The role of miR-6884-5p in epithelial-mesenchymal transition in non-small cell lung cancer

Significant progress has been made in the management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), though a big barrier remains, which is epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Our study aimed to evaluate the function of miR-6884-5p and S100A16 in EMT-aggravated NSCLC. The tumor tissues and adjacent tissues from 92 NSCLC patients were collected to analyze the expression of miR-6884-5p and S100A16. Then lung cancer cell line A549 was co-transfected with miR-6884-5p mimics and S100A16 to further evaluate their function. Compared to adjacent tissues, low expression of miR-6884-5p was observed in the NSCLC tissues and associated with severe NSCLC progression. MiR-6884-5p expression was negatively correlated with EMT in NSCLC. Luciferase assay data revealed that miR-6884-5p could directly bind to the 3'UTR of S100A16 and inhibited the expression of S100A16 in A549 cells. Moreover, miR-6884-5p mimics significantly ameliorated EMT progression, and overexpression of S100A16 could reverse the inhibitory effect of miR-6884-5p in A549 cells. MiR-6884-5p inhibited EMT through directly targeting S100A16 in NSCLC. Our findings suggest that miR-6884-5p could be a diagnostic marker of NSCLC, as well as a potential candidate for NSCLC treatment.

Expression and gene regulatory network of S100A16 protein in cervical cancer cells based on data mining

S100A16 protein belongs to the S100 family of calcium-binding proteins, which is widely distributed in human tissues and highly conserved. S100 calcium-binding proteins possess broad biological functions, such as cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, tumor metastasis, and inflammation (Nat Rev Cancer 15:96-109, 2015). The S100A16 protein was initially isolated from a cell line derived from astrocytoma. The S100A16 protein, consisting of 103 amino acids, is a small acidic protein with a molecular weight of 11,801.4 Da and an isoelectric point (pI) of 6.28 (Biochem Biophys Res Commun 313:237-244, 2004). This protein exhibits high conservation among mammals and is widely expressed in various human tissues (Biochem Biophys Res Commun 322:1111-1122, 2004). Like other S100 proteins, S100A16 contains two EF-hand motifs that form a helix-loop-helix structural domain. The N-terminal domain and the C-terminal domain of S100A16 are connected by a "hinge" linker.S100A16 protein exhibits distinct characteristics that distinguish it from other S100 proteins. A notable feature is the presence of a single functional Ca2 + binding site located in the C-terminal EF-hand, consisting of 12 amino acids per protein monomer (J Biol Chem 281:38905-38917, 2006). In contrast, the N-terminal EF-hand of S100A16 comprises 15 amino acids instead of the typical 14, and it lacks the conserved glutamate residue at the final position. This unique attribute may contribute to the impaired Ca2 + binding capability in the N-terminal region (J Biol Chem 281:38905-38917, 2006). Studies have shown an integral role of S100 calcium-binding proteins in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of certain diseases (Cancers 12:2037, 2020). Abnormal expression of S100A16 protein is implicated in the progression of breast and prostate cancer, but an inhibitor of oral cancer and acute lymphoblastic leukemia tumor cell proliferation (BMC Cancer 15:53, 2015; BMC Cancer 15:631, 2015). Tu et al. (Front Cell Dev Biol 9:645641, 2021) indicate that the overexpression of S100A16 mRNA in cervical cancer(CC) such as cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma as compared to the control specimens. Tomiyama N. and co-workers (Oncol Lett 15:9929-9933, 2018) (Tomiyama, N) investigated the role of S100A16 in cancer stem cells using Yumoto cells (a CC cell line),The authors found upregulation of S100A16 in Yumoto cells following sphere formation as compared to monolayer culture.Despite a certain degree of understanding, the exact biological function of S100A16 in CC is still unclear. This article explores the role of S100A16 in CC through a bioinformatics analysis. Referencing the mRNA expression and SNP data of cervical cancer available through The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we analyzed S100A16 and its associated regulatory gene expression network in cervical cancer. We further screened genes co-expressed with S100A16 to hypothesize their function and relationship to the S100A16 cervical cancer phenotype.Our results showed that data mining can effectively elucidate the expression and gene regulatory network of S100A16 in cervical cancer, laying the foundation for further investigations into S100A16 cervical tumorigenesis.

