Polymorphisms in NFKB1 and NFKBIA Genes Modulate the Risk of Developing Prostate Cancer among Han Chinese

Whole-transcriptome analyses of sheep embryonic testicular cells infected with the bluetongue virus

Introduction

bluetongue virus (BTV) infection triggers dramatic and complex changes in the host's transcriptional profile to favor its own survival and reproduction. However, there is no whole-transcriptome study of susceptible animal cells with BTV infection, which impedes the in-depth and systematical understanding of the comprehensive characterization of BTV-host interactome, as well as BTV infection and pathogenic mechanisms.

Methods

to systematically understand these changes, we performed whole-transcriptome sequencing in BTV serotype 1 (BTV-1)-infected and mock-infected sheep embryonic testicular cells, and subsequently conducted bioinformatics differential analyses.

Results

there were 1504 differentially expressed mRNAs, 78 differentially expressed microRNAs, 872 differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs, and 59 differentially expressed circular RNAs identified in total. Annotation from the Gene Ontology, enrichment from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and construction of competing endogenous RNA networks revealed differentially expressed RNAs primarily related to virus-sensing and signaling transduction pathways, antiviral and immune responses, inflammation, and development and metabolism related pathways. Furthermore, a protein-protein interaction network analysis found that BTV may contribute to abnormal spermatogenesis by reducing steroid biosynthesis. Finally, real-time quantitative PCR and western blotting results showed that the expression trends of differentially expressed RNAs were consistent with the whole-transcriptome sequencing data.

Discussion

this study provides more insights of comprehensive characterization of BTV-host interactome, and BTV infection and pathogenic mechanisms.

NF-κB-Dependent and -Independent (Moonlighting) IκBα Functions in Differentiation and Cancer

IκBα is considered to play an almost exclusive role as inhibitor of the NF-κB signaling pathway. However, previous results have demonstrated that SUMOylation imposes a distinct subcellular distribution, regulation, NF-κB-binding affinity and function to the IκBα protein. In this review we discuss the main alterations of IκBα found in cancer and whether they are (most likely) associated with NF-κB-dependent or NF-κB-independent (moonlighting) activities of the protein.

BPA-induced prostatic hyperplasia in vitro is correlated with the unbalanced gene expression of AR and ER in the epithelium and stroma

As a typical environmental endocrine disruptor (EED), bisphenol A (BPA) can induce pathological hyperplasia of the prostatic epithelium and stroma. This study concentrates mainly on the effect and underlying mechanisms of BPA on prostatic hyperplasia, which is based on the culture of primary human prostate epithelial cells (HPEpiC) and human prostate fibroblasts (HPrF). In an effect to screen the optimal pro-survival BPA levels, HPEpiC and HPrF were, respectively, exposed to concentration gradients of BPA (10^-12 M-10^-4 M) solution diluted with two corresponding medium and incubated for 72 h at 37°C. CCK-8 assay showed that 10^-9 M-10^-5 M BPA could facilitate the proliferation of HPEpiC, while similar proliferative effect of HPrF only needed 10^-11 M-10^-7 M BPA. HPrF were more sensitive to BPA than HPEpiC. The qualification of PCNA gene expression measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) also mirrored the BPA-induced cell proliferation. Additionally, our results considered that androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor (ERα, ERβ), and NFKB1 gene expressions exhibited up-regulation in HPEpiC treated with 10^-9 M BPA for 72 h. However, in HPrF, the identical BPA treatment could activate ERα, ERβ, and NFKB1 gene expressions and down-regulated the expression of AR levels. It is further confirmed that low-dose BPA can indeed promote the proliferation of human prostate cells in vitro, and the mechanisms of BPA for prostatic epithelial and stromal hyperplasia may not be consistent.

