High expression of CXCL14 is a biomarker of lung adenocarcinoma with micropapillary pattern

Evaluation of the preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of the micropapillary component of stage IA lung adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To assess the ability of markers of inflammation to identify the solid or micropapillary components of stage IA lung adenocarcinoma and their effects on prognosis.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study of clinicopathologic data from 654 patients with stage IA lung adenocarcinoma collected between 2013 and 2019. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of these components, and we also evaluated the relationship between markers of inflammation and recurrence.

RESULTS

Micropapillary-positive participants had high preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios. There were no significant differences in the levels of markers of systemic inflammation between the participants with or without a solid component. Multivariate analysis showed that preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (odds ratio [OR] = 2.094; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.668-2.628), tumor size (OR = 1.386; 95% CI, 1.044-1.842), and carcinoembryonic antigen concentration (OR = 1.067; 95% CI, 1.017-1.119) were independent predictors of a micropapillary component. There were no significant correlations between markers of systemic inflammation and the recurrence of stage IA lung adenocarcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio independently predicts a micropapillary component of stage IA lung adenocarcinoma. Therefore, the potential use of preoperative neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in the optimization of surgical strategies for the treatment of stage IA lung adenocarcinoma should be further studied.

Association of frequent hypermethylation with high grade histological subtype in lung adenocarcinoma

Lung adenocarcinoma is classified morphologically into five histological subtypes according to the WHO classification. While each histological subtype correlates with a distinct prognosis, the molecular basis has not been fully elucidated. Here we conducted DNA methylation analysis of 30 lung adenocarcinoma cases annotated with the predominant histological subtypes and three normal lung cases using the Infinium BeadChip. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis revealed three subgroups with different methylation levels: high-, intermediate-, and low-methylation epigenotypes (HME, IME, and LME). Micropapillary pattern (MPP)-predominant cases and those with MPP components were significantly enriched in HME (p = 0.02 and p = 0.03, respectively). HME cases showed a significantly poor prognosis for recurrence-free survival (p < 0.001) and overall survival (p = 0.006). We identified 365 HME marker genes specifically hypermethylated in HME cases with enrichment of "cell morphogenesis" related genes; 305 IME marker genes hypermethylated in HME and IME, but not in LME, with enrichment "embryonic organ morphogenesis"-related genes; 257 Common marker genes hypermethylated commonly in all cancer cases, with enrichment of "regionalization"-related genes. We extracted surrogate markers for each epigenotype and designed pyrosequencing primers for five HME markers (TCERG1L, CXCL12, FAM181B, HOXA11, GAD2), three IME markers (TBX18, ZNF154, NWD2) and three Common markers (SCT, GJD2, BARHL2). DNA methylation profiling using Infinium data was validated by pyrosequencing, and HME cases defined by pyrosequencing results also showed the worse recurrence-free survival. In conclusion, lung adenocarcinomas are stratified into subtypes with distinct DNA methylation levels, and the high-methylation subtype correlated with MPP-predominant cases and those with MPP components and showed a poor prognosis.

Secreted proteins MDK, WFDC2, and CXCL14 as candidate biomarkers for early diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Early diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), one of the most common types of lung cancer, is very important to improve the prognosis of patients. The current methods can't meet the requirements of early diagnosis. There is a pressing need to identify novel diagnostic biomarkers. Secretory proteins are the richest source for biomarker research. This study aimed to identify candidate secretory protein biomarkers for early diagnosis of LUAD by integrated bioinformatics analysis and clinical validation.

METHODS

Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of GSE31210, gene expression data of early stage of LUAD, were analyzed by GEO2R. Upregulated DEGs predicted to encode secreted proteins were obtained by taking the intersection of the DEGs list with the list of genes encoding secreted proteins predicted by the majority decision-based method (MDSEC). The expressions of the identified secreted proteins in the lung tissues of early-stage LUAD patients were further compared with the healthy control group in mRNA and protein levels by using the UALCAN database (TCGA and CPTAC). The selected proteins expressed in plasma were further validated by using Luminex technology. The diagnostic value of the screened proteins was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Cell counting kit-8 assay was carried out to investigate the proliferative effects of these screened proteins.

