Increased Expression of Fibulin-1 Is Associated With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Regulating the Notch Signaling Pathway

Chromosomal 3q amplicon encodes essential regulators of secretory vesicles that drive secretory addiction in cancer

Cancer cells exhibit heightened secretory states that drive tumor progression. Here, we identify a chromosome 3q amplicon that serves as a platform for secretory regulation in cancer. The 3q amplicon encodes multiple Golgi-resident proteins, including the scaffold Golgi integral membrane protein 4 (GOLIM4) and the ion channel ATPase Secretory Pathway Ca2+ Transporting 1 (ATP2C1). We show that GOLIM4 recruits ATP2C1 and Golgi phosphoprotein 3 (GOLPH3) to coordinate calcium-dependent cargo loading and Golgi membrane bending and vesicle scission. GOLIM4 depletion disrupts the protein complex, resulting in a secretory blockade that inhibits the progression of 3q-amplified malignancies. In addition to its role as a scaffold, GOLIM4 maintains intracellular manganese (Mn) homeostasis by binding excess Mn in the Golgi lumen, which initiates the routing of Mn-bound GOLIM4 to lysosomes for degradation. We show that Mn treatment inhibits the progression of multiple types of 3q-amplified malignancies by degrading GOLIM4, resulting in a secretory blockade that interrupts pro-survival autocrine loops and attenuates pro-metastatic processes in the tumor microenvironment. Potentially underlying the selective activity of Mn against 3q-amplified malignancies, ATP2C1 co-amplification increases Mn influx into the Golgi lumen, resulting in a more rapid degradation of GOLIM4. These findings show that functional cooperativity between co-amplified genes underlies heightened secretion and a targetable secretory addiction in 3q-amplified malignancies.

E2F1-mediated Up-regulation of NCAPG Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Development by Inhibiting Pyroptosis

Background and Aims

As a subunit of the condensin complex, NCAPG has an important role in maintaining chromosome condensation, but its biological function and regulatory mechanism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains undefined.

Methods

The prognostic ability of NCAPG in HCC patients was examined by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. ROC curves were plotted to compare the predictive ability of NCAPG and AFP. Double luciferase reporter system, and ChIP were used to investigate transcriptional potential of E2F1 to NCAPG. Pyroptosis was observed by scanning electron microscopy. Protein expression of NCAPG, E2F1, and major proteins constituting NLRP3 inflammasome was determined by western blotting and ELISA. An in vivo tumor formation assay was conducted to verify the in vitro results.

Results

Up-regulated NCAPG was identified in HCC tissues compared with adjacent tissue and high NCAPG was positively correlated with poor prognosis. Serum NCAPG mRNA level was a prognostic factor in HCC patients and also a diagnostic factor with higher predictive ability compared with AFP [AUROC 0.766 (95% CI: 0.650-0.881) vs. 0.649 (95% CI 0.506-0.793)]. HBx transfection resulted in concomitant up-regulation of E2F1 and NCAPG. E2F1 significantly increased the activity of luciferase reporter fused with NCAPG reporter, and the interaction of E2F1 and NCAPG gene was confirmed by ChIP. Silencing of E2F1 resulted in significant down-regulation of NCAPG. Knockdown of NCAPG promote pyroptosis mediated by NLRP3 inflammasome activation in multiple HCC cell lines and also suppressed tumorigenesis in vitro.

Conclusions

We identified a novel role of NCAPG in the regulation of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis, which was regulated by its upstream transactivator, E2F1. The role of E2F1-NCAPG-NLRP3 regulation of pyroptosis network may be a potential target in HCC treatment.

Identification and targeting of cancer-associated fibroblast signature genes for prognosis and therapy in Cutaneous melanoma

BACKGROUND

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play pivotal roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. However, studies on CAF biomarkers in Cutaneous Melanoma (CM) are still scarce. This study aimed to explore the potential CAF biomarkers in CM, propose the potential therapeutic targets, and provide new insights for targeted therapy of CAFs in CM.

METHODS

We utilized weighted gene co-expression network analysis to identify CAF signature genes in CM, and conducted comprehensive bioinformatics analysis on the CAF risk score established by these genes. Moreover, single-cell sequencing analysis, spatial transcriptome analysis, and cell experiments were utilized for verifying the expression and distribution pattern of signature genes. Furthermore, molecular docking was employed to screen potential target drugs.

