Functional genetic variant of WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) gene is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma risk

WWOX Polymorphisms as Predictors of the Biochemical Recurrence of Localized Prostate Cancer after Radical Prostatectomy

The downregulation of WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX), a tumor suppressor gene, is associated with the tumorigenesis and poor prognosis of various cancers. In this study, we investigated the associations between the polymorphisms of WWOX, clinicopathologic features of prostate cancer (PCa), and risk of postoperative biochemical recurrence (BCR). We evaluated the effects of five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of WWOX on the clinicopathologic features of 578 patients with PCa. The risk of postoperative BCR was 2.053-fold higher in patients carrying at least one "A" allele in WWOX rs12918952 than in those with homozygous G/G. Furthermore, patients with at least one polymorphic "T" allele in WWOX rs11545028 had an elevated (1.504-fold) risk of PCa with seminal vesicle invasion. In patients with postoperative BCR, the risks of an advanced Gleason grade and clinical metastasis were 3.317- and 5.259-fold higher in patients carrying at least one "G" allele in WWOX rs3764340 than in other patients. Our findings indicate the WWOX SNPs are significantly associated with highly aggressive pathologic features of PCa and an elevated risk of post-RP biochemical recurrence.

WWOX Modulates ROS-Dependent Senescence in Bladder Cancer

The tumor-suppressor gene, WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX), has been found to be lost in various types of cancers. ROS result as a tightly regulated signaling process for the induction of cell senescence. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of WWOX in the regulation of ROS and cell senescence, which is intriguing in terms of the possible mechanism of WWOX contributing to bladder cancer. In this study, we used the AY-27 rat bladder tumor cell line and F344 orthotopic bladder tumor models to reveal the pro-senescence effects of WWOX and the corresponding underlying mechanism in bladder cancer. WWOX-overexpressing lentivirus (LV-WWOX) remarkably stimulated cellular senescence, including increased senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) formation, enlarged cellular morphology, and induced SA-β-Gal-positive staining. A further mechanism study revealed that the pro-senescence effect of LV-WWOX was dependent on increased intercellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, which subsequently triggered p21/p27. Moreover, LV-WWOX significantly inhibited the tumor size by 30.49% in the F344/AY-27 rat orthotopic model (p < 0.05) by activating cellular senescence. The expression of p21 was significantly enhanced in the orthotopic bladder tumors under WWOX treatment. The orthotopic bladder tumors in the groups of rats verified the effect in vivo. Our study suggests that WWOX, an ROS-dependent senescence-induced gene, could be further studied for its therapeutic implications in bladder cancer.

A comprehensive review on miR-153: Mechanistic and controversial roles of miR-153 in tumorigenicity of cancer cells

miRNAs play a crucial role in regulating genes involved in cancer progression. Recently, miR-153 has been mainly well-known as a tumor suppressive miRNA modulating genes in proliferation, metastasis, EMT, angiogenesis and drug resistance ability of a variety types of cancer. Mechanistic activity of miR-153 in tumorigenicity has not been fully reviewed. This manuscript presents a comprehensive review on the tumor suppressive activity of miR-153 as well as introducing the controversial role of miR-153 as an oncogenic miRNA in cancer. Furthermore, it summarizes all potential non-coding RNAs such as long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs), transcribed ultra-conserved regions (T-UCRs) and circular RNAs (CircRNAs) targeting and sponging miR-153. Understanding the critical role of miR-153 in cell growth, metastasis, angiogenesis and drug resistance ability of cancer cells, suggests miR-153 as a potential prognostic biomarker for detecting cancer as well as providing a novel treatment strategy to combat with several types of cancer.

