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Qu Y, Zhang B, Wang Y, Yin S, Pederick JL, Bruning JB, Sun Y, Middelberg A, Bi J. Immunogenicity study of engineered ferritins with C- and N-terminus insertion of Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 epitope. Vaccine 2021; 39:4830-4841. [PMID: 34284876 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Human ferritin heavy chain, an example of a protein nanoparticle, has recently been used as a vaccine delivery platform. Human ferritin has advantages of uniform architecture, robust thermal and chemical stabilities, and good biocompatibility and biodegradation. There is however a lack of understanding about the relationship between insertion sites in ferritin (N-terminus and C-terminus) and the corresponding humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. To bridge this gap, we utilized an Epstein-Barr Nuclear Antigen 1 (EBNA1) epitope as a model to produce engineered ferritin-based vaccines E1F1 (N-terminus insertion) and F1E1 (C-terminus insertion) for the prevention of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections. X-ray crystallography confirmed the relative positions of the N-terminus insertion and C-terminus insertion. For N-terminus insertion, the epitopes were located on the exterior surface of ferritin, while for C-terminus insertion, the epitopes were inside the ferritin cage. Based on the results of antigen-specific antibody titers from in-vivo tests, we found that there was no obvious difference on humoral immune responses between N-terminus and C-terminus insertion. We also evaluated splenocyte proliferation and memory lymphocyte T cell differentiation. Both results suggested C-terminus insertion produced a stronger proliferative response and cell-mediated immune response than N-terminus insertion. C-terminus insertion of EBNA1 epitope was also processed more efficiently by dendritic cells (DCs) than N-terminus insertion. This provides new insight into the relationship between the insertion site and immunogenicity of ferritin nanoparticle vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiran Qu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Bingyang Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Yingli Wang
- Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Shanxi, China
| | - Shuang Yin
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Jordan L Pederick
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - John B Bruning
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Biochemical Engineering and Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering of the Ministry of Education, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Anton Middelberg
- Division of Research and Innovation, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Jingxiu Bi
- School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials, Faculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia.
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Alatrash G, Perakis AA, Kerros C, Peters HL, Sukhumalchandra P, Zhang M, Jakher H, Zope M, Patenia R, Sergeeva A, Yi S, Young KH, Philips AV, Cernosek AM, Garber HR, Qiao N, Weng J, St John LS, Lu S, Clise-Dwyer K, Mittendorf EA, Ma Q, Molldrem JJ. Targeting the Leukemia Antigen PR1 with Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Multiple Myeloma. Clin Cancer Res 2018; 24:3386-3396. [PMID: 29661776 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-17-2626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Purpose: PR1 is a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A2 nonameric peptide derived from neutrophil elastase (NE) and proteinase 3 (P3). We have previously shown that PR1 is cross-presented by solid tumors, leukemia, and antigen-presenting cells, including B cells. We have also shown that cross-presentation of PR1 by solid tumors renders them susceptible to killing by PR1-targeting immunotherapies. As multiple myeloma is derived from B cells, we investigated whether multiple myeloma is also capable of PR1 cross-presentation and subsequently capable of being targeted by using PR1 immunotherapies.Experimental Design: We tested whether multiple myeloma is capable of cross-presenting PR1 and subsequently becomes susceptible to PR1-targeting immunotherapies, using multiple myeloma cell lines, a xenograft mouse model, and primary multiple myeloma patient samples.Results: Here we show that multiple myeloma cells lack endogenous NE and P3, are able to take up exogenous NE and P3, and cross-present PR1 on HLA-A2. Cross-presentation by multiple myeloma utilizes the conventional antigen processing machinery, including the proteasome and Golgi, and is not affected by immunomodulating drugs (IMiD). Following PR1 cross-presentation, we are able to target multiple myeloma with PR1-CTL and anti-PR1/HLA-A2 antibody both in vitro and in vivoConclusions: Collectively, our data demonstrate that PR1 is a novel tumor-associated antigen target in multiple myeloma and that multiple myeloma is susceptible to immunotherapies that target cross-presented antigens. Clin Cancer Res; 24(14); 3386-96. ©2018 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gheath Alatrash
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
| | - Alexander A Perakis
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Celine Kerros
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Haley L Peters
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Pariya Sukhumalchandra
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Mao Zhang
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Haroon Jakher