RESULTS

FBLN1 and COL5A1, two crucial CAF signature genes, were screened to establish the CAF risk score. Subsequently, a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of the CAF risk score revealed that high-risk score group was significantly enriched in pathways associated with tumor progression. Besides, CAF risk score was significantly negatively correlated with clinical prognosis, immunotherapy response, and tumor mutational burden in CM patients. In addition, FBLN1 and COL5A1 were further identified as CAF-specific biomarkers in CM by multi-omics analysis and experimental validation. Eventually, based on these two targets, Mifepristone and Dexamethasone were screened as potential anti-CAFs drugs.

CONCLUSION

The findings indicated that FBLN1 and COL5A1 were the CAF signature genes in CM, which were associated with the progression, treatment, and prognosis of CM. The comprehensive exploration of CAF signature genes is expected to provide new insight for clinical CM therapy.

Oncoviruses: Induction of cancer development and metastasis by increasing anoikis resistance

The phenomenon of cell death is a vital aspect in the regulation of aberrant cells such as cancer cells. Anoikis is a kind of cell death that occurs when cells get separated from the extracellular matrix. Some cancer cells can inhibit anoikis in order to progress metastasis. One of the key variables that might be implicated in anoikis resistance (AR) is viral infections. The most important viruses involved in this process are Epstein-Barr virus, human papillomavirus, hepatitis B virus, human herpes virus 8, human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1, and hepatitis C virus. A better understanding of how carcinogenic viruses suppress anoikis might be helpful in developing an effective treatment for virus-associated cancers. In the current study, we review the role of the mentioned viruses and their gene products in anoikis inhibition.

Fibulin-1: a novel biomarker for predicting disease activity of the thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy

PURPOSE

This study was designed to investigate the association between fibulin-1(FBLN1) and thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO).

METHOD

The plasma FBLN1 levels were measured in 80 participants, including 30 active TAO patients, 25 inactive TAO patients, and 25 Graves disease (GD) patients without TAO using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

TAO patients had significantly higher TRAb level than GD patients (p < 0.05). The active TAO patients consumed more tobacco and had higher CAS than inactive TAO patients (all p < 0.05). No significant differences were found in age, sex, and the level of FT3, FT4, and TSH between TAO and GD patients, and between the active and inactive TAO patients (all p > 0.05). The plasma FBLN1 level in TAO patients was higher than that in GD patients, and that in active patients was higher than that in inactive patients (all p < 0.05). Furthermore, the plasma FBLN1 level showed strong association with clinical activity score (CAS) of TAO (r = 0.67, p < 0.01). By receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, FBLN1 demonstrated good efficiency for predicting disease activity at the cut-off value > 625.33 pg/ml with a sensitivity of 93.3% and a specificity of 88.0% (AUC:0.92, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The plasma FBLN1 levels correlated with TAO activity and a value >625.33 pg/ml was associated with active disease. Our results suggest that the plasma FBLN1 level could be a novel biomarker for predicting disease activity of TAO.

Fibulin-2 Facilitates Malignant Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Identification of biomarkers to assist in the clinical management of hepatocellular carcinoma represents an urgent requirement. Fibulin-2 is known to contribute to the development and progression of various cancer types. This research investigated the role of fibulin-2 in hepatocellular carcinoma and explored the possible mechanisms.

METHODS

The expression of fibulin-2 in hepatocellular carcinoma was measured by bioinformatic analysis and confirmed by western blot and immunohistochemical staining in cell lines or patients' samples. The clinicopathologic features of hepatocellular carcinoma patients was analyzed. Cell viability assays were used to explore the role of fibulin-2 on proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma. Western blot was conducted to uncover changes of protein expression of Ras-MEK-ERK1/2 pathway when Fibulin-2 was overexpressed or silenced. Flow cytometry analyses were used to determine the roles of fibulin-2 in the function of apoptosis and cell cycle. Subcutaneous xenograft mouse models showed the tumor growth pattern after fibulin-2 silence in vivo.

RESULTS

We reported the upregulation of fibulin-2 in most hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and cells lines. Fibulin-2 promoted the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro by regulating Ras-MEK-ERK1/2 signaling pathway, whereas knockdown of fibulin-2 incurred the opposite effect on proliferation. Consistently, knockdown of fibulin-2 resulted in increased apoptosis and induced growth arrest during the G0/G1 phase transition. In vivo xenograft assessment confirmed that knockdown of fibulin-2 inhibited hepatocellular carcinoma tumor growth.