Effect of WW Domain-Containing Oxidoreductase Gene Polymorphism on Clinicopathological Characteristics of Patients with EGFR Mutant Lung Adenocarcinoma in Taiwan

Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common histological type of non-small cell lung cancer, which accounts for the majority of lung cancers. Previous studies have showed that dysregulation of WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) participates in the generation of several cancer types, including lung cancer. However, whether these WWOX polymorphisms are related to the clinical risk of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutated lung adenocarcinoma is worthy of investigation. The present study examined the relationship between the WWOX single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs11545028, rs12918952, rs3764340, rs73569323, and rs383362) and the clinicopathological factors in lung adenocarcinoma patients with or without EGFR mutations. We found that there was no significant difference in the genotype distribution of WWOX polymorphism between EGFR wild-type and EGFR mutant in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Our results demonstrated that the presence of at least one G genotype (CG and GG) allele on WWOX rs3764340 was associated with a significantly higher risk of nearby lymph node involvement in those patients harboring EGFR mutations (odds ratio (OR) = 3.881, p = 0.010) compared with the CC genotype. Furthermore, in the subgroup of lung adenocarcinoma patients with the EGFR-L858R mutation, both WWOX rs3764340 C/G (OR = 5.209, p = 0.023) and rs73569323 C/T polymorphisms (OR = 3.886, p = 0.039) exhibited significant associations with the size of primary tumors and the invasion of adjacent tissues. In conclusion, these data indicate that WWOX SNPs may help predict tumor growth and invasion in patients with EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinoma, especially those with the EGFR-L858R mutant in Taiwan.

Effect of MACC1 Genetic Polymorphisms and Environmental Risk Factors in the Occurrence of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

MACC1 (Metastasis Associated in Colon Cancer 1) is found to regulate the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/Met signal pathway, and plays an important role in tumor proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis. However, the relationships between MACC1 SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) and oral cancer are still blurred. In this study, five SNPs (rs3095007, rs1990172, rs4721888, rs975263, and rs3735615) were genotyped in 911 oral cancer patients and 1200 healthy individuals by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the associations of oral cancer with the SNP genotypes, environmental risk factors, and clinicopathological characteristics were further analyzed. Our results showed that individuals who had GC genotype or C-allele (GC + CC) in rs4721888 would have a higher risk for oral cancer incidence than GG genotype after adjustment for betel quid chewing, cigarette smoking, and alcohol drinking. Moreover, the 715 oral cancer patients with a betel quid chewing habit, who had C-allele (TC + CC) in rs975263, would have a higher risk for lymph node metastasis. Further analyses of the sequences of rs4721888 revealed that the C-allele of rs4721888 would be a putative exonic splicing enhancer. In conclusion, MACC1 SNP rs4721888 would elevate the susceptibility for oral cancer, and SNP rs975263 would increase the metastasis risk for oral cancer patients with a betel quid chewing habit. Our data suggest that SNP rs4721888 could be a putative genetic marker for oral cancer, and SNP rs975362 may have the potential to be a prognostic marker of metastasis in an oral cancer patient.

Effects of MACC1 polymorphisms on hepatocellular carcinoma development and clinical characteristics

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major malignancy of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) was suggested as a marker for vascular invasive HCC. This study investigated the MACC1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to evaluate HCC susceptibility and clinicopathological characteristics. In this study, real-time polymerase chain reaction was applied to analyze five SNPs of MACC1 rs1990172, rs975263, rs3095007, rs4721888, and rs3735615 in 378 patients with HCC and 1199 cancer-free controls. The results showed that in 151 HCC patients among smokers who carried MACC1 rs1990172 "CA + AA" variants had a lower risk of developing a large tumor (odds ratio [OR] = 0.375, p = 0.026), more advanced clinical stage ([OR] = 0.390, p=0.032), and vascular invasion ([OR] = 0.198, p = 0.034). In 137 HCC patients among drinkers who carried MACC1 rs4721888 "GC + CC" variants had a higher risk to develop vascular invasion ([OR] = 3.780, p = 0.009). Further analyses revealed a statistical significance of aberrant AST/ALT ratio in HCC patients with MACC1 rs975263 "AG+GG" variants before adjustment of age and alcohol drinking. In conclusion, our results suggested that the MACC1 SNPs rs1990172, rs4721888, and rs975263 are involved in HCC progression and clinical characteristics. MACC1 polymorphisms may serve as a marker or a predictor to evaluate HCC progression and prognosis.

