1
|
Letafati A, Mozhgani SH, Marjani A, Amiri A, Siami Z, Mohammaditabar M, Molaverdi G, Hedayatyaghoobi M. Decoding dysregulated angiogenesis in HTLV-1 asymptomatic carriers compared to healthy individuals. Med Oncol 2023; 40:317. [PMID: 37792095 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02177-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the first identified human retrovirus responsible for two significant diseases: HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP) and adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). Although the majority of infected individuals remain asymptomatic carriers, a small percentage may develop ATLL or HAM/TSP. In tumorigenesis, a crucial process is angiogenesis, which involves the formation of new blood vessels. However, the precise mechanism of HTLV-1 associated angiogenesis remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the gene regulation involved in the angiogenesis signaling pathway associated with HTLV-1 infection. The research enrolled 20 male participants, including asymptomatic carriers and healthy individuals. Blood samples were collected and screened using ELISA for HTLV-1 confirmation, and PCR was performed for both Tax and HBZ for validation. RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were carried out, followed by RT-qPCR analysis targeting cellular genes involved in angiogenesis. Our findings indicate that gene expression related to angiogenesis was elevated in HTLV-1 ACs patients. However, the differences in gene expression of the analyzed genes, including HSP27, Paxillin, PDK1, PTEN, RAF1, SOS1, and VEGFR2 between ACs and healthy individuals were not statistically significant. This suggests that although angiogenesis-related genes may show increased expression in HTLV-1 infection, they might not be robust indicators of ATLL progression in asymptomatic carriers. The results of our study demonstrate that angiogenesis gene expression is altered in ACs of HTLV-1, indicating potential involvement of angiogenesis in the early stages before ATLL development. While we observed elevated angiogenesis gene expression in ACs, the lack of statistical significance between ACs and healthy individuals suggests that these gene markers may not be sufficient on their own to predict the development of ATLL in asymptomatic carriers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arash Letafati
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Research Center for Clinical Virology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sayed-Hamidreza Mozhgani
- Department of Microbiology and Virology, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.
| | - Arezoo Marjani
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abdollah Amiri
- Student Research Committee, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Zeinab Siami
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | | | - Ghazale Molaverdi
- Student Research Committee, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Hedayatyaghoobi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jiang H, Cheng X, Liang Y, Wang Y, Li Y, Li Y. Aberrant expression of WNK lysine deficient protein kinase 1 is associated with poor prognosis of colon adenocarcinoma. Ir J Med Sci 2023; 192:57-64. [PMID: 35138567 DOI: 10.1007/s11845-021-02916-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS WNK1 (WNK lysine deficient protein kinase 1) is a kind of protein kinase and participates in angiogenesis, having a potent tumor promoting role. WNK1 is ubiquitously expressed, and its upregulated expression has been reported in several tumor types. AIMS Here, we aimed to investigate the correlation between WNK1 expression and colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) progression. METHODS In the current study, WNK1 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemically in adjacent normal colonic mucosae and primary adenocarcinomas. The effect of WNK1 on overall survival (OS) and its associations with the clinicopathological parameters were analyzed in a retrospective cohort of COAD patients (n = 185). The tumor-related effects of WNK1 in COAD were further tested via cellular and mice experiments. RESULTS According to our cohort, higher WNK1 expression was significantly associated with unfavorable prognostic factors, such as high pT stage, pN stage, as well as shorter OS. Moreover, WNK1 exhibited tumor promoting role in COAD cancer cell lines as well as in nude mice. Silencing WNK1 can significantly inhibit the proliferation of COAD both in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS In all, WNK1 acts as a tumor promoter and may be used as a COAD prognostic biomarker.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Huiyuan Jiang
- Department of Colorectal & Anal Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xin Cheng
- Department of Gynecology, First Affiliated Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yanjie Liang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Aetiology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yiqun Li
- Department of Colorectal & Anal Surgery, Affiliated People's Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 29 Shuangtasi Street, Taiyuan, 030012, China
| | - Yaoping Li
- Department of Colorectal & Anal Surgery, Affiliated People's Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 29 Shuangtasi Street, Taiyuan, 030012, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Li LM, Chen C, Ran RX, Huang JT, Sun HL, Zeng C, Zhang Z, Zhang W, Liu SM. Loss of TARBP2 Drives the Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via miR-145-SERPINE1 Axis. Front Oncol 2021; 11:620912. [PMID: 34249676 PMCID: PMC8265608 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.620912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The clinical outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain dismal. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms for the progression of aggressive HCC holds the promise for developing novel intervention strategies. The transactivation response element RNA-binding protein (TRBP/TARBP2), a key component of microRNA (miRNA) processing and maturation machinery has been shown to play conflicting roles in tumor development and progression. We sought to investigate the expression of TARBP2 in HCC using well-characterized HCC cell lines, patient-derived tissues and blood samples. Additionally, the potential prognostic and diagnostic value of TARBP2 in HCC were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier plots and ROC curve. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), wound healing and transwell assays examined the ability of TARBP2 to induce cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in HCC cell lines. RNA sequencing was applied to identify the downstream elements of TARBP2. The interaction of potential targets of TARBP2, miR-145 and serpin family E member 1 (SERPINE1), was assessed using luciferase reporter assay. TARBP2 expression was down-regulated in HCC cell lines relative to normal hepatocyte cells, with a similar pattern further confirmed in tissue and blood samples. Notably, the loss of TARBP2 was demonstrated to promote proliferation, migration, and invasion in HCC cell lines. Interestingly, the reduction of TARBP2 was shown to result in the upregulation of SERPINE1, also known as plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), which is a vital gene of the HIF-1 signaling pathway. Knockdown of SERPINE1 rescued the TARBP2-lost phenotype. Moreover, TARBP2 depletion induced the upregulation of SERPINE1 through reducing the processing of miR-145, which directly targets SERPINE1. Finally, overexpression of miR-145 repressed SERPINE1 and rescued the functions in sh-TARBP2 HCC cells. Our findings underscore a linear TARBP2-miR-145-SERPINE1 pathway that drives HCC progression, with the potential as a novel intervention target for aggressive HCC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li-Man Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Center for Gene Diagnosis, and Program of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Chang Chen
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Ruo-Xi Ran
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Center for Gene Diagnosis, and Program of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Jing-Tao Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Center for Gene Diagnosis, and Program of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Department of Clinical Laboratory, Renmin Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui-Lung Sun
- Department of Chemistry and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Chang Zeng
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Zhou Zhang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Institute of Precision Medicine, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Song-Mei Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Center for Gene Diagnosis, and Program of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Allergy and Immunology, Wuhan, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ho YJ, Chang J, Yeh KT, Gong Z, Lin YM, Lu JW. Prognostic and Clinical Implications of WNK Lysine Deficient Protein Kinase 1 Expression in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma. In Vivo 2021; 34:2631-2640. [PMID: 32871793 DOI: 10.21873/invivo.12081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a particularly malignant form of cancer prevalent throughout the world; however, there is a pressing need for HCC biomarkers to facilitate prognosis and risk assessment. PATIENTS AND METHODS This paper reports on the potential prognostic value of WNK lysine deficient protein kinase 1 (WNK1) in cases of HCC. We analyzed the expression of WNK1 at the mRNA level using omics data from the UALCAN database. We then verified our findings through the immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of various human cancer tissue as well as 59 HCC samples paired with corresponding normal tissues. The prognostic value of mRNA or protein expression by WNK1 was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS Initial screening results revealed significantly higher WNK1 expression levels in HCC tissue compared to normal tissue. Verification using the paired HCC samples confirmed that the expression of WNK1 was indeed significantly higher in HCC tissue samples than in adjacent normal tissues. High WNK1 expression levels were significantly correlated with clinicopathological variables, including gender and histologic grade. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that high WNK1 expression levels were associated with poor HCC prognosis. Finally, univariate and multivariate analysis identified WNK1 as a prognostic factor for TNM stage in cases of HCC. CONCLUSION In summary, WNK1 is overexpressed at the mRNA and protein levels, and correlated with poor prognosis. Thus, WNK1 expression could potentially be used as a biomarker in HCC prognosis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Jung Ho
- School of Pharmacy, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.,Graduate Institute of Life Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Jungshan Chang
- Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Kun-Tu Yeh
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan, R.O.C.,School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Zhiyuan Gong
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yueh-Min Lin
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan, R.O.C. .,School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C.,Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Central Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taichung, Taiwan, R.O.C
| | - Jeng-Wei Lu
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mathkar PP, Chen X, Sulovari A, Li D. Characterization of Hepatitis B Virus Integrations Identified in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Genomes. Viruses 2021; 13:v13020245. [PMID: 33557409 PMCID: PMC7915589 DOI: 10.3390/v13020245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Almost half of HCC cases are associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections, which often lead to HBV sequence integrations in the human genome. Accurate identification of HBV integration sites at a single nucleotide resolution is critical for developing a better understanding of the cancer genome landscape and of the disease itself. Here, we performed further analyses and characterization of HBV integrations identified by our recently reported VIcaller platform in recurrent or known HCC genes (such as TERT, MLL4, and CCNE1) as well as non-recurrent cancer-related genes (such as CSMD2, NKD2, and RHOU). Our pathway enrichment analysis revealed multiple pathways involving the alcohol dehydrogenase 4 gene, such as the metabolism pathways of retinol, tyrosine, and fatty acid. Further analysis of the HBV integration sites revealed distinct patterns involving the integration upper breakpoints, integrated genome lengths, and integration allele fractions between tumor and normal tissues. Our analysis also implies that the VIcaller method has diagnostic potential through discovering novel clonal integrations in cancer-related genes. In conclusion, although VIcaller is a hypothesis free virome-wide approach, it can still be applied to accurately identify genome-wide integration events of a specific candidate virus and their integration allele fractions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pranav P. Mathkar
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; (P.P.M.); (A.S.)
| | - Xun Chen
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; (P.P.M.); (A.S.)
