Prognostic value of ERG, PTEN, CRISP3 and SPINK1 in predicting biochemical recurrence in prostate cancer

Semiquantitative assessment of phosphatase and tensin homolog value with immunohistochemistry in colorectal cancer

INTRODUCTION

Colorectal cancer has emerged as a concerning health problem, ranking the third most common form of cancer in both men and women. The phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) protein is widely known for its role as an inhibitor of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase-B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR) pathway, playing a major role inhibiting tumor development. Previous studies investigated the role of this protein in the PI3K pathway and how it affected colorectal cancer. However, a standardized cut-off value for PTEN expression has not been established.

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry was used in examining PTEN. The staining grade ranging from 0 to 3 was then multiplied by the number of 100 cancer cells counted, with total score between 0 and 300. In this study, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was employed to determine the expression cut-off value for PTEN in colorectal cancer.

RESULTS

This study showed statistically significant results (P < 0.001) in either tumor or non-tumor tissues by using the ROC curve with a cut-off value of 199.0. This study also revealed significant correlation between nodal status with PTEN (P = 0.008) and stage with PTEN (P = 0.019) with sensitivity 0.753 and specificity 0.728.

CONCLUSION

Semiquantitative assessment with cell counting multiplied by color intensity is a good method in determining PTEN expression. The use of immunohistochemical staining intensity and cell scoring with ROC cut-off is effective to elaborate the effects of PTEN in colorectal cancer (PTEN value > 199.0 was classified as strong and ≤ 199.0 as weak).

Computational insights into CRISP3 downregulation in cervical cancer and its cervical lineages pattern

Background

Cysteine-rich secretory protein 3 (CRISP3) emerges as a potential biomarker in the study of many cancers, including cervical cancer (CC). This study aimed to analyze the expression pattern of CRISP3 in CC patients and CC cell lineages, following treatment with the epigenetic drugs: trichostatin A (TSA) and 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza).

Methods

The differentially expressed genes identified in GSE63514 were used to construct a protein-protein interaction network. CRISP3 was selected for subsequent analyses. We utilized data from the TCGA and GENT2 projects to evaluate the expression profile and clinical behavior of CRISP3. Additionally, we conducted cell culture experiments to analyze the expression profile of CRISP3 in cells.

Results

Low levels of CRISP3 were observed in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and human papillomavirus (HPV)16+, along with being associated with worse overall survival (OS). MIR-1229-3p was analyzed, and its high expression was associated with worse prognostic outcomes. In CC-derived cell lines, we observed low levels of CRISP3 in SiHa, followed by SW756, C33A, HeLa, and higher levels in CaSki. All cells were treated with TSA, 5-aza, or both. In all cell lines, treatment with TSA resulted in increased transcription of CRISP3.

Conclusion

We identified a significant downregulation of CRISP3 in CC, particularly in cases with HPV16 infection and SCC, which was associated with poorer OS. Preliminary findings suggest that epigenetic treatments with TSA and 5-aza may modulate CRISP3 expression, warranting further research to elucidate its regulatory mechanisms and potential as a prognostic biomarker.

EP300 promotes tumor stemness via epigenetic activation of CRISP3 leading to lobaplatin resistance in triple-negative breast cancer

Lobaplatin shows antitumor activity against a wide range of tumors, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and has been linked to cancer stem cell pool. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms behind lobaplatin resistance and stemness in vitro and in vivo. Two chemoresistance-related GEO data sets (GSE70690 and GSE103115) were included to screen out relevant genes. Cysteine-rich secretory protein 3 (CRISP3) was found to be overexpressed in lobaplatin-resistant TNBC and related to poor diagnosis. CRISP3 expression was significantly correlated with tumor stemness markers in lobaplatin-resistant cells. E1A-associated protein p300 (EP300) regulated CRISP3 expression by affecting the H3K27ac modification of the CRISP3 promoter. In addition, knocking down EP300 curbed the malignant biological behavior of lobaplatin-resistant cells, which was antagonized by CRISP3 overexpression. Collectively, our results highlight the EP300/CRISP3 axis as a key driver of lobaplatin resistance in TNBC and suggest that therapeutic targeting of this axis may be an effective strategy for enhancing platinum sensitivity in TNBC.

Machine Learning-Enhanced Extraction of Biomarkers for High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer from Proteomics Data

Comprehensive biomedical proteomic datasets are accumulating exponentially, warranting robust analytics to deconvolute them for identifying novel biological insights. Here, we report a strategic machine learning (ML)-based feature extraction workflow that was applied to unveil high-performing protein markers for high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) from publicly available ovarian cancer tissue and serum proteomics datasets. Diagnosis of HGSOC, an aggressive form of ovarian cancer, currently relies on diagnostic methods based on tissue biopsy and/or non-specific biomarkers such as the cancer antigen 125 (CA125) and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4). Our newly developed ML-based approach enabled the identification of new serum proteomic biomarkers for HGSOC. The performance verification of these marker combinations using two independent cohorts affirmed their outperformance against known biomarkers for ovarian cancer including clinically used serum markers with >97% AUC. Our analysis also added novel biological insights such as enriched cancer-related processes associated with HGSOC.