Impact of Long Non-Coding RNA HOTAIR Genetic Variants on the Susceptibility and Clinicopathologic Characteristics of Patients with Urothelial Cell Carcinoma

Increasing evidence shows that dysregulated expression of long non-coding (lnc)RNAs can serve as diagnostic or prognostic markers in urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC), the most common pathological type of bladder cancer. lncRNA HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) was shown to promote tumor progression and be associated with a poor prognosis in multiple cancers including bladder cancer. Polymorphisms of HOTAIR were recently linked to a predisposition for diverse malignancies. Herein we conducted a case-control study to evaluate whether genetic polymorphisms of HOTAIR were associated with UCC risk and clinicopathologic characteristics. Four loci (rs920778 T>C, rs1899663 G>T, rs4759314 A>G, and rs12427129, C>T) of HOTAIR were genotyped by a TaqMan allelic discrimination method in 431 cases and 862 controls. We found that female patients who carried AG + GG genotype of rs4759314 were associated with an increased UCC risk after controlling for age and tobacco consumption (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.92, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01–3.64, p = 0.047) and a lower overall survival rate (p = 0.008). Moreover, patients with a smoking habit or younger age (≤65 years), who had at least one T allele of HOTAIR rs12427129 were at a higher risk of developing advance tumor T satge (p = 0.046), compared to those patients with CC homozygotes. In contrast, rs920778 C allele carriers were negatively correlated with the development of lymph node metastasis (OR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.28–0.94, p = 0.031). Further analyses of clinical datasets revealed correlations of the expression of HOTAIR with tumor metastasis and a poor survival rate in patients with UCC. Our results verified the diverse impacts of HOTAIR variants on UCC susceptibility and clinicopathologic characteristics.

Low expression of WW domain-containing oxidoreductase associates with hepatocellular carcinoma aggressiveness and recurrence after curative resection

WW domain‐containing oxidoreductase (WWOX), which has a protein‐interaction domain and is regarded to be a tumor suppressor, has been known to play an important role in anti‐angiogenesis and cancer progression. This study aimed to investigate prognostic values of WWOX expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after hepatectomy. Additionally, we intended to formulate a valuable prognostic nomogram for HCCs. 182 HCC patients who underwent hepatectomy from January 2009 to January 2010 were enrolled in our study. qRT‐PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays were then used to determine the expression levels of WWOX. An evaluation of the role of WWOX expression levels in the prognosis and outcome of patients was established. A decrease in the expression of WWOX was found when compared to adjacent tumor‐free tissues, which led to worse overall survival (OS) and recurrence‐free survival (RFS) and, therefore, was considered as an independent negative factor in the prognosis of HCC. Two nomograms, comprising WWOX, alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP), tumor size, and γ‐glutamyltransferase (γ‐GT), were constructed to obtain superior discriminatory abilities than conventional staging systems in terms of C‐index and clinical net benefit on decision curve analysis (DCA) for OS and RFS. Our data suggest that WWOX expression is strongly related to HCC post‐resection aggressiveness and recurrence. Additional advanced and accurate predictive model through the incorporation of WWOX into nomogram could help predict OS or RFS for HCC patients.

WWOX controls hepatic HIF1α to suppress hepatocyte proliferation and neoplasia

Liver cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies with very poor prognosis once diagnosed. The most common form of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) is a large gene that is often perturbed in a wide variety of tumors, including HCC. WWOX has been shown to act as a tumor suppressor modulating cellular metabolism via regulating hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) levels and function. Given that WWOX is commonly inactivated in HCC, we set to determine whether specific targeted deletion of murine Wwox affects liver biology and HCC development. WWOX liver-specific knockout mice (Wwox ΔHep ) showed more potent liver regeneration potential and enhanced proliferation as compared with their control littermates. Moreover, WWOX deficiency in hepatocytes combined with diethylnitrosamine treatment increased the tumor burden, which was associated with increased HIF1α levels and target gene transactivation. Inhibition of HIF1α by systemic treatment with digoxin significantly delayed HCC formation. Our work suggests that WWOX inactivation has a central role in promoting HCC through rewiring of cellular metabolism and modulating proliferation.