An Update on S100A16 in Human Cancer

S100A16 is a member of the S100 protein family. S100A16 is expressed in a variety of human tissues, although at varying levels. S100A16 expression is especially high in tissues rich in epithelial cells. mRNA and protein levels of S100A16 have been reported to be differentially expressed in the majority of human cancers. Functionally, S100A16 has been linked to several aspects of tumorigenesis, for example, cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Accordingly, S100A16 has been suggested to have both tumour-promoting and suppressive roles in human cancers. S100A16-mediated cellular functions are suggested to be mediated by the regulation of various signaling pathways/proteins including EMT-related proteins E-cadherin and Vimentin, PI3K-AKT, p53, MMP1-1, MMP-2, MMP-9, JNK/p38, etc. In addition to the functional roles, expression of S100A16 has been suggested to have prognostic potential in various cancer types. The aims of this review are to summarise the expression profile, identify common molecular partners and functional roles, and explore the prognostic potential of S100A16 in human cancers.

miR-508-5p serves as an anti-oncogene by targeting S100A16 to regulate AKT signaling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition process in lung adenocarcinoma cells

BACKGROUND

Our aim was to expose the effect of miR-508-5p on the developmental and biological behaviour of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAC).

METHODS

The KM plotter was used to analyze the survival significance of miR-508-5p and S100A16 expression in LUAC patients. qRT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of miR-508-5p and S100A16 in LUAC tissue and LUAC cell lines. CCK8, colony formation and Transwell were performed to evaluate the effects of miR-508-5p and S100A16 on cell proliferation and metastasis. Dual luciferase reporter assay was used to verify that S100A16 were targets of miR-508-5p. Western blot analysis was performed to analyze protein expression.

RESULTS

Results showed that low miR-508-5p expression in LUAC tissues indicated poorer overall survival of LUAC patients and miR-508-5p was downregulated in LUAC cell lines compared to the normal human lung epithelial cell line. miR-508-5p mimics could inhibit A549 cell proliferation and metastasis abilities, while miR-508-5p Antagomir showed the opposite effect. We identified S100A16 as one direct target of miR-508-5p, and rescuing S100A16 expression could reverse the effect of miR-508-5p mimics on A549 cell proliferation and metastasis. miR-508-5p could involve the coordination of AKT signaling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progress using western-blot assays and rescuing S100A16 expression could reverse the inhibited AKT signaling and EMT progress induced by miR-508-5p mimics.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that miR-508-5p targeted S100A16 to regulate AKT signaling and EMT progress in A549 cells, resulting in impaired cell proliferation and metastasis activity, suggesting that miR-508-5p might be a promising therapeutic target and an important diagnostic and prognostic marker for improved LUAC therapeutic schedule.

Metabolic-associated signature and hub genes associated with immune microenvironment and prognosis in bladder cancer

The relationship between metabolism and immune microenvironment remains to be studied in bladder cancer (BCa). We aimed to construct a metabolic-associated signature for prognostic prediction and investigate its relationship with the immune microenvironment in BCa. The RNA expression of metabolism associated genes was obtained from a combined data set including The Cancer Genome Atlas, GSE48075, and GSE13507 to divide BCa patients into different clusters. A metabolic-associated signature was constructed using the differentially expressed genes between clusters in the combined data set and validated in the IMvigor210 trial and our center. The composition of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) was evaluated using the single-sample Gene Set Variation Analysis. BCa patients in Cluster A or high-risk level were associated with advanced clinicopathological features and poor survival outcomes. The percentage of high-risk patients was significantly lower in patients responding to anti-PD-L1 treatment. Compared with low-risk patients, the IC50 values of cisplatin and gemcitabine were significantly lower in high-risk patients. Thiosulfate transferase (TST) and S100A16 were significantly associated with clinicopathological features and prognosis. Downregulation of TST promoted BCa cell invasion, migration, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, which are inhibited by downregulation of S100A16. CD8 + T cells, neutrophils, and dendritic cells had higher infiltration in the TST low-level and the S100A16 high-level. Furthermore, loss of function TST and S100A16 significantly affected the expression of PD-L1 and CD47. The metabolic-associated signature can stratify BCa patients into distinct risk levels with different immunotherapeutic susceptibility and survival outcomes. Metabolism disorder promoted the dysregulation of immune microenvironment, thus contributing to immunosuppression.