Exploring the role of differentially expressed metabolic genes and their mechanisms in bone metastatic prostate cancer

Background

Approximately 10-20% of patients diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa) evolve into castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), while nearly 90% of patients with metastatic CRPC (mCRPC) exhibit osseous metastases (BM). These BM are intimately correlated with the stability of the tumour microenvironment.

Purpose

This study aspires to uncover the metabolism-related genes and the underlying mechanisms responsible for bone metastatic prostate cancer (BMPCa).

Methods

Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets of PCa and BM were analyzed through R Studio software to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The DEGs underwent functional enrichment via Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO), with key factors screened by a random forest utilized to establish a prognostic model for PCa. The study explored the relationship between DEGs and the stability of the immune microenvironment. The action and specificity of CRISP3 in PCa was validated through western blot analysis, CCK-8 assay, scratch assay, and cellular assay.

Results

The screening of GEO and TCGA datasets resulted in the identification of 199 co-differential genes. Three DEGs, including DES, HBB, and SLPI, were selected by random forest classification model and cox regression model. Immuno-infiltration analysis disclosed that a higher infiltration of naïve B cells and resting CD4 memory T cells occurred in the high-expression group of DES, whereas infiltration of resting M1 macrophages and NK cells was greater in the low-expression group of DES. A significant infiltration of neutrophils was observed in the high-expression group of HBB, while greater infiltration of gamma delta T cells and M1 macrophages was noted in the low-expression group of HBB. Resting dendritic cells, CD8 T cells, and resting T regulatory cells (Tregs) infiltrated significantly in the high-expression group of SLPI, while only resting mast cells infiltrated significantly in the low-expression group of SLPI. CRISP3 was established as a critical gene in BMPCa linked to DES expression. Targeting CRISP3, d-glucopyranose may impact tumour prognosis. During the mechanistic experiments, it was established that CRISP3 can advance the proliferation and metastatic potential of PCa by advancing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Conclusion

By modulating lipid metabolism and maintaining immunological and microenvironmental balance, DES, HBB, and SLPI suppress prostate cancer cell growth. The presence of DES-associated CRISP3 is a harbinger of unfavorable outcomes in prostate cancer and may escalate tumor proliferation and metastatic capabilities by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

Prostatın benign, prekürsör ve malign epitelyal proliferasyonlarında ERG ile PTEN ekspresyonlarının araştırılması ve bulguların klinikopatolojik korelasyonu

Amaç: Prostat kanseri farklı klinik gidişata ve geniş bir tedavi yelpazesine sahip, klinik ve moleküler olarak oldukça heterojen bir kanser türüdür. Özellikle “prostatik intraepitelyal neoplazi” (PİN), “atipik intraduktal proliferasyon” (AİP) ve “intraduktal karsinom” (İDK) benzer morfolojik özelliklere sahip olması açısından ayırıcı tanı zorluğu yaratan tanılar olup, hasta tedavi ve takibi de farklı olan antitelerdir. Çalışmamızda bu lezyonlarda ERG ve PTEN ekspresyon düzeylerini belirlemeyi ve bu biyobelirteçlerin prognostik ve diagnostik değerini araştırmayı amaçladık. Gereç ve Yöntem: EÜTF Tıbbi Patoloji Anabilim Dalında 2011-2012 yılında radikal prostatektomi veya iğne biyopsi materyallerinde “Adenokarsinom” tanısı almış 87 olgu çalışmaya alındı. Histopatolojik olarak AİP, İDK ve PİN içeren alanlar belirlendi. immunohistokimyasal olarak bu alanlarda ERG ve PTEN ekspresyonları değerlendirildi.Bulgular: Olguların 6’sında İDK, 29’unda AİP ve 52’sinde PİN belirlendi. İDK AİP, DG 3 ve üstünde olan tümörlerde daha fazla görüldü. İDK ve AİP in eşlik ettiği prostat karsinomlarının sağ kalım süresi daha kısaydı (p=0.043). İDK ve AİP içeren tümörlerde ERG ve PTEN durumu invaziv komponentle uyum içindeydi. Ayrıca tüm İDK alanlarında ERG pozitifti. PTEN ile heterojen boyanma görülmüş olup, PTEN’in invaziv karsinom ve İDK alanlarında negatifliği daha fazlaydı (p=0,63). ERG pozitifliği ve PTEN negatifliği istatistiksel olarak anlamlı olmamakla birlikte AİP tanısını desteklediği dikkati çekti.Sonuç: Özellikle ayırıcı tanı sorunu yaratan intraduktal lezyonlarda ERG pozitifliği ve PTEN negatifliği klinik öneme sahip prostat karsinomuna eşlik edebileceği için özellikle biyopsilerde gözardı edilmemeli ve hasta tedavi ile takibi buna göre yapılmalıdır.  

