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Elzehery R, Effat N, El Farahaty R, Elsayed Farag R, Abo-Hashem EM, Elhelaly R. Circulating Cell-Free DNA and DNA Integrity as Molecular Diagnostic Tools in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Am J Clin Pathol 2022; 158:254-262. [PMID: 35403666 DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/aqac037] [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: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We assessed the ability to use circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and the DNA integrity index (DNAII) to detect the transition from liver cirrhosis (LC) to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS Circulating cfDNA and DNAII were measured in 50 patients with advanced LC and 50 patients with HCC who were followed for 1 month after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Fifty healthy participants served as a control group. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to measure circulating cfDNA concentration, and Alu-PCR was used to measure the concentration of Alu repeats, both short fragments (115 base pairs [bp]) and long fragments (247 bp). We compared liquid biopsy results with the relevant traditional markers. RESULTS The HCC group showed significantly higher circulating cfDNA concentrations and DNAII values compared with the LC and control groups. No significant differences were found in circulating cfDNA concentrations and DNAII values between the LC and control groups. Circulating cfDNA concentrations decreased significantly after treatment (TACE); areas under the curve of circulating cfDNA concentration and DNAII values were significantly better than those of ɑ-fetoprotein and vascular endothelial growth factor in discriminating between LC and HCC. CONCLUSIONS The combined use of DNAII with proteins induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist showed better diagnostic performance in HCC. Circulating cfDNA could have a potential role in monitoring HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Narmin Effat
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Mansoura, Egypt
| | | | - Raghda Elsayed Farag
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
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Cinnamaldehyde Relieves Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Rat Model via Targeting Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway. Sci Pharm 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/scipharm90020022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Cinnamaldehyde (CA) is a natural compound that has promising biological activity. The current study investigates the antitumor activity of CA in thioacetamide induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats through targeting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and evaluates the capability of CA to relieve hepatocytes oxidative stress in the HCC-rat model. After 16 weeks of HCC induction by thioacetamide (TAA), rats were treated for 7 consecutive weeks with CA daily; i.p. injection, Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, necroinflammatory score and fibrosis percentage were measured to assess HCC development. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway was evaluated by measuring the hepatic protein level of Wnt-3a, β-catenin, cyclin D, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Furthermore, hepatocytes’ oxidative stress was assessed by measuring hepatic GSH and MDA contents. Results showed that CA was significantly inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin pathway through the downregulation of hepatic Wnt-3a, β-catenin, cyclin D, MMP-9, and VEGF. Moreover, CA ameliorates hepatocytes’ oxidative stress via lowering hepatic MDA content and rising hepatic GSH content. Thus, in conclusion, CA is a promising treatment for HCC. It not only has an effective antitumor activity but also ameliorates hepatocytes’ oxidative stress.
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Elghoroury EA, Abdelghaffar EE, Awadallah E, Kamel SA, Kandil D, Hassan EM, Hassan M, Kamel MM, Gomaa MM, Fathalla LA. Detection of exosomal miR-18a and miR-222 levels in Egyptian patients with hepatic cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 2022; 36:3946320221097832. [PMID: 35467432 PMCID: PMC9047801 DOI: 10.1177/03946320221097832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is known to be the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. For improving the prognosis as well as reducing the rate of mortality, early diagnosis of HCC is a must. AIMS This study was conducted to assess the ability of the serum expression of exosomal miR-18a and miR-222 to differentiate and diagnose patients with HCC, patients with liver cirrhosis, and healthy controls. METHODS This study included 51 patients with liver cirrhosis, 51 patients with HCC on top of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and 50 healthy controls. RESULTS miR-18a and miR-222 were assessed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. MiR-18a