MiRNAs and radical prostatectomy: Current data, bioinformatic analysis and utility as predictors of tumour relapse

BACKGROUND

Studies of microRNAs (miRNAs) and genes have particular interest for cancer biology and medicine due to the discovery of new therapeutic targets and markers. These studies are extensively influenced by anticancer therapy, as miRNAs interfere with the therapy's efficacy in prostate cancer (PCa).

OBJECTIVES

In this article, we summarise the available data on the influence of radical prostatectomy (RP) and biochemical recurrence on miRNA expression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Molecular targets of these miRNAs, as well as the reciprocal relations between different miRNAs and their targets, were studied using the DIANA, STRING and TransmiR databases. Special attention was dedicated to the mechanisms of PCa development, miRNA, and associated genes as tumour development mediators.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Combined analysis of the databases and available literature indicates that expression of four miRNAs that are associated with prostate cancer relapse and alter their expression after RP, combined with genes that closely interact with selected miRNAs, has high potential for the prediction of PCa relapse after RP. PCa tissues and biofluids, both immediately after RP for diagnostics/prognostics and in long-term (relapse) monitoring, may be used as sources of these miRNAs.

CONCLUSION

An overview of the usefulness of published data and bioinformatics resources looking for diagnostic markers and molecular targets is presented in this article. The selected miRNA and gene panels have good potential as prognostic and PCa relapse markers after RP and likely could also serve as markers for therapeutic efficiency on a broader scale.

Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4)/Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) Regulates Prostate Cancer Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion by NF-κB Activation

Background

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated signaling has been implicated in invasion, metastasis, and survival of various cancers. Activation of TLR4 can promote cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB). However, little is known about the effects of TLR4/COX-2 in prostate cancer (PCa).

Material/Methods

In our study, TLR4 and COX-2 expressions were detected by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) in PCa tissues (n=34). Cell proliferation was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) assays. The migration and invasion abilities were detected by wound healing and Transwell assays. qRT-PCR and western blot assays were performed to detect TLR4, COX-2, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1, epithelial-cadherin (E-cadherin), vimentin, NF-κB (p65), and p-p65 expressions.

Results

The results revealed that TLR4 and COX-2 were upregulated in PCa tissues; Silencing of TLR4 or COX-2 inhibited PCa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and TLR4 siRNAs combined with COX-2 siRNAs synergistically suppressed PCa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Silencing of TLR4 or COX-2 also downregulated MMP-2, MMP-9, and E-cadherin expressions, and upregulated TIMP-1 and vimentin expressions. In addition, silencing of TLR4 or COX-2 inhibited p65 phosphorylation and had a synergistic effect.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that TLR4/COX-2 inhibits PCa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by regulating NF-κB.

An updated meta-analysis of 37 case-control studies on the association between NFKB1 -94ins/del ATTG promoter polymorphism and cancer susceptibility

As a cell survival signal, nuclear factor-kappa B (NFKB) is associated with the pathogenesis of numerous malignancies. According to several studies, NFKB1 −94ins/del ATTG promoter polymorphism is associated with the risk of different malignancies, but the results were not consistent. Therefore, we performed an updated meta-analysis based on 37 case-control studies from 33 articles (16,271 cases and 22,781 controls) to clarify the relationship. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to determine the strength of the association. We found that the NFKB1 −94ins/del ATTG promoter polymorphism was significantly associated with increased susceptibility to cancer in the recessive (II vs. ID+DD, OR = 1.140, 95% CI = 1.029–1.263, p =0.012), homozygote (II vs. DD, OR = 1.259, 95% CI = 1.068–1.485, p =0.006), and allele (I vs. D, OR = 1.109, 95% CI = 1.025–1.199, p =0.010) genetic models. The subgroup analysis for ethnicity found that the NFKB1 −94ins/del ATTG promoter polymorphism was significantly associated with an increased susceptibility to cancer in Asians and with a decreased susceptibility in Caucasians. The stratified analyses revealed significant associations between the polymorphism and increased susceptibility to ovarian cancer, oral squamous cell carcinoma, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Single nucleotide polymorphism rs696 in miR449a binding site of NFKBIA gene is correlated with risk of colorectal cancer

AIM

In present study we have elucidated the role of 2758 A>G (rs696), in the recognition site of miR449a in the 3' UTR of NFKB inhibitor alpha (NFKBIA) gene, in development of sporadic colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is rated as second cause of cancer death. Genetic determinants are considered as driving forces in development of sporadic CRC. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), are attributed as the main genetic factor in cancers susceptibility. MicroRNAs, are key players in post-translational gene regulation by binding to their specific recognition sequences located at 3' untranslated region (UTR) of mRNAs.