S100A16 promotes acute kidney injury by activating HRD1-induced ubiquitination and degradation of GSK3β and CK1α

The pathogenesis of acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with the activation of multiple signaling pathways, including Wnt/β-catenin signaling. However, the mechanism of Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation in renal interstitial fibroblasts during AKI is unclear. S100 calcium-binding protein A16 (S100A16), a new member of calcium-binding protein S100 family, is a multi-functional signaling factor involved in various pathogenies, including tumors, glycolipid metabolism disorder, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). We investigated the potential participation of S100A16 in Wnt/β-catenin pathway activation during AKI by subjecting wild-type (WT) and S100A16 knockout (S100A16+/−) mice to the ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI), and revealed S100A16 upregulation in this model, in which knockout of S100A16 impeded the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activation and recovered the expression of downstream hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). We also found that S100A16 was highly expressed in Platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRβ) positive renal fibroblasts in vivo. Consistently, in rat renal interstitial fibroblasts (NRK-49F cells), both hypoxia/reoxygenation and S100A16 overexpression exacerbated fibroblasts apoptosis and inhibited HGF secretion; whereas S100A16 knockdown or Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibitor ICG-001 reversed these changes. Mechanistically, we showed that S100A16 promoted Wnt/β-catenin signaling activation via the ubiquitylation and degradation of β-catenin complex members, glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) and casein kinase 1α (CK1α), mediated by E3 ubiquitin ligase, the HMG-CoA reductase degradation protein 1 (HRD1). Our study identified the S100A16 as a key regulator in the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in AKI.

The S100 Protein Family as Players and Therapeutic Targets in Pulmonary Diseases

The S100 protein family consists of over 20 members in humans that are involved in many intracellular and extracellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, Ca₂⁺ homeostasis, energy metabolism, inflammation, tissue repair, and migration/invasion. Although there are structural similarities between each member, they are not functionally interchangeable. The S100 proteins function both as intracellular Ca²⁺ sensors and as extracellular factors. Dysregulated responses of multiple members of the S100 family are observed in several diseases, including the lungs (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, and lung cancer). To this degree, extensive research was undertaken to identify their roles in pulmonary disease pathogenesis and the identification of inhibitors for several S100 family members that have progressed to clinical trials in patients for nonpulmonary conditions. This review outlines the potential role of each S100 protein in pulmonary diseases, details the possible mechanisms observed in diseases, and outlines potential therapeutic strategies for treatment.

Identification of Prognostic Immune-Related Genes by Integrating mRNA Expression and Methylation in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Background

There is plenty of evidence showing that immune-related genes (IRGs) and epigenetic modifications play important roles in the biological process of cancer. The purpose of this study is to establish novel IRG prognostic markers by integrating mRNA expression and methylation in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

Methods and Results

The transcriptome profiling data and the RNA-seq data of LUAD with the corresponding clinical information of 543 LUAD cases were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, which were analyzed by univariate Cox proportional regression and multivariate Cox proportional regression to develop an independent prognostic signature. On the basis of this signature, we could divide LUAD patients into the high-risk, medium-risk, and low-risk groups. Further survival analyses demonstrated that high-risk patients had significantly shorter overall survival (OS) than low-risk patients. The signature, which contains 8 IRGs (S100A16, FGF2, IGKV4-1, CX3CR1, INHA, ANGPTL4, TNFRSF11A, and VIPR1), was also validated by data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We also conducted analyses of methylation levels of the relevant IRGs and their CpG sites. Meanwhile, their associations with prognosis were examined and validated by the GEO database, revealing that the methylation levels of INHA, S100A16, the CpG site cg23851011, and the CpG site cg06552037 may be used as the potential regulators for the treatment of LUAD.

Conclusion

Collectively, INHA, S100A16, the CpG site cg23851011, and the CpG site cg06552037 are promising biomarkers for monitoring the outcomes of LUAD.

S100A16 Regulates HeLa Cell through the Phosphatidylinositol 3 Kinase (PI3K)/AKT Signaling Pathway

Background

S100 calcium-binding protein A16 (S100A16) is closely related to the onset and progression of tumors.

Material/Methods

In the research, the mainly purpose was to investigate the effect of S100A16 on the proliferation ability, invasion, and angiogenesis of HeLa cells. An adenoviral vector overexpressing S100A16 (Ad-S100A16) was constructed and transfected into HeLa cells, forming a stable cells line of overexpression. The effect of S100A16 on the proliferative capacity of HeLa cells was evaluated by a Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Cell migration capacity was determined by a Transwell migration assay. Changes in matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), MMP-9, E-cadherin, and vimentin expression were evaluated by a cell-based immunofluorescence assay. The effect of S100A16 on angiogenesis was verified by knockout experiment.