Association between WWOX and the risk of malignant tumor, especially among Asians: evidence from a meta-analysis

Purpose

Many studies have been carried out to examine whether there are associations between WWOX polymorphisms (rs3764340 C>G, rs12918952 G>A, and rs383362 G>T) and malignant tumor risk, but the results from these studies remained inconsistent and even controversial. In the present study, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the relationships comprehensively.

Methods

Published reports were searched in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. Eight eligible case–control studies were included in the final analysis. In the analysis, pooled odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% CIs were calculated in five genetic models to assess the genetic risk. Egger’s regression and Begg’s funnel plots test were conducted to appraise the publication bias.

Results

We found that rs12918952 G>A and rs383362 G>T polymorphisms were not associated with the susceptibility of malignant tumor. However, a significant correlation was found between WWOX rs3764340 C>G and malignant tumor risk in three genetic models (CG vs CC: OR=1.31, 95% CI: 1.12–1.53, P=0.031; GG/CG vs CC: OR=1.31, 95% CI: 1.11–1.54, P=0.014; G vs C: OR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.09–1.50, P=0.009). Furthermore, when stratified by source of control, the results were significant especially in population-based control for rs3764340.

Conclusion

In general, our results first indicated that the rs3764340 C>G polymorphism in WWOX gene can increase the susceptibility of tumor, while the others cannot. However, large, well-designed epidemiological studies are required to verify our findings.

Association of WWOX rs9926344 polymorphism with poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Introduction: The WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX), widely expressed in human tissues, is considered as a tumor suppressor gene and plays an important role in the incidence and progression of human cancer, HCC included. This study was to investigate the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the WWOX gene and the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

Materials and Methods: After a total of 152 HCC patients were recruited, 8 cases with tumor recurrence within 2-years after operation and 8 cases without recurrence were selected randomly for SNP genotyping and screening using Affymetrix Array 6.0. And then we confirmed candidate SNPs in the remaining 136 patients by time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS).

Results: In total, 32 SNPs were screened and identified as candidate SNPs with one SNP in particular, (rs9926344), being further verified to be valuable. We found that AA+AG genotype and A allele of WWOX rs9926344 were significantly associated with recurrent risk of HCC (p=0.002 and p=0.001, respectively). The Kaplan-Meier curve showed that patients carrying rs9926344 AA +AG genotype had poor RFS (P=0.004) and OS (P=0.005) compared to those carrying GG genotypes. The multivariate COX regression analysis showed that the AA+AG genotype were an independent prognostic factor for tumor recurrence (HR 1.787, 95% CI 1.042-3.064, P=0.035). Furthermore, IHC analysis showed that the WWOX protein down-regulation is more frequent in patients with AG genotype compared to those with GG genotype (P=0.023).

Conclusion: Our findings indicate that WWOX rs9926344 polymorphism is positively correlated with tumor recurrence and can be used as an independent prognostic marker for HCC patients after operation.

Relationship of genetic variant distributions of WW domain-containing oxidoreductase gene with uterine cervical cancer

