Evaluation of the association of urokinase plasminogen activator system gene polymorphisms with susceptibility and pathological development of hepatocellular carcinoma

Good or bad: Paradox of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) in digestive system tumors

The fibrinolytic system is involved in many physiological functions, among which the important members can interact with each other, either synergistically or antagonistically to participate in the pathogenesis of many diseases. Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) acts as a crucial element of the fibrinolytic system and functions in an anti-fibrinolytic manner in the normal coagulation process. It inhibits plasminogen activator, and affects the relationship between cells and extracellular matrix. PAI-1 not only involved in blood diseases, inflammation, obesity and metabolic syndrome but also in tumor pathology. Especially PAI-1 plays a different role in different digestive tumors as an oncogene or cancer suppressor, even a dual role for the same cancer. We term this phenomenon "PAI-1 paradox". PAI-1 is acknowledged to have both uPA-dependent and -independent effects, and its different actions can result in both beneficial and adverse consequences. Therefore, this review will elaborate on PAI-1 structure, the dual value of PAI-1 in different digestive system tumors, gene polymorphisms, the uPA-dependent and -independent mechanisms of regulatory networks, and the drugs targeted by PAI-1 to deepen the comprehensive understanding of PAI-1 in digestive system tumors.

Bombyx batryticatus Cocoonase Inhibitor Separation, Purification, and Inhibitory Effect on the Proliferation of SMCC-7721 HeLa-Derived Cells

The present study was to isolate and purify Bombyx batryticatus cocoonase inhibitor (BBCI) and to evaluate its inhibitory effect on the proliferation of SMCC-7721 cells. BBCI was purified from the crude proteins of Bombyx batryticatus using affinity chromatography with cocoonase as the ligand, its N-terminal amino acid sequence was determined using the Edman degradation method, and its inhibiting activity on SMCC-7721 cell proliferation was detected in vitro using the MTT method and in vivo in tumor-bearing nude mice. The purified BBCI presented as a single band in SDS-PAGE, the molecular weight determined by time-of-flight mass spectrometry was 13,973.63 Da, and its N-terminal amino acid sequence was VRNKRQSNDD. BBCI was a noncompetitive cocoonase inhibitor with an average Michaelis constant of 76.50, and it inhibited cocoonase activity with an inhibition ratio of 1 : 1 (molar). BBCI could inhibit the proliferation of SMCC-7721 cells in vitro with the IC₅₀ being about 260.52 μg/ml within 36 h of treatment and inhibit the SMCC-7721 tumor growth in nude mice by subcutaneous injection of BBCI around the tumor, where the tumor inhibitory effect was dose dependent. BBCI did not significantly influence the spleen coefficient of the mice. In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to report that BBCI, which was purified from Bombyx batryticatus, was a serine proteinase inhibitor with antitumor activity.

Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (suPAR) as a Biomarker of Systemic Chronic Inflammation

Systemic chronic inflammation (SCI) is persistent, health-damaging, low-grade inflammation that plays a major role in immunosenescence and in development and progression of many diseases. But currently, there are no recognized standard biomarkers to assess SCI levels alone, and SCI is typically measured by combining biomarkers of acute inflammation and infection, e.g., CRP, IL-6, and TNFα. In this review, we highlight 10 properties and characteristics that are shared by the blood protein soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) and SCI, supporting the argument that suPAR is a biomarker of SCI: (1) Expression and release of suPAR is upregulated by immune activation; (2) uPAR and suPAR exert pro-inflammatory functions; (3) suPAR is associated with the amount of circulating immune cells; (4) Blood suPAR levels correlate with the levels of established inflammatory biomarkers; (5) suPAR is minimally affected by acute changes and short-term influences, in contrast to many currently used markers of systemic inflammation; (6) Like SCI, suPAR is non-specifically associated with multiple diseases; (7) suPAR and SCI both predict morbidity and mortality; (8) suPAR and SCI share the same risk factors; (9) suPAR is associated with risk factors and outcomes of inflammation above and beyond other inflammatory biomarkers; (10) The suPAR level can be reduced by anti-inflammatory interventions and treatment of disease. Assessing SCI has the potential to inform risk for morbidity and mortality. Blood suPAR is a newer biomarker which may, in fact, be a biomarker of SCI since it is stably associated with inflammation and immune activation; shares the same risk factors as many age-related diseases; is both elevated by and predicts age-related diseases. There is strong evidence that suPAR is a prognostic marker of adverse events, morbidity, and mortality. It is associated with immune activity and prognosis across diverse conditions, including kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and inflammatory disorders. Thus, we think it likely represents a common underlying disease-process shared by many diseases; that is, SCI. We review the supporting literature and propose a research agenda that can help test the hypothesis that suPAR indexes SCI, with the potential of becoming the new gold standard for measuring SCI.

