Expression of PTEN and Its Correlation with Proliferation Marker Ki-67 in Head and Neck Cancer

Epithelial‑derived head and neck squamous tumourigenesis (Review)

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs), a heterogeneous group of cancers that arise from the mucosal epithelia cells in the head and neck areas, present great challenges in diagnosis, treatment and prognosis due to their complex aetiology and various clinical manifestations. Several factors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, oncogenic genes, growth factors, Epstein‑Barr virus and human papillomavirus infections can contribute to HNSCC development. The unpredictable tumour microenvironment adds to the complexity of managing HNSCC. Despite significant advances in therapies, the prediction of outcome after treatment for patients with HNSCC remains poor, and the 5‑year overall survival rate is low due to late diagnosis. Early detection greatly increases the chances of successful treatment. The present review aimed to bring together the latest findings related to the molecular mechanisms of HNSCC carcinogenesis and progression. Comprehensive genomic, transcriptomic, metabolomic, microbiome and proteomic analyses allow researchers to identify important biological markers such as genetic alterations, gene expression signatures and protein markers that drive HNSCC tumours. These biomarkers associated with the stages of initiation, progression and metastasis of cancer are useful in the management of patients with cancer in order to improve their life expectancy and quality of life.

Correlation between human papillomavirus protein expression and clinicopathological features in oral squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Given the implications of concurrent human papilloma viral infection (HPV) in the prognostic course and implications on therapeutic approached of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), we seek to investigate the implications that P16 expression has on the clinical course and pathological appearance of patients with OSCC and concurrent infection.

METHODS

Using S-P immunohistochemistry, we examined the expression of P16 and Ki67 in 460 patients with OSCC. We compared the expression of the protein between the tumor cells and normal epithelial mucosa within the same patient. The clinical and pathological characteristics (including gender, age, histological grade, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, clinical recurrence, tumor diameter, Ki67 proliferation index) were analyzed by stratification statistically.

RESULTS

In total 460 cases of OSCC were identified and expression of P16 was significantly higher in the OSCC group compared to the normal mucosal epithelial group (X2 = 60.545, p = .000). There also appear to be a gender predilection as the expression was higher in females compared to males (0.218 vs. 0.144, X2 = 3.921, p = .048). Younger age also appears to be a predictive factor as those under 35 years old had higher expression of the protein compared to those over 35 years old (0.294 vs. 0.157, X2 = 4.230, p = .040). P16 positivity showed a significant positive correlation with histologic grade (X2 = 4.114, p = .043). In addition, the positive rate of P16 was higher in patients with ki67 over 85% (0.455 vs. 0.160, X2 = 6.667, p = .023).

CONCLUSION

OSCC with HPV infection tends to occur more frequently in female patients and those under 35 years of age. HPV infection with expression of the P16 and ki67 protein may promote the proliferation and growth of OSCC at a higher frequency.

SALL4 Oncogenic Function in Cancers: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Relevance

SALL4, a member of the SALL family, is an embryonic stem cell regulator involved in self-renewal and pluripotency. Recently, SALL4 overexpression was found in malignant cancers, including lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, breast cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, osteosarcoma, acute myeloid leukemia, ovarian cancer, and glioma. This review updates recent advances of our knowledge of the biology of SALL4 with a focus on its mechanisms and regulatory functions in tumors and human hematopoiesis. SALL4 overexpression promotes proliferation, development, invasion, and migration in cancers through activation of the Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/AKT, and Notch signaling pathways; expression of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation genes; and inhibition of the expression of the Bcl-2 family, caspase-related proteins, and death receptors. Additionally, SALL4 regulates tumor progression correlated with the immune microenvironment involved in the TNF family and gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms, consequently affecting hematopoiesis. Therefore, SALL4 plays a critical oncogenic role in gene transcription and tumor growth. However, there are still some scientific hypotheses to be tested regarding whether SALL4 is a therapeutic target, such as different tumor microenvironments and drug resistance. Thus, an in-depth understanding and study of the functions and mechanisms of SALL4 in cancer may help develop novel strategies for cancer therapy.

Polymorphism in miRNA target sites of CEP-63 and CEP-152 ring complex influences expression of CEP genes and favors tumorigenesis in glioma

Purpose: The present study was designed to screen the genetic polymorphisms and expression profiling of CEP-152 and CEP-63 genes in brain tumor patients. Methods: The amplification refractory mutation system PCR technique (ARMS-PCR) was used for mutation analysis using 300 blood samples of brain tumor patients and 300 overtly healthy controls. For expression analysis, 150 brain tumor tissue samples along with adjacent uninvolved/normal tissues (controls) were collected. Results: A significantly higher frequency of the mutant genotype of the CEP-152 single nucleotide polymorphism (rs2169757) and CEP-63 single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs9809619 and rs13060247) was observed in patients versus overtly healthy controls. The authors' results showed highly significant deregulation of CEP-152 (p < 0.0001) and CEP-63 (p < 0.0001) in glioma/meningioma tumor tissues versus adjacent normal tissue. Conclusion: The present study showed that variations in CEP-152 and CEP-63 genes were associated with an increased risk of brain tumor.