CONCLUSIONS

Fibulin-2 exhibited tumor promotor activities in malignant progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. The results of the study highlighted the potential of fibulin-2 to be utilized as a promising biomarker and therapeutic target for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Transcriptional landscape of oncogene-induced senescence: a machine learning-based meta-analytic approach

Oncogene-induced senescence (OIS) is highly heterogeneous, varying by oncogenic signals and cellular context. While its dual role, in the initial inhibition potentially later leading to promotion of tumors through the senescence-associated secretory phenotype, is still a matter of debate, it is undeniable that OIS is critical to understanding tumorigenesis. A major obstacle to OIS research is the absence of a universally accepted marker. Here, we present a robust OIS-specific transcriptomic secretory phenotype, termed oncogene-induced senescence secretory phenotype (OIS-SP), which can identify OIS across multiple biological contexts from in vitro datasets to in vivo human samples. We apply a meta-analytic machine learning pipeline to harmonize a deliberately varied selection of Ras-Raf-MEK-induced senescence datasets of differing origins, oncogenic signals and cell types. Finally we make use of bypass data to identify key genes and eliminate genes associated with quiescence, so identifying 40 OIS-SP genes. Within this set, we determined a robust core of five OIS-SP genes (FBLN1, CXCL12, EREG, CST1 and MMP10). Importantly, these 5 OIS-SP genes showed clear, consistent regulation patterns across various human Ras-Raf-MEK-mutated tumor tissues, which suggests that OIS-SP may be a novel cancer driver phenotype with an unexpectedly critical role in tumorigenesis.

Dual viscosity mixture vehicle for intratympanic steroid treatment modifies the ROS and inflammation related proteomes

Until recently, the most standard treatment for sensorineural or sudden hearing loss, which is caused by inner ear damage or deterioration, has been systemic oral steroid administration. In recent, intratympanic steroid injections such as dexamethasone have been used for the treatment of sudden hearing loss as well. It is injected into the tympanic cavity through its membrane and is expected to diffuse over the round window located between the tympanic cavity and the inner ear. However, in clinical situations, the delivery time of steroids to the inner ear is shorter than 24 h, which does not allow for a sufficient therapeutic effect. Therefore, we applied a previously invented dual viscosity mixture vehicle (DVV) for intratympanic dexamethasone to a guinea pig model, which could reduce the side effects of systemic steroid administration with sufficient dwelling time for the treatment of hearing loss, and we investigated the physiological changes with a global proteomic approach. In this study, we extracted perilymph in three different conditions from guinea pigs treated with dexamethasone-embedded DVV, dexamethasone mixed in saline, and control groups to compare proteomic changes using tandem mass spectrometry analysis. After liquid chromatography coupled tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis, we first identified 46 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) that were statistically significant after one-way ANOVA multiple-sample test. We also performed pairwise comparisons among each group to identify DEPs closely related to the treatment response of dexamethasone-embedded DVV. Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that these DEPs were mostly related to inflammation, immune, actin remodeling, and antioxidant-related processes. As a result, the proteome changes in the DVV-treated groups revealed that most upregulated proteins activate the cell proliferation process, and downregulated proteins inhibit apoptosis and inflammatory reactions. Moreover, the reactive oxygen process was also regulated by DEPs after DVV treatment.

Construction of 2DE Patterns of Plasma Proteins: Aspect of Potential Tumor Markers

The use of tumor markers aids in the early detection of cancer recurrence and prognosis. There is a hope that they might also be useful in screening tests for the early detection of cancer. Here, the question of finding ideal tumor markers, which should be sensitive, specific, and reliable, is an acute issue. Human plasma is one of the most popular samples as it is commonly collected in the clinic and provides noninvasive, rapid analysis for any type of disease including cancer. Many efforts have been applied in searching for “ideal” tumor markers, digging very deep into plasma proteomes. The situation in this area can be improved in two ways—by attempting to find an ideal single tumor marker or by generating panels of different markers. In both cases, proteomics certainly plays a major role. There is a line of evidence that the most abundant, so-called “classical plasma proteins”, may be used to generate a tumor biomarker profile. To be comprehensive these profiles should have information not only about protein levels but also proteoform distribution for each protein. Initially, the profile of these proteins in norm should be generated. In our work, we collected bibliographic information about the connection of cancers with levels of “classical plasma proteins”. Additionally, we presented the proteoform profiles (2DE patterns) of these proteins in norm generated by two-dimensional electrophoresis with mass spectrometry and immunodetection. As a next step, similar profiles representing protein perturbations in plasma produced in the case of different cancers will be generated. Additionally, based on this information, different test systems can be developed.