PAI-1 Polymorphisms Have Significant Associations With Cancer Risk, Especially Feminine Cancer

BACKGROUND

The plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) was found in many types of tumor cells, which involved in tumorigenesis. Some studies investigated the associations between PAI-1 polymorphisms and various cancers, but the results were inconsistent. So this study did a meta-analysis to assess the strength of relationship between PAI-1 and cancer.

METHODS

Articles that meet the requirements were searched from PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus, CNKI, Wanfang and SinoMed electronic databases before June 17th 2021. Stata version 11.2 was performed to merge the odds ratios (ORs) values and calculate 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Stratified analyses were assessed on the basis of types of cancer, ethnicity and source of the control group. Heterogeneity and sensitivity analysis were tested, and publication bias was also estimated. A meta-regression analysis was applied to explore sources of heterogeneity. The false-positive report probabilities (FPRP) and the Bayesian False Discovery Probability (BFDP) test were used to assess the credibility of statistically significant associations.

RESULTS

Ultimately, in this study, 33 eligible reports were included with 9550 cases and 10431 controls for the rs1799889 polymorphism, 5 reports with 2705 cases and 3168 controls for the rs2227631 polymorphism, and 4 reports with 2799 cases and 4011 controls for the rs2227667 polymorphism. The ORs and 95% CIs showed a statistically significant relationship between rs1799889 4G>5G polymorphism and cancer risk, especially in feminine cancer. The term refers to cancers that occur in the female reproductive system, such as ovarian, breast, endometrial and cervical cancer. Moreover, there was no association observed for the PAI-1 promoter A>G polymorphism (rs2227631 and rs2227667). In further subgroup analyses of 4G>5G polymorphism (rs1799889), an increased susceptibility to cancer was observed in Caucasians group and some types of cancer groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This article comes to a conclusion that the rs1799889 polymorphism might help to increase the risk of cancer; moreover, the susceptibility to feminine cancer is more evident.

Effects of HMGB1 Polymorphisms on the Susceptibility and Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy of liver and a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Its management is compounded by biological and clinical heterogeneity. These interindividual genetic variations can modulate the effects of HCC treatment. High-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) is a well investigated, ubiquitous nuclear protein found in eukaryotic cells that plays a multiple biological roles such as DNA stability, program cell death, immune response, and furthermore in cancer progression. In this report, we examined HMGB1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with multiple risk factors related to HCC susceptibility and clinicopathological characteristics. Four HMGB1 SNPs (rs1412125, rs2249825, rs1045411, and rs1360485) were assessed by using a TaqMan SNPs Genotyping in 324 patients with HCC and in 695 cancer-free controls. The results showed that HMGB1 SNP rs1045411 with CT or at least one T alleles has lower risk of HCC than wild-type (CC) carriers. Moreover, HMGB1 SNP rs1412125 with TT allele has a higher risk of distant metastasis compared with patients carrying at least one C allele. The present study is the first report to discuss the risk factors associated with HMGB1 SNPs in HCC progression in Taiwan.

Association between the polymorphisms of urokinase plasminogen activation system and cancer risk: a meta-analysis

Purpose

The present study aimed to investigate the potential association between the urokinase plasminogen activation (uPA) system polymorphisms (rs4065, rs2227564, and rs344781) and cancer risk.