Targeted inhibition of ACK1 can inhibit the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through the PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathway

Activated Cdc42-associated kinase 1 (ACK1) expression is upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and other tumour tissues. However, the function and regulatory mechanism of ACK1 in HCC remains unclear. In this study, the expression of pTyr284-ACK1, pSer473-AKT and PTEN in HCC was detected by immunohistochemistry, and its clinicopathological significance was analysed. Then, ACK1-targeted small molecule inhibitors AIM-100 and Dasatinib were used to treat cells SK-Hep-1 and HepG2, and changes in activity and biological behaviours of PTEN/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway were observed. The results showed that pTyr284-ACK1 protein was highly expressed in HCC tissues and was related to the poor prognosis of patients; the expression of pTyr284-ACK1 protein was positively correlated with pSer473-AKT and negatively correlated with PTEN. In addition, after treatment either with AIM-100 or Dasatinib, both proliferation of two cells and migration, invasion of SK-Hep-1 cells were all significantly inhibited. Meanwhile, ACK1, pTyr284-ACK1, pSer473-AKT, mTOR and EGFR were down-regulated; PTEN was up-regulated when analysed by western-blot in SK-Hep-1 cells. These results demonstrated that ACK1 may promote HCC development via PTEN/AKT/mTOR pathway. Targeted inhibition of ACK1 may be a novel therapeutic strategy for HCC. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumour with high mortality. Our study showed that ACK1 and pTyr284-ACK1 are highly expressed in HCC and may promote HCC development through the PTEN/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway. Targeted inhibition of ACK1 expression with small inhibitors AIM-100 and Dasatinib may weaken tumour cells ability of proliferation, migration and invasion. Our results suggested that downregulation of ACK1 may be a potential therapeutic strategy for HCC.

Low Expression of Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog and High Expression of Ki-67 as Risk Factors of Prognosis in Cranial Meningiomas

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression characteristics, correlations with clinical factors, and prognostic values of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and Ki-67 in cranial meningiomas.

METHODS

The expression of PTEN and Ki-67 at the mRNA level was analyzed in 34 frozen meningiomas. Clinical data collection, follow-up, correlations, and survival analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Twenty-two men and 12 women were included in the study, with a median age of 52.72 ± 11.72 years on admission. The average expression levels of PTEN and Ki-67 were 2.71 ± 1.73 and 0.50 ± 0.57, respectively. The World Health Organization grade III meningiomas exhibited significantly lower levels of PTEN (P = 0.037), whereas grade I meningiomas expressed significantly lower levels of Ki-67 (P = 0.001). For recurrent lesions, the mean Ki-67 expression level was 0.97 ± 0.76, which was significantly greater than that of primary meningiomas with a mean value of 0.25 ± 0.13 (P < 0.001). The Ki-67 expression level was positively correlated with the tumor volume (P < 0.01) and negatively correlated with preoperative Karnofsky Performance Status scale (KPS, P < 0.01), postoperative KPS (P < 0.05), and follow-up KPS (P < 0.01). However, the PTEN expression level did not correlate with these variables. Based on the multivariate Cox analysis, Ki-67 expression level (P < 0.001, hazard ratio [HR] 8.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.86-23.29), and PTEN expression level (P = 0.018, HR 0.47, 95% CI 0.25-0.88) were independent prognostic factors for tumor recurrence. Ki-67 (P = 0.001, HR 19.73, 95% CI 3.65-106.61) and PTEN expression levels (P = 0.024, HR 0.36, 95% CI 0.15-0.88) were also independent prognostic factors for mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

A low PTEN expression and a high Ki-67 expression could predict malignancy in cranial meningiomas.