METHODS

A case-control study using 143 CRC patients and 137 noncancerous counterparts were undertaken in order to determine rs696 genotypes using polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method.

RESULTS

There was a significant difference for the genotype frequencies of rs696 between patients and controls. The frequencies of GG, AG, AA genotypes in the control group were 38.7, 45.3, and 16.1 %, respectively, and the genotype frequencies in case group were 19.6, 40.6, and 39.9 %, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest significant correlation between rs696 polymorphism and colorectal cancer risk.

Lipid Metabolism is Closely Associated with Normal Testicular Growth Based on Global Transcriptome Profiles in Normal and Underdeveloped Testis of Obese Zucker (fa/fa) Rats

Zucker (fa/fa) obese rats often have non-identical and differently sized paired testes, leaving one testis underdeveloped. Our earlier study found that the underdeveloped testes, > 30% smaller than the normal ones, have a selective decrease in docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-6), a dominant fatty acid in the testes. This study was conducted to examine global testicular transcriptome profile in underdeveloped testes relative to developed ones using Rat Gene 2.0 ST Array (Affymetrix, USA). Testes were obtained from 14-week-old, sexually mature male obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats. Out of the 1790 transcripts differentially expressed, 1108 and 682 were over-expressed in the underdeveloped and normal testis, respectively (fold change ≥ 2 and P < 0.05). The ingenuity pathway analysis indicated that transcripts that were under-expressed in the underdeveloped testis, relative to the normal testes, are involved in triacylglycerol biosynthesis, sphingomyelin metabolism and phosphatidylglycerol biosynthesis. Transcripts that were over-expressed in underdeveloped testes, relative to normal testis, are involved in the production of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species, and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 mediated oxidative stress responses. These data indicate that genes involved in lipid metabolism and oxidative stress play a crucial role in testicular growth and the maintenance of testical health.

Association of NF-κB polymorphisms with clinical outcome of non-medullary thyroid carcinoma

The NF-κB inflammatory pathway plays a major role in cancer development and clinical progression. Activation of NF-κB signaling is promoted by NFKB1 and inhibited by NFKBIA. The present study aimed to determine the relevance of NFKB1 rs4648068 and NFKBIA rs2233406 genetic variants for non-medullary thyroid cancer (NMTC) susceptibility, progression and clinical outcome. This case-control and cohort study consists of a Romanian discovery cohort (157 patients and 258 controls) and a Dutch validation cohort (138 patients and 188 controls). In addition, patient cohorts were analyzed further for the association of genetic variants with clinical parameters. Functional studies were performed on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. No associations were observed between the studied genetic variants and TC susceptibility. Although no statistically significant associations with clinical parameters were observed for NFKB1 rs4648068, the heterozygous genotype of NFKBIA rs2233406 was correlated with decreased radioactive iodide sensitivity requiring higher cumulative dosages to achieve clinical response. These findings were discovered in the Romanian cohort (P < 0.001) and confirmed in the Dutch cohort (P = 0.01). Functional studies revealed that this NFKBIA rs2233406 genotype was associated with elevated TLR4-mediated IL-1β production. In conclusion, genetic variation in NFKBIA, an inhibitor of NF-κB signaling, is associated with clinical response to RAI therapy and with increased production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β, providing a potential mechanism for the observed clinical associations. These data suggest that NF-κB signaling is involved in NMTC pathogenesis and that the inflammatory tumor microenvironment could contribute to RAI resistance.