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Madhushree Zope
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Rebecca Patenia
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Anna Sergeeva
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Shuhua Yi
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Ken H Young
- Department of Hematopathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Anne V Philips
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Amanda M Cernosek
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Haven R Garber
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Na Qiao
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jinsheng Weng
- Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lisa S St John
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Sijie Lu
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Karen Clise-Dwyer
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Elizabeth A Mittendorf
- Department of Breast Surgical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Qing Ma
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jeffrey J Molldrem
- Department of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy, Section of Transplant Immunology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
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Bosseboeuf A, Feron D, Tallet A, Rossi C, Charlier C, Garderet L, Caillot D, Moreau P, Cardó-Vila M, Pasqualini R, Arap W, Nelson AD, Wilson BS, Perreault H, Piver E, Weigel P, Girodon F, Harb J, Bigot-Corbel E, Hermouet S. Monoclonal IgG in MGUS and multiple myeloma targets infectious pathogens. JCI Insight 2017; 2:95367. [PMID: 28978808 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.95367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Subsets of mature B cell neoplasms are linked to infection with intracellular pathogens such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), or Helicobacter pylori. However, the association between infection and the immunoglobulin-secreting (Ig-secreting) B proliferative disorders remains largely unresolved. We investigated whether the monoclonal IgG (mc IgG) produced by patients diagnosed with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) or multiple myeloma (MM) targets infectious pathogens. Antigen specificity of purified mc IgG from a large patient cohort (n = 244) was determined using a multiplex infectious-antigen array (MIAA), which screens for reactivity to purified antigens or lysates from 9 pathogens. Purified mc IgG from 23.4% of patients (57 of 244) specifically recognized 1 pathogen in the MIAA. EBV was the most frequent target (15.6%), with 36 of 38 mc IgGs recognizing EBV nuclear antigen-1 (EBNA-1). MM patients with EBNA-1-specific mc IgG (14.0%) showed substantially greater bone marrow plasma cell infiltration and higher β2-microglobulin and inflammation/infection-linked cytokine levels compared with other smoldering myeloma/MM patients. Five other pathogens were the targets of mc IgG: herpes virus simplex-1 (2.9%), varicella zoster virus (1.6%), cytomegalovirus (0.8%), hepatitis C virus (1.2%), and H. pylori (1.2%). We conclude that a dysregulated immune response to infection may underlie disease onset and/or progression of MGUS and MM for subsets of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anne Tallet
- Laboratoire de Biochimie, CHU Tours, Tours, France
| | | | - Cathy Charlier
- CNRS UMR6286, Fonctionnalité et Ingénierie des Protéines (UFIP), Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - Laurent Garderet
- Inserm, UMRS938, Paris, France.,Département d'Hématologie et de Thérapie Cellulaire, Hôpital Saint Antoine, Paris, France.,Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 6, Paris, France
| | | | | | - Marina Cardó-Vila
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.,University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Renata Pasqualini
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.,University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Wadih Arap
- University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.,Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, and
| | - Alfreda Destea Nelson
- University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Bridget S Wilson
- University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.,Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Hélène Perreault
- Department of Chemistry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Eric Piver
- Laboratoire de Biochimie, CHU Tours, Tours, France.,Inserm UMR966, Tours, France
| | - Pierre Weigel
- CNRS UMR6286, Fonctionnalité et Ingénierie des Protéines (UFIP), Université de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | | | - Jean Harb
- Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie UMR1064, Inserm, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Laboratoire de Biochimie and
| | - Edith Bigot-Corbel
- CRCINA, Inserm, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Laboratoire de Biochimie and
| | - Sylvie Hermouet
- CRCINA, Inserm, Université de Nantes, Nantes, France.,Laboratoire d'Hématologie, CHU Nantes, Nantes, France
