Preoperative prediction of VETC in hepatocellular carcinoma using non-Gaussian diffusion-weighted imaging at high b values: a pilot study

Background

Vessels encapsulating tumor clusters (VETC) have been considered an important cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis.

Purpose

To compare the potential of various diffusion parameters derived from the monoexponential model and four non-Gaussian models (DKI, SEM, FROC, and CTRW) in preoperatively predicting the VETC of HCC.

Methods

86 HCC patients (40 VETC-positive and 46 VETC-negative) were prospectively enrolled. Diffusion-weighted images were acquired using six b-values (range from 0 to 3000 s/mm2). Various diffusion parameters derived from diffusion kurtosis (DK), stretched-exponential (SE), fractional-order calculus (FROC), and continuous-time random walk (CTRW) models, together with the conventional apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) derived from the monoexponential model were calculated. All parameters were compared between VETC-positive and VETC-negative groups using an independent sample t-test or Mann-Whitney U test, and then the parameters with significant differences between the two groups were combined to establish a predictive model by binary logistic regression. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to assess diagnostic performance.

Results

Among all studied diffusion parameters, only DKI_K and CTRW_α significantly differed between groups (P=0.002 and 0.004, respectively). For predicting the presence of VETC in HCC patients, the combination of DKI_K and CTRW_α had the larger area under the ROC curve (AUC) than the two parameters individually (AUC=0.747 vs. 0.678 and 0.672, respectively).

Conclusion

DKI_K and CTRW_α outperformed traditional ADC for predicting the VETC of HCC.

Bronchial Artery-Pulmonary Artery Shunt by Apiotrichum mycotoxinivorans Infection in a Recurrent Hemoptysis Case

Background

Apiotrichum mycotoxinivorans is a rare mycotoxinivorans, and its pathogenicity is unknown. Bronchial artery shunt is a pathophysiological state following congenital or acquired chronic infection. We report a rare case of bronchial artery shunt by A. mycotoxinivorans infection in a recurrent hemoptysis patient.

Case Presentation

A 45-year-old female presented with recurrent cough and hemoptysis for 4 years. Before admission, she had been treated in several hospitals for pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchiectasis and received standardized anti-tuberculosis treatment for 1 year, but it was ineffective. After admission, CTPA and bronchial arterial angiography showed left bronchial artery–left pulmonary artery shunt and right bronchial artery–right pulmonary artery shunt. Fiber-optic bronchoscopy was performed, which revealed a large amount of purulent secretions, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid fungi (1-3)-β-d glucan: 728.06, and GM test: 3.239. Fungal hyphae and spores were observed by gram staining of BALF smear. Acid-fast bacilli were not found in BALF smear and brush smear. Two consecutive BALF fungal cultures grew A. mycotoxinivorans, the identity of which was confirmed by internal-transcribed-spacer (ITS) sequencing. Intravenous amphotericin B liposome (30mg; 0.5mg/kg, QD) was given for 2 weeks, embolization was performed, and itraconazole (voriconazole allergy) was taken orally for 9 months after operation. Hemoptysis and pulmonary lesions gradually improved after treatment.

Conclusion

We report the first case of bronchial artery–pulmonary artery shunt in a patient diagnosed with A. mycotoxinivorans infection. Phagocytosis of fungi by leukocytes was observed, and the pathogenicity of the fungus was confirmed in order to heighten the awareness of these infections.

Multi-parameter diffusion and perfusion magnetic resonance imaging and radiomics nomogram for preoperative evaluation of aquaporin-1 expression in rectal cancer

PURPOSE

The overexpression of aquaporin-1 (AQP1) is associated with poor prognosis in rectal cancer. This study aimed to explore the value of multi-parameter diffusion and perfusion MRI and radiomics models in predicting AQP1 high expression.

METHODS

This prospective study was performed from July 2019 to February 2021, which included rectal cancer participants after preoperative rectal MRI, with diffusion-weighted imaging, intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) sequences. Radiomic features were extracted from MR images, and immunohistochemical tests assessed AQP1 expression. Selected quantitative MRI and radiomic features were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves evaluated the predictive performance. The nomogram performance was evaluated by its calibration, discrimen, and clinical utility. The intraclass correlation coefficient evaluated the interobserver agreement for the MRI features.

RESULTS

110 participants with the age of 60.7 ± 12.5 years been enrolled in this study. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), IVIM_D, DKI_diffusivity, and DCE_Ktrans were significantly higher in participants with high AQP1 expression than in those with low expression (P < 0.05). ADC (b = 1000, 2000, and 3000 s/mm²), IVIM_D, DKI_diffusivity, and DCE_Ktrans were positively correlated (r = 0.205, 0.275, 0.37, 0.235, 0.229, and 0.227, respectively; P < 0.05), whereas DKI_Kurtosis was negatively correlated (r = - 0.22, P = 0.021) with AQP1 expression. ADC (b = 3000 s/mm²), IVIM_D, DKI_ diffusivity, DKI_Kurtosis, and DCE_Ktrans had moderate diagnostic efficiencies for high AQP1 expression (AUC = 0.715, 0.636, 0.627, 0.633, and 0.632, respectively; P < 0.05). The radiomic features had excellent predictive efficiency for high AQP1 expression (AUC = 0.967 and 0.917 for training and validation). The model-based nomogram had C-indexes of 0.932 and 0.851 for the training and validation cohorts, which indicated good fitting to the calibration curves (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Diffusion and perfusion MRI can indicate the aquaporin-1 expression in rectal cancer, and radiomic features can enhance the predictive efficiency for high AQP1 expression. A nomogram for high aquaporin-1 expression will improve clinical decision-making.

