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Islam SS, Karakas B, Aboussekhra A, Noman ASM. KEAP1/NRF2 Mutations in Stem Cells Define an Aggressive Subset of Head and Neck Cancer Patients Who Have a Poor Prognosis, Lung Metastasis, and Therapeutic Failure. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5006. [PMID: 37894373 PMCID: PMC10605399 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15205006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in Keap1/Nrf2 in head and neck cancer result in abnormal cell growth. Progenitor cells, bulk tumor cells, and head and neck cancer stem cells (HN-CSCs) may all harbor these mutations. Nevertheless, whether Keap1/Nrf2 mutations in HN-CSCs have an impact on clinical outcomes is unknown. Cancerous HN-CSCs and benign stem cells were obtained from freshly resected head and neck cancer patients (n = 50) via flow cytometry cell sorting and tested for Keap1/Nrf2 mutations. The existence of Keap1/Nrf2 mutations in HN-CSCs, as well as their correlations with tumor mutations, pathologic tumor stage, tumor histologic grades, lung metastasis, treatment outcomes, and the patient's age and conditions, are assessed at the last follow-up visit. Thirteen tumors were found to have Keap1/Nrf2 mutations in their HN-CSCs. More than half of the lung metastases and disease progression occurred in HN-CSCs with mutations. Patients whose tumors carried Keap1/Nrf2 mutations in their HN-CSCs had significantly shorter progression-free survival, overall survival, and time of treatment failure than their non-HN-CSC counterparts. These associations were partly driven by HN-CSCs, in which Keap1/Nrf2 mutations were overrepresented in fast progressors and associated with an increased risk of disease progression. Our findings suggest that molecular genotyping of HN-CSCs may facilitate personalized treatment strategies and assist in identifying patients who are likely to benefit from chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed S. Islam
- Department Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia
- Faculty of Medicine, Al-Faisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bedri Karakas
- 3 B & B Bio, 4 Professional Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA;
| | - Abdelilah Aboussekhra
- Department Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abu Shadat M. Noman
- Department Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, Bangladesh
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2
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Sanderson LE, Lanko K, Alsagob M, Almass R, Al-Ahmadi N, Najafi M, Al-Muhaizea MA, Alzaidan H, AlDhalaan H, Perenthaler E, van der Linde HC, Nikoncuk A, Kühn NA, Antony D, Owaidah TM, Raskin S, Vieira LGDR, Mombach R, Ahangari N, Silveira TRD, Ameziane N, Rolfs A, Alharbi A, Sabbagh RM, AlAhmadi K, Alawam B, Ghebeh H, AlHargan A, Albader AA, Binhumaid FS, Goljan E, Monies D, Mustafa OM, Aldosary M, AlBakheet A, Alyounes B, Almutairi F, Al-Odaib A, Aksoy DB, Basak AN, Palvadeau R, Trabzuni D, Rosenfeld JA, Karimiani EG, Meyer BF, Karakas B, Al-Mohanna F, Arold ST, Colak D, Maroofian R, Houlden H, Bertoli-Avella AM, Schmidts M, Barakat TS, van Ham TJ, Kaya N. Bi-allelic variants in HOPS complex subunit VPS41 cause cerebellar ataxia and abnormal membrane trafficking. Brain 2021; 144:769-780. [PMID: 33764426 PMCID: PMC8041041 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaa459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Membrane trafficking is a complex, essential process in eukaryotic cells responsible for protein transport and processing. Deficiencies in vacuolar protein sorting (VPS) proteins, key regulators of trafficking, cause abnormal intracellular segregation of macromolecules and organelles and are linked to human disease. VPS proteins function as part of complexes such as the homotypic fusion and vacuole protein sorting (HOPS) tethering complex, composed of VPS11, VPS16, VPS18, VPS33A, VPS39 and VPS41. The HOPS-specific subunit VPS41 has been reported to promote viability of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease but to date has not been linked to human disease. Here, we describe five unrelated families with nine affected individuals, all carrying homozygous variants in VPS41 that we show impact protein function. All affected individuals presented with a progressive neurodevelopmental disorder consisting of cognitive impairment, cerebellar atrophy/hypoplasia, motor dysfunction with ataxia and dystonia, and nystagmus. Zebrafish disease modelling supports the involvement of VPS41 dysfunction in the disorder, indicating lysosomal dysregulation throughout the brain and providing support for cerebellar and microglial abnormalities when vps41 was mutated. This provides the first example of human disease linked to the HOPS-specific subunit VPS41 and suggests the importance of HOPS complex activity for cerebellar function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie E Sanderson
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kristina Lanko
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maysoon Alsagob
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.,KACST-BWH/Harvard Centre of Excellence for Biomedicine, Joint Centers of Excellence Program, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh 12354, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rawan Almass
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.,Department of Medical Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Nada Al-Ahmadi
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.,Department of Biology, Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University, Dammam 34212, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Maryam Najafi
- Genome Research Division, Human Genetics Department, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Center for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg University, Faculty of Medicine, Freiburg 79106, Germany
| | | | - Hamad Alzaidan
- Department of Medical Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Hesham AlDhalaan
- Department of Neurosciences, KFSHRC, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Elena Perenthaler
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Herma C van der Linde
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anita Nikoncuk
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nikolas A Kühn
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dinu Antony
- Center for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg University, Faculty of Medicine, Freiburg 79106, Germany
| | - Tarek Mustafa Owaidah
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, KFSHRC, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Salmo Raskin
- Positivo University Medical School, Curitiba, Parana, 81280-330, Brazil
| | | | - Romulo Mombach
- Núcleo de Assistência Integral ao Paciente Especial, Prefeitura de Joinvile, Joinvile, Santa Catarina, 89202-450, Brazil
| | - Najmeh Ahangari
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, 9177899191, Mashhad, Iran
| | | | | | - Arndt Rolfs
- CENTOGENE GmbH, 18055 Rostock.,Medical University of Rostock, 18051 Rostock
| | - Aljohara Alharbi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, KFSHRC, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Raghda M Sabbagh