and miR-222 levels were significantly higher in the liver cirrhosis and HCC groups than the control group (p ˂ 0.001). However, no statistically significant difference was found between patients with HCC and liver cirrhosis (p = 0.4 for miR-18a and p = 0.1 for miR-222). ROC curve analyses to evaluate the diagnostic performances of the two miRNAs as important noninvasive diagnostic markers revealed a best cutoff value of 2 for miR-18a to differentiate between liver cirrhosis, HCC, and healthy controls. And for mir-222, a cutoff value of 1.7 and 1.9 showed the highest specificity for discrimination between liver cirrhosis, HCC, and healthy controls, respectively. Moreover, logistic regression model revealed that miR-18a expression was independent predictive factor in HCC patients (p = 0.004), while miR-222 expression was independent predictive factor in liver cirrhosis patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION miR-18a and miR-222 were significantly discriminative markers between patients with liver cirrhosis and HCC and healthy individuals. Therefore, they have a prognostic rather than a diagnostic value. Moreover, miR-18a and miR-222 could be useful in identifying liver injuries, including fibrosis and cirrhosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman A Elghoroury
- Clinical and Chemical Pathology Department, 68787National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Esmat E Abdelghaffar
- Clinical and Chemical Pathology Department, 68787National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Eman Awadallah
- Clinical and Chemical Pathology Department, 68787National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Solaf A Kamel
- Clinical and Chemical Pathology Department, 68787National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Dina Kandil
- Clinical and Chemical Pathology Department, 68787National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Eman M Hassan
- Clinical and Chemical Pathology Department, 68787National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mirhane Hassan
- Clinical and Chemical Pathology Department, 68787National Research Centre, Dokki, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud M Kamel
- Clinical and Chemical Pathology Department, 68804National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mohammed M Gomaa
- Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, 68804National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Lamiaa A Fathalla
- Clinical and Chemical Pathology Department, 68804National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
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Alzamzamy A, Elsayed H, Abd Elraouf M, Eltoukhy H, Megahed T, Aboubakr A. Serum vascular endothelial growth factor as a tumor marker for hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis C virus-related cirrhotic patients. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2021; 13:600-611. [PMID: 34163576 PMCID: PMC8204351 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v13.i6.600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for 8.2% of all cancer-related deaths worldwide. Being a vascular tumor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a vital role in HCC pathogenesis, growth, and spread.
AIM To determine the accuracy of serum VEGF and VEGF/platelet (PLT) as tumor markers in the early detection of HCC cases in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver cirrhosis.
METHODS We conducted a case-control study with HCV patients from the outpatient and inpatient hepatology clinics. Patients were classified into three groups: (1) HCC group; (2) Cirrhosis group; and (3) HCV without cirrhosis (control group). Patients were clinically evaluated, and blood samples were drawn for the analysis; serum VEGF levels were measured by a specific VEGF human recombinant enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Data from the three study groups were compared by the one-way analysis of variance or Kruskal-Wallis test. Receivers operating characteristic curves were constructed to determine the optimal cut-off values of alpha fetoprotein (AFP), VEGF, and VEGF/PLT that provided the best diagnostic accuracy. The sensitivity and specificity at the optimal cut-off value of each biomarker were then calculated.
RESULTS This study included one hundred patients (HCC, cirrhosis, and control groups: n = 40, 30, 30, respectively). HCC patients had significantly higher serum VEGF and VEGF/PLT levels than the non-HCC groups (P = 0.001). Serum VEGF and VEGF/PLT showed significant positive correlations with and HCC tumor size, stage, vascular invasion, and Child-Pugh classification. Moreover, a VEGF cut-off the value of 250 pg/mL provided 80% sensitivity and 81.7% specificity for discriminating HCC patient from non-HCC patients. Similarly, the ratio of VEGF/PLT provided sensitivity and specificity of 77.5% and 80%, respectively which is higher than the accuracy provided by AFP. The combination of AFP, VEGF, and VEGF/PLT increases the accuracy of diagnosing HCC to > 95%.