RESULTS

A total of 2183 DEGs, including 1240 downregulated genes and 943 upregulated genes, were identified in the GSE31210. Of the upregulated genes, 199 genes were predicted to encode secreted proteins. After analysis using the UALCAN database, 16 molecules were selected for further clinical validation. Plasma concentrations of three proteins, Midkine (MDK), WAP four-disulfide core domain 2 (WFDC2), and C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 14 (CXCL14), were significantly higher in LUAD patients than in healthy donors. The area under the curve values was 0.944, 0.881, and 0.809 for MDK, WFDC2, and CXCL14, 0.962 when combined them. Overexpression of the three proteins enhanced the proliferation activity of A549 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

MDK, WFDC2, and CXCL14 were identified as candidate diagnostic biomarkers for early-stage LUAD and might also play vital roles in tumorigenesis.

Aberrant Expression and Prognostic Potential of IL-37 in Human Lung Adenocarcinoma

Interleukin-37 (IL-37) is a relatively new IL-1 family cytokine that, due to its immunoregulatory properties, has lately gained increasing attention in basic and translational biomedical research. Emerging evidence supports the implication of this protein in any human disorder in which immune homeostasis is compromised, including cancer. The aim of this study was to explore the prognostic and/or diagnostic potential of IL-37 and its receptor SIGIRR (single immunoglobulin IL-1-related receptor) in human tumors. We utilized a series of bioinformatics tools and -omics datasets to unravel possible associations of IL-37 and SIGIRR expression levels and genetic aberrations with tumor development, histopathological parameters, distribution of tumor-infiltrating immune cells, and survival rates of patients. Our data revealed that amongst the 17 human malignancies investigated, IL-37 exhibits higher expression levels in tumors of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Moreover, the expression profiles of IL-37 and SIGIRR are associated with LUAD development and tumor stage, whereas their high mRNA levels are favorable prognostic factors for the overall survival of patients. What is more, IL-37 correlates positively with a LUAD-associated transcriptomic signature, and its nucleotide changes and expression levels are linked with distinct infiltration patterns of certain cell subsets known to control LUAD anti-tumor immune responses. Our data indicate the potential value of IL-37 and its receptor SIGIRR to serve as biomarkers and/or immune-checkpoint therapeutic targets for LUAD patients. Further, the data highlight the urgent need for further exploration of this cytokine and the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms to fully elucidate its implication in LUAD development and progression.

V-Set and immunoglobulin domain containing (VSIG) proteins as emerging immune checkpoint targets for cancer immunotherapy

The development of immune checkpoint inhibitors is becoming a promising approach to fight cancers. Antibodies targeting immune checkpoint proteins such as CTLA-4 and PD-1 can reinvigorate endogenous antitumor T-cell responses and bring durable advantages to several malignancies. However, only a small subset of patients benefit from these checkpoint inhibitors. Identification of new immune checkpoints with the aim of combination blockade of multiple immune inhibitory pathways is becoming necessary to improve efficiency. Recently, several B7 family-related proteins, TIGIT, VSIG4, and VSIG3, which belong to the VSIG family, have attracted substantial attention as coinhibitory receptors during T-cell activation. By interacting with their corresponding ligands, these VSIG proteins inhibit T-cell responses and maintain an immune suppressive microenvironment in tumors. These results indicated that VSIG family members are becoming putative immune checkpoints in cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we summarized the function of each VSIG protein in regulating immune responses and in tumor progression, thus providing an overview of our current understanding of VSIG family members.

Relationship between lymphocyte to monocyte ratio and brain metastasis in non-smalll cell lung cancer patients

OBJECTIVE

To observe whether there is an association between the lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR) and the occurrence of brain metastases in non-small cell lung cancer (BM-NSCLC) patients.

METHOD

Retrospective collection of patients' information meeting the standards of nano-excretion, was done from January 2016 to September 2021. We calculated the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of LMR versus BM-NSCLC using multivariate logistic regression, and stratified analysis was performed. The linear or nonlinear relationships that exist between the two were explored by generalized additive model and smoothed curve fitting.

RESULTS

In all three models, LMR was negatively associated with BM-NSCLC (Model 1: OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.57-0.9; P=0.0037. Model 2: OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.50-0.82; P=0.0005. Model 3: OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.47-0.81; P=0.0005). This negative association was shown to be significant in patients with adenocarcinoma (ADC), who were, female, and in T2-T4 stages, and N1-N3 stages (ADC: OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.44-0.80; P=0.0006. female: OR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.20-0.68; P=0.0013. T2-T4: OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.43-0.82; P=0.0014; N1-N3: OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.45-0.86; P=0.0042), according to subgroup analysis.