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, KFSHRC, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid AlAhmadi
- Department of Neurosciences, KFSHRC, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Bashayer Alawam
- Department of Medical Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Hazem Ghebeh
- Stem Cell and Tissue Re-engineering Program, KFSHRC, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Aljouhra AlHargan
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Anoud A Albader
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Faisal S Binhumaid
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ewa Goljan
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Dorota Monies
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Osama M Mustafa
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Mazhor Aldosary
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Albandary AlBakheet
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Banan Alyounes
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Faten Almutairi
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ali Al-Odaib
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Durdane Bekar Aksoy
- Gaziosmanpasa University, School of Medicine, Neurology Dept. Tokat, 8FJH+CW Tokat, Merkez/Tokat, Turkey
| | - A Nazli Basak
- Koc University, School of Medicine, Suna and Inan Kirac Foundation, NDAL- KUTTAM, Davutpasa cad. No.4, 34010, Zeytinburnu, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Robin Palvadeau
- Koc University, School of Medicine, Suna and Inan Kirac Foundation, NDAL- KUTTAM, Davutpasa cad. No.4, 34010, Zeytinburnu, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Daniah Trabzuni
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, University College London Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Jill A Rosenfeld
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, and Baylor Genetics Laboratories, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ehsan Ghayoor Karimiani
- Molecular and Clinical Sciences Institute, St. George's, University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK.,Innovative Medical Research Center, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, 9G58 + 69 Mashhad, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran
| | - Brian F Meyer
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.,Saudi Human Genome Program, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.,Center for Genomic Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, 11211, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Bedri Karakas
- Department of Molecular Oncology, KFSHRC, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Futwan Al-Mohanna
- Department of Cell Biology, KFSHRC, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Stefan T Arold
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.,Centre de Biochimie Structurale, CNRS, INSERM, Université de Montpellier, 34090 Montpellier, France
| | - Dilek Colak
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Scientific Computing, KFSHRC, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Reza Maroofian
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Henry Houlden
- Department of Neuromuscular Disorders, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG, UK
| | | | - Miriam Schmidts
- Genome Research Division, Human Genetics Department, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Center for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg University, Faculty of Medicine, Freiburg 79106, Germany
| | - Tahsin Stefan Barakat
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tjakko J van Ham
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Namik Kaya
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.,Center for Genomic Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, 11211, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Noman ASM, Parag RR, Rashid MI, Rahman MZ, Chowdhury AA, Sultana A, Jerin C, Siddiqua A, Rahman L, Shirin A, Nayeem J, Mahmud R, Akther S, Shil RK, Hossain I, Alam S, Chowdhury A, Basher SB, Hasan A, Bithy S, Aklima J, Rahman M, Chowdhury N, Banu T, Karakas B, Yeger H, Farhat WA, Islam SS. Widespread expression of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) and Nrf2 in patients treated with cisplatin predicts outcome in resected tumors and are potential therapeutic targets for HPV-negative head and neck cancer. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2020; 12:1758835920911229. [PMID: 32206093 PMCID: PMC7074584 DOI: 10.1177/1758835920911229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Sonic hedgehog (Shh) and Nrf2 play a critical role in chemotherapeutic resistance. These two genes have been found to be dysregulated in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). The purpose of this study was to analyze the expression, function and clinical prognostic relationship of Shh and Nrf2 in HNSCC in the context of therapeutic resistance and cancer stem cells (CSCs). Methods: We analyzed a cohort of patients with HNSCC to identify potential therapeutic biomarkers correlating with overall survival (OS) as well as disease-free survival (DFS) from our own data and validated these results using The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. Expression of Shh and Nrf2 was knocked down by siRNA and cell growth, sphere growth and chemotherapeutic resistance were evaluated. Results: Widespread abundant expression of Shh and Nrf2 proteins were associated with shorter OS and DFS. The combination of Shh and Nrf2 expression levels was found to be a significant predictor of patient DFS. The tumor stromal index was correlated with Shh expression and inversely associated with shorter OS and DFS. Inhibition of Shh by siRNA or cyclopamine resulted in the attenuation of resistant CSC self-renewal, invasion, clonogenic growth and re-sensitization to the chemotherapeutic agents. Concomitant upregulation of Shh and Nrf2 proved to be an independent predictor of poor OS and DFS in patients with HNSCC. Conclusions: These findings suggest that Shh and Nrf2 could serve as therapeutic targets as well as promising dual prognostic therapeutic biomarkers for HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abu Shadat M Noman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Rashed R Parag
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Muhammad I Rashid
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Z Rahman
- Department of Pathology, Chittagong Medical College and Hospital, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Ali A Chowdhury
- Department of Radiotherapy, Chittagong Medical College and Hospital, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Afrin Sultana
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Chandsultana Jerin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Ayesha Siddiqua
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Lutfur Rahman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Afsana Shirin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Junayed Nayeem
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Reaz Mahmud
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Sonam Akther
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Rajib K Shil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Ikram Hossain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Sharmin Alam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Arfina Chowdhury