To our knowledge, no study investigates the association of genetic variant distributions of WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) gene with development of invasive cancer, clinicopathologic variables and patient survival in uterine cervical cancer for Taiwanese women. We therefore conducted this study to explore the clinical involvements of WWOX single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in cervical cancer. One hundred and thirty-one patients with cervical invasive cancer and 93 patients with precancerous lesions as well as 316 control women were consecutively enrolled. The genotypic frequencies of WWOX genetic variants rs73569323, rs383362, rs11545028, rs3764340 and rs12918952 were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results revealed that only WWOX SNP rs3764340 was associated between patients with cervical invasive cancer and normal controls among 5 WWOX genetic variants. Cervical cancer patients with genotypes GA/AA in WWOX SNP rs12918952 were associated with parametrium invasion and pelvic lymph node metastasis. Univariate analysis found that WWOX SNPs rs73569323 and rs11545028 were associated with patient survival, whereas multivariate analysis revealed CT/TT in rs11545028 was the only genetic variant, which could predict better overall survival, among 5 WWOX SNPs in Taiwan. In conclusion, Taiwanese women with CG/GG in WWOX SNP rs3764340 are susceptible to cervical invasive cancer. Cervical cancer patients with GA/AA in rs12918952 tend to have more risk to develop parametrium invasion and pelvic lymph node metastasis. Among 5 WWOX SNPs, rs11545028 is the only genetic variant associated with patient survival, in which CT/TT could predict better overall survival in Taiwanese women.

Dopamine receptor D2 genetic variations is associated with the risk and clinicopathological variables of urothelial cell carcinoma in a Taiwanese population

Dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) is overexpressed in several kinds of cancers and was correlated with the prognosis of these cancers. Polymorphisms within the DRD2 gene were shown to be associated with lung and colon cancers. The purpose of this study was to explore effects of DRD2 gene polymorphisms on the susceptibility to and clinicopathological characteristics of urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC). In total, 369 patients diagnosed with UCC and 738 healthy controls were enrolled to analyze DRD2 genotypes at four loci (rs1799732, -141C>del; rs1079597, TaqIB; rs6277, 957C>T; and rs1800497, TaqIA) using a TaqMan-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We found a significantly lower risk for UCC in individuals with the DRD2 rs6277 CT genotype compared to those with the wild-type CC genotype (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=0.405, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.196~0.837, p=0.015). In 124 younger patients (aged < 65 years) of the recruited UCC cohort, patients who carried at least one T allele of DRD2 rs1800497 were at higher risk (AOR=2.270, 95% CI: 1.060~4.860, p=0.033) of developing an invasive stage (pT2~pT4). In 128 female patients of the recruited UCC cohort, patients who carried at least one deletion allele of DRD2 rs1799732 showed a higher incidence of having an invasive stage (AOR=2.585, 95% CI: 1.066~6.264, p=0.032) and a large tumor (AOR=2.778, 95% CI: 1.146~6.735, p=0.021). Further analyses of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets revealed correlations of the expression of DRD2 with an invasive tumor, tumor metastasis, and the lower survival rate in patients with UCC. Our findings suggest that DRD2 levels might affect the progression of UCC, and the polymorphisms rs6277, rs1800497, and rs1799732 of DRD2 are probably associated with the susceptibility and clinicopathologic development of UCC in a Taiwanese population.

WISP1 genetic variants as predictors of tumor development with urothelial cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

Urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) of the urinary bladder is a major malignancy of the genitourinary tract. Etiological factors, such as the environment, ethnicity, genetics, and diet, contribute to UCC carcinogenesis. WNT1-inducible signaling pathway protein 1 (WISP1), also known as CCN4, a cysteine-rich protein belonging to the Cyr61, CTGF, Nov (CCN) family of matricellular proteins, has many developmental functions and might be involved in carcinogenesis. This study investigated WISP1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms to evaluate UCC susceptibility and clinicopathological characteristics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze 4 single-nucleotide polymorphisms of WISP1 in 369 patients with UCC and 738 controls without cancer.

RESULTS

The results showed that in 128 women with UCC who carried WISP1 rs2929973 (AG + GG) variants had a higher risk of developing an advanced muscle-invasive tumor stage (pT2-pT4, P = 0.007) and a large tumor (T1-T4, P = 0.030). Further analyses revealed that a correlation between the expressions of WISP1 and invasive tumor and large tumor size in urothelial carcinoma was observed in the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) dataset.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicated that patients with UCC carrying rs2977530 genetic variants (AG + GG) have a higher risk of developing a more invasive tumor stage and a large tumor. WISP1 polymorphisms may serve as a marker or a therapeutic target in UCC.