Results

Overexpression of S100A16 significantly enhanced the proliferative and migratory capacities of HeLa cells (P<0.05), upregulated expression of matrix MMP-2, MMP-9, vimentin, phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase, and phosphorylated protein kinase B, and downregulated expression of E-cadherin. Vascular endothelial growth factor expression increased, phosphatase and tensin homolog expression decreased, and angiogenesis was positively correlated with S100A16 expression. These effects were largely mediated by the activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B pathways.

Conclusions

S100A16 could promote the proliferation, migration, and tumor angiogenesis of HeLa cells by regulating the phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathways.

S100A16-induced adipogenesis is associated with up-regulation of 11 β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1)

The steadily increasing epidemic of obesity continues at alarming rates, is an important public health problem, and expression changes of S100A16 and 11 β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1(11β-HSD1) is attributable to the adipocyte differentiation. In our previous study, we found that 11β-HSD1 protein expression increased in S100A16-overexpressed 3T3-L1 cell model. In order to further investigate the relationship between S100A16 and 11β-HSD1, and the molecular mechanisms of S100A16-induced adipogenesis, we constructed S100A16 transgenic and knockout mouse, and S100A16-overexpressed 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cell. Using S100A16 transgenic (S100A16^Tg/+) mice fed with normal fat diet (NFD) and high fat diet (HFD) diet model, we evaluated the effect of S100A16 on adipogenesis, expression of 11β-HSD1, and RNA sequencing and quantification of gene expression. Using the 3T3-L1 cell model, we examined the effect of S100A16 and 11β-HSD1 on pre-adipocyte differentiation, and cell signaling events of 11β-HSD1 overexpression induced by S100A16. We found that when compared with C57BL/6 mice, overexpression of S100A16 under the condition of HFD increased lipid content in WAT and fat infiltration in hepatocytes, 11β-HSD1 protein expression increased along with S100A16. Elevated S100A16 and 11β-HSD1 expression promoted adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. Overexpression of S100A16 inhibited the degradation of 11β-HSD1. We conclude that S100A16-induced adipogenesis is associated with up-regulation of 11β-HSD1.

Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of nuclear UGDH localization in lung adenocarcinoma

This study aimed to clarify relationships among UDP-glucose-6 dehydrogenase (UGDH) expression, clinicopathological factors, and the prognosis of patients, and to determine the role of UGDH in lung adenocarcinoma (AC). Firstly, UGDH expression and localization in 126 lung AC tissues were immunohistochemically studied, and associations with clinicopathological parameters and patients' prognosis were evaluated. Secondly, serum UGDH levels were measured in 267 lung cancer patients and 100 healthy controls. Finally, the effects of UGDH knockdown by siRNA on migration and invasion abilities were analyzed. As a result, nuclear UGDH staining was significantly correlated with poorer differentiation, a larger tumor size, higher p-TNM stage, positive nodal metastasis, positive lymphatic invasion, and positive vascular invasion in lung AC patients. Nuclear UGDH-positive patients showed significantly poorer survival than nuclear UGDH-negative patients. Serum UGDH levels were especially higher in lung AC patients even in stage I than those in healthy controls. In lung AC cell lines, nuclear expression levels of UGDH were higher in LC-2/ad cells than in A549 cells. UGDH siRNA-treated LC-2/ad cells showed significantly decreased migration and invasion abilities, but no significant differences were observed in UGDH siRNA-treated A549 cells. These data indicate that UGDH expression and localization are an early sero-diagnostic marker in addition to a poor prognostic indicator in lung AC patients.

Aberrant S100A16 expression might be an independent prognostic indicator of unfavorable survival in non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma

S100A16 is a conserved member of the S100 protein family in mammals. Its upregulation was observed in many tumors and is related to malignant transformation. In this study, we explored the independent prognostic value of S100A16 in terms of overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) by performing a retrospective study, using data in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Besides, by using deep sequencing data in TCGA-LUAD, we also explored the association between S100A16 expression and its DNA methylation and copy number alterations (CNAs). Results showed that the primary LUAD tissues (N = 514) had significantly elevated S100A16 expression compared with the normal lung tissues (N = 59). Based on OS data of 502 primary LUAD cases, we found that high S100A16 expression was correlated with inferior OS. The following univariate and multivariate analysis confirmed that increased S100A16 expression was an independent prognostic indicator of unfavorable OS (HR: 1.197, 95%CI: 1.050–1.364, p = 0.007) and RFS (HR: 1.206, 95%CI: 1.045–1.393, p = 0.011). By examining the DNA methylation data in TCGA-LUAD, we found that some S100A16 DNA CpG sites were generally hypermethylated in normal tissues, but not in LUAD tissues. Regression analysis identified a moderately negative correlation between S100A16 expression and its DNA methylation. In comparison, although DNA amplification (+1/+2) was frequent (378/511, 74%) in LUAD patients, it was not associated with increased S100A16 expression. Based on findings above, we infer that aberrant S100A16 expression might be modulated by its DNA hypomethylation and serves as an independent prognostic indicator of unfavorable OS and RFS in LUAD.