Methods

An extensive search was performed to identify published case–control studies on the association between the uPA system polymorphisms and cancer risk. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to evaluate the relationship between the uPA system polymorphisms and cancer risk.

Results

A total of 20 studies comprising 7,037 cancer cases and 10,094 controls were identified and included in the present meta-analysis. Overall, significantly increased cancer risk was associated with the uPA polymorphism rs4065 (T vs C: OR 1.50, 95% CI: 1.19–1.89; TT vs CC: OR 4.63, 95% CI: 3.10–6.91; dominant model: OR 1.93, 95% CI: 1.60–2.33; recessive model: OR 3.02, 95% CI: 1.26–7.25) and the uPA receptor polymorphism rs344781 (T vs C: OR 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04–1.23; TC vs CC: OR 1.26, 95% CI: 1.06–1.49; TT vs CC: OR 1.35, 95% CI: 1.13–1.63; dominant model: OR 1.29, 95% CI: 1.10–1.52). No significant association was found between the uPA polymorphism rs2227564 and cancer risk. Subgroup analysis suggests that the T allele of the rs4065 (T allele vs C allele: OR 1.50, 95% CI: 1.19–1.89) and rs344781 polymorphisms (T allele vs C allele: OR 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04–1.23) was associated with increased cancer risk in Asians.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that the uPA polymorphism rs4065 and the uPA receptor polymorphism rs344781 are associated with increased cancer risk.

Association of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 single nucleotide polymorphisms with hepatocellular carcinoma susceptibility and clinicopathologic development

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is a human protein encoded by the ICAM-1 gene and is typically expressed on endothelial cells and immune cells. ICAM-1 is associated with episode, growth, invasion, and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the association between ICAM-1 genetic variants and the risk of HCC is undetermined. In this study, we investigated the potential associations of ICAM-1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with susceptibility to HCC and its clinicopathological characteristics. A total of 918 participants, including 613 controls participants and 305 patients with HCC, were selected for the analysis of ICAM-1 SNPs (rs3093030, rs5491, rs281432, and rs5498) by using real-time PCR genotyping. After adjusting for covariants of age, sex, and alcohol consumption, 125 smoker patients with HCC carrying at least one G genotype (AG and GG) in rs5498 were observed to have a higher HCC risk compared with 231 smoker control participants carrying the wild-type allele AA (adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 1.713; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.091-2.690; P = 0.019). However, patients who possess at least one polymorphic allele of rs5498 are less prone to develop vascular invasive (AOR, 0.309; 95 % CI, 0.103-0.926; P = 0.036). The results suggest that the genetic polymorphism in ICAM-1 rs5498 SNPs with genotype AG and GG is associated with HCC risk among smokers. Moreover, gene and environment interactions of ICAM-1 rs5498 polymorphisms might alter susceptibility to liver cancer. Therefore, ICAM-1 rs5498 may serve as a marker to predict the vascular invasion risk in smoker patients with HCC.

Glabridin inhibits migration and invasion by transcriptional inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase 9 through modulation of NF-κB and AP-1 activity in human liver cancer cells

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

High mortality and morbidity rates for hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan primarily result from uncontrolled tumour metastasis. Glabridin, a prenylated isoflavonoid of licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) roots, is associated with a wide range of biological properties, such as regulation of energy metabolism, oestrogenic, neuroprotective, anti-osteoporotic and skin whitening. However, the effect of glabridin on the metastasis of tumour cells has not been clarified.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

A wound healing model and Boyden chamber assays in vitro were used to determine the effects of glabridin on the migration and invasion of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HHC) cells. Western blot analysis, gelatin zymography, real-time PCR and promoter assays were used to evaluate the inhibitory effects of glabridin on matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) expression in these cells.

