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Thu Nguyen T, Van Tran K, Cam Ho T, Xuan Nguyen H, Trong Nguyen T. A systematic analysis with the hierarchical cluster analysis strategy on the complex interaction of TERT and CTNNB1 somatic mutations in Vietnamese hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Gene 2024; 927:148646. [PMID: 38851365 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148646] [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: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and β-catenin (CTNNB1) mutations may occur following the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) pathway signal. We conducted a Hierarchical cluster analysis study on 408 patients diagnosed with HCC by pathological surgery, identifying TERT promoter and CTNNB1 exon 3 mutations by sequencing. The overall preclinical characteristics, cumulative cut-point values, and the factors associated with these somatic mutations were analyzed in uni/multidimensional scaling model. HBV(+) HCV(-) HCC male patients who were older than 62.74 years old and have TERT promoter mutation as well as AFP > 489.78 ng/ml got a higher risk of HCC grade more than two from 27 % to 200 % with p < 0.05 (RR are from 1.27 [1.09-1.47] to 3.06 [2.04-4.61]). This mutation was a good indicator of grade 2 risk (HR = 0.37 [2.72-0.16], β = -1.00, p = 0.019). TERT promoter and CTNNB1 exon 3 mutations independently influenced tumor size and tumor site status in grade 3 and HBV(-) HCV (-) male HCC patients, where the hazard rates, respectively, were 0.28 [0.09-0.89], 0.023 [0.0023-0.23] and 0.06 [0.012-0.32] (β < 0 and p < 0.01). These two mutations inversely impacted each other the tumor sites status, especially in male HCC patients with grade 2 without B, C hepatitis virus (RRCTNNB1 exon 3 mutate - TERT promoter wildtype = 1.12 [1.04-1.20], p < 0.05). Consequently, the mutations in TERT promoter and CTNNB1 exon 3 may synchronize with other factors or independently impact the hepatocarcinogenesis and are important indicators for HCC prognostic in male patients with very high AFP levels or with moderately as well as poorly differentiated in tumor. Our results serve as the basis for further studies to understand the impact of different factors on the outcome of HCC, especially in monitoring and assessing the cancer risk of patients infect HBV and carry mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuy Thu Nguyen
- Center for Gene and Protein Research, Hanoi Medical University, 116177 Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Khanh Van Tran
- Center for Gene and Protein Research, Hanoi Medical University, 116177 Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Tu Cam Ho
- Center for Gene and Protein Research, Hanoi Medical University, 116177 Hanoi, Viet Nam; Institute of Virology, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Hau Xuan Nguyen
- Department of Oncology, Hanoi Medical University, 116177 Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Tue Trong Nguyen
- Medical Laboratory Department, Hanoi Medical University, 116177 Hanoi, Viet Nam; Clinical Laboratory Department, Hanoi Medical University Hospital, 116177 Hanoi, Viet Nam.
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Kouroumalis E, Tsomidis I, Voumvouraki A. Pathogenesis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Interplay of Apoptosis and Autophagy. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11041166. [PMID: 37189787 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11041166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a multifactorial process that has not yet been fully investigated. Autophagy and apoptosis are two important cellular pathways that are critical for cell survival or death. The balance between apoptosis and autophagy regulates liver cell turnover and maintains intracellular homeostasis. However, the balance is often dysregulated in many cancers, including HCC. Autophagy and apoptosis pathways may be either independent or parallel or one may influence the other. Autophagy may either inhibit or promote apoptosis, thus regulating the fate of the liver cancer cells. In this review, a concise overview of the pathogenesis of HCC is presented, with emphasis on new developments, including the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress, the implication of microRNAs and the role of gut microbiota. The characteristics of HCC associated with a specific liver disease are also described and a brief description of autophagy and apoptosis is provided. The role of autophagy and apoptosis in the initiation, progress and metastatic potential is reviewed and the experimental evidence indicating an interplay between the two is extensively analyzed. The role of ferroptosis, a recently described specific pathway of regulated cell death, is presented. Finally, the potential therapeutic implications of autophagy and apoptosis in drug resistance are examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Kouroumalis
- Department of Gastroenterology, PAGNI University Hospital, University of Crete School of Medicine, 71500 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Crete Medical School, 71500 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Ioannis Tsomidis
- Laboratory of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Crete Medical School, 71500 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- 1st Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, 54621 Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Greece
| | - Argyro Voumvouraki
- 1st Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, 54621 Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia, Greece
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Antropova E, Khlebodarova T, Demenkov P, Venzel A, Ivanisenko N, Gavrilenko A, Ivanisenko T, Adamovskaya A, Revva P, Lavrik I, Ivanisenko V. Computer analysis of regulation of hepatocarcinoma marker genes hypermethylated by HCV proteins. Vavilovskii Zhurnal Genet Selektsii 2022; 26:733-742. [PMID: 36714033 PMCID: PMC9840909 DOI: 10.18699/vjgb-22-89] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a risk factor that leads to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. Epigenetic changes are known to play an important role in the molecular genetic mechanisms of virus-induced oncogenesis. Aberrant DNA methylation is a mediator of epigenetic changes that are closely associated with the HCC pathogenesis and considered a biomarker for its early diagnosis. The ANDSystem software package was used to reconstruct and evaluate the statistical significance of the pathways HCV could potentially use to regulate 32 hypermethylated genes in HCC, including both oncosuppressor and protumorigenic ones identified by genome-wide analysis of DNA methylation. The reconstructed pathways included those affecting protein-protein interactions (PPI), gene expression, protein