CONCLUSION In HCV patients, serum VEGF and VEGF/PLT separately or in combination with AFP are reliable biomarkers for early and accurate HCC diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Alzamzamy
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Military Medical Academy, Cairo 11841, Egypt
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Maadi Armed Forces Medical Complex, Cairo 11841, Egypt
| | - Huda Elsayed
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11311, Egypt
| | - Mona Abd Elraouf
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11311, Egypt
| | - Hanan Eltoukhy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine for Girls, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11311, Egypt
| | - Tarek Megahed
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Military Medical Academy, Cairo 11311, Egypt
| | - Ashraf Aboubakr
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Military Medical Academy, Cairo 11841, Egypt
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Maadi Armed Forces Medical Complex, Cairo 11841, Egypt
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The role of circulating soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 in patients with diabetic foot ulcer: A possible mechanism of pathogenesis via a novel link between oxidative stress, inflammation and angiogenesis. Microvasc Res 2020; 130:103987. [PMID: 32035919 DOI: 10.1016/j.mvr.2020.103987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is one of the most devastating diabetic consequences leading to amputations. Oxidative stress, inflammation, vascular insufficiency and neuropathy have been linked to DFU development. Since soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) is one of the anti-angiogenic factors regulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) biological activity. So, we aimed to evaluate its role in pathogenesis of DFU and its correlation with oxidative stress and inflammatory markers. METHODS 60 type 2 diabetic patients: 30 without DFU and 30 with DFU in addition to 20 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. sFlt-1 and VEGF mRNA relative gene expressions and levels and sFlt-1/VEGF ratio were assessed. Also, Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs), malondialdhyde (MDA), Total thiol and, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels were measured. RESULTS sFlt-1 expression and level, AOPPs, MDA and TNF-α were significantly higher in diabetic patients as compared with the control group with highest levels in DFU patients. However, there were significant decrease in total thiol level and VEGF expression and level in diabetic patients with DFU. CONCLUSION This study revealed that sFlt-1 is a major player in DFU pathogenesis and may be considered as a novel diagnostic biomarker for early detection of DFU.
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Sadik NA, Ahmed NR, Mohamed MF, Ashoush OA. Serum Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma and its Validity as a Tumor Biomarker. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.2174/1875318301909010084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Background:
Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers associated with deaths worldwide and the presence of valid biomarkers for early diagnosis in high-risk patients can ameliorate the outcome of HCC. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) has been found to play an essential role in the process of HCC growth and progression.
Objectives:
Therefore, we evaluated the serum VEGF levels in patients with HCC and liver cirrhosis and estimated its significant value for differentiating HCC patients from liver cirrhosis patients.
Material and methods:
Eighty-one subjects were enrolled in the study, 30 patients had HCC, 31 patients had liver cirrhosis and 20 were healthy control subjects. VEGF and AFP were measured using ELIZA. Abdominal ultrasound and triphasic abdominal computed tomography were performed in all subjects. Receiver Operating Characteristics curve analysis was performed for serum VEGF to determine its validity as a tumor biomarker.
Results:
The median levels of the serum VEGF were highly expressed in the HCC group (418 pg/ml) and the liver cirrhosis group (308 pg/ml) with no significant difference (P = 0.767); however both groups showed a significant increase compared to the control group (0.8 pg/ml, P <0.000). Serum VEGF showed high sensitivity (100%) and high specificity (100%) in differentiating HCC patients from controls with a cut-off value of ≥ 64.2 pg/ml, although it showed low sensitivity (29.2%) and specificity (85.7%) for differentiating HCC patients from liver cirrhosis patients.
Conclusion:
VEGF can be used as a reliable biomarker for differentiating HCC patients from healthy subjects but it can't be used as a reliable biomarker for differentiating HCC patients from high-risk patients as liver cirrhosis. The elevated serum VEGF levels in HCC and liver cirrhosis patients can elucidate the crucial role of angiogenesis in HCC and liver cirrhosis.