Expression of IER3 in hepatocellular carcinoma: clinicopathology, prognosis, and potential regulatory pathways

Background

Immediate early response 3 (IER3) is correlated to the prognosis of several cancers, but the precise mechanisms underlying the regulation by IER3 of the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown.

Methods

The expression level of IER3 was examined by using in-house immunohistochemistry (IHC), public gene chip, and public RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). The standardized mean difference (SMD) was calculated to compare the expression levels of IER3 between HCC patients and controls. The summary receiver operating characteristics (sROC) was plotted to comprehensively understand the discriminatory capability of IER3 between HCC and non-HCC group. The Kaplan-Meier curves and the combined hazard ratios (HRs) were used to determine the prognostic value of IER3 in HCC. Moreover, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and co-expression genes (CEGs) were used to explored the molecular mechanisms of IER3 underlying HCC. hTFtarget was used to predict the transcription factors (TFs) of IER3. The binding site of TFs and the IER3 promoter region was forecasted using the JASPAR website. The relevant ChIP-seq data were used to determine whether TF peaks were present in the IER3 transcription initiation.

Results

A significantly increased expression of IER3 protein was found in HCC tissue relative to non-HCC tissue as detected by IHC (p < 0.001). Compared to 1,263 cases of non-HCC tissues, IER3 in 1483 cases of HCC tissues was upregulated (SMD = 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.09-0.76]). The sROC showed that IER3 had a certain ability at differentiating HCC tissues (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.65, 95% CI [0.61-0.69]). Comprehensive analysis of the effect of IER3 on the prognosis of patients with HCC demonstrated that higher IER3 expression was associated with poor prognosis in HCC (HRs = 1.30, 95% CI [1.03-1.64]). Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that IER3-related genes were mostly enriched in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, cancer-related signaling pathways, the p53 signaling pathway, and other signaling pathways. Regulatory factor X5 (RFX5) was identified as a possible regulator of IER3-related TF.

Conclusion

IER3 may be a potential prognostic marker for HCC. The molecular mechanisms of IER3 in HCC warrant further study.

Expression and Clinical Significance of BCL2 Interacting Protein 3 Like in Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is one of the main blood disorders threatening human health today. This study aimed to examine the expression of BCL-2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa-interacting protein 3-like (BNIP3L) in patients with MM and explore its mechanisms in silico. Bone marrow samples (n = 36 from patients with MM and n = 12 from healthy donors) were used to conduct BNIP3L expression analysis using immunohistochemistry. Microarray or RNA sequencing data from the Sequence Read Archive, Gene Expression Omnibus, and ArrayExpress databases were used to appraise BNIP3L expression and its prognostic role in patients with MM. The co-expressed genes of BNIP3L were identified for enrichment and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses to determine the associated signaling pathways. Immunohistochemistry indicated that BNIP3L expression in bone marrow of patients with MM was significantly lower than that in bone marrow of healthy donors. BNIP3L mRNA expression was also significantly lower in patients with MM than in healthy donors. The overall standard mean difference (SMD) for downregulation of BNIP3L was −0.62 [−1.17, −0.06], and the area under the curve was 0.81 [0.78, 0.85] based on a total of 694 MM cases. The overall survival analysis demonstrated that BNIP3L levels could act as an independent protective indicator of MM patient survival (HR = 0.79). Moreover, 261 co-expressed genes of BNIP3L were confirmed and found to be mainly involved in the adipocytokine signaling pathway. We preliminarily proved that downregulation of BNIP3L may play an important role in the occurrence and development of MM, and the promoting cancer capacity may be related to the pathway of adipocytokine signaling pathway.

The Latest Overview of circRNA in the Progression, Diagnosis, Prognosis, Treatment, and Drug Resistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the main causes of tumor-related deaths worldwide. Due to the lack of obvious early symptoms and the lack of sensitive screening indicators in the early stage of HCC, the vast majority of patients are diagnosed with advanced or metastatic HCC, resulting in dissatisfactory treatment result. Therefore, it is urgent to determine effective and sensitive diagnostic and prognostic indicators and to determine new therapeutic targets. Circular RNA (circRNA) is a type of non-coding RNA that has been neglected for a long time. In recent years, it has been proved to play an important role in the development of many human diseases. Increasing evidence shows that change in circRNA expression has an extensive effect on the biological behavior of HCC. In this study, we comprehensively tracked the latest progress of circRNA in the pathogenesis of HCC, and reviewed its role as a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis prediction in patients with HCC. In addition, we also summarized the potential of circRNA as therapeutic target in HCC and its relationship with HCC drug resistance, providing clues for the clinical development of circRNA-based therapeutic strategies.