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Shabnam B Basher
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Abul Hasan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Shammy Bithy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Jannatul Aklima
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Mizanur Rahman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Nabila Chowdhury
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The University of Chittagong, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Tahmina Banu
- Chittagong Research Institute of Children Surgery, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Bedri Karakas
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Herman Yeger
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology, Research Institute, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Walid A Farhat
- Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Syed S Islam
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Biology and Experimental Therapeutics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, School of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Thakassussi Street, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
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4
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Almubarak H, Qassem E, Alghofaili L, Alzahrani AS, Karakas B. Non-invasive Molecular Detection of Minimal Residual Disease in Papillary Thyroid Cancer Patients. Front Oncol 2020; 9:1510. [PMID: 31998653 PMCID: PMC6966766 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.01510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid malignancy. Serum thyroglobulin (Tg) levels are used to monitor PTC treatment response and recurrences however, in about 25% of the cases the sensitivity of this method is compromised due to either the presence of neutralizing anti-Tg antibodies (TgAb) or the absence of Tg in less differentiated tumors. Up to 80% of PTC tumors harbor the c.1799T>A hotspot mutation in the BRAF gene (BRAFV600E). Here, we assessed the potential use of plasma cell-free BRAFV600E mutant tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels in determining the minimal residual tumor status of PTC patients. Methods: Patients were classified as either having persistent disease (PD) or no evidence of disease (NED) based on clinicopathological assessments. Tumor BRAFV600E status was determined by both direct sequencing and digital PCR. Plasma total cell-free BRAFV600 wild type DNA (cfDNA) and ctDNA fractions circulating in the plasma of PTC patients were determined by an emulsion based-digital PCR and total ctDNA was quantified by 3D digital PCR. The total ctDNA levels (copies/ml) were then compared to patients' clinicopathological features. Results: About 74% (28/38) of tumors harbored the BRAFV600E mutation. Percent plasma ctDNA fractions for PD patients with BRAFV600E tumors ranged from 0 to 2.07%, whereas absolute plasma ctDNA copies ranged from 0 to 62 copies. The ctDNA levels accurately detected tumor burden of PTC patients whose tumors harbored BRAFV600E; median plasma ctDNA copy numbers were significantly higher (Wilcoxon test, p = 0.03) in patients with metastasis (MET) (20 copies/ml) compared to patients with non-metastatic (non-MET) tumors (1 copy/ml). The plasma ctDNA levels (copies/ml) accurately determined the disease status of PTC patients with sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 90% as compared to 78% sensitivity and 65% specificity determined by serum Tg levels (ng/ml) with areas under the curves (AUC) of 0.88 and 0.71, respectively. Intriguingly, plasma total cfDNA levels were significantly higher in patients with no evidence of residual disease (NED) compared to persistent disease (PD) patients. Conclusions: Our study supports the clinical applicability of plasma ctDNA as biomarker to determine the residual tumor status and tumor burden of PTC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Almubarak
- Transitional Cancer Research Section, Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ebtesam Qassem
- Alfaisal University Medical School, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lamyaa Alghofaili
- Molecular Endocrinology Research Section, Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ali S Alzahrani
- Alfaisal University Medical School, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,Molecular Endocrinology Research Section, Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bedri Karakas
- Transitional Cancer Research Section, Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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5
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Alghofaili L, Almubarak H, Gassem K, Islam SS, Coskun S, Kaya N, Karakas B. Cell-free DNA levels of twins and sibling pairs indicate individuality and possible use as a personalized biomarker. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223470. [PMID: 31600277 PMCID: PMC6786590 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the human blood circulation has been under investigation since its initial observation in 1948. Plasma cfDNA is known to be significantly elevated in diseased people. Due to possible variation in the population, evaluating cfDNA as a non-invasive biomarker at disease onset alone may not be sensitive enough to accurately diagnose diseases, particularly early stage cancers on a personal level. To understand the factors that define the cfDNA levels on the personal level and for better use as a non-invasive biomarker, we isolated cfDNA from the plasma of healthy individuals with varying degrees of genetic and/or environmental similarities (monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins, sibling pairs, and unrelated individuals) as well as from patients with varying stages of breast and ovarian cancer undergoing treatment. Cell-free DNA levels were quantified by a fluorometer (ng/ml) and/or real-time PCR (copies/ml). The associations between individuals with various degrees of genetic and/or environmental similarities and their plasma cfDNA levels were evaluated. The ACE model (A = additive genetic, C = common environment, and E = specific environmental factors) was used to determine the proportion of each factor on the cfDNA levels. We found a high correlation (r = 0.77; p < 0.0001) in plasma cfDNA levels between monozygotic twins (n = 39). However, the correlation was gradually reduced to moderate (r = 0.47; p = 0.016) between dizygotic twins (n = 13) and low correlation (r = 0.28; p = 0.043) between sibling pairs (n = 26). The ACE model analysis showed that the plasma cfDNA level of a given healthy individual is influenced both by genetic and the environmental components in similar proportions (53% and 47%, respectively; A = 53%, C = 22.5%, E = 24.5%). Moreover, while age had no effect, gender significantly influenced the individual’s plasma cfDNA level. As expected, cfDNA levels were significantly higher in both breast (n = 26) (p<0.0001) and ovarian (n = 64) (p<0.0001) cancer patients compared to the healthy individuals. Our study demonstrated that both genome and environmental factors modulate the individual’s cfDNA level suggesting that its diagnostic sensitivity may be improved only if the person’s cfDNA level is known prior to disease presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lamyaa Alghofaili
