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Zang Z, Yin Y, Liu C, Zhu Q, Huang X, Li H, Yang R. IL21R hypomethylation as a biomarker for distinguishing benign and malignant breast tumours. Epigenetics 2024; 19:2352683. [PMID: 38723244 PMCID: PMC11086039 DOI: 10.1080/15592294.2024.2352683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Some benign and malignant breast tumours are similar in pathological morphology, which are difficult to be distinguished in clinical diagnosis. In this study, we intended to explore novel biomarkers for differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast tumours. Methylation EPIC 850K beadchip and RNA-sequencing were used to analyse 29 tissue samples from patients with early-stage breast cancer (BC) and benign breast tumours for differently methylated and expressed genes. The altered methylation of IL21R was semi-quantitatively validated in an independent study with 566 tissue samples (279 BC vs. 287 benign breast tumours) using mass spectrometry. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between IL21R methylation and BC. BC-associated IL21R hypomethylation and overexpression were identified in the discovery round. In the validation round, BC patients presented significant IL21R hypomethylation compared to women with benign breast tumours (ORs ≥1.29 per-10% methylation, p-values ≤ 5.69E-14), and this hypomethylation was even enhanced in BC patients with ER-negative and PR-negative tumours as well as with triple-negative tumours. The methylation of IL21R showed efficient discriminatory power to distinguish benign breast tumours from BC (area under curve (AUC) = 0.88), and especially from ER-negative BC (AUC = 0.95), PR-negative BC (AUC = 0.93) and triple-negative BC (AUC = 0.96). We disclosed significant IL21R hypomethylation in patients with BC compared to women with benign breast tumours, and revealed the somatic change of DNA methylation could be a potential biomarker for molecular pathology of BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zishan Zang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yifei Yin
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, The Affiliated Huai’an Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University and The Second People’s Hospital of Huai’an, Huaian, China
| | - Chunlan Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiang Zhu
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xuandong Huang
- Department of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, The Affiliated Huai’an Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University and The Second People’s Hospital of Huai’an, Huaian, China
| | - Hong Li
- Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Huai’an Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University and The Second People’s Hospital of Huai’an, Huaian, China
| | - Rongxi Yang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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Gürsel Ürün Y, Budak M, Usturalı Keskin E. Methylation status, mRNA and protein expression of the SMAD4 gene in patients with non-melanocytic skin cancers. Mol Biol Rep 2023; 50:7295-7304. [PMID: 37428273 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08656-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND SMAD4 is a potent tumor suppressor. SMAD4 loss increases genomic instability and plays a critical role in the DNA damage response that leads to skin cancer development. We aimed to investigate SMAD4 methylation effects on mRNA and protein expression of SMAD4 in cancer and healthy tissues from patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC), cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), and basosquamous skin cancer (BSC). METHODS AND RESULTS The study included 17 BCC, 24 cSCC and nine BSC patients. DNA and RNA were isolated from cancerous and healthy tissues following punch biopsy. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time quantitative PCR methods were used to examine SMAD4 promoter methylation and SMAD4 mRNA levels, respectively. The percentage and intensity of staining of the SMAD4 protein were determined by immunohistochemistry. The percentage of SMAD4 methylation was increased in the patients with BCC (p = 0.007), cSCC (p = 0.004), and BSC (p = 0.018) compared to the healthy tissue. SMAD4 mRNA expression was decreased in the patients with BCC (p˂0.001), cSCC (p˂0.001), and BSC (p = 0.008). The staining characteristic of SMAD4 protein was negative in the cancer tissues of the patients with cSCC (p = 0.00). Lower SMAD4 mRNA levels were observed in the poorly differentiated cSCC patients (p = 0.001). The staining characteristics of the SMAD4 protein were related to age and chronic sun exposure. CONCLUSIONS Hypermethylation of SMAD4 and reduced SMAD4 mRNA expression were found to play a role in the pathogenesis of BCC, cSCC, and BSC. A decrease in SMAD4 protein expression level was observed only in cSCC patients. This suggests that epigenetic alterations to the SMAD4 gene are associated with cSCC. TRIAL REGISTRATION The name of the trial register: SMAD4 Methylation and Expression Levels in Non-melanocytic Skin Cancers; SMAD4 Protein Positivity. The registration number: NCT04759261 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=NCT04759261 ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yıldız Gürsel Ürün
