Expression of E-cadherin, β-catenin, and epithelial membrane antigen does not predict survival in patients with high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer

Prognostic significance of E-Cadherin and B-Catenin in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

Non muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) has unpredictable outcomes with a variable risk of recurrence and progression. Many clinic-pathological prognostic factors have been identified but remain insufficient, raising the need to investigate new biomarkers. The aim of our study was to assess the prognostic value of the immunohistochemical (IHC) markers E-Cadherin and B-Catenin in NMIBC. All cases of NMIBC were collected between 2008 and 2013. IHC analysis was performed using E-Cadherin and B-Catenin. Reduced or loss of E-Cadherin expression was assessed as abnormal. Only cases with B-Catenin intense membranous staining were considered normal. A correlation was found between abnormal E-Cadherin expression and stage (p = 0.001), grade (p = 0.0000000), recurrence (p = 0.0000000), progression (p = 0.01), recurrence-free survival (p = 0.00000001), and progression-free survival (p = 0.01). A statistically significant association was found between B-Catenin and stage (p = 0. 05), grade (p = 0.02), and recurrence (p = 0.02). The abnormal expression of these markers could help to identify a high-risk subgroup of NMIBC that might benefit from either more accurate follow-up or more aggressive treatment.

Cadherin Signaling in Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases

Cadherins mediate cell–cell adhesion through a dynamic process that is strongly dependent on the cellular context and signaling. Cadherin regulation reflects the interplay between fundamental cellular processes, including morphogenesis, proliferation, programmed cell death, surface organization of receptors, cytoskeletal organization, and cell trafficking. The variety of molecular mechanisms and cellular functions regulated by cadherins suggests that we have only scratched the surface in terms of clarifying the functions mediated by these versatile proteins. Altered cadherins expression is closely connected with tumorigenesis, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-dependent fibrosis, and autoimmunity. We review the current understanding of how cadherins contribute to human health and disease, considering the mechanisms of cadherin involvement in diseases progression, as well as the clinical significance of cadherins as therapeutic targets.

CD40 is Positively Correlated with the Expression of Nucleophosmin in Cisplatin-Resistant Bladder Cancer

Objective

To verify and evaluate the value of CD40 as a noninvasive biomarker of cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer, we studied the expression of CD40 and the correlation between nucleophosmin (NPM1) and CD40 in cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer.

Methods

Three cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer cell lines (T24/0.8DDP, BIU87/0.3DDP, and PUMC-91/0.6DDP) were studied, and lentivirus was used to silence NPM1 expression. The expression of CD40 and NPM1 in three NPM1 silencing bladder cancer cell lines were detected by fluorescence microscopy and Western Blot. The effects and proteomic bioinformatics of NPM1 gene knockout on cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer cells were analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gene ontology analysis (GO analysis).

Results

The NPM1 gene was successfully silenced in three drug-resistant bladder cancer cell lines by lentivirus infection. The knockdown efficiency was 70%. After NPM1 gene knockout, 492 differential proteins were detected by LC-MS, whose fold change was more than 1.5 (p < 0.05). A total of 57022 peptides, 54347 unique peptides, and 6686 protein groups were identified in all proteins of the tested cells (FDR < 0.01). Hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis showed that 264 functional proteins were downregulated and 228 functional proteins were upregulated in the gene silencing group compared with those of the negative controls. By GO analysis, the proteins affected by NPM1 cover a large number of proteins with biological functions, which may play an important role in the development of tumor in 492 differential proteins. The CD40 was the most significantly downregulated protein after NPM1 silencing, with a difference of 2.6-fold change in abundance.

Conclusions

There is a positive correlation between CD40 protein and NPM1 protein in drug-resistant bladder cancer. Because NPM1 can reflect the characteristics of bladder cancer, CD40 may be a more sensitive marker for monitoring the prognosis of bladder cancer.

Reduced E-cadherin expression as a prognostic factor in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

The exact role of E-cadherin in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is still unknown, and the aims of this study were to prove whether reduced E-cadherin expression can be a prognostic factor in patients with NMIBC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the prognostic value of reduced E-cadherin expression in NMIBC. The PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases were included in the study search.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies with a total of 1538 NMIBC patients were included. The results showed that reduced E-cadherin expression was significantly associated with poor recurrence-free survival (RFS) (pooled HR 2.16, 95% CI 1.22-3.85) and progression-free survival (PFS) (pooled HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.52-2.40) in NMIBC patients.

CONCLUSION

E-cadherin can be a prognostic factor for patients with NMIBC.