Synergistic effects of rare variants of ARHGAP31 and FBLN1 in vitro in terminal transverse limb defects

Background: Aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) and terminal transverse limb defects (TTLDs) are the most common features of Adams-Oliver syndrome (AOS). ARHGAP31 is one of the causative genes for autosomal dominant forms of AOS, meanwhile its variants may only cause isolated TTLD. Here, we report a proband presented with apparent TTLD but not ACC.

Methods: Whole exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing were applied to identify causative genes. Expression vectors were constructed for transfections in mammalian cell cultures followed by biochemical and functional analysis including immunoblotting, immunofluorescence staining, and cell counting kit-8 assay.

Results: WES and Sanger sequencing suggested that the proband inherited rare ARHGAP31 variant [c.2623G > A (p.Glu875Lys)] and a rare FBLN1 variant [c.1649G > A (p.Arg550His)] from one of her asymptomatic parents, respectively. Given FBLN1 variation has also been linked to syndactyly, we suspected that the two genes together contributed to the TTLD phenotype and explored their possible roles in vitro. Mutant FBLN1 showed reduced expression resulted from impaired protein stability, whereas ARHGAP31 protein expression was unaltered by mutation. Functional assays showed that only in the co-transfected group of two mutants cell viability was decreased, cell proliferation was impaired, and apoptosis was activated. Cdc42 activity was declined by both ARHGAP31 mutation and FBLN1 mutation alone, and the two together. Furthermore, the MAPK/ERK pathway was only activated by two mutants co-transfected group compared with two wild-type transfections.

Conclusion: We report a case carrying two rare variants of limb defects associated genes, ARHGAP31 and FBLN1, and provide in vitro evidence that synergistic disruption of cellular functions attributed by the two mutants may potentiate the penetrance of clinical manifestations, expanding our knowledge of clinical complexity of causal gene interactions in TTLD and other genetic disorders.

Plasma proteome profiling of healthy individuals across the life span in a Sicilian cohort with long-lived individuals

The study of healthy human aging is important for shedding light on the molecular mechanisms behind aging to promote well-being and to possibly predict and/or avoid the development of age-related disorders such as atherosclerosis and diabetes. Herein, we have employed an untargeted mass spectrometry-based approach to study age-related protein changes in a healthy Sicilian plasma cohort including long-lived individuals. This approach confirmed some of the previously known proteins correlated with age including fibulin-1, dystroglycan, and gamma-glutamyl hydrolase. Furthermore, our findings include novel proteins that correlate with age and/or with location and uric acid, which could represent a unique signature for healthy aging.

Notch signaling pathway: architecture, disease, and therapeutics

The NOTCH gene was identified approximately 110 years ago. Classical studies have revealed that NOTCH signaling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway. NOTCH receptors undergo three cleavages and translocate into the nucleus to regulate the transcription of target genes. NOTCH signaling deeply participates in the development and homeostasis of multiple tissues and organs, the aberration of which results in cancerous and noncancerous diseases. However, recent studies indicate that the outcomes of NOTCH signaling are changeable and highly dependent on context. In terms of cancers, NOTCH signaling can both promote and inhibit tumor development in various types of cancer. The overall performance of NOTCH-targeted therapies in clinical trials has failed to meet expectations. Additionally, NOTCH mutation has been proposed as a predictive biomarker for immune checkpoint blockade therapy in many cancers. Collectively, the NOTCH pathway needs to be integrally assessed with new perspectives to inspire discoveries and applications. In this review, we focus on both classical and the latest findings related to NOTCH signaling to illustrate the history, architecture, regulatory mechanisms, contributions to physiological development, related diseases, and therapeutic applications of the NOTCH pathway. The contributions of NOTCH signaling to the tumor immune microenvironment and cancer immunotherapy are also highlighted. We hope this review will help not only beginners but also experts to systematically and thoroughly understand the NOTCH signaling pathway.