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Biology, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Correspondence: (X.C.); (D.L.)
| | - Arvis Sulovari
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; (P.P.M.); (A.S.)
- Cajal Neuroscience Inc., Seattle, WA 98102, USA
| | - Dawei Li
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA; (P.P.M.); (A.S.)
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA
- Correspondence: (X.C.); (D.L.)
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zhang X, Wang L, Yan Y. Identification of potential key genes and pathways in hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma by bioinformatics analyses. Oncol Lett 2020; 19:3477-3486. [PMID: 32269621 PMCID: PMC7138035 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.11470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the leading causes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The precise molecular mechanisms by which HBV contributes to HCC development are not fully understood. The key genes and pathways involved in the transformation of nontumor hepatic tissues into HCC tissues in patients with HBV infection are essential to guide the treatment of HBV-associated HCC. Five datasets were collected from the Gene Expression Omnibus database to form a large cohort. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between HCC tissues and nontumor hepatic tissues from HBV-infected patients using the ‘limma’ package. The top 50 upregulated and top 50 downregulated DEGs in HCC vs. nontumor tissues were demonstrated in subsets by heat maps. Based on the DEGs, Gene Ontology functional and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways enrichment analyses were performed. Several key pathways of the up- and downregulated DEGs were identified and presented by protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. A total of 1,934 DEGs were identified. The upregulated DEGs were primarily associated with the ‘cell cycle’. Among the DEGs enriched in the ‘cell cycle’ pathway, 6 genes had a log2-fold change >2: SFN, BUB1B, TTK, CCNB1, CDK1 and CDC20. The downregulated DEGs were primarily associated with the metabolic pathways, such as ‘carbon metabolism’, ‘glycine, serine and threonine metabolism’, ‘tryptophan metabolism’, ‘retinol metabolism’ and ‘alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism’. The DEGs in the ‘cell cycle’ and ‘metabolic pathways’ were presented by the PPI networks respectively. Overall, the present study provides new insights into the specific etiology of HCC and molecular mechanisms for the transformation of nontumor hepatic tissues into HCC tissues in patients with a history of HBV infection and several potential therapeutic targets for targeted therapy in these patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Lingchen Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China.,Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| | - Yehong Yan
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Nehme Z, Pasquereau S, Herbein G. Control of viral infections by epigenetic-targeted therapy. Clin Epigenetics 2019; 11:55. [PMID: 30917875 PMCID: PMC6437953 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-019-0654-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics is defined as the science that studies the modifications of gene expression that are not owed to mutations or changes in the genetic sequence. Recently, strong evidences are pinpointing toward a solid interplay between such epigenetic alterations and the outcome of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection. Guided by the previous possibly promising experimental trials of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epigenetic reprogramming, the latter is paving the road toward two major approaches to control viral gene expression or latency. Reactivating HCMV from the latent phase ("shock and kill" paradigm) or alternatively repressing the virus lytic and reactivation phases ("block and lock" paradigm) by epigenetic-targeted therapy represent encouraging options to overcome latency and viral shedding or otherwise replication and infectivity, which could lead eventually to control the infection and its complications. Not limited to HIV and HCMV, this concept is similarly studied in the context of hepatitis B and C virus, herpes simplex virus, and Epstein-Barr virus. Therefore, epigenetic manipulations stand as a pioneering research area in modern biology and could constitute a curative methodology by potentially consenting the development of broad-spectrum antivirals to control viral infections in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zeina Nehme
- Department Pathogens & Inflammation-EPILAB, UPRES EA4266, University of Franche-Comté, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, F-25030 Besançon cedex, France
- Université Libanaise, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Sébastien Pasquereau
- Department Pathogens & Inflammation-EPILAB, UPRES EA4266, University of Franche-Comté, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, F-25030 Besançon cedex, France
| | - Georges Herbein
- Department Pathogens & Inflammation-EPILAB, UPRES EA4266, University of Franche-Comté, University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, F-25030 Besançon cedex, France
- Department of Virology, CHRU Besancon, F-25030 Besançon, France
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Yang F. Post-translational Modification Control of HBV Biological Processes. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2661. [PMID: 30443247 PMCID: PMC6222169 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 10/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus infection remains a global healthy issue that needs to be urgently solved. Novel strategies for anti-viral therapy are based on exploring the effective diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets of diseases caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. It is well-established that not only viral proteins themselves but also key factors from the host control the biological processes associated with HBV, including replication, transcription, packaging, and secretion. Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs), such as phosphorylation, acetylation, methylation, and ubiquitination, have been shown to control protein activity, regulate protein stability, promote protein interactions and alter protein subcellular localization, leading to the modulation of crucial signaling pathways and affected cellular processes. This review focuses on the functions and effects of diverse PTMs in regulating important processes in the HBV life cycle. The potential roles of PTMs in the pathogenesis of HBV-associated liver diseases are also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fan Yang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| |
Collapse
|