S100A16 up-regulates Oct4 and Nanog expression in cancer stem-like cells of Yumoto human cervical carcinoma cells

Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs), which possess the ability to self-renewal and are multipotent, are regarded as the cause of tumor formation, recurrence, metastasis and drug resistance. It is necessary to understand the properties of CSCs in order to treat them effectively. It has been previously reported that S100 family proteins, which carry calcium-binding EF-hand motifs and are associated with tumorigenic processes, serve crucial roles in maintaining cancer stem-like properties. S100A16 is upregulated in various types of cancer, including bladder, lung and pancreatic. However, the roles of S100A16 in cancer cells, particularly CSCs, are not clear. The present study investigated the roles of S100A16 in CSCs using the sphere formation assay of Yumoto cells, which are a human cervical carcinoma cell line. The mRNA expression levels were evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and the protein expression levels were detected by western blot analysis. Following the sphere formation of Yumoto cells, the mRNA and protein expression level of Oct4, Nanog and S100A16 were increased compared with the control cells. Following transfection with S100A16 small interfering RNA (siRNA), the mRNA and protein expression of Oct4 and Nanog were decreased and the spheroid size was significantly decreased in the sphere formation of Yumoto cells compared with control siRNA treated cells. There was no change in the p53 mRNA expression level, whereas the p53 protein expression level, which was decreased by the sphere formation, was recovered by S100A16 knockdown. In addition, the protein expression levels of Oct4 and Nanog, which were increased in the sphere formation, were decreased by the proteasome inhibitor lactacystin. No differences were observed in the S100A16 protein expression between the presence or absence of lactacystin. These results suggest that S100A16 serves an important role in the CSCs of human cervical carcinoma and is a positive regulator of Oct4 and Nanog.

Prognostic Roles of mRNA Expression of S100 in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

The S100 protein family is involved in cancer cell invasion and metastasis, but its prognostic value in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been elucidated. In the present study we investigated the prognostic role of mRNA expression of each individual S100 in NSCLC patients through the Kaplan-Meier plotter (KM plotter) database. Expression of 14 members of the S100 family correlated with overall survival (OS) for all NSCLC patients; 18 members were associated with OS in adenocarcinoma, but none were associated with OS in squamous cell carcinoma. In particular, high mRNA expression level of S100B was associated with better OS in NSCLC patients. The prognostic value of S100 according to smoking status, pathological grades, clinical stages, and chemotherapeutic treatment of NSCLC was further assessed. Although the results should be further verified in clinical trials our findings provide new insights into the prognostic roles of S100 proteins in NSCLC and might promote development of S100-targeted inhibitors for the treatment of NSCLC.

A pathology atlas of the human cancer transcriptome

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death, and there is great interest in understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis and progression of individual tumors. We used systems-level approaches to analyze the genome-wide transcriptome of the protein-coding genes of 17 major cancer types with respect to clinical outcome. A general pattern emerged: Shorter patient survival was associated with up-regulation of genes involved in cell growth and with down-regulation of genes involved in cellular differentiation. Using genome-scale metabolic models, we show that cancer patients have widespread metabolic heterogeneity, highlighting the need for precise and personalized medicine for cancer treatment. All data are presented in an interactive open-access database (www.proteinatlas.org/pathology) to allow genome-wide exploration of the impact of individual proteins on clinical outcomes.