Autocrine Exosomal Fibulin-1 as a Target of MiR-1269b Induces Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in Proximal Tubule in Diabetic Nephropathy

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is an increasing threat to human health and is regarded to be the leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. Exosomes deliver biomolecule massages and may play a key role in cell communication and the progression of DN.

Methods: A cross-disciplinary study, including in vivo, in vitro, and human studies, was conducted to explore the cross-talk within proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) in DN. Exosomal protein from PTECs treated with high glucose (HG) was purified and examined using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was utilized to analyze RNAs extracted from PTECs from a type 2 diabetic patient and a normal individual. HK-2 cells were used to assess exosomal protein and its modulation and biofunction in DN. Normal individuals and type 2 diabetic patients were enrolled, and nondiabetic db/m mice and diabetic db/db mice were used to validate the molecular mechanism of exosomes in DN.

Results: HG stimulated PTECs to increase Fibulin-1 (FBLN1) expression, and PTECs secreted FBLN1 through exosome delivery, thereby inducing epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in PTECs. Transcriptome analysis found that FBLN1 expression was modulated by miR-1269b, which was downregulated by HG in HK-2 cells. While transfection of miR-1269b reversed FBLN1-mediated EMT in PTECs, miR-1269b inhibitor modulated the phenotype of PTECs toward mesenchymal type under normal glucose (NG) condition. Most importantly, urinary FBLN1 and exosomal miR-1269b levels were correlated with the severity of kidney injury in type 2 diabetic patients.

Conclusion: This study demonstrated the communication within PTECs through exosome transmission in an autocrine pattern. MiR-1269b–FBLN1 epigenetic regulatory network could be a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent the progression of DN.

Protein Ligands in the Secretome of CD36+ Fibroblasts Induce Growth Suppression in a Subset of Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Simple Summary

Human breast cancers are not fully autonomous. They are dependent on nutrients and growth-promoting signals provided by stromal cells. In order to instruct the surrounding cells to provide essential growth factors, cancer cells co-opt normal signaling molecules and mechanisms. To inhibit or potentially reverse tumor growth, our goal is to emulate this signaling and reprogram the microenvironment. For example, in a healthy mammary gland, fibroblasts (FBs) overexpress CD36; and the downregulation of CD36 is one of the hallmarks of cancer-associated FBs. Therefore, in this project, we hypothesized that signaling from CD36⁺ FBs could cause growth suppression in a subset of breast cancer cell lines. We then designed a series of experiments to validate this growth suppression and identified responsible secreted factors by the CD36⁺ FBs. These experiments suggested that three protein ligands are primarily responsible for growth suppression in a subset of breast cancer cell lines.

Abstract

Reprogramming the tumor stroma is an emerging approach to circumventing the challenges of conventional cancer therapies. This strategy, however, is hampered by the lack of a specific molecular target. We previously reported that stromal fibroblasts (FBs) with high expression of CD36 could be utilized for this purpose. These studies are now expanded to identify the secreted factors responsible for tumor suppression. Methodologies included 3D colonies, fluorescent microscopy coupled with quantitative techniques, proteomics profiling, and bioinformatics analysis. The results indicated that the conditioned medium (CM) of the CD36⁺ FBs caused growth suppression via apoptosis in the triple-negative cell lines of MDA-MB-231, BT549, and Hs578T, but not in the ERBB2⁺ SKBR3. Following the proteomics and bioinformatic analysis of the CM of CD36⁺ versus CD36⁻ FBs, we determined KLF10 as one of the transcription factors responsible for growth suppression. We also identified FBLN1, SLIT3, and PENK as active ligands, where their minimum effective concentrations were determined. Finally, in MDA-MB-231, we showed that a mixture of FBLN1, SLIT3, and PENK could induce an amount of growth suppression similar to the CM of CD36⁺ FBs. In conclusion, our findings suggest that these ligands, secreted by CD36⁺ FBs, can be targeted for breast cancer treatment.

Proteomic Analyses of Fibroblast- and Serum-Derived Exosomes Identify QSOX1 as a Marker for Non-invasive Detection of Colorectal Cancer

Simple Summary

Early diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) is crucial to improve patient outcomes. The tumour microenvironment immediately adapts to malignant transformations, including the activation of fibroblasts in the connective tissue nearby. In this study, we investigated fibroblast activity-related protein secretion via extracellular vesicles (EVs). QSOX1, a protein identified to be significantly reduced in activated fibroblasts and derived EVs, was also found to be significantly reduced in circulating blood plasma EVs of CRC patients as compared to control patients. Hence, blood plasma EV-associated QSOX1 represents a promising platform for diagnostic CRC screening.