KEY RESULTS

Glabridin significantly inhibited migration/invasion capacities of HCC cells, Huh7 and Sk-Hep-1, cell lines that have low cytotoxicity in vitro, even at high concentrations. Western blot analysis and gelatin zymography showed that glabridin inhibited the expression, activities and protein levels of MMP9 and the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK1/2. These inhibitory effects were associated with an up-regulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 and a down-regulation of the transcription factors NF-κB and activator protein 1 signalling pathways. Finally, the administration of glabridin effectively suppressed the tumour formation in the hepatoma xenograft model in vivo.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Glabridin inhibited the invasion of human HCC cells and may have potential as a chemopreventive agent against liver cancer metastasis.

A4383C and C76G SNP in Cathepsin B is respectively associated with the high risk and tumor size of hepatocarcinoma

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in some genes is a candidate for having or developing a cancer. Cathepsin B (CTSB) is considered to be the biomarker of cancers. The study aimed to evaluate the impacts of three SNPs in CTSB gene on the risk and progress of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The SNPs of CTSB C76G (rs12338), CTSB A4383C (rs13332), and CTSB A8422G (rs8898) from 135 patients with HCC and 520 control participants in Taiwan were determined by real-time PCR. Through analyzing by statistics, we found that the polymorphism of rs13332 was significantly associated to the risk of HCC cancer; a significantly high frequent tumor size development was observed in HCC patients carrying rs12338 polymorphic genotype than those carrying ancestral genotype. The SNPs of rs12338, rs13332, and rs8898 were irrelevant to the frequencies of HCC clinical status and the levels of HCC clinicopathological markers. In conclusions, CTSB A4383C SNP is observed modestly more often in patients who developed HCC than in healthy controls and might be associated with the risk of HCC. The association between CTSB C76G SNP and greater tumor size may warrant further study in regards to the biology of HCC.

Pre-retrieval reperfusion decreases cancer recurrence after rat ischemic liver graft transplantation

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Liver transplantation from marginal donors is associated with ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) lesions, which may increase the risk of post-transplant hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence. Graft reperfusion prior to retrieval (as for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation--ECMO) can prevent I/R lesions. The impact of I/R on the risk of cancer recurrence was assessed on a syngeneic Fischer-rat liver transplantation model.

METHODS

HCC cells were injected into the vena porta of all recipients at the end of an orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Control donors were standard heart-beating, ischemic ones (ISC), underwent 10 min or 30 min inflow liver clamping prior to retrieval, and ischemic/reperfused (ISC/R) donors underwent 2h liver reperfusion after the clamping.

RESULTS

I/R lesions were confirmed in the ISC group, with the presence of endothelial and hepatocyte injury, and increased liver function tests. These lesions were in part reversed by the 2h reperfusion in the ISC/R group. HCC growth was higher in the 10 min and 30 min ISC recipients (p = 0.018 and 0.004 vs. control, as assessed by MRI difference between weeks one and two), and was prevented in the ISC/Rs (p = 0.04 and 0.01 vs. ISC). These observations were associated with a stronger pro-inflammatory cytokine profile in the ISC recipients only, and the expression of hypoxia and HCC growth-enhancer genes, including Hmox1, Hif1a and Serpine1.

CONCLUSIONS

This experiment suggests that ischemia/reperfusion lesions lead to an increased risk of post-transplant HCC recurrence and growth. This observation can be reversed by graft reperfusion prior to retrieval.

CD44 gene polymorphisms on hepatocellular carcinoma susceptibility and clinicopathologic features

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Taiwan. CD44, one of the well-known tumor markers, plays an essential role in tumor cell differentiation, invasion, and metastasis. We investigated the CD44 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with environmental risk factors related to HCC susceptibility and clinicopathological characteristics. Six SNPs of CD44 were analyzed using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 203 patients with HCC and in 561 cancer-free controls. We determined that the individuals carrying at least one G allele at CD44 rs187115 has higher risk of developing HCC than did wild-type (AA) carriers. We further observed that the CD44 rs187115 polymorphisms with at least one G allele had a higher frequency of distribution in nonsmoking stage III/IV HCC patients, compared with wild-type carriers. Our results suggested that patients with CD44 rs187115 variant genotypes (AG+GG) were associated with a higher risk of HCC development and that these patients might possess chemoresistance, causing more likely progression to late-stage HCC than wild-type carriers without the overexpression of CD44 induced by heavy smoking. CD44 rs187115 might be involved in CD44 isoform expression of p53 stress response in HCC and provide a marker for predicting worst-case prognosis of HCC.