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
| | - Metin Budak
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey
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3
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Zhang J, Zhang Y, Lin X, Han X, Meredith KL, Li Z. The effects of the tumor suppressor gene PTEN on the proliferation and apoptosis of breast cancer cells via AKT phosphorylation. Transl Cancer Res 2023; 12:1863-1872. [PMID: 37588750 PMCID: PMC10425639 DOI: 10.21037/tcr-23-826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Background The proliferation and apoptosis of cancer cells play important roles in breast carcinomas. However, to date, there have been few reports on the correlation between the expression of PTEN and AKT phosphorylation in breast cancer. This present study investigated the effects of the phosphatase and tensin homology deleted from chromosome 10 (PTEN) gene on the proliferation and apoptosis of breast cancer cells through protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation. Methods Human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells were transfected with the pcDNA3.0 control vector or the pcDNA3.0-PTEN vector for 48 hours. The Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK-8) was used to detect cell survival rates, double staining was performed to detect apoptosis, and Western blot (WB) analysis was conducted to detect protein expression. The effects of PTEN expression on the cell cycle and apoptosis of human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231, and on the levels of phosphorylated AKT protein were further analyzed. Moreover, the relationship between the PTEN gene and clinical features were also analyzed. Results The cell survival rate of cells transfected with pcDNA3.0-PTEN was significantly lower than that of cells transfected with the control pcDNA3.0 vector (55.65%±12.18% vs. 97.32%±12.45%, P=0.004). Compared with the pcDNA3.0 group, the apoptosis rate of the pcDNA3.0-PTEN group was significantly increased (20.65±2.18 vs. 2.32±0.45, P=0.001). The expression of PTEN protein in pcDNA3.0-PTEN group was higher than that in the pcDNA3.0 group, and the expression of the AKT and mTOR proteins was significantly lower than that in pcDNA3.0 group (P<0.05). The expression of PTEN in the lymph node metastasis positive group was significantly higher than that in the lymph node metastasis negative group (P<0.05). The expression of the AKT protein in breast cancer was higher than that in normal breast tissue, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). Conclusions Overexpression of the PTEN gene can promote AKT phosphorylation, increase the apoptotic index of breast cancer cells, and reduce the proliferative activity of breast cancer cells. This provided a new direction for the next treatment of breast cancer, but further clinical research is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhua Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Xiaomeng Lin
- Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Xiaoxu Han
- Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | | | - Zhong Li
- Department of Breast Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University, Baoding, China
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Blood-based DNA methylation signatures in cancer: A systematic review. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2023; 1869:166583. [PMID: 36270476 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2022.166583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation profiles are in dynamic equilibrium via the initiation of methylation, maintenance of methylation and demethylation, which control gene expression and chromosome stability. Changes in DNA methylation patterns play important roles in carcinogenesis and primarily manifests as hypomethylation of the entire genome and the hypermethylation of individual loci. These changes may be reflected in blood-based DNA, which provides a non-invasive means for cancer monitoring. Previous blood-based DNA detection objects primarily included circulating tumor DNA/cell-free DNA (ctDNA/cfDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and exosomes. Researchers gradually found that methylation changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) also reflected the presence of tumors. Blood-based DNA methylation is widely used in early diagnosis, prognosis prediction, dynamic monitoring after treatment and other fields of clinical research on cancer. The reversible methylation of genes also makes them important therapeutic targets. The present paper summarizes the changes in DNA methylation in cancer based on existing research and focuses on the characteristics of the detection objects of blood-based DNA, including ctDNA/cfDNA, CTCs, exosomes and PBMCs, and their application in clinical research.