LncRNA/miRNA/mRNA Network Introduces Novel Biomarkers in Prostate Cancer

The construction of a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network is an important step in the identification of the role of differentially expressed genes in cancers. In the current research, we used a number of bioinformatics tools to construct the ceRNA network in prostate cancer and identify the importance of these modules in predicting the survival of patients with this type of cancer. An assessment of microarray data of prostate cancer and normal samples using the Limma package led to the identification of differential expressed (DE) RNAs that we stratified into mRNA, lncRNA, and miRNAs, resulting in 684 DEmRNAs, including 437 downregulated DEmRNAs (such as TGM4 and SCGB1A1) and 241 upregulated DEmRNAs (such as TDRD1 and CRISP3); 6 DElncRNAs, including 1 downregulated DElncRNA (H19) and 5 upregulated DElncRNAs (such as PCA3 and PCGEM1); and 59 DEmiRNAs, including 30 downregulated DEmiRNAs (such as hsa-miR-1274a and hsa-miR-1274b) and 29 upregulated DEmiRNAs (such as hsa-miR-1268 and hsa-miR-1207-5p). The ceRNA network contained a total of 5 miRNAs, 5 lncRNAs, and 17 mRNAs. We identified hsa-miR-17, hsa-miR-93, hsa-miR-150, hsa-miR-25, PART1, hsa-miR-125b, PCA3, H19, RND3, and ITGB8 as the 10 hub genes in the ceRNA network. According to the ROC analysis, the expression levels of 19 hub genes showed a high diagnostic value. Taken together, we introduce a number of novel promising diagnostic biomarkers for prostate cancer.

A Combined CRISP3 and SPINK1 Prognostic Grade in EPS-Urine and Establishment of Models to Predict Prognosis of Patients With Prostate Cancer

Background

Prostate cancer (PCa) is characterized by significant heterogeneity. Thus, novel prognostic indicators are required to improve prognosis and treatment.

Methods

Cysteine rich secretory protein 3 (CRISP3) and serine peptidase inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) levels in expressed prostatic secretion (EPS)-urine collected during digital rectal examination of 496 patients histologically diagnosed with PCa were detected via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A combined CRISP3 and SPINK1 prognostic grade (CSPG) was defined using cut-off values from receiver operating characteristic curves. Log-rank Kaplan-Meier survival curves investigated differences in prognosis between groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses investigated the CSPG relationship with biochemical recurrence (BCR), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS). Three prognostic models were developed and validated.

Conclusions

CRISP3 and SPINK1 levels increased with Gleason score progression, pathological T stage, and metastasis status. CSPG in EPS-urine, which was an effective independent prognostic variable, accurately predicted the prognosis of patients with PCa. Three clinical prognostic models using the CSPG for BCR, CSS, and OS were developed and validated.

SPINKs in Tumors: Potential Therapeutic Targets

The serine protease inhibitor Kazal type (SPINK) family includes SPINK1-14 and is the largest branch in the serine protease inhibitor family. SPINKs play an important role in pancreatic physiology and disease, sperm maturation and capacitation, Nager syndrome, inflammation and the skin barrier. Evidence shows that the unregulated expression of SPINK1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 13 is closely related to human tumors. Different SPINKs exhibit various regulatory modes in different tumors and can be used as tumor prognostic markers. This article reviews the role of SPINK1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 13 in different human cancer processes and helps to identify new cancer treatment targets.

Cysteine-Rich Secretory Proteins (CRISP) are Key Players in Mammalian Fertilization and Fertility

Mammalian fertilization is a complex process involving a series of successive sperm-egg interaction steps mediated by different molecules and mechanisms. Studies carried out during the past 30 years, using a group of proteins named CRISP (Cysteine-RIch Secretory Proteins), have significantly contributed to elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying mammalian gamete interaction. The CRISP family is composed of four members (i.e., CRISP1-4) in mammals, mainly expressed in the male tract, present in spermatozoa and exhibiting Ca2+ channel regulatory abilities. Biochemical, molecular and genetic approaches show that each CRISP protein participates in more than one stage of gamete interaction (i.e., cumulus penetration, sperm-ZP binding, ZP penetration, gamete fusion) by either ligand-receptor interactions or the regulation of several capacitation-associated events (i.e., protein tyrosine phosphorylation, acrosome reaction, hyperactivation, etc.) likely through their ability to regulate different sperm ion channels. Moreover, deletion of different numbers and combination of Crisp genes leading to the generation of single, double, triple and quadruple knockout mice showed that CRISP proteins are essential for male fertility and are involved not only in gamete interaction but also in previous and subsequent steps such as sperm transport within the female tract and early embryo development. Collectively, these observations reveal that CRISP have evolved to perform redundant as well as specialized functions and are organized in functional modules within the family that work through independent pathways and contribute distinctly to fertility success. Redundancy and compensation mechanisms within protein families are particularly important for spermatozoa which are transcriptionally and translationally inactive cells carrying numerous protein families, emphasizing the importance of generating multiple knockout models to unmask the true functional relevance of family proteins. Considering the high sequence and functional homology between rodent and human CRISP proteins, these observations will contribute to a better understanding and diagnosis of human infertility as well as the development of new contraceptive options.