Associations of Prostate-Specific Antigen, Prostate Carcinoma Tissue Gleason Score, and Androgen Receptor Expression with Bone Metastasis in Patients with Prostate Carcinoma

Background

Prostate carcinoma (PCa) is often not diagnosed until advanced disease with bone metastasis. Predictive factors for bone metastasis are required to improve patient outcomes. The study aimed to analyze the factors associated with bone metastases in newly diagnosed patients with PCa.

Material/Methods

This was a retrospective study of 80 patients newly diagnosed with PCa by pathological examination between January 2012 and December 2014. Bone metastases were diagnosed by positron emission computed tomography. Clinical data, serological laboratory results, and pathological examination results were collected.

Results

Among the 80 patients, 45 (56%) had bone metastases. Age, serum alkaline phosphatase, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, PCa tissue Gleason score, androgen receptor (AR) expression, and Ki-67 expression were higher in patients with bone metastasis compared with those without (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression showed that PSA (OR: 1.005; 95%CI: 1.001–1.010; P=0.016), Gleason score (OR: 4.095; 95%CI: 1.592–10.529; P=0.003), and AR expression (OR: 14.023; 95%CI: 3.531–55.6981; P=0.005) were independently associated with bone metastases. Cut-off values for PSA, Gleason score, and AR expression were 67.1 ng/ml (sensitivity: 55.6%; specificity: 97.1%), 7.5 (sensitivity: 75.6%; specificity: 82.9%), and 2.5 (sensitivity: 84.0%; specificity: 91.4%), respectively.

Conclusions

PSA, Gleason score, and AR expression in PCa tissues were independently associated with PCa bone metastases. These results could help identifying patients with PCa at high risk of bone metastases.

NFKB1 -94insertion/deletion ATTG polymorphism and cancer risk: Evidence from 50 case-control studies

Nuclear factor-kappa B1 (NF-κB1) is a pleiotropic transcription factor and key contributor to tumorigenesis in many types of cancer. Numerous studies have addressed the association of a functional insertion (I)/deletion (D) polymorphism (-94ins/delATTG, rs28362491) in the promoter region of NFKB1 gene with the risk of various types of cancer; however, their conclusions have been inconsistent. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to reevaluate this association. PubMed, EMBASE, China National Knowledge infrastructure (CNKI), and WANFANG databases were searched through July 2016 to retrieve relevant studies. After careful assessment, 50 case-control studies, comprising 18,299 cases and 23,484 controls were selected. Crude odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to determine the strength of the association. The NFKB1 -94ins/delATTG polymorphism was associated with a decreased risk of overall cancer in the homozygote model (DD vs. II): OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.64-0.87); heterozygote model (ID vs. II): OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.83-0.99; recessive model (DD vs. ID/II): OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.71-0.91; dominant model (ID/DD vs. II): OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.78-0.95; and allele contrast model (D vs. I): OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.81-0.95). Subgroup and stratified analyses revealed decreased risks for lung cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and oral squamous cell carcinoma, and this association held true also for Asians (especially Chinese subjects) in hospital-based studies, and in studies with quality scores less than nine. Well-designed, large-scale case-control studies are needed to confirm these results.

Genetic association between NFKB1 -94 ins/del ATTG Promoter Polymorphism and cancer risk: a meta-analysis of 42 case-control studies