Long noncoding RNA MT1JP inhibits proliferation, invasion, and migration while promoting apoptosis of glioma cells through the activation of PTEN/Akt signaling pathway

This study is carried out to elucidate the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) MT1JP in proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis of glioma cells through the regulation of PTEN/Akt signaling pathway. The expression of MT1JP in 80 normal brain tissues and 138 glioma tissues, as well as glioma cell lines, was detected by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Besides, glioma cells with overexpression and low expression of MT1JP were constructed to confirm the role of MT1JP in proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis of glioma cells and the growth of glioma cells in vivo through the regulation of PTEN/Akt signaling pathway. MT1JP expression was downregulated in glioma tissues and cells. The low expression of MT1JP was considered as an independent risk factor for predicting overall survival in gliomas. After transfection of MT1JP overexpression plasmid, glioma cells showed decreased proliferation, migration and invasion ability, increased apoptosis rate, and decreased the tumorigenic ability of nude mice. The trends were opposite in glioma cells transfected with MT1JP poor expression plasmid. Collectively, our study suggests that lncRNA MT1JP is responsible for inhibiting proliferation, invasion, and migration while promoting apoptosis of glioma cells through the activation of PTEN/Akt signaling pathway.

Inhibition of RhoA-Subfamily GTPases Suppresses Schwann Cell Proliferation Through Regulating AKT Pathway Rather Than ROCK Pathway

Inhibiting RhoA-subfamily GTPases by C3 transferase is widely recognized as a prospective strategy to enhance axonal regeneration. When C3 transferase is administered for treating the injured peripheral nerves, Schwann cells (SCs, important glial cells in peripheral nerve) are inevitably impacted and therefore SC bioeffects on nerve regeneration might be influenced. However, the potential role of C3 transferase on SCs remains elusive. Assessed by cell counting, EdU and water-soluble tetrazolium salt-1 (WST-1) assays as well as western blotting with PCNA antibody, herein we first found that CT04 (a cell permeable C3 transferase) treatment could significantly suppress SC proliferation. Unexpectedly, using Y27632 to inhibit ROCK (the well-accepted downstream signal molecule of RhoA subfamily) did not impact SC proliferation. Further studies indicated that CT04 could inactivate AKT pathway by altering the expression levels of phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT), PI3K and PTEN, while activating AKT pathway by IGF-1 or SC79 could reverse the inhibitory effect of CT04 on SC proliferation. Based on present data, we concluded that inhibition of RhoA-subfamily GTPases could suppress SC proliferation, and this effect is independent of conventional ROCK pathway but involves inactivation of AKT pathway.

Up-regulated lipocalin-2 in pediatric thyroid cancer correlated with poor clinical characteristics

BACKGROUND

The incidence of thyroid cancer is fast increasing in both adults and children. The pediatric thyroid cancer had often already progressed to a more advanced stage of the disease at diagnosis. Early detection of pediatric thyroid cancer has been a problem for many years. Lipocalin-2 (Lcn2) has been reported to be over-expressed in cancers of diverse histological origin and it facilitates tumorigenesis by promoting survival, growth, and metastasis.

METHODS

The plasma Lcn2 concentration of 28 Chinese papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) children and 24 healthy controls was measured. Immunostaining for Ki-67 of tumor tissue from PTC children was performed. The expression levels of Lcn2 and NFκB in PTC tissue and peri-carcinoma tissue of PTC children were measured through Western blot.

RESULTS

The plasma concentration of Lcn2 was significantly elevated in pediatric PTC patients compared with healthy controls. Besides, the plasma Lcn2 concentration significantly correlated with clinical characteristics, NFκB level, and Ki-67 positive rate of nucleus in tissue of PTC.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to evaluate the plasma Lcn2 in pediatric PTC patients. It is possible that the plasma Lcn2 may be a new biomarker of pediatric thyroid cancer. Further studies are needed to explore the definite role and mechanism of Lcn2 in thyroid cancer, which will help to explore novel diagnostic or therapeutic strategies.

SALL4 suppresses PTEN expression to promote glioma cell proliferation via PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Spalt-like transcription factor 4 (SALL4), a oncogene, is known to participate in multiple carcinomas, and is up-regulated in glioma. However, its actual role and underlying mechanisms in the development of glioma remain unclear. The present study explored the molecular functions of SALL4 in promoting cell proliferation in glioma. The expression level of SALL4 in 69 human glioma samples and six non-tumor brain tissues was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Then, we transfected U87 and U251 cell lines with siRNA, and assessed cellular proliferation and cell cycle to understand the function of SALL4, and the relationship between SALL4, PTEN and PI3K/AKT pathway. PCR confirmed that the expression of SALL4 was higher in the glioma samples than non-tumor brain tissues. Cellular growth and proliferation were dramatically reduced following inhibition of SALL4 expression. Western blot showed increase in PTEN expression when SALL4 was silenced, which in turn depressed the activation of PI3K/AKT pathway, suggesting that PTEN was a downstream target of SALL4 in glioma development. Therefore, SALL4 could act as a proto-oncogene by regulating the PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, thereby facilitating proliferation of glioma cells.