Downregulation of galectin-3 causes a decrease in uPAR levels and inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a multifunctional β-galactoside-binding protein, is highly expressed and associated with the prognosis of HCC. However, the functions of Gal-3 in HCC cells are not fully understood. To address the function of Gal-3 in HCC cells, we used small interfering RNA (siRNA) to knock down Gal-3 expression in HepG2, an HCC cell line. We found that in vitro the silencing of Gal-3 decreased the proliferative activity, colony formation ability, migratory and invasive potential of HepG2 cells. The silencing of Gal-3 significantly decreased the mRNA and protein levels of urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) as well as uPAR's downstream signaling transduction pathway, including phosphorylation of AKT. Furthermore, the downregulation of Gal-3 by siRNA resulted in significantly decreased activity of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway, and the treatment of HepG2 cells with MEK/ERK inhibitor U0126 significantly reduced the mRNA and protein levels of uPAR. Taken together, our results suggest that Gal-3 modulates uPAR expression via the MEK/ERK pathway, and that Gal-3 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.

Terminalia catappa attenuates urokinase-type plasminogen activator expression through Erk pathways in Hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

The survival rate of malignant tumors, and especially hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), has not improved primarily because of uncontrolled metastasis. In our previous studies, we have reported that Terminalia catappa leaf extract (TCE) exerts antimetastasis effects on HCC cells. However, the molecular mechanisms of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) in HCC metastasis have not been thoroughly investigated, and remain poorly understood.

Methods

The activities and protein levels of u-PA were determined by casein zymography and western blotting. Transcriptional levels of u-PA were detected by real-time PCR and promoter assays.

Results

We found that treatment of Huh7 cells with TCE significantly reduced the activities, protein levels and mRNA levels of u-PA. A chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay showed that TCE inhibited the transcription protein of nuclear factors SP-1 and NF-κB. TCE also did inhibit the effects of u-PA by reducing the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 pathway.

Conclusions

These results show that u-PA expression may be a potent therapeutic target in the TCE-mediated suppression of HCC metastasis.

Association between promoter region of the uPAR (rs344781) gene polymorphism in genetic susceptibility to migraine without aura in three Iranian hospitals

INTRODUCTION

Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder. Inflammation has a key role in migraine pathophysiology. Urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) directly involves in inflammatory conditions by facilitating migration of inflammatory cells to different tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate whether uPAR rs344781, common genetic polymorphism in the uPAR promoter region, might be associated with migraine without aura susceptibility in an Iranian population.

METHODS

We enrolled 103 newly diagnosed patients with migraine and 100 healthy controls. Peripheral blood sample was used for DNA extraction and uPAR rs344781 gene polymorphism was determined. Patients filled HIT-6 as a tool to evaluate headache severity.

RESULTS

The genotype frequency of uPAR is significantly different between migraine patients and control subjects. Heterozygote genotype (AG) was statistically more frequent in the patients than the controls (P=0.001; OR=2.67, 95% CI=1.51-4.7). Also G allele was more frequent in the patients. Total HIT-6 score was not significantly different between heterozygote and homozygote patients (55.50±2.22 vs. 49.60±3.68 respectively, P=0.075).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our study showed a significant association between uPAR rs344781 gene promoter polymorphism and migraine without aura susceptibility but not with headache severity.

Effects of EZH2 polymorphisms on susceptibility to and pathological development of hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

The enhancer of zeste 2 (EZH2) gene encodes the histone methyltransferase that is the catalytic component of the polycomb repressive complex-2, which initiates epigenetic silencing of genes. The expression level of EZH2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is highly correlated with tumor progression; however, it has not been determined if specific EZH2 genetic variants are associated with the risk of HCC. This study investigated the potential associations of EZH2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms with HCC susceptibility and its clinicopathologic characteristics.