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Treece AL, Duncan DL, Tang W, Elmore S, Morgan DR, Dominguez RL, Speck O, Meyers MO, Gulley ML. Gastric adenocarcinoma microRNA profiles in fixed tissue and in plasma reveal cancer-associated and Epstein-Barr virus-related expression patterns. J Transl Med 2016; 96:661-71. [PMID: 26950485 PMCID: PMC5767475 DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.2016.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2015] [Revised: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNA expression in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue (FFPE) or plasma may add value for cancer management. The GastroGenus miR Panel was developed to measure 55 cancer-specific human microRNAs, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded microRNAs, and controls. This Q-rtPCR panel was applied to 100 FFPEs enriched for adenocarcinoma or adjacent non-malignant mucosa, and to plasma of 31 patients. In FFPE, microRNAs upregulated in malignant versus adjacent benign gastric mucosa were hsa-miR-21, -155, -196a, -196b, -185, and -let-7i. Hsa-miR-18a, 34a, 187, -200a, -423-3p, -484, and -744 were downregulated. Plasma of cancer versus non-cancer controls had upregulated hsa-miR-23a, -103, and -221 and downregulated hsa-miR-378, -346, -486-5p, -200b, -196a, -141, and -484. EBV-infected versus uninfected cancers expressed multiple EBV-encoded microRNAs, and concomitant dysregulation of four human microRNAs suggests that viral infection may alter cellular biochemical pathways. Human microRNAs were dysregulated between malignant and benign gastric mucosa and between plasma of cancer patients and non-cancer controls. Strong association of EBV microRNA expression with known EBV status underscores the ability of microRNA technology to reflect disease biology. Expression of viral microRNAs in concert with unique human microRNAs provides novel insights into viral oncogenesis and reinforces the potential for microRNA profiles to aid in classifying gastric cancer subtypes. Pilot studies of plasma suggest the potential for a noninvasive addition to cancer diagnostics.
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MESH Headings
- Adenocarcinoma/genetics
- Adenocarcinoma/metabolism
- Adenocarcinoma/virology
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Case-Control Studies
- Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/genetics
- Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/metabolism
- Epstein-Barr Virus Infections/virology
- Female
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
- Herpesvirus 4, Human/genetics
- Herpesvirus 4, Human/isolation & purification
- Humans
- Male
- MicroRNAs/blood
- MicroRNAs/genetics
- MicroRNAs/metabolism
- Middle Aged
- Pilot Projects
- RNA, Neoplasm/blood
- RNA, Neoplasm/genetics
- RNA, Neoplasm/metabolism
- RNA, Viral/blood
- RNA, Viral/genetics
- RNA, Viral/metabolism
- Stomach Neoplasms/genetics
- Stomach Neoplasms/metabolism
- Stomach Neoplasms/virology
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Treece
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Daniel L Duncan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Weihua Tang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sandra Elmore
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Douglas R Morgan
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition; Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Ricardo L Dominguez
- Department of Gastroenterology, Western Regional Hospital, Santa Rosa de Copan, Honduras
| | - Olga Speck
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Michael O Meyers
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Margaret L Gulley
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Pavlović MD, Jandrlić DR, Mitić NS. Epitope distribution in ordered and disordered protein regions. Part B — Ordered regions and disordered binding sites are targets of T- and B-cell immunity. J Immunol Methods 2014; 407:90-107. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2014.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2013] [Revised: 03/31/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Atypical Epstein-Barr viral genomic structure in lymphoma tissue and lymphoid cell lines. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 22:91-101. [PMID: 23628820 DOI: 10.1097/pdm.0b013e318273fb43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA is found within the malignant cells of some subtypes of lymphoma, and viral presence is being exploited for improved diagnosis, monitoring, and management of affected patients. Recent work suggests that viral genomic polymorphism, such as partial deletion of the viral genome, could interfere with virus detection in tumor tissues. To test for atypical forms of the EBV genome, 98 lymphomas and 6 infected cell lines were studied using a battery of 6 quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays targeting disparate sections of EBV DNA. Fifty of the lymphomas (51%) had no amplifiable EBV DNA, and 38 lymphomas (39%) had low-level EBV infection that was deemed incidental based on EBV-encoded RNA (EBER) in situ hybridization results. The remaining 10 lymphomas (10%) had high EBV loads and EBER localization to malignant cells by EBER in situ hybridization. All 10 represented lymphoma subtypes were previously associated with EBV (Burkitt, diffuse large B-cell, or T-cell type), whereas no remnants of EBV were detected in other lymphoma subtypes (follicular, small lymphocytic, mantle cell, or marginal zone type). Interestingly, 4 of the 10 infected lymphomas had evidence of atypical viral genomes, including 3 of 4 infected T-cell lymphomas with aberrant loss of LMP2 amplicons, and a single diffuse large B-cell lymphoma lacking the central part of the viral genome spanning BamH1W, BZLF1, and EBNA1 gene segments. A reasonable screening strategy for infected malignancy involves applying EBER1 and LMP1 quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays and confirming that values exceeding 2000 copies of EBV per 100,000 cells have EBER localization to malignant cells.