- Translational Cancer Research Section, Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,Alfaisal University Medical School, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hannah Almubarak
- Translational Cancer Research Section, Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khawlah Gassem
- Translational Cancer Research Section, Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Syed S Islam
- Translational Cancer Research Section, Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Serdar Coskun
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Namik Kaya
- Department of Genetics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bedri Karakas
- Translational Cancer Research Section, Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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6
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Al-Moghrabi N, Al-Showimi M, Al-Yousef N, Al-Shahrani B, Karakas B, Alghofaili L, Almubarak H, Madkhali S, Al Humaidan H. Methylation of BRCA1 and MGMT genes in white blood cells are transmitted from mothers to daughters. Clin Epigenetics 2018; 10:99. [PMID: 30049288 PMCID: PMC6062990 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-018-0529-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Constitutive methylation of tumor suppressor genes are associated with increased cancer risk. However, to date, the question of epimutational transmission of these genes remains unresolved. Here, we studied the potential transmission of BRCA1 and MGMT promoter methylations in mother-newborn pairs. Methods A total of 1014 female subjects (cancer-free women, n = 268; delivering women, n = 295; newborn females, n = 302; breast cancer patients, n = 67; ovarian cancer patients, n = 82) were screened for methylation status in white blood cells (WBC) using methylation-specific PCR and bisulfite pyrosequencing assays. In addition, BRCA1 gene expression levels were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR. Results We found similar methylation frequencies in newborn and adults for both BRCA1 (9.9 and 9.3%) and MGMT (12.3 and 13.1%). Of the 290 mother-newborn pairs analyzed for promoter methylation, 20 mothers were found to be positive for BRCA1 and 29 for MGMT. Four mother-newborn pairs were positive for methylated BRCA1 (20%) and nine pairs were positive for methylated MGMT (31%). Intriguingly, the delivering women had 26% lower BRCA1 and MGMT methylation frequencies than those of the cancer-free female subjects. BRCA1 was downregulated in both cancer-free woman carriers and breast cancer patients but not in newborn carriers. There was a statistically significant association between the MGMT promoter methylation and late-onset breast cancers. Conclusions Our study demonstrates that BRCA1and MGMT epimutations are present from the early life of the carriers. We show the transmission of BRCA1 and MGMT epimutations from mother to daughter. Our data also point at the possible demethylation of BRCA1and MGMT during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisreen Al-Moghrabi
- Head of Cancer Epigenetic Section, Molecular Oncology Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
| | - Maram Al-Showimi
- Cancer Epigenetic section, Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Nujoud Al-Yousef
- Head of Cancer Epigenetic Section, Molecular Oncology Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Bushra Al-Shahrani
- Cancer Epigenetic section, Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Bedri Karakas
- Head of Cancer Epigenetic Section, Molecular Oncology Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Lamyaa Alghofaili
- Al Faisal University College of Medicine, PO BOX 50927, Riyadh, 11533, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Hannah Almubarak
- Head of Cancer Epigenetic Section, Molecular Oncology Department, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Safia Madkhali
- King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, PO BOX 22490, Riyadh, 3130, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Hind Al Humaidan
- Department of pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Alhuqail AJ, Alzahrani A, Almubarak H, Al-Qadheeb S, Alghofaili L, Almoghrabi N, Alhussaini H, Park BH, Colak D, Karakas B. High prevalence of deleterious BRCA1 and BRCA2 germline mutations in arab breast and ovarian cancer patients. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2018; 168:695-702. [PMID: 29297111 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-017-4635-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE The BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA) genes are heavily involved in mammalian cell DNA repair processes. Germline pathogenic mutations in BRCA increase the lifetime risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer in women. In the Arabian Peninsula, most breast and ovarian cancers are diagnosed as early-onset cases, some of which may be due to germline variants in BRCA genes. To identify the BRCA germline mutation frequency and spectrum in the Arab breast and ovarian cancers, we have sequenced the protein-coding exons of these genes. METHODS All BRCA coding exons were sequenced using genomic DNA isolated from lymphocytes in 173 Arab breast and ovarian cancer patients by a massively parallel sequencing technology and verified by Sanger sequencing. RESULTS We identified a total of 17 distinct pathogenic mutations, of which four were novel, in 28 patients; nine out of 108 breast (8.3%) and 19 out of 65 ovarian cancer (29.2%) patients. Thirteen of the 17 mutations were detected in BRCA1 and four mutations were found in BRCA2 gene. Four pathogenic BRCA1 mutations (c.1140dupG, c.4136_4137delCT, c.5095C>T, and c.5530delC) accounted for 54% of all the mutations detected in our patient cohort. Additionally, we identified a likely pathogenic BRCA1 missense variant in two of 108 breast (1.9%) and a BRCA2 missense variant in one of 65 ovarian cancer (1.5%) patients. CONCLUSIONS The overall frequencies of the BRCA germline mutations were 10.2% in breast and 30.7% in ovarian cancer patients. These data shed new light into the prevalence of BRCA mutations in the Arab women population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Al-Joharah Alhuqail
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO Box: 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Areej Alzahrani
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO Box: 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hannah Almubarak
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO Box: 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sarah Al-Qadheeb
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO Box: 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Nisreen Almoghrabi
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO Box: 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hamed Alhussaini
- Department of Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ben Ho Park
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Dilek Colak
- Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Scientific Computing, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bedri Karakas
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO Box: 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia.