Characterization of different oligomeric forms of CRISP2 in the perinuclear theca versus the fibrous tail structures of boar spermatozoa

Mammalian sperm carry a variety of highly condensed insoluble protein structures such as the perinuclear theca, the fibrous sheath and the outer dense fibers, which are essential to sperm function. We studied the role of cysteine rich secretory protein 2 (CRISP2); a known inducer of non-pathological protein amyloids, in pig sperm with a variety of techniques. CRISP2, which is synthesized during spermatogenesis, was localized by confocal immunofluorescent imaging in the tail and in the post-acrosomal region of the sperm head. High resolution localization by immunogold labeling electron microscopy (EM) of ultrathin cryosections revealed that CRISP2 was present in the perinuclear theca and neck region of the sperm head, as well as in the outer dense fibers and the fibrous sheath of the sperm tail. Interestingly, we found that under native, non-reducing conditions CRISP2 formed oligomers both in the tail and the head but with different molecular weights and different biochemical properties. The tail oligomers were insensitive to reducing conditions but nearly complete dissociated into monomers under 8 M urea treatment, while the head 250 kDa CRISP2 positive oligomer completely dissociated into CRISP2 monomers under reducing conditions. The head specific dissociation of CRISP2 oligomer is likely a result of the reduction of various sulfhydryl groups in the cysteine rich domain of this protein. The sperm head CRISP2 shared typical solubilization characteristics with other perinuclear theca proteins as was shown with sequential detergent and salt treatments. Thus, CRISP2 is likely to participate in the formation of functional protein complexes in both the sperm tail and sperm head, but with differing oligomeric organization and biochemical properties. Future studies will be devoted to the understand the role of CRISP2 in sperm protein complexes formation and how this contributes to the fertilization processes.

Prevalence and clinical application of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion in Asian prostate cancer patients: a large-sample study in Chinese people and a systematic review

Fusion between the transmembrane protease serine 2 and v-ets erythroblastosis virus E26 oncogene homolog (TMPRSS2-ERG fusion) is a common genetic alteration in prostate cancer among Western populations and has been suggested as playing a role in tumorigenesis and progression of prostate cancer. However, the prevalence of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion differs among different ethnic groups, and contradictory results have been reported in Asian patients. We aim to evaluate the prevalence and significance of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion as a molecular subtyping and prognosis indicator of prostate cancer in Asians. We identified the fusion status in 669 samples from prostate biopsy and radical prostatectomy by fluorescence in situ hybridization and/or immunohistochemistry in China. We examined the association of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion with clinicopathological characteristics and biochemical recurrence by Chi-square test and Kaplan–Meier analysis. Finally, a systematic review was performed to investigate the positive rate of the fusion in Asian prostate cancer patients. McNemar's test was employed to compare the positive rates of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion detected using different methods. The positive rates of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion were 16% in our samples and 27% in Asian patients. In our samples, 9.4% and 19.3% of cases were recognized as fusion positive by fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, respectively. No significant association between the fusion and clinical parameters was observed. TMPRSS2-ERG fusion is not a frequent genomic alteration among Asian prostate cancer patients and has limited significance in clinical practices in China. Besides ethnic difference, detection methods potentially influence the results showing a positive rate of TMPRSS2-ERG fusion.

LMTK2 as Potential Biomarker for Stratification between Clinically Insignificant and Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer

A set of prostate tumors tend to grow slowly and do not require active treatment. Therefore, stratification between patients with clinically significant and clinically insignificant prostate cancer (PC) remains a vital issue to avoid overtreatment. Fast development of genetic technologies accelerated development of next-generation molecular tools for reliable PC diagnosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of molecular biomarkers (CRISP3, LMTK2, and MSMB) for separation of PC cases from benign prostatic changes and more specifically for identification of clinically significant PC from all pool of PC cases in patients with rising PSA levels. Patients (n = 200) who had rising PSA (PSA II) after negative transrectal systematic prostate biopsy due to elevated PSA (PSA I) were eligible to the study. In addition to PSA concentration, PSA density was calculated for each patient. Gene expression level was measured in peripheral blood samples of cases applying RT-PCR, while MSMB (−57 C/T) polymorphism was identified by pyrosequencing. LMTK2 and MSMB significantly differentiated control group from both BPD and PC groups. MSMB expression tended to increase from the major alleles of the CC genotype to the minor alleles of the TT genotype. PSA density was the only clinical characteristic that significantly differentiated clinically significant PC from clinically insignificant PC. Therefore, LMTK2 expression and PSA density were significantly distinguished between clinically significant PC and clinically insignificant PC. PSA density rather than PSA can differentiate PC from the benign prostate disease and, in combination with LMTK2, assist in stratification between clinically insignificant and clinically significant PC.

