Special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1 promotes tumor growth and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

HER2, NF-κB, and SATB1 Expression Patterns in Gastric Cancer and Their Correlation with Clinical and Pathological Parameters

Gastric cancer (GC) is currently recognized as one of the most common and fatal tumor worldwide. The identification of novel biomarkers in relation to clinical information as well as extending the knowledge on a multiple crosstalk between various oncogenic pathways implicated in GC carcinogenesis seems pivotal to limit the disease-associated mortality. Therefore, we assessed the expression of HER2, NF-κB, and SATB1 in a total of 104 gastric adenocarcinomas and 30 normal gastric samples and correlated the expression patterns with each other and with some clinicopathological variables. Protein expression was examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) on tissue microarrays (TMAs), and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was employed to detect HER2 amplification. In the studied group, HER2 and SATB1 were found to be overexpressed in gastric cancer tissue in comparison to normal gastric mucosa. The expression status of the former protein was seen to differ according to some clinicopathological features, but without statistical significance, whereas the expression of the latter was not importantly associated with any of them. In turn, the NF-κB protein level was significantly related to the presence of lymph node metastasis. HER2 expression was not significantly correlated with that of other proteins, but a positive correlation was found between the expression of SATB1 and NF-κB. Further studies with a larger group of patients combined with in vitro mechanistic experiments are required to fully elucidate the role and relationship of HER2, NF-κB, and SATB1 expression in gastric cancer progression. However, to the best of our knowledge, this study is the first look at a simultaneous evaluation of these three markers in the samples of gastric cancer patients.

The expression of special AT-rich binding protein 1 in cervical cancer and its clinical significance

Background

The oncogenic potential of special AT-rich binding protein 1 (SATB1) has been reported in various types of cancer, but its function in cervical cancer remains not fully investigated. This study aimed to investigate the effect of SATB1 mRNA expression on tumor progression and outcomes in the cervical cancer patients.

Methods

A total of 33 cervical cancer patients treated in our hospital from September 2012 to December 2015 were included. The mRNA expression level of STAB1 in cervical cancer tissue was determined by real-time PCR, and the patients were divided into dichotomous groups based on their SATB1 expression level. Clinical characteristics, recurrence, and survival outcomes were compared between groups.

Results

Compared with the SATB1-low group, the SATB1-high group had significantly advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stages (P=0.037) and histologic grade (P=0.036). Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that SATB1-high group had a worse overall survival (P=0.078, marginal significant). In the subgroup analysis of pathological types, adenocarcinomas group (n=8) had a significantly higher SATB1 expression level as compared with the squamous cell carcinomas (n=18) and adenosquamous carcinomas (n=7) groups (both P<0.05). Cervical squamous cell carcinomas patients with a high-expression SATB1 (n=8) had more advanced FIGO stages (P=0.015) and histologic grades (P=0.060, marginal significant) as well as a higher (P=0.069, marginal significant) incidence of lymphatic metastasis than those with a low expression of SATB1 (n=10).

Conclusion

These results showed that expression of SATB1 may have an effect on the disease progression and survival outcome of cervical cancer.

SATB family chromatin organizers as master regulators of tumor progression

SATB (Special AT-rich binding protein) family proteins have emerged as key regulators that integrate higher-order chromatin organization with the regulation of gene expression. Studies over the past decade have elucidated the specific roles of SATB1 and SATB2, two closely related members of this family, in cancer progression. SATB family chromatin organizers play diverse and important roles in regulating the dynamic equilibrium of apoptosis, cell invasion, metastasis, proliferation, angiogenesis, and immune modulation. This review highlights cellular and molecular events governed by SATB1 influencing the structural organization of chromatin and interacting with several co-activators and co-repressors of transcription towards tumor progression. SATB1 expression across tumor cell types generates cellular and molecular heterogeneity culminating in tumor relapse and metastasis. SATB1 exhibits dynamic expression within intratumoral cell types regulated by the tumor microenvironment, which culminates towards tumor progression. Recent studies suggested that cell-specific expression of SATB1 across tumor recruited dendritic cells (DC), cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), T regulatory cells (Tregs) and tumor epithelial cells along with tumor microenvironment act as primary determinants of tumor progression and tumor inflammation. In contrast, SATB2 is differentially expressed in an array of cancer types and is involved in tumorigenesis. Survival analysis for patients across an array of cancer types correlated with expression of SATB family chromatin organizers suggested tissue-specific expression of SATB1 and SATB2 contributing to disease prognosis. In this context, it is pertinent to understand molecular players, cellular pathways, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms governed by cell types within tumors regulated by SATB proteins. We propose that patient survival analysis based on the expression profile of SATB chromatin organizers would facilitate their unequivocal establishment as prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for cancer therapy.

The role of SATB1 in HTR8/SVneo cells and pathological mechanism of preeclampsia

OBJECTIVE

Special AT-rich sequence binding protein 1 (SATB1) play potential roles in invasion and metastasis of tumor cells, and involves in human placental and fetal development. The objective of this study is to explore the role of SATB1 in migration and invasion of trophoblast and the potential mechanism.

METHODS

Human placental tissues from first trimester, second trimester, term, and preeclampsia (PE) pregnancies were used to detect the expression and subcellular location of SATB1 and β-catenin. The human trophoblast cell line HTR8/SVneo, which was treated with hypoxia/re-oxygenation (H/R), lithium chloride (LiCl) or SATB1-siRNA to investigate the role of SATB1 and β-catenin signaling in human trophoblast function.

RESULTS

We observed that SATB1 specifically localized within trophoblast cells of placenta tissues. Gradually reduced expression of SATB1 was observed during gestation, and lower expression were detected in placenta of PE compared with normal pregnancy. Moreover, the expression of SATB1 was decreased in H/R-treated HTR8/Svneo cells and villous explants. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway interacted with SATB1 expression and H/R treatment resulted in Wnt pathway inhibition in trophoblast, while lithium chloride (LiCl) treatment enhanced H/R-exposed HTR8/SVneo migration and invasion. Knockdown of SATB1 significantly reduced the level of β-catenin and the migratory and invasive abilities of trophoblast.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggested that oxidative stress reduced SATB1 leading to inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin, and participate in the subdued migration and invasion of trophoblast, which indicated a potential pathological mechanism of PE.