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Kutuk O, Basaga H, Ozmay Y, Karakas B. Delineating the mechanisms of resistance to panHER inhibitors in HER2+ breast cancer cells. Ann Oncol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdx361.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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9
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Can I, Buyuk B, Can S, Karakas B, Bozkurt M, Karamese SA, Inaloz SS. The protective effect of the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib on the uterus of ovariectomized rats. CLIN EXP OBSTET GYN 2016; 43:737-741. [PMID: 30074329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Bortezomib (BORT) is an anti-tumour agent that inhibits proteasome, which is responsible for the degradation of many intracellular proteins. Although some side-effects and chemotherapeutic effects of BORT are known, there has not been enough research regarding its effects on different tissues of proteasome inhibition in the senile period (post-menopausal). The aim of this study was to investigate the safety of using BORT during the post-menopausal period. The post-menopausal effects of BORT were investigated on ovariectomized (OVX) Spraque-Dawley rats. The female rats were separated into three groups: control, ovariectomized (OVX), and OVX + BORT. OVX and OVX + BORT groups consisted of six rats in each. BORT was administered intraperitoneally in a dosage of 0.2 mg/kg two days a week for four weeks after OVX. The uteri of the rats were investigated using morphometrical, histopathological, and immunohistopathological methods. A striking atrophy in the endometrium and myometrium was observed due to an estrogen deficiency in the OVX group. The partial protective effect of BORT administration was observed morphometrically and histopathologically. In immunohistochemical research, cytoplasmic NF-KB activity was observed in the presence of proteasome inhibition in the endometrium. In light of these findings, the limited protective effects of post-menopausal BORT administration are worth mentioning.
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Karakas B, Qubbaj W, Al-Hassan S, Coskun S. Noninvasive Digital Detection of Fetal DNA in Plasma of 4-Week-Pregnant Women following In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126501. [PMID: 25970589 PMCID: PMC4430227 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of cell-free fetal DNA (cfDNA) circulating in the maternal blood has provided new opportunities for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD). However, the extremely low levels of cfDNA within a high background of the maternal DNA in maternal circulation necessitate highly sensitive molecular techniques for its reliable use in NIPD. In this proof of principle study, we evaluated the earliest possible detection of cfDNA in the maternal plasma by a bead-based emulsion PCR technology known as BEAMing (beads, emulsion, amplification, magnetics). Blood samples were collected from in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients at 2 to 6 weeks following embryo transfer (i.e., 4 to 8 week pregnancies) and plasma DNA was extracted. The genomic regions of both X and Y chromosome-specific sequences (AMELX and AMELY) were concurrently amplified in two sequential PCRs; first by conventional PCR then by BEAMing. The positive beads either for AMELX or AMELY gene sequences were counted by a flow cytometer. Our results showed that the pregnancies yielding boys had significantly higher plasma AMELY gene fractions (0.512 ± 0.221) than the ones yielding girls (0.028 ± 0.003) or non-pregnant women (0.020 ± 0.005, P= 0.0059). Here, we clearly demonstrated that the BEAMing technique is capable of reliably detecting cfDNA in the blood circulation of 4-week-pregnant women, which is only two weeks after the embryo transfer. BEAMing technique can also be used to early detect fetal DNA alterations in other pregnancy-associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bedri Karakas
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- * E-mail:
| | - Wafa Qubbaj
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saad Al-Hassan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Serdar Coskun
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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11
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Al-Moghrabi N, Nofel A, Al-Yousef N, Madkhali S, Bin Amer SM, Alaiya A, Shinwari Z, Al-Tweigeri T, Karakas B, Tulbah A, Aboussekhra A. The molecular significance of methylated BRCA1 promoter in white blood cells of cancer-free females. BMC Cancer 2014; 14:830. [PMID: 25403427 PMCID: PMC4289167 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-14-830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND BRCA1 promoter methylation has been detected in DNA from peripheral blood cells of both breast cancer patients and cancer-free females. However, the pathological significance of this epigenetic change in white blood cells (WBC) remains an open question. In this study, we hypothesized that if constitutional BRCA1 methylation reflects an elevated risk for developing breast cancer (BC), WBC that harbor methylated BRCA1 in both cancer-free females and BC patients should exhibit similar molecular changes. METHODS BRCA1 promoter methylation was examined by methylation-specific PCR in WBC from 155 breast cancer patients and 143 cancer-free females. The Human Breast Cancer EpiTect Methyl II Signature PCR Array and The Human Breast Cancer RT2 Profiler™ PCR Array were used to study the methylation status and the expression profile of several breast cancer-related genes, respectively. In addition, we used label-free MS-based technique to study protein expression in plasma. RESULTS We have shown that 14.2% of BC patients and 9.1% of cancer-free females (carriers) harbored methylated BRCA1 promoter in their WBC. Interestingly, 66.7% of patients harbored methylated BRCA1 promoter in both WBC and tumors. Importantly, we have shown the presence of epigenetic changes in 9 other BC-related genes in WBC of both patients and carriers. Additionally, BRCA1 and 15 other important cancer -related genes were found to be differentially expressed in WBC from patients and carriers as compared to controls. Furthermore, we have shown that the carriers exhibited a unique plasma protein pattern different from those of BC patients and controls, with 10 proteins similarly differentially expressed in patients and carriers as compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS The present results suggest the presence of a strong link between aberrant methylation of the BRCA1 promoter in WBC and breast cancer -related molecular changes, which indicate the potential predisposition of the carriers for developing breast cancer. This informs the potential use of the aberrant methylation of BRCA1 promoter in WBC as a powerful non-invasive molecular marker for detecting predisposed individuals at a very early age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisreen Al-Moghrabi