Targeted Regulation of miR-26a on PTEN to Affect Proliferation and Apoptosis of Prostate Cancer Cells

Objective: PI3K/AKT signal pathway is important for negative regulation of FoxO3a/p27Kip1, maintaining cell survival and inhibiting apoptosis. Phosphatase and tensin homology deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) gene negatively regulates PI3K/AKT signal pathway. It's downregulation is correlated with prostate cancer (PC) pathogenesis. Previous study showed significantly elevated miR-26a expression in PC tissues, indicating its tumor facilitating role in PC. Bioinformatics analysis revealed targeted relationship between miR-26a and 3'-UTR of PTEN mRNA. This study investigated if miR-26a and PTEN dysregulation played a role in proliferation and apoptosis of PC-3 cells. Materials and Methods: PC tumor tissues were collected along with benign prostate hyperplasia samples. Expression of miR-26a and PTEN was detected. The targeted relationship between miR-26a and PTEN was analyzed by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. In vitro-cultured PC-3 cells were treated with miR-26a inhibitor and/or pIRES2-PTEN. Flow cytometry was employed to detect cell apoptosis, cycle, and Ki-67 expression. Expression of miR-26a and PTEN was analyzed. Western blot was employed to detect protein levels of p-AKT, p-FoxO3a, and p27Kip1. Results: PC tissues had elevated miR-26a expression and lower PTEN expression compared with benign hyperplasia. miR-26a targeted and inhibited PTEN expression. Transfection of miR-26a inhibitor and/or overexpression of PTEN significantly decreased phosphorylation activity of AKT and FoxO3a, enhanced p27Kip1 expression, cell apoptosis, weakened proliferation ability, and arrested cell cycle at G0/G1 phase. Conclusions: PC tissue had higher miR-26a and lower PTEN expressions. miR-26a targeted and inhibited PTEN, potentiated phosphorylation activity of AKT and FoxO3a, downregulated p27Kip1 expression, decreased cell apoptosis, and facilitated proliferation.

Identification of a 4-mRNA metastasis-related prognostic signature for patients with breast cancer

Metastasis‐related mRNAs have showed great promise as prognostic biomarkers in various types of cancers. Therefore, we attempted to develop a metastasis‐associated gene signature to enhance prognostic prediction of breast cancer (BC) based on gene expression profiling. We firstly screened and identified 56 differentially expressed mRNAs by analysing BC tumour tissues with and without metastasis in the discovery cohort (GSE102484, n = 683). We then found 26 of these differentially expressed genes were associated with metastasis‐free survival (MFS) in the training set (GSE20685, n = 319). A metastasis‐associated gene signature built using a LASSO Cox regression model, which consisted of four mRNAs, can classify patients into high‐ and low‐risk groups in the training cohort. Patients with high‐risk scores in the training cohort had shorter MFS (hazard ratio [HR] 3.89, 95% CI 2.53‐5.98; P < 0.001), disease‐free survival (DFS) (HR 4.69, 2.93‐7.50; P < 0.001) and overall survival (HR 4.06, 2.56‐6.45; P < 0.001) than patients with low‐risk scores. The prognostic accuracy of mRNAs signature was validated in the two independent validation cohorts (GSE21653, n = 248; GSE31448, n = 246). We then developed a nomogram based on the mRNAs signature and clinical‐related risk factors (T stage and N stage) that predicted an individual's risk of disease, which can be assessed by calibration curves. Our study demonstrated that this 4‐mRNA signature might be a reliable and useful prognostic tool for DFS evaluation and will facilitate tailored therapy for BC patients at different risk of disease.

The positive immunostaining of TMPRSS2-ERG is not associated with unfavourable outcomes and biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy in Turkish patients

Introduction

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer and a major significant health problem amongst men in the world. Radical prostatectomy with open, laparoscopic and robotic techniques is the gold standard treatment for localized and local advanced disease. There are some risk factors including gleason score, T stage and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level to predict the biochemical recurrence. We investigated the association with biochemical recurrence and TMPRSS2:ERG fusion in patients who were treated with open radical prostatectomy.

Material and methods

The expression of TMPRSS2:ERG was defined as positive (Group 1) and negative (Group 2). The positive staining of the patients is classified into three groups; weak positive, moderate positive and strong positive. In the statistical analyses; chi squared test and Mann Whitney U were used and p <0.05 was defined as statistical significance.

Results

The present study includes 87 patients, 32 and 55 patients were in group 1 and 2 respectively. The mean age of the patients was 62.81 +5.55 and 64.45 +5.18 in the groups without significant difference. Extraprostatic extension was reported in 27 patients; 11 of these patients were in group 1 and 16 patients were in group 2 (p = 0.60). Biochemical recurrence was detected in 15 patients. Of these patients, 5 were in group 1 and 10 were in group 2 (p = 0.76).