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Duque G, Manterola C, Otzen T, Arias C, Palacios D, Mora M, Galindo B, Holguín JP, Albarracín L. Cancer Biomarkers in Liquid Biopsy for Early Detection of Breast
Cancer: A Systematic Review. Clin Med Insights Oncol 2022; 16:11795549221134831. [PMCID: PMC9634213 DOI: 10.1177/11795549221134831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common neoplasm in women worldwide. Liquid
biopsy (LB) is a non-invasive diagnostic technique that allows the analysis
of biomarkers in different body fluids, particularly in peripheral blood and
also in urine, saliva, nipple discharge, volatile respiratory fluids, nasal
secretions, breast milk, and tears. The objective was to analyze the
available evidence related to the use of biomarkers obtained by LB for the
early diagnosis of BC. Methods: Articles related to the use of biomarkers for the early diagnosis of BC due
to LB, published between 2010 and 2022, from the databases (WoS, EMBASE,
PubMed, and SCOPUS) were included. The MInCir diagnostic scale was applied
in the articles to determine their methodological quality (MQ). Descriptive
statistics were used, as well as determination of weighted averages of each
variable, to analyze the extracted data. Sensitivity, specificity, and area
under the curve values for specific biomarkers (individual or in panels) are
described. Results: In this systematic review (SR), 136 articles met the selection criteria,
representing 17 709 patients with BC. However, 95.6% were case-control
studies. In 96.3% of cases, LB was performed in peripheral blood samples.
Most of the articles were based on microRNA (miRNA) analysis. The mean MQ
score was 25/45 points. Sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve
values for specific biomarkers (individual or in panels) have been
found. Conclusions: The determination of biomarkers through LB is a useful mechanism for the
diagnosis of BC. The analysis of miRNA in peripheral blood is the most
studied methodology. Our results indicate that LB has a high sensitivity and
specificity for the diagnosis of BC, especially in early stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galo Duque
- Medical Sciences PhD Program,
Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile,Faculty of Medicine, Universidad del
Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador,Galo Duque, Faculty of Medicine,
Universidad del Azuay. Postal address: Av. 24 de Mayo y Hernán Malo, Cuenca,
Ecuador 010107.
| | - Carlos Manterola
- Medical Sciences PhD Program,
Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile,Center of Excellence in Morphological
and Surgical Studies (CEMyQ), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
| | - Tamara Otzen
- Medical Sciences PhD Program,
Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile,Center of Excellence in Morphological
and Surgical Studies (CEMyQ), Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
| | - Cristina Arias
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidad del
Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | | | - Miriann Mora
- Medical Sciences PhD Program,
Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile,Faculty of Medicine, Universidad del
Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Bryan Galindo
- Faculty of Medicine, Universidad del
Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Juan Pablo Holguín
- Medical Sciences PhD Program,
Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile,Faculty of Medicine, Universidad del
Azuay, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Lorena Albarracín
- Medical Sciences PhD Program,
Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco, Chile
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Hassona SM, Saad EA, Kiwan HA, Hassanien MM. Palladium(II) Schiff base complex arrests cell cycle at early stages, induces apoptosis, and reduces Ehrlich solid tumor burden: a new candidate for tumor therapy. Invest New Drugs 2022; 40:681-689. [PMID: 35352212 DOI: 10.1007/s10637-022-01234-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Although many cancer drugs are clinically approved, they still suffer from no adequate efficiency or drug resistance, or bad side effects. Therefore, developing safer alternatives of competitive efficiency is needed. This study aimed to investigate, for the first time, the antitumor and apoptotic activities of palladium(II) 2-hydroxyimino-3-(2-hydrazonopyridyl)-butane complex against Ehrlich carcinoma. In vitro, EAC cells were incubated with the complex, and the cells' viability, caspase 8 activity, and cell cycle changes were evaluated. In vivo, eighty adult female Swiss albino mice were distributed randomly in the following groups (n = 10): Normal, EAC, EAC + Cisplatin, and four groups EAC + Complex as well as Normal + Complex. Bodyweight changes were noted. On day 22 mice were sacrificed. Tumors' volume and weight were recorded. Blood picture was routinely investigated. The median survival time (MST) and percent increase in life span (%ILS) were monitored. In vitro, the complex reduced the %viable EAC cells, increased caspase 8 activity, arrested cell cycle at G0/G1, and reduced G2(M) population indicating antiproliferative and antitumor activities via inducing apoptosis. Treatment with the complex in a dose-dependent mode significantly decreased tumor volume and weight, extended the MST and the %ILS, increased mice body weight gain, and improved the blood indexes. Treatment of EAC-bearing mice with the complex highest dose showed more desirable outcomes than treatment with cisplatin. The Normal + Complex group showed no pathological changes indicating safety. In conclusion, our outcomes recommend the Pd(II) complex as a new optimistic candidate for tumor therapy after further studies for validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahd M Hassona
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Damietta, 34517, Egypt
| | - Entsar A Saad
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Damietta, 34517, Egypt.