Methodology/Principal Findings

A total of 220 HCC patients and 552 cancer-free controls were analyzed for four EZH2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs6950683, rs2302427, rs3757441, and rs41277434) using real-time PCR genotyping. After adjusting for other co-variants, the individuals carrying at least one C allele at EZH2 rs6950683 and rs3757441 had a 0.611-fold and a 0.660-fold lower risk of developing HCC than did wild-type (TT) carriers, respectively. The CCCA or CCTA haplotype among the four EZH2 sites (rs6950683, rs2302427, rs3757441, and rs41277434), respectively, was also associated with a reduced risk of HCC. Furthermore, HCC patients who carried at least one C allele at rs6950683 or rs3757441 had a higher lymph–node-metastasis risk but a lower liver-cirrhosis risk than did patients carrying the wild-type allele.

Conclusions

The rs6950683 and rs3757441 polymorphic genotypes of EZH2 might contribute to the prediction of susceptibility to and pathological development of HCC. This is the first study to provide insight into risk factors associated with EZH2 variants in carcinogenesis of HCC in Taiwan.

SERPINB2 down-regulation contributes to chemoresistance in head and neck cancer

Resistance to cisplatin-based chemotherapy is responsible for the majority of deaths from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In this study, using genome-wide gene expression analysis to investigate potential molecular mediators of HNSCC chemoresistance, we identified SERPINB2, a known inhibitor of extracellular serine proteinase urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), as an important candidate. Whereas SERPINB2 is known to function as a suppressor of uPA molecular cascades, many of which play important roles in tumor invasion and metastasis, a role for SERPINB2 in cancer drug resistance has not been examined. By using quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis, we determined that SERPINB2 mRNA and protein levels correlated with chemoresistance in HNSCC cell lines, and significantly lower SERPINB2 expression levels were observed in two cisplatin resistant HNSCC subclones compared to their isogenic drug-sensitive parental lines. Immunohistochemical analysis of HNSCC tumor tissues from patients treated with neoadjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy (n = 67 cases) revealed a significant association between SERPINB2 protein levels, tumor differentiation and patient relapse. Moreover, SERPINB2 down-regulation was a strong predictor of reduced overall survival in patients with HNSCC who received cisplatin-based chemotherapy (P = 0.001, log rank test). Studies using either siRNA-mediated down-regulation or forced over-expression of SERPINB2 in HNSCC cell lines confirmed a functional role for SERPINB2 in drug resistance. The findings were further supported using chemical inhibitors of STAT3 activity (a downstream effecter of uPAR signaling pathway), showing that STAT3 suppression altered HNSCC cell line cisplatin sensitivity. This is the first report on a role for SERPINB2 in acquired resistance to cisplatin in patients with HNSCC.

The antimetastatic effects of resveratrol on hepatocellular carcinoma through the downregulation of a metastasis-associated protease by SP-1 modulation

BACKGROUND

The mortality and morbidity rates from cancer metastasis have not declined in Taiwan, especially because of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Resveratrol has been shown to have benefits such as cardioprotection, providing antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer properties in previous studies. Therefore, HCC cells were subjected to treatment with resveratrol and then analyzed to determine the effects of resveratrol on the migration and invasion.

METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Modified Boyden chamber assays revealed that resveratrol treatment significantly inhibited cell migration and invasion capacities of Huh7 cell lines that have low cytotoxicity in vitro, even at a high concentration of 100 µM. The results of casein zymography and western blotting revealed that the activities and protein levels of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) were inhibited by resveratrol. Western blot analysis also showed that resveratrol inhibits phosphorylation of JNK1/2. Tests of the mRNA level, real-time PCR, and promoter assays evaluated the inhibitory effects of resveratrol on u-PA expression in HCC cells. The chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay showed that reactive in transcription protein of nuclear factor SP-1 was inhibited by resveratrol.

CONCLUSIONS

Resveratrol inhibits u-PA expression and the metastasis of HCC cells and is a powerful chemopreventive agent. The inhibitory effects were associated with the downregulation of the transcription factors of SP-1 signaling pathways.

PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism contributes to cancer susceptibility: evidence from meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is expressed in many cancer cell types and allows the modulation of cancer growth, invasion and angiogenesis. To date, studies investigated the association between a functional polymorphism in PAI-1 (4G/5G) and risk of cancer have shown inclusive results.

METHODS

A meta-analysis based on 25 case-control studies was performed to address this issue. Odds ratios (OR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the association. The statistical heterogeneity across studies was examined with I(2) test.

RESULTS

Overall, a significant increased risk of cancer was associated with the PAI-1 4G/4G polymorphism for the allele contrast (4G vs. 5G: OR = 1.10, CI = 1.03-1.18, I(2) = 49.5%), the additive genetic model (4G/4G vs. 5G/5G: OR = 1.21, CI = 1.06-1.39, I(2) = 51.9%), the recessive genetic model (4G/4G vs. 4G/5G+5G/5G: OR = 1.11, CI = 1.04-1.18, I(2) = 20.8%). In the subgroup analysis by ethnicity, the results indicated that individuals with 4G/4G genotype had a significantly higher cancer risk among Caucasians (4G/4G vs. 5G/5G: OR = 1.31, 95%CI = 1.09-1.59, I(2) = 59.6%; 4G/4G vs. 4G/5G: OR = 1.12, 95%CI = 1.04-1.21, I(2) = 3.6%; recessive model: OR = 1.12, 95%CI = 1.05-1.21, I(2) = 25.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present meta-analysis support an association between the PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism and increasing cancer risk, especially among Caucasians, and those with 4G allele have a high risk to develop colorectal cancer and endometrial cancer.

PAI-1 promoter 4G/5G polymorphism (rs1799768) contributes to tumor susceptibility: Evidence from meta-analysis

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), belonging to the urokinase plasminogen activation (uPA) system, is involved in cancer development and progression. The PAI-1 promoter 4G/5G polymorphism was shown to contribute to genetic susceptibility to cancer, although the results were inconsistent. To assess this relationship more precisely, a meta-analysis was performed. The electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were searched; data were extracted and analyzed independently by two reviewers. Ultimately, 21 eligible case-control studies with a total of 8,415 cancer cases and 9,208 controls were included. The overall odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) showed a statistically significant association between the PAI-1 promoter 4G/5G polymorphism and cancer risk (4G/4G vs. 5G/5G: OR=1.25, 95% CI=1.07–1.47, P_{heterogeneity}=0.001; 4G/4G vs. 4G/5G+5G/5G: OR=1.10, 95% CI=1.03–1.17, P_{heterogeneity}=0.194; 4G/4G+4G/5G vs. 5G/5G: OR=1.17, 95% CI=1.01–1.35, P_{heterogeneity}=0.041). In further subgroup analyses, the increased risk of cancer was observed in a subgroup of Caucasians with regards to endometrial cancer. Our meta-analysis suggests that the PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism most likely contributes to susceptibility to cancer, particularly in Caucasians. Furthermore, the 4G allele may be associated with an increased risk of endometrial cancer.

Effect of RECK gene polymorphisms on hepatocellular carcinoma susceptibility and clinicopathologic features

BACKGROUND

The reversion-inducing-cysteine-rich protein with Kazal motifs (RECK) down-regulation has been confirmed in numerous human cancers and is clinically associated with metastasis. This study investigates the potential associations of RECK single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) susceptibility and its clinicopathologic characteristics.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

A total of 135 HCC cancer patients and 501 cancer-free controls were analyzed for four RECK SNPs (rs10814325, rs16932912, rs11788747, and rs10972727) using real-time PCR and PCR-RFLP genotyping analysis. After adjusting for other co-variants, the individuals carrying RECK promoter rs10814325 inheriting at least one C allele had a 1.85-fold [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.03-3.36] risk of developing HCC compared to TT wild type carriers. The HCC patients, who carried rs11788747 with at least one G allele, had a higher distant metastasis risk than wild type probands.

CONCLUSIONS

RECK gene polymorphisms might be a risk factor increasing HCC susceptibility and distant metastasis in Taiwan.