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO BOX 3354, 11211 Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Asmaa Nofel
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO BOX 3354, 11211 Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Nujoud Al-Yousef
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO BOX 3354, 11211 Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Safia Madkhali
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO BOX 3354, 11211 Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Suad M Bin Amer
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO BOX 3354, 11211 Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Ayodele Alaiya
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO BOX 3354, 11211 Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Zakia Shinwari
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO BOX 3354, 11211 Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Taher Al-Tweigeri
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO BOX 3354, 11211 Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Bedri Karakas
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO BOX 3354, 11211 Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Asma Tulbah
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO BOX 3354, 11211 Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdelilah Aboussekhra
- Department of Molecular Oncology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, PO BOX 3354, 11211 Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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12
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Karakas B, Colak D, Kaya N, Ghebeh H, Al-Qasem A, Hendrayani F, Toulimat M, Al-Tweigeri T, Park BH, Aboussekhra A. Prevalence of PIK3CA mutations and the SNP rs17849079 in Arab breast cancer patients. Cancer Biol Ther 2013; 14:888-96. [PMID: 23982433 DOI: 10.4161/cbt.25945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Carcinomas initiate and progress due to genetic and epigenetic alterations in epithelial cells. However, recently, these alterations have also been reported in stromal fibroblasts. The gain-of-function mutations in the PI3K p110 catalytic subunit (PIK3CA) have been identified in many cancers with a current global incidence of 26% (18-40%) in breast carcinomas. We analyzed the mutational frequency of PIK3CA of three hotspots (exons 1, 9, and 20) in 81 primary invasive breast cancers (BC) and 25 cultured breast cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) samples by Sanger sequencing in Arab breast cancer patients. Associations between the incidence of any PIK3CA mutation and several clinicopathologic characteristics were assessed using chi-square tests for categorical or t test for continuous variables. Furthermore, survival curves were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method with the log rank test to evaluate the significance of their differences. We identified a total of 21 PIK3CA missense mutations with a frequency of 25.9%. The majority of the mutations, 17 out of 21 (81%), were in exon 20 (p.His1047Arg, p.His1047Lys, p.Thr1025Ala, p.Gly1049Arg, p.Asp1056Asn) while the remainder, 4 out of 21 (19%) were in exon 9 (p.Glu545Lys). PIK3CA mutations were significantly associated with lower grade and hormone receptor positivity. Although there was a favorable trend in overall survival for patients whose tumor harbored PIK3CA mutations, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.10). However, we did not detect any somatic mutations in CAFs. Furthermore, we have shown a high prevalence (8.2-fold) of a silent variant (SNP, rs17849079) in the Arab breast cancer population compared with disease-free individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bedri Karakas
- Department of Molecular Oncology; King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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13
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Garay JP, Karakas B, Abukhdeir AM, Cosgrove DP, Gustin JP, Higgins MJ, Konishi H, Konishi Y, Lauring J, Mohseni M, Wang GM, Jelovac D, Weeraratna A, Sherman Baust CA, Morin PJ, Toubaji A, Meeker A, De Marzo AM, Lewis G, Subhawong A, Argani P, Park BH. The growth response to androgen receptor signaling in ERα-negative human breast cells is dependent on p21 and mediated by MAPK activation. Breast Cancer Res 2012; 14:R27. [PMID: 22321971 PMCID: PMC3496145 DOI: 10.1186/bcr3112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2011] [Revised: 09/27/2011] [Accepted: 02/09/2012] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Although a high frequency of androgen receptor (AR) expression in human breast cancers has been described, exploiting this knowledge for therapy has been challenging. This is in part because androgens can either inhibit or stimulate cell proliferation in pre-clinical models of breast cancer. In addition, many breast cancers co-express other steroid hormone receptors that can affect AR signaling, further obfuscating the effects of androgens on breast cancer cells. Methods To create better-defined models of AR signaling in human breast epithelial cells, we took estrogen receptor (ER)-α-negative and progesterone receptor (PR)-negative human breast epithelial cell lines, both cancerous and non-cancerous, and engineered them to express AR, thus allowing the unambiguous study of AR signaling. We cloned a full-length cDNA of human AR, and expressed this transgene in MCF-10A non-tumorigenic human breast epithelial cells and MDA-MB-231 human breast-cancer cells. We characterized the responses to AR ligand binding using various assays, and used isogenic MCF-10A p21 knock-out cell lines expressing AR to demonstrate the requirement for p21 in mediating the proliferative responses to AR signaling in human breast epithelial cells. Results We found that hyperactivation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway from both AR and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling resulted in a growth-inhibitory response, whereas MAPK signaling from either AR or EGFR activation resulted in cellular proliferation. Additionally, p21 gene knock-out studies confirmed that AR signaling/activation of the MAPK pathway is dependent on p21. Conclusions These studies present a new model for the analysis of AR signaling in human breast epithelial cells lacking ERα/PR expression, providing an experimental system without the potential confounding effects of ERα/PR crosstalk. Using this system, we provide a mechanistic explanation for previous observations ascribing a dual role for AR signaling in human breast cancer cells. As previous reports have shown that approximately 40% of breast cancers can lack p21 expression, our data also identify potential new caveats for exploiting AR as a target for breast cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph P Garay
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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14