Accumulating evidences have indicated that the functional -94 ins/del ATTG polymorphism in the promoter region of human nuclear factor-kappa B1 (NFKB1) gene may be associated with cancer risk. However, some studies yielded conflicting results. To clarify precise association, we performed a comprehensive meta-analysis of 42 case-control studies involving 43,000 subjects (18,222 cases and 24,778 controls). The overall results suggested that the -94 ins/del ATTG polymorphism had a decreased risk for cancer, reaching significant levels in five genetic models (dominant model: OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.79–0.95, P = 0.002; recessive model: OR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.74–0.94, P = 0.003; homozygous model: OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.66–0.90, P = 0.001; heterozygous model: OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.83–0.98, P = 0.011; allelic model: OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.83–0.96, P = 0.002). Furthermore, the -94 ins/del ATTG polymorphism could confer a decreased or increased risk for cancer development among Asians and Caucasians, respectively. Additionally, the stratification analysis revealed a significant association between the variant and decreased risk of oral, ovarian, and nasopharyngeal cancer in Asians. After we adjusted p values using the Benjamini-Hochberg false discovery rate method to account for multiple comparisons, these associations remained.

Low LKB1 Expression Results in Unfavorable Prognosis in Prostate Cancer Patients

Background

The present study aimed to compare the expression of liver kinase B1 (LKB1) in prostate cancer (PCa) tissues and the paired adjacent tissues, then to evaluate the statistical relationship between LKB1 expression and prognosis of PCa patients.

Material/Methods

The relative expression of LKB1 at mRNA level was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The expression of LKB1 at protein level was measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC) method. The relationship between LKB1 expression and clinicopathologic characteristics was estimated by chi-square test. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the overall survival of PCa patients with different LKB1 expression. Cox regression analysis was performed to estimate the significance of LKB1 expression and clinicopathologic characteristics in the prognosis of PCa patients.

Results

The relative expression of LKB1 at mRNA level was significantly lower in PCa tissues than in the normal tissues (P<0.001). The LKB1 expression was proved to be affected by clinical stage (P=0.019) and PSA concentration (P=0.031) of PCa patients. Moreover, patients with negative LKB1 expression had shorter survival than those with positive expression. Cox regression analysis confirmed that LKB1 could be regarded as a prognostic biomarker for PCa patients (P=0.001, HR=3.981, 95% CI=1.698–9.336).

Conclusions

The expression of LKB1 was lower in PCa tissues and might be a predictor for the prognosis of PCa patients.

Common Polymorphisms in the NFKBIA Gene and Cancer Susceptibility: A Meta-Analysis

Background

NFKBIA encodes the inhibitors of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), which regulate the translation of the genes involved in the inflammatory and immune reactions. Polymorphisms (rs2233406, rs3138053, and rs696) of NFKBIA have been implicated in susceptibility to many cancer types.

Material/Methods

To evaluate the association between polymorphisms of NFKBIA and cancer susceptibility, a meta-analysis including a total of 7182 cancer cases and 10 057 controls from 28 case-control studies was performed. Data were extracted and pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.

Results

Combined data demonstrated that rs3138053 polymorphism of NFKBIA was associated with cancer susceptibility in an allelic model (C vs. T: OR=10.754, 95%CI=4.175–27.697, P_{heterogeneity}=0.000), while the polymorphism of rs696 appeared to play a protective role in tumorigenesis (CC+CT vs. TT: OR=0.879, 95%CI=0.787–0.982, P_{heterogeneity}=0.107). When stratification analysis was performed by cancer type, an increased association of rs3138053 was recognized in hepatocarcinoma (C vs. T: OR=42.180, 95%CI=27.970–63.612, P_{heterogeneity}=0.007), while a decreased association of rs696 was identified in Hodgkin lymphoma (C vs. T: OR=0.792, 95%CI=0.656–0.956, P_{heterogeneity}=0.116; CC vs. TT: OR=0.658, 95%CI=0.448–0.965, P_{heterogeneity}=0.076; CC vs. CT+TT: OR=0.734, 95%CI=0.562–0.958, P_{heterogeneity}=0.347). By ethnicity, rs696 appears to be a protective candidate among Caucasians (CT vs. TT: OR=0.809, 95%CI=0.676–0.969, P_{heterogeneity}=0.459).

Conclusions

Our data demonstrated that the rs3138053 polymorphism of NFKBIA gene is a candidate for susceptibility to overall cancers, while rs696 plays a protective role.