activity, stability, and transport regulations, the expression regulation pathways being statistically significant. It has been shown that 8 out of 10 HCV proteins were involved in these pathways, the HCV NS3 protein being implicated in the largest number of regulatory pathways. NS3 was associated with the regulation of 5 tumor-suppressor genes, which may be the evidence of its central role in HCC pathogenesis. Analysis of the reconstructed pathways has demonstrated that following the transcription factor inhibition caused by binding to viral proteins, the expression of a number of oncosuppressors (WT1, MGMT, SOCS1, P53) was suppressed, while the expression of others (RASF1, RUNX3, WIF1, DAPK1) was activated. Thus, the performed gene-network reconstruction has shown that HCV proteins can influence not only the methylation status of oncosuppressor genes, but also their transcriptional regulation. The results obtained can be used in the search for pharmacological targets to develop new drugs against HCV-induced HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- E.A. Antropova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - T.M. Khlebodarova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, RussiaKurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - P.S. Demenkov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, RussiaKurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - A.S. Venzel
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, RussiaKurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - N.V. Ivanisenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, RussiaKurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - A.D. Gavrilenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, RussiaNovosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - T.V. Ivanisenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, RussiaKurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - A.V. Adamovskaya
- Kurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, RussiaNovosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - P.M. Revva
- Kurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, RussiaKurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - I.N. Lavrik
- Translational Inflammation Research, Medical Faculty, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - V.A. Ivanisenko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Scences, Novosibirsk, RussiaKurchatov Genomic Center of ICG SB RAS, Novosibirsk, RussiaNovosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
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Tornesello ML, Cerasuolo A, Starita N, Tornesello AL, Bonelli P, Tuccillo FM, Buonaguro L, Isaguliants MG, Buonaguro FM. The Molecular Interplay between Human Oncoviruses and Telomerase in Cancer Development. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:5257. [PMID: 36358677 PMCID: PMC9659228 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14215257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Human oncoviruses are able to subvert telomerase function in cancer cells through multiple strategies. The activity of the catalytic subunit of telomerase (TERT) is universally enhanced in virus-related cancers. Viral oncoproteins, such as high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) E6, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) LMP1, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (HHV-8) LANA, hepatitis B virus (HBV) HBVx, hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein and human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1) Tax protein, interact with regulatory elements in the infected cells and contribute to the transcriptional activation of TERT gene. Specifically, viral oncoproteins have been shown to bind TERT promoter, to induce post-transcriptional alterations of TERT mRNA and to cause epigenetic modifications, which have important effects on the regulation of telomeric and extra-telomeric functions of the telomerase. Other viruses, such as herpesviruses, operate by integrating their genomes within the telomeres or by inducing alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) in non-ALT cells. In this review, we recapitulate on recent findings on virus-telomerase/telomeres interplay and the importance of TERT-related oncogenic pathways activated by cancer-causing viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Lina Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, Via Mariano Semmola, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Andrea Cerasuolo
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, Via Mariano Semmola, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Noemy Starita
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, Via Mariano Semmola, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Anna Lucia Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, Via Mariano Semmola, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Patrizia Bonelli
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, Via Mariano Semmola, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Franca Maria Tuccillo
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, Via Mariano Semmola, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Luigi Buonaguro
- Cancer Immunoregulation Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, Via Mariano Semmola, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Franco M. Buonaguro
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, Via Mariano Semmola, 80131 Napoli, Italy
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Zhu Z, Tran H, Mathahs MM, Fink BD, Albert JA, Moninger TO, Meier JL, Li M, Schmidt WN. Zinc protoporphyrin binding to telomerase complexes and inhibition of telomerase activity. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2021; 9:e00882. [PMID: 34747573 PMCID: PMC8573827 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP), a naturally occurring metalloprotoporphyrin (MPP), is currently under development as a chemotherapeutic agent although its mechanism is unclear. When tested against other MPPs, ZnPP was the most effective DNA synthesis and cellular proliferation inhibitor while promoting apoptosis in telomerase positive but not telomerase negative cells. Concurrently, ZnPP down-regulated telomerase expression and was the best overall inhibitor of telomerase activity in intact cells and cellular extracts with IC50 and EC50 values of ca 2.5 and 6 µM, respectively. The natural fluorescence properties of ZnPP enabled direct imaging in cellular fractions using non-denaturing agarose gel electrophoresis, western blots, and confocal fluorescence microscopy. ZnPP localized to large cellular complexes (>600 kD) that contained telomerase and dysskerin as confirmed with immunocomplex mobility shift, immunoprecipitation, and immunoblot analyses. Confocal fluorescence studies showed that ZnPP co-localized with telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and telomeres in the nucleus of synchronized S-phase cells. ZnPP also co-localized with TERT in the perinuclear regions of log phase cells but did not co-localize with telomeres on the ends of metaphase chromosomes, a site known to be devoid of telomerase complexes. Overall, these results suggest that ZnPP does not bind to telomeric sequences per se, but alternatively, interacts with other structural components of the telomerase complex to inhibit telomerase activity. In conclusion, ZnPP actively interferes with telomerase activity in neoplastic cells, thus promoting pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferative properties. These data support further development of natural or synthetic protoporphyrins for use as chemotherapeutic agents to augment current treatment protocols for neoplastic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaowen Zhu