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Kaya N, Colak D, Albakheet A, Al-Owain M, Abu-Dheim N, Al-Younes B, Al-Zahrani J, Mukaddes NM, Dervent A, Al-Dosari N, Al-Odaib A, Kayaalp IV, Al-Sayed M, Al-Hassnan Z, Nester MJ, Al-Dosari M, Al-Dhalaan H, Chedrawi A, Gunoz H, Karakas B, Sakati N, Alkuraya FS, Gascon GG, Ozand PT. A novel X-linked disorder with developmental delay and autistic features. Ann Neurol 2011; 71:498-508. [DOI: 10.1002/ana.22673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2011] [Revised: 10/04/2011] [Accepted: 11/04/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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15
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Karakas B, Weeraratna AT, Abukhdeir AM, Konishi H, Gustin JP, Vitolo MI, Bachman KE, Park BH. P21 gene knock down does not identify genetic effectors seen with gene knock out. Cancer Biol Ther 2009; 6:1025-30. [PMID: 17611398 PMCID: PMC2667557 DOI: 10.4161/cbt.6.7.4202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) has become a popular tool for analyzing gene function in cancer research. The feasibility of using RNAi in cellular and animal models as an alternative to conventional gene knock out approaches has been demonstrated. Although these studies show that RNAi can recapitulate phenotypes seen in knock out animals and their derived cell lines, a systematic study rigorously comparing downstream effector genes between RNAi and gene knock out has not been performed. Here we present data contrasting the phenotypic and genotypic changes that occur with either stable knock down via RNAi of the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor p21 versus its somatic cell knock out counterpart in the human mammary epithelial cell line MCF-10A. Our results demonstrate that p21 knock down clones display a growth proliferative response upon exposure to Transforming Growth Factor-Beta Type 1 (TGFbeta) similar to p21 knock out clones. However, gene expression profiles were significantly different in p21 knock down cells versus p21 knock out clones. Importantly p21 knock down clones did not display increased gene expression of interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha), a critical effector of this growth response previously validated in p21 knock out cells. We conclude that gene knock out can yield additional vital information that may be missed with gene knock down strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bedri Karakas
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins; The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland USA
| | | | - Abde M. Abukhdeir
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins; The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland USA
| | - Hiroyuki Konishi
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins; The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland USA
| | - John P. Gustin
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins; The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland USA
| | - Michele I. Vitolo
- The Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center; University of Maryland School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland USA
| | - Kurtis E. Bachman
- The Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center; University of Maryland School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland USA
| | - Ben Ho Park
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins; The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Baltimore, Maryland USA
- Correspondence to: Ben Ho Park; Department of Oncology; 1650 Orleans Street; Room 1M42; Baltimore, Maryland 21231 USA; Tel.: 410.502.7399; Fax: 410.614.8397;
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16
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Damico RL, Chesley A, Johnston L, Bind EP, Amaro E, Nijmeh J, Karakas B, Welsh L, Pearse DB, Garcia JGN, Crow MT. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor governs endothelial cell sensitivity to LPS-induced apoptosis. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 2008; 39:77-85. [PMID: 18239193 DOI: 10.1165/rcmb.2007-0248oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Human endothelial cells (EC) are typically resistant to the apoptotic effects of stimuli associated with lung disease. The determinants of this resistance remain incompletely understood. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a proinflammatory cytokine produced by human pulmonary artery EC (HPAEC). Its expression increases in response to various death-inducing stimuli, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We show here that silencing MIF expression by RNA interference (MIF siRNA) dramatically reduces MIF mRNA expression and the LPS-induced increase in MIF protein levels, thereby sensitizing HPAECs to LPS-induced cell death. Addition of recombinant human MIF (rhMIF) protein prevents the death-sensitizing effect of MIF siRNA. A common mediator of apoptosis resistance in ECs is the death effector domain (DED)-containing protein, FLIP (FLICE-like inhibitory protein). We show that LPS induces a transcription-independent increase in the short isoform of FLIP (FLIP(s)). This increase is blocked by MIF siRNA but restored with the addition of recombinant MIF protein (rHMIF). While FLIP(s) siRNA also sensitizes HPAECs to LPS-induced death, the addition of rhMIF does not affect this sensitization, placing MIF upstream of FLIP(s) in preventing HPAEC death. These studies demonstrate that MIF is an endogenous pro-survival factor in HPAECs and identify a novel mechanism for its role in apoptosis resistance through the regulation of FLIP(s). These results show that MIF can protect vascular endothelial cells from inflammation-associated cell damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Damico
- Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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Konishi H, Karakas B, Abukhdeir AM, Lauring J, Gustin JP, Garay JP, Konishi Y, Gallmeier E, Bachman KE, Park BH. Knock-in of mutant K-ras in nontumorigenic human epithelial cells as a new model for studying K-ras mediated transformation. Cancer Res 2007; 67:8460-7. [PMID: 17875684 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-07-0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The oncogenic function of mutant ras in mammalian cells has been extensively investigated using multiple human and animal models. These systems include overexpression of exogenous mutant ras transgenes, conditionally expressed knock-in mouse models, and somatic cell knockout of mutant and wild-type ras genes in human cancer cell lines. However, phenotypic discrepancies between knock-in mice and transgenic mutant ras overexpression prompted us to evaluate the consequences of targeted knock-in of an oncogenic K-ras mutation in the nontumorigenic human breast epithelial cell line MCF-10A and hTERT-immortalized human mammary epithelial cells. Our results show several significant differences between mutant K-ras knock-in cells versus their transgene counterparts, including limited phosphorylation of the downstream molecules extracellular signal-regulated kinase and AKT, minor proliferative capacity in the absence of an exogenous growth factor, and the inability to form colonies in semisolid medium. Analysis of 16 cancer cell lines carrying mutant K-ras genes indicated that 50% of cancer cells harbor nonoverexpressed heterozygous K-ras mutations similar to the expression seen in our knock-in cell lines. Thus, this system serves as a new model for elucidating the oncogenic contribution of mutant K-ras as expressed in a large fraction of human cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Konishi