Genetic polymorphism of urokinase-type plasminogen activator is interacting with plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 to raise risk of cervical neoplasia

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the impact of plasminogen activator (PA) system genes, including urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), uPA receptor (uPAR), and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) gene polymorphisms in patients with the cervical neoplasia.

METHODS

In total, 336 blood samples were collected from healthy women and 136 patients with cervical neoplasia to analyze the gene polymorphisms of representative PA system genes.

RESULTS

There was no significant association between cervical neoplasia cases and gene polymorphisms of uPA, uPAR and PAI-1 genes as well as to the carcinogenesis of cervical if the cervical neoplasia cases were stratified to HSILs and invasive cancer cases. However, we found a mutual interaction between uPA/PAI-1 genes, which women carrying the uPA/PAI-1 CC/4G4G allele had a 1.70-fold higher risk (OR = 1.70; 95% CI 1.04-2.79) of cervical neoplasia compared with those carrying the CC/4G5G allele.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals with uPA/PAI-1 CC/4G5G allele were in high susceptibility for cervical neoplasia. The combined polymorphism of uPA/PAI-1 might diminish the ability of PAI-1 to inhibiting cervical cancer carcinogenesis when PAI-1 alone as the role of inhibitor.

Survivin T9809C, an SNP located in 3'-UTR, displays a correlation with the risk and clinicopathological development of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is seldom available because of the lack of reliable markers. Survivin is an anti-apoptotic protein that is implicated in the regulation of apoptosis and cell cycle, and it is undetectable in normal adult tissues but is overexpressed in various types of cancers. Survivin is thus commonly considered to be a marker of malignancy. The aim of this study was to explore the association between survivin gene polymorphisms and the risk and diagnostic progress of HCC.

METHODS

A total of 135 patients with HCC and 496 healthy control subjects were recruited. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of survivin genes were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) and further analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

We first found that the -241 C/T and -235 G/A genetic polymorphisms of survivin did not occur frequently enough or even lacked in Taiwanese population. The +9809 C/C polymorphism exhibited a significant (P < .05) low risk of 0.525-fold (95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 0.297-0.930) to have HCC compared with the wild-type homozygotes and a low ratio of 0.214-fold (95% CI = 0.051-0.890) for positive anti-HCV was shown in the individuals with survivin +9809 polymorphic CC allele compared with the TT/TC genotypic subgroup.

CONCLUSIONS

Survivin +9809 polymorphic genotype is associated with the risk of HCC, and the HCC patients with survivin +9809 CC homozygotes might have a low risk of developing infected HCV-dependent HCC. The results suggest that the survivin T9809C SNP might contribute to the prediction of susceptibility and pathological development to HCC.

Role of MMP14 gene polymorphisms in susceptibility and pathological development to hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is seldom available because of the lack of reliable markers. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 14 is a cell surface proteinase that displays a broad spectrum of activity against extracellular matrix components and promotes the invasion/metastasis of cells. MMP14 is overexpressed in HCC, and the level is correlated with poor overall survival. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the MMP14 gene polymorphisms are associated with the susceptibility and clinicopathological development of HCC.

METHODS

A total of 135 patients with HCC and 496 healthy control subjects were recruited. Six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of MMP14 genes were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) genotyping and haplotype-base analysis.

RESULTS

A significant (p < 0.05) lower risk for HCC was shown in the individuals with MMP14 +6767 G/A and +7096 C/C genotypes compared with those with corresponding wild-type homozygotes; high frequency for anti-hepatitis C virus and cirrhosis positive were shown in the HCC patients with MMP14 +7096 TC/CC genotype after adjusting for other confounding factors. The distribution frequency of -165 T: +221 T: +6727 C: +6767 G: +7096 T: +8153 G haplotype and diplotype was significantly higher in the HCC patients than healthy control subjects.

CONCLUSIONS

The +6767 and +7096 polymorphic genotypes and haplotype -165 T: +221 T: +6727 C: +6767 G: +7096 T: +8153 G of MMP14 gene might contribute to the prediction of susceptibility and pathological development to HCC.