oncogene in cervical cancer cells and is involved in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. MMP-7 expression was significantly higher in the tissue and serum of cervical cancer patients compared to healthy individuals and was correlated with increased pathalogical grade, clinical stage, and lymph metastasis. Therefore, our data provide novel evidence that MMP-7 may be a clinically relevant biomarker for cervical cancer.

Down-regulated serum microRNA-101 is associated with aggressive progression and poor prognosis of cervical cancer

Objective

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a vital role in pathogenesis and progression of many cancers, including cervical cancer. However, importance of serum level of miR-101 in cervical cancer has rarely been studied. In the present study, clinical significance and prognostic value of serum miR-101 for cervical cancer was investigated.

Methods

Association between miR-101 level in cervical cancer tissues and prognosis of patients was analyzed by using data retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, which was followed with our clinical study in which miR-101 serum level comparison between cervical cancer patients and healthy controls was conducted by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Results

TCGA database demonstrated that miR-101 was down-regulated in cervical cancer tissues compared with normal cervical tissues, and univariate Cox regression analysis indicated that decreased miR-101 expression was a highly significant negative risk factor. Similar trend was found in the serum miR-101. Serum level of miR-101 was associated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (p=0.003), lymph node metastasis (p=0.001), and serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) level >4 (p=0.007). The overall survival time of cervical cancer patients with a higher level of serum miR-101 was significantly longer than that of patients with a lower level of serum miR-101. Moreover, multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that the down-regulated serum level of miR-101 was an independent predictor for the unfavorable prognosis of cervical cancer.

Conclusion

Serum level of miR-101 is closely associated with metastasis and prognosis of cervical cancer; and, hence could be a potential biomarker and prognostic predictor for cervical cancer.

GINS2 is a novel prognostic biomarker and promotes tumor progression in early-stage cervical cancer

GINS complex subunit 2 (GINS2), a member of the GINS complex, is involved in DNA replication. GINS2 is upregulated in a variety of aggressive tumors. However, its role in cervical cancer carcinogenesis remains to be elucidated. We investigated the clinical significance of GINS2 in patients with early-stage cervical cancer and its biological functions in cervical cancer progression. GINS2 expression was analyzed in cervical cancer cell lines and in 8 matched cervical cancer samples at the mRNA and protein levels using real-time PCR and western blotting, respectively. GINS2 protein expression in 155 paraffin-embedded cervical cancer specimens was validated using immunohistochemistry. Statistical analysis was used to evaluate its clinicopathological significance. Short hairpin RNA interference, anchorage-independent growth ability, colony formation assay, wound healing ability, Transwell assays and western blotting were used to determine the effects of GINS2 on the aggressive phenotype of cervical cancer cells. There was obvious upregulation of GINS2 in the cervical cancer cell lines and tumor specimens compared to that in the normal cervical tissues. Significant correlations were identified between GINS2 expression and squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag; P<0.001), deep stromal invasion (P=0.021), vital status (P<0.001), recurrence (P<0.001) and pelvic lymph node metastasis (PLNM; P<0.001). Moreover, patients with higher GINS2 expression had shorter overall survival (OS) compared to patients with low GINS2 expression. Multivariate analysis revealed that GINS2 may serve as an independent risk factor of poor prognosis in early-stage cervical cancer. In addition, GINS2 downregulation markedly suppressed cell proliferation and tumorigenic ability, as well as cell migration and invasion. Our findings suggest that GINS2 is a novel indicator of PLNM and a valuable prognostic biomarker in early-stage cervical cancer, and subsequently is a valuable molecular target for cervical cancer diagnosis and treatment.

The diagnostic value of tumor markers in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for the peripheral pulmonary carcinoma

BACKGROUND

To investigate the value of Ubiquitin specific peptidase 8 (USP8), Chitinase 3-like 1 (YKL40), Heat shock protein 90a (HSP90α), glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), neuron specific enolase (NSE) and cytokeratin fragment antiogen 21-1 (CYFRA21-1) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum for diagnosis in patients with peripheral lung cancer.

METHODS

The concentration of these markers were measured in 50 patients with peripheral lung cancer and 50 patients with benign lung diseases by using enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay methods.

RESULTS

There were significant differences between the peripheral lung cancer group and the benign lung disease group (P < 0.05) in the BALF of USP8, YKL40, HSP90α, CEA, NSE and CYFRA21-1. There were significant differences between the peripheral lung cancer group and the benign lung disease group (P < 0.05) in the serum of HSP90α and CEA. There were no differences in others. There were no correlation between the concentration of all markers and age, histological type, TNM stage (I-IV). There was a weak correlation between the primary foci diameters and the concentration of YKL40 in BALF. (Pearson's correlation: 0.203, P = 0.048) The diagnostic efficiencies of USP8, YKL40, HSP90α were superior to CYFRA21-1 and NSE, being lower CEA.

CONCLUSION

Detection of tumor markers in BALF was superior to serum specimens. The measurement of USP8, HSP90α and YKL40 in BALF had more clinical value for the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary carcinoma.

C14ORF166 overexpression is associated with pelvic lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in uterine cervical cancer

C14ORF166 (chromosome 14 open reading frame 166) is a transcriptional repressor related to the regulation of centrosome architecture. However, the role of C14ORF166 in the development and progression of cancer remains largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and clinicopathological significance of C14ORF166 in cervical cancer. C14ORF166 expression was analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blotting in cervical cancer cell lines and eight paired cervical cancer samples and the adjacent normal tissues. Immunohistochemistry was used to analyze C14ORF166 protein expression in 148 clinicopathologically characterized cervical cancer specimens. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship between the expression of C14ORF166 and clinicopathologic features and prognosis. C14ORF166 mRNA and protein expression were significantly upregulated in cervical cancer cell lines and tissue samples (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a high expression of C14ORF166 was observed in 39.9 % (59/148) of the cervical cancer specimens; the remaining samples expressed low levels or did not express any detectable C14ORF166. The chi-square test indicated that high-level expression of C14ORF166 was significantly associated with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (P < 0.001), vital status (P = 0.026), tumor size (P = 0.034), serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen level (SCC-Ag; P = 0.035), and pelvic lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001). Patients with highly expressed C14ORF166 showed a tendency to receive postoperative chemotherapy (P = 0.005) and postoperative radiation (P = 0.008). Furthermore, high C14ORF166 expression was associated with poorer overall survival compared to low C14ORF166 expression, and C14ORF166 was a significant prognostic factor in univariate and multivariate analysis (P < 0.05). High C14ORF166 expression had prognostic value for poor outcome in cervical cancer. C14ORF166 may represent a biomarker of pelvic lymph node metastasis and enable the identification of high-risk patients along with selection of appropriate treatment strategies.