Conclusions

The current study found no association between TMPRSS2:ERG fusion and biochemical recurrence and unfavourable pathological results in Turkish patients. Further research including a large number of patients from different regions of Turkey is needed to investigate the ERG status and biochemical recurrence for patients.

Predictive value of combined analysis of pro-NPY and ERG in localized prostate cancer

This study aimed to investigate if combined analysis of pro-Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and ERG expression in tumor tissue are associated with biochemical failure (BF), castration-based treatment, castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), and prostate cancer (PCa)-specific death for men undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) for PCa. This study included 315 patients, who underwent RP from 2002 to 2005. Both pro-NPY and ERG expression were analyzed using immunohistochemistry and were scored as low or high and negative or positive, respectively. Risk of BF, castration-based treatment, CRPC, and PCa-specific death were analyzed with multiple cause-specific Cox regression analyses and stratified cumulative incidences using competing risk assessment. Median follow-up was 13.0 years (95% CI: 12.7-13.2). In total, 85.7% were pro-NPY high and 14.3% were pro-NPY low. The combined analyses of pro-NPY and ERG expression was not associated with risk of BF (p = 0.7), castration-based treatment (p = 0.8), CRPC (p = 0.4) or PCa-specific death (p = 0.5). In the multiple cause-specific Cox regression analysis, pro-NPY high and ERG positivity was not associated with BF (HR: 1.02; 95% CI 0.6-1.7; p = 0.94). In conclusion the combination of pro-NPY and ERG expression did not show association with risk of BF, castration-based treatment, CRPC, and PCa-specific death following RP.

Androgen receptor mediated epigenetic regulation of CRISP3 promoter in prostate cancer cells

Cysteine-rich secretory protein 3 (CRISP3) is one of the most upregulated genes in prostate cancer. Androgen receptor (AR) plays an important role not only in initial stages of prostate cancer development but also in the advanced stage of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Role of AR in regulation of CRISP3 expression is not yet known. In order to understand the regulation of CRISP3 expression, various overlapping fragments of CRISP3 promoter were cloned in pGL3 luciferase reporter vector. All constructs were transiently and stably transfected in PC3 (CRISP3 negative) and LNCaP (CRISP3 positive) cell lines and promoter activity was measured by luciferase assay. Promoter activity of LNCaP stable clones was significantly higher than PC3 stable clones. Further in CRISP3 negative PC3 and RWPE-1 cells, CRISP3 promoter was shown to be silenced by histone deacetylation. Treatment of LNCaP cells with DHT resulted in increase in levels of CRISP3 transcript and protein. AR dependency of CRISP3 promoter was also evaluated in LNCaP stable clones by luciferase assay. To provide molecular evidence of epigenetic regulation of CRISP3 promoter and its response to DHT, ChIP PCR was performed in PC3 and LNCaP cells. Our results demonstrate that CRISP3 expression in prostate cancer cells is androgen dependent and in AR positive cells, CRISP3 promoter is epigenetically regulated by AR.

Biomarker microRNAs for prostate cancer metastasis: screened with a network vulnerability analysis model

Background

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a fatal malignant tumor among males in the world and the metastasis is a leading cause for PCa death. Biomarkers are therefore urgently needed to detect PCa metastatic signature at the early time. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs with the potential to be biomarkers for disease prediction. In addition, computer-aided biomarker discovery is now becoming an attractive paradigm for precision diagnosis and prognosis of complex diseases.

Methods

In this study, we identified key microRNAs as biomarkers for predicting PCa metastasis based on network vulnerability analysis. We first extracted microRNAs and mRNAs that were differentially expressed between primary PCa and metastatic PCa (MPCa) samples. Then we constructed the MPCa-specific microRNA-mRNA network and screened microRNA biomarkers by a novel bioinformatics model. The model emphasized the characterization of systems stability changes and the network vulnerability with three measurements, i.e. the structurally single-line regulation, the functional importance of microRNA targets and the percentage of transcription factor genes in microRNA unique targets.

Results

With this model, we identified five microRNAs as putative biomarkers for PCa metastasis. Among them, miR-101-3p and miR-145-5p have been previously reported as biomarkers for PCa metastasis and the remaining three, i.e. miR-204-5p, miR-198 and miR-152, were screened as novel biomarkers for PCa metastasis. The results were further confirmed by the assessment of their predictive power and biological function analysis.