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Hourigan CS, Forde PM, Ambinder RF, Gladstone DE. Bortezomib salvage therapy in refractory acute adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. Leuk Lymphoma 2013; 54:2563-4. [PMID: 23445368 DOI: 10.3109/10428194.2013.780289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher S Hourigan
- Myeloid Malignancies Section, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute , Bethesda, MD , USA
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Tang W, Morgan DR, Meyers MO, Dominguez RL, Martinez E, Kakudo K, Kuan PF, Banet N, Muallem H, Woodward K, Speck O, Gulley ML. Epstein-barr virus infected gastric adenocarcinoma expresses latent and lytic viral transcripts and has a distinct human gene expression profile. Infect Agent Cancer 2012; 7:21. [PMID: 22929309 PMCID: PMC3598565 DOI: 10.1186/1750-9378-7-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2012] [Accepted: 08/22/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND EBV DNA is found within the malignant cells of 10% of gastric cancers. Modern molecular technology facilitates identification of virus-related biochemical effects that could assist in early diagnosis and disease management. METHODS In this study, RNA expression profiling was performed on 326 macrodissected paraffin-embedded tissues including 204 cancers and, when available, adjacent non-malignant mucosa. Nanostring nCounter probes targeted 96 RNAs (20 viral, 73 human, and 3 spiked RNAs). RESULTS In 182 tissues with adequate housekeeper RNAs, distinct profiles were found in infected versus uninfected cancers, and in malignant versus adjacent benign mucosa. EBV-infected gastric cancers expressed nearly all of the 18 latent and lytic EBV RNAs in the test panel. Levels of EBER1 and EBER2 RNA were highest and were proportional to the quantity of EBV genomes as measured by Q-PCR. Among protein coding EBV RNAs, EBNA1 from the Q promoter and BRLF1 were highly expressed while EBNA2 levels were low positive in only 6/14 infected cancers. Concomitant upregulation of cellular factors implies that virus is not an innocent bystander but rather is linked to NFKB signaling (FCER2, TRAF1) and immune response (TNFSF9, CXCL11, IFITM1, FCRL3, MS4A1 and PLUNC), with PPARG expression implicating altered cellular metabolism. Compared to adjacent non-malignant mucosa, gastric cancers consistently expressed INHBA, SPP1, THY1, SERPINH1, CXCL1, FSCN1, PTGS2 (COX2), BBC3, ICAM1, TNFSF9, SULF1, SLC2A1, TYMS, three collagens, the cell proliferation markers MYC and PCNA, and EBV BLLF1 while they lacked CDH1 (E-cadherin), CLDN18, PTEN, SDC1 (CD138), GAST (gastrin) and its downstream effector CHGA (chromogranin). Compared to lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of the uterine cervix, gastric cancers expressed CLDN18, EPCAM, REG4, BBC3, OLFM4, PPARG, and CDH17 while they had diminished levels of IFITM1 and HIF1A. The druggable targets ERBB2 (Her2), MET, and the HIF pathway, as well as several other potential pharmacogenetic indicators (including EBV infection itself, as well as SPARC, TYMS, FCGR2B and REG4) were identified in some tumor specimens. CONCLUSION This study shows how modern molecular technology applied to archival fixed tissues yields novel insights into viral oncogenesis that could be useful in managing affected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihua Tang
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, 913 Brinkhous-Bullitt Building, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7525, USA.
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