A review of S100 protein family in lung cancer

S100 protein family, representing 25 relatively small calcium binding proteins, has been reported to be involved in multiple stages of tumorigenesis and progression. These proteins are considered having potential value to be adopted as novel biomarkers in the detection and accurate prediction of many kinds of tumors, including lung cancer. As the one having the highest morbidity and mortality among all cancers, lung carcinoma is still occult for detection, especially at early stage. S100 proteins take participation in the lung neoplasia through playing intracellular and/or extracellular functions, therefore getting involved in a variety of biological processes such as differentiation, proliferation, and migration. A few members have also been testified to modulate TGF-β/Smad-3 mediated transcriptional activity of target genes involved in tumor promotion. In addition to that, a number of proteins in this family have already been reported to experience an abnormal trend in lung cancer at cell, serum and tissue levels. Thus, S100 proteins may serve as effective biomarkers for suspected or already diagnosed lung cancer patients. In future, S100 protein family might be applied as therapeutic targets in clinical treatment of lung cancer. In this review, we firstly summed up the biological and clinical evidence connecting S100 proteins and lung cancer, which has not been summarized before.

S100A16, a promising candidate as a prognostic marker for platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy in resected lung adenocarcinoma

Purpose

Although cisplatin-based adjuvant chemotherapy improves the survival of patients with resected non-small-cell lung cancer, not all patients show a survival benefit, and some patients experience severe toxicity. Therefore, identifying biomarkers is important for selecting subgroups of patients who may show improved survival with platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy. S100A16 is thought to play key roles during different steps of tumor progression. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of S100A16 expression as a prognostic marker in patients with completely resected lung adenocarcinoma receiving platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods

S100A16 expression was immunohistochemically studied in 65 consecutive lung adenocarcinoma patients who underwent complete resection and received platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the effect of S100A16 expression on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

Results

S100A16 expression was detected in 26 of the 65 (40.0%) lung adenocarcinoma patients. Although S100A16 expression was not correlated with DFS (P=0.062), it was significantly correlated with OS (P=0.009). In addition, multivariable analysis revealed that S100A16 expression independently predicted a poorer survival (HR =4.79; 95% CI =1.87–12.23; P=0.001).

Conclusion

The present study revealed that S100A16 is a promising candidate as a prognostic marker for platinum-based adjuvant chemotherapy in resected lung adenocarcinoma. A further large-scale study is needed to confirm the present results.

S100A16 is a prognostic marker for colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

S100 is a superfamily of calcium-binding proteins that regulate multiple biological processes and are involved in many diseases. S100A16 has recently been identified to be involved in several cancers such as bladder cancer, lung cancer, and oral squamous cell carcinoma. However, the role of S100A16 expression in the colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been investigated.

METHODS

S100A16 protein expression was detected by immunohistochemistry in 296 cases of CRC. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of S100A16.

RESULT

The results showed that the overall survival (OS) of patients with low membrane S100A16 expression was significantly shorter than patients with high expression (P < 0.05). Chi-square analysis showed that S100A16 expression had a positive correlation with tumor grade (P = 0.02). Multivariate analysis identified membrane S100A16 expression as an independent prognostic marker for OS in CRC patients. (P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed no significant association between cytoplasmic/nuclear S100A16 expression and OS.

CONCLUSION

Membrane S100A16 is associated with the prognosis of CRC patients, indicating that S100A16 may be a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for CRC.

A new marker, insulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1), for high-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of the uterine cervix: Analysis of 37 cases

OBJECTIVE

High-grade neuroendocrine carcinoma of uterine cervix (HGNCUC) has been recognized as a highly malignant tumor. Therapeutic strategy specific to neuroendocrine (NE) tumors needs to be considered, but some cases wouldn't allow simple final diagnoses. Insulinoma-associated protein 1 (INSM1), which is a zinc-finger transcription factor related to NE differentiation, is frequently expressed in NE tumors. We investigated the association between INSM1 and HGNCUC, and the possibility of INSM1 as a useful NE marker.

METHODS

Thirty-seven cases of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded HGNCUCs were evaluated immunohistochemically for conventional NE markers and INSM1. We also surveyed polymerase chain reactions and examined the frequency and the genotype of human papillomavirus (HPV) infections.

RESULTS

In HGNCUC, chromogranin A, synaptophysin and neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) were expressed in 86%, 86% and 68%, respectively. In addition, INSM1 was detected in 95%. Positivity for INSM1 was clearly evaluated histologically, because the intensity of nuclear staining on positive cells was high and nonspecific reactions were minimal. In uni- and multivariate analyses of prognostic factors on stage I and II surgical cases, the association between INSM1 expression and prognosis was insignificant. We confirmed 72% of 29 examined cases had high risk HPV infections (type 16, 14%; type 18, 86%).

CONCLUSIONS

This study has clarified that INSM1 is closely related to the development of HGNCUC, and a useful new NE marker in conducting its correct and rapid diagnosis.