Conclusions

Five microRNAs were identified as candidate biomarkers for predicting PCa metastasis based on our network vulnerability analysis model. The prediction performance, literature exploration and functional enrichment analysis convinced our findings. This novel bioinformatics model could be applied to biomarker discovery for other complex diseases.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12967-018-1506-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Comparison of cell cycle progression score with two immunohistochemical markers (PTEN and Ki-67) for predicting outcome in prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy

PURPOSE

Previous studies of the cell cycle progression (CCP) score in surgical specimens of prostate cancer (PCa) in patients treated by radical prostatectomy (RP) demonstrated significant association with time to biochemical recurrence (BCR). In this study, we compared the ability of the CCP score and the expression of PTEN or Ki-67 to predict BCR in a cohort of patients treated by RP. Finally, we constructed the best predictive model for BCR, incorporating biomarkers and relevant clinical variables.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study population consisted of 652 PCa patients enrolled in a retrospective cohort and who had RP surgery in French urological centers from 2000 to 2007.

RESULTS

Among the 652 patients with CCP scores and complete clinical data, BCR events occurred in 41%, and the median time from surgery to the last follow-up among BCR-free patients was 72 months. In univariate Cox analysis, the continuous CCP score and positive Ki-67 predicted recurrence with a HR of 1.44 (95% CI 1.17-1.75; p = 5.3 × 10^-4) and 1.89 (95% CI 1.38-2.57; p = 1.6 × 10^-4), respectively. In contrast, PTEN expression was not associated with BCR risk. Of the three biomarkers, only the CCP score remained significantly associated in a multivariable Cox model (p = 0.026). The best model incorporated CAPRA-S and CCP scores as predictors, with HRs of 1.32 and 1.24, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The CCP score was superior to the two IHC markers (PTEN and Ki-67) for predicting outcome in PCa after RP.

MicroRNA-211 suppresses prostate cancer proliferation by targeting SPARC

Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) is frequently associated with cancer progression. Altered expression of miR-211 has been observed in various types of human cancer; however, its expression and role in prostate cancer (PCa) remains unknown. In the present study, the expression of miR-211 in PCa cell lines and tissues was measured by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (qPCR), revealing that miR-211 was downregulated in PCa cell lines and tissues. Further analysis revealed that low miR-211 was associated with the tumor stage and Gleason score. With the assistance of miR-211 mimics and inhibitor, it was also revealed that the overexpression of miR-211 could inhibit PCa cell proliferation in vitro. Conversely, downregulated miR-211 expression promotes PCa cell proliferation. In addition, the secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) was identified as a target of miR-211 in the PCa cell lines, and SPARC expression was inversely associated with miR-211. In conclusion, it was demonstrated that the miR-211 expression was downregulated in PCa cell lines and tissues. Additionally, miR-211 could inhibit PCa cell proliferation partially by downregulating SPARC. Therefore, miR-211 may be a potential therapeutic target for PCa treatment in the future.

Clinical Utility and Biologic Implications of Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN) and ETS-related Gene (ERG) in Prostate Cancer

Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and ETS-related gene (ERG) mutations are commonly found in prostate cancer. Although mouse studies have demonstrated that PTEN and ERG cooperatively interact during tumorigenesis, human studies examining these genes have been inconclusive. A systematic PubMed search including original articles assessing the pathogenesis of PTEN and ERG in prostate cancer was performed. Studies examining ERG's prognostic significance have conflicting results. Studies examining PTEN and ERG simultaneously found these genes are likely to occur together, but cooperative tumorigenesis functions have not been conclusively established. PTEN mutations are associated with a range of prognostic features. However, the practical clinical utility of this information remains to be determined.

Association of PTEN expression with biochemical recurrence in prostate cancer: results based on previous reports

Purpose

Among men, prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Phosphatase and tension homolog (PTEN) acts as a negative regulator of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PIK3)/Akt pathway and suppresses tumor progression. Meanwhile, PTEN is frequently deleted in PCa. Identifying the specific molecular markers of biochemical recurrence (BCR) in PCa patients is critical in clinical practice. Our systematic review summarizes the evidence about the PTEN expression and BCR rate in PCa patients.

Methods

To clarify the impact of PTEN expression on the PCa BCR rate, a systematic review and meta-analysis was performed by searching the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases, to identify the relevant literature. The analysis of pooled data was performed with Stata 12. The combined odds ratios (ORs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were evaluated by the fixed-effects or random-effects models. The combined sensitivity and publication bias were also estimated.

Results

In total, nine articles containing ten independent cohort studies, including 2,154 cases with positive expression of PTEN and 1,006 PTEN deletion cases, were deemed eligible for the meta-analysis. Overall, the positive expression of PTEN was associated with a significantly lower BCR rate (OR =0.521, 95% CI: 0.431–0.630). Subgroup analysis stratified by race revealed that in multiple races (OR =0.215, 95% CI: 0.072–0.648) and Caucasian (OR =0.469, 95% CI: 0.373–0.591) races, positive expression of PTEN showed a significant association with lower BCR rate. Subgroup analysis also showed the significant result in different sample sizes.

Conclusion

PTEN deletion has a relationship with a higher BCR rate in PCa compared with positive expression of PTEN.