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Dai Q, Zhang C, Yuan Z, Sun Q, Jiang Y. Current discovery strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma therapeutics. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2019; 15:243-258. [DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1696769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Qiuzi Dai
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, PR China
- National & Local United Engineering Lab for Personalized Anti-tumor Drugs, The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, the Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, PR China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Cunlong Zhang
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, PR China
- National & Local United Engineering Lab for Personalized Anti-tumor Drugs, Shenzhen Kivita Innovative Drug Discovery Institute, The Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Zigao Yuan
- National & Local United Engineering Lab for Personalized Anti-tumor Drugs, The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, the Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, PR China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, PR China
- National & Local United Engineering Lab for Personalized Anti-tumor Drugs, Shenzhen Kivita Innovative Drug Discovery Institute, The Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Qinsheng Sun
- National & Local United Engineering Lab for Personalized Anti-tumor Drugs, The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, the Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, PR China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, PR China
- National & Local United Engineering Lab for Personalized Anti-tumor Drugs, Shenzhen Kivita Innovative Drug Discovery Institute, The Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, PR China
| | - Yuyang Jiang
- National & Local United Engineering Lab for Personalized Anti-tumor Drugs, The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Oncogenomics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, the Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, PR China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, PR China
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, P. R. China
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Normal Alpha-Fetoprotein Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Are They Really Normal? J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8101736. [PMID: 31635078 PMCID: PMC6832124 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8101736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was routinely employed as a tumor marker for screening, diagnosis, and treatment follow-up of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, a substantial proportion of HCC patients had normal AFP level even at an advanced disease status. Few studies to date had tried to explore the nature and behavior of this normal AFP HCC (N-HCC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcome of N-HCC after operation. In addition, potential tumor markers for N-HCC were also sought in an attempt to augment diagnostic ability. Methods: between 2005 and 2015, patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who were treated with hepatectomy in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Linkou branch were divided into two groups according to their preoperative serum AFP level (<15 ng/mL: NHCC; ≥15 ng/mL: abnormal AFP HCC (A-HCC)). Patient demographic data and clinicopathological variables were collected. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression multivariate analyses were performed to identify significant risk factors for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) for N-HCC. ELISA and immunohistochemical (IHC) studies were employed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of various tumor markers. Results: a total of 1616 patients (78% male) who underwent liver resection for HCC were included in this study. Of them, 761 patients (47.1%) were N-HCC. N-HCC patients were significantly older with more comorbidities and less hepatitis virus infections. Furthermore, N-HCC had fewer early recurrences (49.6% vs. 60.8%, p < 0.001) and better DFS (44.6 months vs. 23.6 months, p < 0.001) and OS (94.5 months vs. 81.7 months, p < 0.001). Both ELISA and IHC studies demonstrated that glypican-3 (GPC3) would be a promising diagnostic tumor marker for N-HCC. Conclusion: N-HCC patients were significantly older and had less hepatitis virus infections or cirrhosis. Their tumors tended to be smaller, less vascular invaded, and well-differentiated. The carcinogenesis of N-HCC may thus not be identical to that of typical HCC. GPC3 would be a promising tumor marker for diagnosing N-HCC. Further study is warranted to validate our findings.
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Mattar MAM, Zekri ARN, Hussein N, Morsy H, Esmat G, Amin MA. Polymorphisms of base-excision repair genes and the hepatocarcinogenesis. Gene 2018; 675:62-68. [PMID: 29935355 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2018.06.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
AIM To determine the possible association between polymorphisms of DNA repair genes, including XRCC1 Arg194Tryp, Arg280His, and Arg399Glu, APE1 Asp148Glu, and NEIL2 Arg257Leu, and the risk of developing hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS A total of 264 subjects were recruited in this retrospective case-control study and were categorized into four groups: 88 control subjects (CR), 53 chronic hepatitis C patients (CHC), 36 liver cirrhotic patients (LC), and 87 HCC patients. The XRCC1 Arg194Tryp, Arg280His, and Arg399Glu polymorphisms were detected using PCR-RFLP, while real-time PCR was used to genotype APE1 Asp148Glu and NEIL2 Arg257Leu. RESULTS Our data revealed that, compared with the healthy controls, for those subjects with the XRCC1 Arg194Trp genotype, the risk of developing CHC, LC, and HCC was increased by 6.66- (odds ratio (OR) = 6.667; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.244-13.701; P > 0.01), 3.85- (OR = 3.852; 95% CI = 1.797-8.256; P > 0.01), and 2.14-fold (OR = 2.14; 95% CI = 1.13-4.06; P > 0.05), respectively. There was no association between the risk of HCC development and the XRCC1 Arg280His or XRCC1 Arg399Gln genotypes. Moreover, the analysis showed a lack of association between APE1 Asp148Glu and the risk of HCC development. The analysis of clinicopathological parameters showed that the HCC patients with the XRCC1 Arg280His polymorphism were 2.9 fold more likely to have hepatic lesions in both hepatic lobes (OR: 2.9; 95% CI: 1.15-7.29). Notably, in the HCC patients, the prevalence of the APE1 polymorphism in the males was four times higher than that in the females (OR = 4; 95% CI = 1.129-14.175; P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Our results indicate that the XRCC1 Arg194Trp polymorphism could be a risk factor for HCV-related HCC development in Egypt.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Abdel-Rahman N Zekri
- Virology and Immunology Unit, Cancer Biology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Nehal Hussein
- Virology and Immunology Unit, Cancer Biology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Heba Morsy
- Virology and Immunology Unit, Cancer Biology Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Gamal Esmat
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Magdy A Amin
- Department of Endemic Medicine and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University.