CONCLUSION

After controlling for relevant confounders, this study demonstrated that increased LMR levels in NSCLC patients were substantially and inversely connected to their likelihood of BM, particularly in patients with ADC, who were female, or had T2-T4, and N1-N3 stages.

Exosomal CXCL14 Contributes to M2 Macrophage Polarization through NF-κB Signaling in Prostate Cancer

Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 14 (CXCL14) plays a critical role in maintaining homeostasis and inflammation in the local cell environment and regulating cancer progression. However, the role of CXCL14 in prostate cancer (PC) has not been fully investigated. In this study, the expression of CXCL14 was determined in PC tumor tissues by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry assay. Wound healing, invasion, colony formation, cell proliferation, and apoptosis assays were performed to evaluate the role of CXCL14 in PC progression. Exosomes were isolated from PC cell-condition medium by using ultracentrifugation assay and identified by using transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis. M2 macrophage polarization-associated genes were measured by using qRT-PCR and Western blot assays. A PC xenograft mouse model was used to assess the role of CXCL14 in tumor growth in vivo. The results showed that CXCL14 was significantly upregulated in PC tissues and was positively correlated with pathological stages, lymph node metastasis, and angiolymphatic invasion. The positive correlations were also observed between CXCL14 and PD-L1 and IL-10. Knockdown CXCL14 dramatically inhibited PC cell proliferation, invasion, and colony formation, but not apoptosis. CXCL14 promoted M2 macrophage polarization through the NF-κB signaling pathway and exosome-mediated mechanism. Moreover, CXCL14 knockdown inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Taken together, exosomal CXCL14 promoted M2 macrophage polarization through the NF-κB signaling pathway and contributed to PC progression.

CD105 expression is associated with invasive capacity in ovarian cancer and promotes invasiveness by inhibiting NDRG1 and regulating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition

This study investigates the association of CD105 (endoglin) with the invasiveness of paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer (OC) cells and explores the potential mechanism. A paclitaxel-resistant OC cell line OC3/TAX300, which expresses the stem cell marker CD105 and has a high invasive potential, was established in our previous study. After CD105 knockdown using CD105 siRNA, the invasiveness of the OC cells was decreased, and the chemo-resistance was reversed, but the CD105 overexpression was related to the poor survival of the primary OC patients. The differentially expressed genes were investigated in the OC cells after the CD105 knockdown. The results showed that, in the CD105-siRNA transfected cells, the expressions of some genes (such as KIAA0125, SSTR5-AS1, CDH18, MIAT, NDRG1, E-cadherin, DUSP1, MAL, MYC, and JAK3) were significantly upregulated, but the expressions of other genes (such as PRKAR2B, KLK10, DDX17, and lncRNA SNHG7) were markedly downregulated. Several genes, such as NDRG1 and E-cadherin, are known to be related to cancer metastasis and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). A KEGG analysis found that 264 signaling pathways changed after the CD105 knockdown, of which 27 signaling pathways showed significant enrichment. Our results show that CD105 is related to the metastasis of OC and may promote the EMT of OC by inhibiting NDRG1 and E-cadherin. MYC, JAK3, and IKBKB mediate the CD105-induced metastasis of OC via the MAPK/PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT signaling pathways in the OC cells. Therefore, inhibiting the CD105 expression may be useful for treating OC.

Interaction between cadherins, vimentin, and V-set and immunoglobulin domain containing 1 in gastric-type hepatocellular carcinoma

In hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), the role of the cell surface protein V-set and immunoglobulin domain containing 1 (VSIG1), which is known as a specific marker of the gastric mucosa and testis, has not yet been determined. We examined VSIG1 immunohistochemical (IHC) expression in 105 consecutive samples provided by HCC patients, along with the IHC expression of three of the biomarkers known to be involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT): vimentin (VIM), and E- and N-cadherin (encoded by CDH1 and CDH2 genes). IHC subcellular localization of thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF1), in which nuclear-to-cytoplasmic translocation is known to cause a lineage shift from lung to gastric-type adenocarcinoma, was also checked. The obtained data were validated using the miRNET program. In the examined HCC samples, VSIG1 expression was observed in the cytoplasm of normal hepatocytes and downregulated in 47 of the 105 HCCs (44.76%). In 29 cases (27.62%), VSIG1 was co-expressed with cytoplasmic TTF1. VSIG1 expression was positively correlated with both E-cadherin and N-cadherin and negatively correlated with VIM (p < 0.0001). The VSIG1+/E-cadherin+/N-cadherin-/VIM phenotype was seen in 13 cases (12.4%) and was characteristic of well-differentiated (G1/2) carcinomas diagnosed in pT1/2 stages. Like pulmonary carcinomas, simultaneous cytoplasmic positivity of HCC cells for VSIG1 and TTF1 may be a potential indicator of a lineage shift from conventional to gastric-type HCC. The E-cadherin/VSIG1 complex can help suppress tumor growth by limiting HCC dedifferentiation. The miRNET-based interaction between VSIG1/VIM/CDH1/CDH2 genes might be interconnected by miR-200b-3p, a central regulator of EMT which also targets VIM and VSIG1.

The nonsmokers' and smokers' pathways in lung adenocarcinoma: Histological progression and molecular bases

There could be two carcinogenetic pathways for lung adenocarcinoma (LADC): the nonsmokers' pathway and the smokers' pathway. This review article describes the two pathways with special reference to potential relationships between histological subtypes, malignant grades, and driver mutations. The lung is composed of two different tissue units, the terminal respiratory unit (TRU) and the central airway compartment (CAC). In the nonsmokers' pathway, LADCs develop from the TRU, and their histological appearances change from lepidic to micropapillary during the progression process. In the smokers' pathway, LADCs develop from either the TRU or the CAC, and their histological appearances vary among cases in the middle of the progression process, but they are likely converged to acinar/solid at the end. On a molecular genetic level, the nonsmokers' pathway is mostly driven by EGFR mutations, whereas in the smokers' pathway, approximately one-quarter of LADCs have KRAS mutations, but the other three-quarters have no known driver mutations. p53 mutations are an important factor triggering the progression of both pathways, with unique molecular alterations associated with each, such as MUC21 expression and chromosome 12p13-21 amplification in the nonsmokers' pathway, and HNF4α expression and TTF1 mutations in the smokers' pathway. However, investigation into the relationship between histological progression and genetic alterations is in its infancy. Tight cooperation between traditional histopathological examinations and recent molecular genetics can provide valuable insight to better understand the nature of LADCs.

Chemokine CXCL14; a double-edged sword in cancer development

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and imposes a substantial financial burden. Therefore, it is essential to develop cost-effective approaches to inhibit tumor growth and development. The imbalance of cytokines and chemokines play an important role among different mechanisms involved in cancer development. One of the strongly conserved chemokines that is constitutively expressed in skin epithelia is the chemokine CXCL14. As a member of the CXC subfamily of chemokines, CXCL14 is responsible for the infiltration of immune cells, maturation of dendritic cells, upregulation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I expression, and cell mobilization. Moreover, dysregulation of CXCL14 in several cancers has been identified by several studies. Depending on the type or origin of the tumor and components of the tumor microenvironment, CXCL14 plays a conflicting role in cancer. Although fibroblast-derived CXCL14 has a tumor-supportive role, epithelial-derived CXCL14 mainly inhibits tumor progression. Hence, this review will elucidate what is known on the mechanisms of CXCL14 and its therapeutic approaches in tumor treatment. CXCL14 is a promising approach for cancer immunotherapy.

Impact of human rhinoviruses on gene expression in pediatric patients with severe acute respiratory infection

Human rhinovirus (HRV) is one of the most common viruses, causing mild to severe respiratory tract infections in children and adults. Moreover, it can lead to patients' hospitalization. Nowadays, evaluation of gene expression alterations in host cells due to viral respiratory infections considered essential to understand the viral effects on cells.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we aimed to find important differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to rhinitis and asthma exacerbation stimulated with Poly (I: C) and then to validate their expression in clinical samples of children how were less than 5 years old, hospitalized with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) due to HRV infection in comparison with healthy cases.

METHODS

Eight candidate genes involved in immunity, viral defense, inflammation, P53 pathway, and viral release processes were selected based on the analysis of a gene expression data set (GSE51392) and gene enrichment analysis. Then quantitative real-time PCR on cDNAs was performed for selected genes. The results were analyzed by Livak method and visualized by GraphPad prism software (8.4.3).