- Department of Internal Medicine and Research ServiceVeterans Affairs Medical CenterIowa CityIowaUSA
- Department of Internal MedicineRoy G. and Lucille A. Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowaUSA
| | - Huy Tran
- Department of Internal MedicineRoy G. and Lucille A. Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowaUSA
| | - Meleah M. Mathahs
- Department of Internal Medicine and Research ServiceVeterans Affairs Medical CenterIowa CityIowaUSA
| | - Brian D. Fink
- Department of Internal Medicine and Research ServiceVeterans Affairs Medical CenterIowa CityIowaUSA
| | - John A. Albert
- Department of Internal Medicine and Research ServiceVeterans Affairs Medical CenterIowa CityIowaUSA
| | - Thomas O. Moninger
- Central Microscopy Research Facility Roy G. and Lucille A. Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowaUSA
| | - Jeffery L. Meier
- Department of Internal Medicine and Research ServiceVeterans Affairs Medical CenterIowa CityIowaUSA
- Department of Internal MedicineRoy G. and Lucille A. Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowaUSA
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Internal Medicine and Research ServiceVeterans Affairs Medical CenterIowa CityIowaUSA
| | - Warren N. Schmidt
- Department of Internal Medicine and Research ServiceVeterans Affairs Medical CenterIowa CityIowaUSA
- Department of Internal MedicineRoy G. and Lucille A. Carver College of MedicineUniversity of IowaIowa CityIowaUSA
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Dash S, Aydin Y, Widmer KE, Nayak L. Hepatocellular Carcinoma Mechanisms Associated with Chronic HCV Infection and the Impact of Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2020; 7:45-76. [PMID: 32346535 PMCID: PMC7167284 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s221187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is the major risk factor for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The mechanisms of HCC initiation, growth, and metastasis appear to be highly complex due to the decade-long interactions between the virus, immune system, and overlapping bystander effects of host metabolic liver disease. The lack of a readily accessible animal model system for HCV is a significant obstacle to understand the mechanisms of viral carcinogenesis. Traditionally, the primary prevention strategy of HCC has been to eliminate infection by antiviral therapy. The success of virus elimination by antiviral treatment is determined by the SVR when the HCV is no longer detectable in serum. Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) and its analogs, pegylated IFN-α (PEG-IFN-α) alone with ribavirin (RBV), have been the primary antiviral treatment of HCV for many years with a low cure rate. The cloning and sequencing of HCV have allowed the development of cell culture models, which accelerated antiviral drug discovery. It resulted in the selection of highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA)-based combination therapy that now offers incredible success in curing HCV infection in more than 95% of all patients, including those with cirrhosis. However, several emerging recent publications claim that patients who have liver cirrhosis at the time of DAAs treatment face the risk of HCC occurrence and recurrence after viral cure. This remains a substantial challenge while addressing the long-term benefit of antiviral medicine. The host-related mechanisms that drive the risk of HCC in the absence of the virus are unknown. This review describes the multifaceted mechanisms that create a tumorigenic environment during chronic HCV infection. In addition to the potential oncogenic programming that drives HCC after viral clearance by DAAs, the current status of a biomarker development for early prediction of cirrhosis regression and HCC detection post viral treatment is discussed. Since DAAs treatment does not provide full protection against reinfection or viral transmission to other individuals, the recent studies for a vaccine development are also reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srikanta Dash
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.,Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA 70119, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Yucel Aydin
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Kyle E Widmer
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA 70119, USA
| | - Leela Nayak
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA 70119, USA
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Ewald PW. Ancient cancers and infection-induced oncogenesis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2018; 21:178-185. [PMID: 29778408 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2017.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2017] [Revised: 08/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Cancers have been reported in bone and soft tissue of ancient agricultural populations. Fossilized bones from prehistoric periods provide evidence of tumors but only one example of cancer. Difficulties in diagnosing the causes of lesions in mummified tissue and fossilized bone, and in interpreting the prevalence of cancers from remains, draw attention to the need for complementary approaches to assess the occurrence of cancer in ancient populations. This paper integrates current knowledge about pathogen induction of cancer with phylogenetic analyses of oncogenic pathogens, and concludes that pathogen-induced cancers were probably generally present in ancient historic and prehistoric human populations. Consideration of cancers in extant human populations and wildlife lends credence to this conclusion, with the caveat that the presence of cancers may depend on population-specific exposures to oncogenic parasites and carcinogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul W Ewald
- Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, United States.
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