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Yao X, Tang H, Ren Q, Zhao X, Zuo H, Li Z. Inhibited effects of CAPE- pNO 2 on cervical carcinoma in vivo and in vitro and its detected metabolites. Oncotarget 2017; 8:94197-94209. [PMID: 29212221 PMCID: PMC5706867 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.21617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of advanced cervical cancer therapies is a particularly urgent need due to the strong side effects and toxicities of current treatments. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) exhibits broad-spectrum antitumor activities and little toxicity or side effects. In our previous study, caffeic acid para-nitro phenethyl ester (CAPE-pNO2) significantly improved the effect of anti-platelet aggregation and attenuated myocardial ischemia. Based on this finding, we aimed to further explore the antitumor activity of CAPE-pNO2 in cervical cancer cells and tumor xenografts. In addition, we assessed the biotransformation of CAPE-pNO2 in cervical cancer cells. Our study demonstrated that both CAPE and CAPE-pNO2 can inhibit cell proliferation via the induction of G2/M cell cycle arrest. More importantly, CAPE-pNO2 dramatically induced cell apoptosis via significant down-regulation of pro-caspase-3, pro-caspase-9, Bcl-2, Cyclin B1 and Cdc2 and up-regulation of cleaved-caspase-3, Bax, CytoC and P21Cip1. Moreover, CAPE and CAPE-pNO2 significantly suppressed the growth and angiogenesis of nude mice xenografts. CAPE and CAPE-pNO2 were found to degrade into four and six metabolites, respectively. The metabolites of CAPE and CAPE-pNO2 were different, and the major metabolic pathway may be phase II reactions. These results suggest that CAPE-pNO2 induced cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest via a strong regulatory effect on relevant apoptotic proteins. Therefore, CAPE-pNO2 should be further studied as a potent anti-cancer agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofang Yao
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China.,International Academy of Targeted Therapeutics and Innovation, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Chongqing 402160, China
| | - Hao Tang
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Qiao Ren
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhao
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Hua Zuo
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Zhubo Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
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Wang X, Xiu P, Wang F, Zhong J, Wei H, Xu Z, Liu F, Li J. P18 peptide, a functional fragment of pigment epithelial-derived factor, inhibits angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma via modulating VEGF/VEGFR2 signalling pathway. Oncol Rep 2017; 38:755-766. [PMID: 28627623 PMCID: PMC5562001 DOI: 10.3892/or.2017.5719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The P18 peptide is a functional fragment of pigment epithelial-derived factor (PEDF), which is an endogenic angiogenesis inhibitor. This study sought to determine the anti-angiogenic bioactivity of the P18 peptide in hepato-cellular carcinoma (HCC) and to elucidate the underlying mechanism. Xenograft tumour growth assays demonstrated the P18 peptide suppressed angiogenesis of HCC in vivo. Wound healing, Transwell and Matrigel-culture assays indicated that the P18 peptide inhibited the cell migration and tube formation of endothelial cells (ECs) in vitro. Cell viability and apoptosis assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry assays suggested that the P18 peptide inhibited angiogenesis by inducing apoptosis of ECs. Angiogenesis- and signal transduction-associated molecules analysed by western blot demonstrated that the P18 peptide targets vascular endothelial cell growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) on ECs. In conclusion, by inhibiting the phosphorylation of VEGFR2, the P18 peptide modulates signalling transduction between VEGF/VEGFR2 and suppresses activation of the PI3K/Akt cascades, leading to an increase in mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis and anti-angiogenic activity. This bioactivity of the P18 peptide may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China
| | - Peng Xiu
- Department of General Surgery, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China
| | - Fuhai Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China
| | - Jingtao Zhong
- Department of General Surgery, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China
| | - Honglong Wei
- Department of General Surgery, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China
| | - Zongzhen Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of General Surgery, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, P.R. China
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