Ethnicity and ERG frequency in prostate cancer

Emerging observations emphasize a distinct biology of prostate cancer among men of different ethnicities and races, as demonstrated by remarkable differences in the frequency of ERG oncogenic activation, one of the most common and widely studied prostate cancer driver genes. Worldwide assessment of ERG alterations frequencies show consistent trends, with men of European ancestry having the highest rates of alteration and men of African or Asian ancestries having considerably lower alteration rates. However, data must be interpreted cautiously, owing to variations in assay platforms and specimen types, as well as ethnic and geographical classifications. Many opportunities and challenges remain in assessing cancer-associated molecular alterations at a global level, and these need to be addressed in order to realize the true potential of precision medicine for all cancer patients.

The association between SPINK1 and clinical outcomes in patients with prostate cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Evidence of the prognostic role of serine peptidase inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) in prostate cancer (PCa) is controversial. The aim of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the association between SPINK1 and clinical outcomes in PCa. Searches were made of PubMed, Medline, Embase, and the China Biology Medicine disc (CBMdisc) up to January 2017. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used to assess the risk of bias of included studies. RevMan software was used to perform meta-analysis, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) method was employed for assessing the quality of the evidence. Ten studies with 17,161 patients were included in the analysis. Random-effect models were adopted for all outcomes with significant heterogeneities. In patients treated with radical prostatectomy, SPINK1 was associated with biochemical recurrence (BCR) (hazard ratio [HR] =1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.97; P=0.04), but not PCa-specific mortality (HR =0.93, 95% CI: 0.33–2.57; P=0.88), and overall survival (OS) (HR =0.89, 95% CI: 0.58–1.35; P=0.57). In metastatic PCa, SPINK1 was significantly associated with castration-resistant PCa-free survival (HR =3.87, 95% CI: 1.87–8.00; P=0.0003) and OS (HR =2.59, 95% CI: 1.16–5.78; P=0.02). However, the quality of the evidence was very low for all study outcome measures. In conclusion, although SPINK1 was not a predictor of PCa mortality or OS among patients who underwent radical prostatectomy, it may have prognostic value in metastatic PCa.

MiR-130 exerts tumor suppressive function on the tumorigenesis of human non-small cell lung cancer by targeting PTEN

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been involved in some human malignancies and correlated with tumor progression. The dysregulation of miR-130 is found in various cancers and correlated with tumor proliferation and apoptosis. However, its expression and function in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have not been investigated yet. In this study, we demonstrated that miR-130 is significantly down-regulated in NSCLC tissue samples and cell lines. Low miR-130 expression was closely associated with lymph node metastasis, late stages of disease progression and diminished survival in NSCLC patients. The up-regulation of miR-130 could significantly inhibit NSCLC cell growth and enhance cell apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. Whereas inhibition of miR-130 exerted opposite effects. Furthermore, dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed that PTEN was regulated by miR-130 directly, and the knockdown of PTEN markedly abrogated the anti-growth effect of miR-130. Additionally, miR-130 was found positively correlated with PTEN in NSCLC specimens. In conclusion, our results suggested that the expression of miR-130 is significantly associated with the growth and apoptosis of NSCLS cells by targeting PTEN, whilst miR-130 may be a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC treatment.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 and phosphatase and tensin homolog as therapeutic targets in breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women in Turkey and worldwide. It is considered a heterogeneous disease and has different subtypes. Moreover, breast cancer has different molecular characteristics, behaviors, and responses to treatment. Advances in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms implicated in breast cancer progression have led to the identification of many potential therapeutic gene targets, such as Breast Cancer 1/2, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha, and tumor protein 53. The aim of this review is to summarize the roles of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 (alpha) (alias p85α) and phosphatase and tensin homolog in breast cancer progression and the molecular mechanisms involved. Phosphatase and tensin homolog is a tumor suppressor gene and protein. Phosphatase and tensin homolog antagonizes the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT signaling pathway that plays a key role in cell growth, differentiation, and survival. Loss of phosphatase and tensin homolog expression, detected in about 20%-30% of cases, is known to be one of the most common tumor changes leading to phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway activation in breast cancer. Instead, the regulatory subunit p85α is a significant component of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway, and it has been proposed that a reduction in p85α protein would lead to decreased negative regulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and hyperactivation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 protein has also been reported to be a positive regulator of phosphatase and tensin homolog via the stabilization of this protein. A functional genetic alteration of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 that results in reduced p85α protein expression and increased insulin receptor substrate 1 binding would lead to enhanced phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling and hence cancer development. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 underexpression was observed in 61.8% of breast cancer samples. Therefore, expression/alternations of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 and phosphatase and tensin homolog genes have crucial roles for breast cancer progression. This review will summarize the biological roles of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 and phosphatase and tensin homolog in breast cancer, with an emphasis on recent findings and the potential of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 and phosphatase and tensin homolog as a therapeutic target for breast cancer therapy.