| | - Hala A Kiwan
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Damietta, 34517, Egypt
| | - Mohamed M Hassanien
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Technology and Education, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
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Aboseada HA, Hassanien MM, El-Sayed IH, Saad EA. Schiff base 4-ethyl-1-(pyridin-2-yl) thiosemicarbazide up-regulates the antioxidant status and inhibits the progression of Ehrlich solid tumor in mice. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 573:42-47. [PMID: 34388453 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.07.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Cisplatin is an approved cancer therapeutic drug used to treat many solid tumors but its accumulation in the kidney, which causes nephrotoxicity, limits its clinical use. Therefore, investigators seek new alternatives to cisplatin that may be more effective and/or safer. Thiosemicarbazides are of great significance due to their expected biological activity including anticancer activities. The aim of this work is the study of the antitumor effect of Schiff base 4-ethyl-1-(pyridin-2-yl) thiosemicarbazide (HEPTS) on Ehrlich solid tumor-bearing mice in comparison to cancer therapeutic drug cisplatin. The experiment was run using sixty adult female Swiss albino mice. Mice were allocated into six groups (n = 10 mice). Healthy control, EAC control (untreated tumor), EAC + cisplatin, EAC + HEPTS, Healthy + HEPTS, and Healthy + solvent. After scarification, blood samples, liver organs, and solid tumors were collected. Tumor weights and volumes were registered. The concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), SOD, catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), nitric oxide (NO), uric acid, creatinine, and urea were assessed. Median survival time (MST) and the percentage increase in lifespan (%ILS) were also calculated. Treatment of tumorized mice with HEPTS significantly reduced both tumor volume and weight while it significantly increased the MST, antioxidant marks and prolonged the %ILS. It also, significantly reduced MAD, creatinine, urea, uric acid, and NO levels. Compared to cisplatin, HEPTS effects were better. Our results recommend HEPTS as one of the probable cisplatin-alternatives for tumor treatment after more validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helnan A Aboseada
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Damietta, Egypt
| | - Mohamed M Hassanien
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Technology and Education, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Ibrahim H El-Sayed
- Chemistry Department, Faulty of Science, Kafr El-Sheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt
| | - Entsar A Saad
- Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Damietta University, Damietta, Egypt.
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Molecular epigenetic dynamics in breast carcinogenesis. Arch Pharm Res 2021; 44:741-763. [PMID: 34392501 DOI: 10.1007/s12272-021-01348-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer has become one of the most common dreadful diseases that target women across the globe. The most obvious reasons we associate with it are either genetic mutations or dysregulation of pathways. However, there is yet another domain that has a significant role in influencing the genetic mutations and pathways. Epigenetic mechanisms influence these pathways either independently or in association with genetic mutations, thereby expediting the process of breast carcinogenesis. Breast cancer is governed by various transduction pathways such as PI3K/AKT/mTOR, NOTCH, β Catenin, NF-kB, Hedgehog, etc. There are many proteins as well that serve to be tumor suppressors but somehow lose their ability to function. This may be because of either genetic mutation or a process that represses their function. Apart from these, there are a lot of individual factors like puberty, breastfeeding, abortion, parity, circadian rhythm, alcohol consumption, pollutants, and obesity that drive these mutations and hence alter the pathways. Epigenetic mechanisms like DNA methylation, histone modifications, and lncRNAs directly or indirectly bring alterations in the proteins that are involved in the pathways. They do this by either promoting the transcription of genes or by repressing it at the ground genetic level that advances breast carcinogenesis. Epigenetics precedes genetic mutation in driving carcinogenesis and so, it needs to be explored further to diversify the possibilities of target specific treatments. In this review, the general role of DNA methylation, histone modification, and lncRNAs in breast cancer and their role in influencing the oncogenic signaling pathways along with the various factors governing them have been discussed for a better understanding of the role of epigenetics in breast carcinogenesis.
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