Abstract

The treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) has improved during the last decades, but methods for crucial early diagnosis are yet to be developed. The influence of the tumour microenvironment on liquid biopsies for early cancer diagnostics are gaining growing interest, especially with emphasis on exosomes (EXO), a subgroup of extracellular vesicles (EVs). In this study, we established paired cancer-associated (CAFs) and normal fibroblasts (NF) from 13 CRC patients and investigated activation status-related protein abundance in derived EXOs. Immunohistochemical staining of matched patient tissue was performed and an independent test cohort of CRC patient plasma-derived EXOs was assessed by ELISA. A total of 11 differentially abundant EV proteins were identified between NFs and CAFs. In plasma EXOs, the CAF-EXO enriched protein EDIL3 was elevated, while the NF-EXO enriched protein QSOX1 was diminished compared to whole plasma. Both markers were significantly reduced in patient-matched CRC tissue compared to healthy colon tissue. In an independent test cohort, a significantly reduced protein abundance of QSOX1 was observed in plasma EXOs from CRC patients compared to controls and diagnostic ROC curve analysis revealed an AUC of 0.904. In conclusion, EXO-associated QSOX1 is a promising novel marker for early diagnosis and non-invasive risk stratification in CRC.

Proteomic Analyses of Fibroblast- and Serum-Derived Exosomes Identify QSOX1 as a Marker for Non-invasive Detection of Colorectal Cancer

The treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) has improved during the last decades, but methods for crucial early diagnosis are yet to be developed. The influence of the tumour microenvironment on liquid biopsies for early cancer diagnostics are gaining growing interest, especially with emphasis on exosomes (EXO), a subgroup of extracellular vesicles (EVs). In this study, we established paired cancer-associated (CAFs) and normal fibroblasts (NF) from 13 CRC patients and investigated activation status-related protein abundance in derived EXOs. Immunohistochemical staining of matched patient tissue was performed and an independent test cohort of CRC patient plasma-derived EXOs was assessed by ELISA. A total of 11 differentially abundant EV proteins were identified between NFs and CAFs. In plasma EXOs, the CAF-EXO enriched protein EDIL3 was elevated, while the NF-EXO enriched protein QSOX1 was diminished compared to whole plasma. Both markers were significantly reduced in patient-matched CRC tissue compared to healthy colon tissue. In an independent test cohort, a significantly reduced protein abundance of QSOX1 was observed in plasma EXOs from CRC patients compared to controls and diagnostic ROC curve analysis revealed an AUC of 0.904. In conclusion, EXO-associated QSOX1 is a promising novel marker for early diagnosis and non-invasive risk stratification in CRC.

Low level of plasma fibulin-1 in patients with thyroid lesions: a case-control study and literature review

Investigating novel biomarkers discriminating thyroid nodules is a matter of great importance for differential diagnosis. The current study was planned to investigate the diagnostic value of fibulin-1 in plasma specimens of patients with thyroid nodules. A literature review was also performed to gain an understanding of the existing research relevant to the main role of fibulin-1 in carcinogenesis. In this case-control study, the levels of plasma fibulin-1 were compared in 82 subjects including papillary thyroid cancer (PTC; n = 30), multinodular goiter (MNG; n = 30), and healthy subjects (n = 22) using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Fibulin-1 levels of patients with PTC and MNG were documented to be significantly lower than those of healthy subjects (PTC vs. Healthy; P = 0.000, MNG vs. Healthy; P = 0.000). No statistically significant differences were found between PTC and MNG groups when fibulin-1 levels were compared (P > 0.05). Low level of plasma fibulin-1 was associated with an increased risk of PTC tumorigenesis (odds ratio = 0.810; 95% CI: 0.704-0.933; P = 0.003). Further, fibulin-1 had an appropriate diagnostic value for detecting PTC patients with a sensitivity of 73.33%, and specificity of 100% at the cutoff value > 4.9 (ng/ml). According to the results of the present research which are tied well with previous studies, the abnormal downregulation of fibulin-1 may play a role in the PTC and MNG tumorigenesis. In addition, fibulin-1 probably promotes the development and progression of other human cancer; however, further studies are needed to improve current understandings.