RESULT

CXCL10, CMPK2, RSAD2, SERPINA3, TNFAIP6, CXCL14, IVNS1AB, and ZMAT3 were selected based on the enrichment and topological analysis of the constructed protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Laboratory validation by real-time PCR showed CXCL10, CMPK2, RSAD2, SERPINA3, and TNFAIP6 (belonged to immunity, inflammatory responses and viral defense) were up-regulated, whereas CXCL14 (related to immunity) and IVNS1AB, ZMAT3 (associated to Influenza and P53 pathway) were down-regulated.

CONCLUSION

Our results showed, that in children less than 5 years old affected by HRV and hospitalized with SARI, the inflammatory responses, antiviral defense, and type 1 interferon-signaling pathway have significantly affected by viral infection.

Micropapillary Predominance Is a Risk Factor for Brain Metastasis in Resected Lung Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Histologic subtyping offers some prognostic value in lung adenocarcinoma. We thus hypothesized that histologic subtypes may be useful for risk stratification of brain metastasis (BM). In this study, we aimed to investigate the impact of histologic subtypes on the risk for BM in patients with resected lung adenocarcinoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Of 1099 consecutive patients who had undergone curative-intent surgery (2000-2014), 448 patients who had undergone complete resection for lung adenocarcinoma were included in this study. Correlated clinical variables and BM-free survival were analyzed.

RESULTS

Micropapillary predominance was significantly associated with higher risk of BM after complete resection in univariate analyses (P < .001). In addition, multivariate analyses showed that micropapillary predominance was an independent risk factor for BM (hazard ratio = 2.727; 95% confidence interval, 1.260-5.900; P = .011), along with younger age and advanced pathologic stage. Unlike the other subtypes, an increase in the percentage of the micropapillary subtype was positively correlated with an increase in BM frequency. Patients with micropapillary adenocarcinoma showed significantly poorer brain metastasis-free survival compared with those with non-micropapillary adenocarcinoma (3 years, 78.2% vs. 95.6%; 5 years, 67.3% vs. 94.3%; P < .001).

CONCLUSION

The current study demonstrated a significant correlation between micropapillary subtype and higher risk of BM in patients with resected lung adenocarcinoma. This routine histologic evaluation of resected adenocarcinoma may provide useful information for the clinician when considering postoperative management in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Histologic subtyping offer some prognostic value in lung adenocarcinoma. Because brain metastasis is critical and often refractory to systemic chemotherapy, early detection is clinically important to achieve effective local treatment. We retrospectively analyzed the association between histologic subtypes and occurrence of brain metastasis and found a significant association between micropapillary predominance and higher risk for brain metastasis. Our findings may be relevant when considering postoperative management.

High expression of CXCL14 is a biomarker of lung adenocarcinoma with micropapillary pattern

Lung adenocarcinoma with micropapillary pattern (MPP) has an aggressive malignant behavior. Limited resection should be avoided because of its high recurrence rate. If adenocarcinoma with MPP is diagnosed preoperatively, the selection of proper treatment is possible. To explore a preoperative biomarker for diagnosing MPP, we undertook RNA sequencing analysis of 25 clinical samples as the training set, including 6 MPP, 16 other adenocarcinoma subtypes, and 3 normal lung tissues. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis suggested a presence of subgroup with MPP showing different gene expression phenotype. We extracted differentially expressed genes with high expression levels in MPP samples, and chose VSIG1, CXCL14, and BAMBI as candidate biomarkers for MPP. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis confirmed a significantly higher expression of VSIG1 (P = .03) and CXCL14 (P = .02) in MPP than others. In a validation set of 4 MPP and 4 non-MPP samples, CXCL14 expression was validated to be significantly higher in MPP than in non-MPP (P = .04). Comparing a total of 10 MPP and 20 non-MPP samples, the area under the curve of CXCL14 to distinguish MPP from others was 0.89. The threshold value was 0.0116, corresponding to sensitivity 80% and specificity 90%. In immunostaining of CXCL14, the staining score was significantly higher in MPP cases than others, where not only the MPP component but also other components showed heterogeneous staining in adenocarcinoma tissues with MPP. Moreover, a higher staining score of CXCL14 was significantly associated with poorer prognosis in all patients (P = .01) or within cases in stage I-III (P = .01). In summary, we identified CXCL14 as a possible diagnostic biomarker of MPP.