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Karakas B, Weeraratna A, Abukhdeir A, Blair BG, Konishi H, Arena S, Becker K, Wood W, Argani P, De Marzo AM, Bachman KE, Park BH. Interleukin-1 alpha mediates the growth proliferative effects of transforming growth factor-beta in p21 null MCF-10A human mammary epithelial cells. Oncogene 2006; 25:5561-9. [PMID: 16619041 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1209540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-beta type 1 (TGF-beta) has been implicated as both a tumor suppressor and a tumor promoter in many solid epithelial cancers. We have previously demonstrated that the cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p21 acts as a molecular switch in determining a growth inhibitory versus growth proliferative response to TGF-beta in the spontaneously immortalized human mammary epithelial cell line MCF-10A. We now demonstrate that this proliferative effect of TGF-beta is mediated through the proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha). Using gene expression array analysis, we identified IL-1alpha as a cytokine specifically upregulated only in cells lacking p21 and only upon TGF-beta stimulation. Cell proliferation assays verified that recombinant IL-1alpha was capable of inducing a growth proliferative response in p21 null MCF-10A cells, while neutralizing antibodies against IL-1alpha prevented the growth proliferative effects of TGF-beta. Mechanistically, both the CDK and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) inhibitory functions of p21 were responsible for preventing TGF-beta induced cell proliferation, but only PCNA inhibition by p21 regulated IL-1alpha gene expression. These studies demonstrate a novel role for IL-1alpha in mediating a proliferative response to TGF-beta signaling, and suggest that therapies directed against IL-1alpha could abate the growth proliferative effects of TGF-beta without compromising its tumor suppressive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Karakas
- Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
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Abstract
It is now well established that cancer is a genetic disease and that somatic mutations of oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes are the initiators of the carcinogenic process. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signalling pathway has previously been implicated in tumorigenesis, and evidence over the past year suggests a pivotal role for the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit, PIK3CA, in human cancers. In this review, we analyse recent reports describing PIK3CA mutations in a variety of human malignancies, and discuss their possible implications for diagnosis and therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Karakas
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Oncology, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
| | - K E Bachman
- The Greenebaum Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - B H Park
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Oncology, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Oncology, Baltimore, MD 21231, USA. E-mail:
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Abukhdeir AM, Blair BG, Brenner K, Karakas B, Konishi H, Lim J, Sahasranaman V, Huang Y, Keen J, Davidson N, Vitolo MI, Bachman KE, Park BH. Physiologic estrogen receptor alpha signaling in non-tumorigenic human mammary epithelial cells. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2006; 99:23-33. [PMID: 16541319 DOI: 10.1007/s10549-006-9177-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2005] [Accepted: 01/22/2006] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Currently, a number of breast cancer cell lines exist that serve as models for both estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) positive and ERalpha negative disease. Models are also available for pre-neoplastic breast epithelial cells that do not express ERalpha; however, there are no ideal systems for studying pre-neoplastic cells that are ERalpha positive. This has been largely due to the inability to establish an estrogen growth stimulated, non-tumorigenic breast epithelial cell line, as most human breast epithelial cells engineered to overexpress ERalpha have been found to be growth inhibited by estrogens. We have developed independently derived clones from the non-cancerous MCF-10A human breast cell line that express ERalpha and are growth stimulated by 17-beta-estradiol (E2) in the absence of epidermal growth factor (EGF), a cytokine normally required for MCF-10A cell proliferation. This effect is blocked by the selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), Tamoxifen and the selective estrogen receptor downregulator, ICI 182,780 (Faslodex, Fulvestrant). Exposure of these cells to EGF and E2 results in a growth inhibitory phenotype similar to previous reports. These data present a reconciling explanation for the previously described paradoxical effects of ERalpha overexpression, and provide a model for examining the carcinogenic effects of estrogens in non-tumorigenic human breast epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abde M Abukhdeir
- Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Bachman KE, Argani P, Samuels Y, Silliman N, Ptak J, Szabo S, Konishi H, Karakas B, Blair BG, Lin C, Peters BA, Velculescu VE, Park BH. The PIK3CA gene is mutated with high frequency in human breast cancers. Cancer Biol Ther 2004; 3:772-5. [PMID: 15254419 DOI: 10.4161/cbt.3.8.994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 477] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are known regulators of cellular growth and proliferation. It has recently been reported that somatic mutations within the PI3K subunit p110alpha (PIK3CA) are present in human colorectal and other cancers. Here we show that thirteen of fifty-three breast cancers (25%) contain somatic mutations in PIK3CA, with the majority of mutations located in the kinase domain. These results demonstrate that PIK3CA is the most mutated oncogene in breast cancer and support a role for PIK3CA in epithelial carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurtis E Bachman
- The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, Department of Oncology, Baltimore, Maryland 21231, USA.
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