Use of RNA‑sequencing to detect abnormal transcription of the collagen α‑2 (VI) chain gene that can lead to Bethlem myopathy

Bethlem myopathy (BM) is an autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive disorder and is usually associated with mutations in the collagen VI genes. In the present study, the pathogenicity of a novel splice-site mutation was explored using RNA-sequencing in a family with suspected BM, and a myopathy panel was performed in the proband. The genetic status of all family members was confirmed using Sanger sequencing. Clinical data and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features were also documented. In silico analysis was performed to predict the effects of the splice mutation. RNA-sequencing and reverse transcription (RT)-PCR were used to assess aberrant splicing. Immunocytochemistry was conducted to measure collagen VI protein levels within the gastrocnemius and in cultured skin fibroblasts. The results revealed that three patients in the family shared a similar classic BM presentation. MRI revealed distinct patterns of fatty infiltration in the lower extremities. A novel splicing mutation c.736-1G>C in the collagen α-2 (VI) chain (COL6A2) gene was found in all three patients. In silico analysis predicted that the mutation would destroy the normal splice acceptor site. RNA-sequencing detected two abnormal splicing variants adjacent to the mutation site, and RT-PCR confirmed the RNA-sequencing findings. Furthermore, a defect in the collagen protein within cultured fibroblasts was detected using immunocytochemistry. The mutation c.736-1G>C in the COL6A2 gene caused aberrant splicing and led to premature termination of protein translation. In conclusion, these findings may improve our knowledge of mutations of the COL6A2 gene associated with BM and demonstrated that RNA-sequencing can be a powerful tool for finding the underlying mechanism of a disease-causing mutations at a splice site.

Upregulation of ATIC in multiple myeloma tissues based on tissue microarray and gene microarrays

PURPOSE

Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by the malignant proliferation of plasma cells, which produce a monoclonal immunoglobulin protein. The role of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase/IMP cyclohydrolase (ATIC) has not yet been well studied in the area of MM. Thus, in the current study, we sought to examine the expression levels, including mRNA and protein levels of ATIC in MM.

METHODS

Multiple myeloma microarray and RNA-seq data were screened from the SRA, GEO, ArrayExpress, and Oncomine databases. The mRNA level of ATIC was extracted from the high throughput data, and the prognostic value was studied. The protein level of ATIC was also detected by in-house immunohistochemistry on a tissue microarray. Potential signaling pathways were enriched with ATIC-related genes in MM.

RESULTS

Both the mRNA and protein levels of ATIC were significantly upregulated in MM samples as compared to normal samples. Furthermore, the summarized Standardized Mean Difference was 1.66 with 674 cases of MM based on 10 independent studies including the in-house tissue microarray. The overall hazard ratio of ATIC in MM was 1.7 with 1631 cases of MM based on five microarrays. In the KEGG pathway analysis, the ATIC-related genes were mainly enriched in the pathway of complement and coagulation cascades.

CONCLUSION

We provided the first evidence supporting the upregulation of ATIC may play an essential part in the tumorigenesis and development of MM. The promoting cancer capacity may be related to the pathway of complement and coagulation cascades.

Clinical significance and biological function of transcriptional repressor GATA binding 1 in gastric cancer: a study based on data mining, RT-qPCR, immunochemistry, and vitro experiment

Transcriptional repressor GATA binding 1 (TRPS1) is a newly discovered transcription factor, which has been reported in many tumors, except for gastric cancer (GC). In this study, we aimed to grope for clinical significance and biological function of TRPS1 in GC. TRPS1 expression in GC and its relationship with clinicopathological features were analyzed based on public databases, and verified by immunohistochemistry and RT-qPCR. Kaplan-Meier survival curve and Cox regression model were used to estimate the influence of TRPS1 on the univariate prognosis and multivariate survival risk factors of GC. The effects of TRPS1 on malignant biological behaviors of GC cells were studied by CCK8 cell proliferation, scratch test, and Transwell assay. The function of TRPS1 was further analyzed by signaling pathway analysis. TRPS1 mRNA expression in GC tissues was up-regulated and was of great significance in some prognostic factors. Protein expression of TRPS1 in tumor tissues was significantly higher than that in paracancerous tissues. Over-expression of TRPS1 was a poor prognostic indicator for GC patients. TRPS1 knockdown could inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells. The important role of TRPS1 was in the extracellular matrix, and it was involved in actin binding and proteoglycan in cancer. The hub genes of TRPS1 (FN1, ITGB1) were defined. TRPS1 may be a tumor promoter and promote the development of GC by influencing the malignant biological behaviors of GC. TRPS1 is expected to be a key diagnostic and prognostic indicator for GC patients.

Erratum: MiR-30a-5p suppresses cell growth and enhances apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via targeting AEG-1

[This corrects the article on p. 15632 in vol. 8, PMID: 26884832.].

Effect of CELSR3 on the Cell Cycle and Apoptosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

Cadherin EGF LAG seven-pass G-type receptor 3 (CELSR3) has been reported in cancers but its role and potential molecular mechanism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the clinical value and molecular mechanism of CELSR3 in HCC using an in vitro experiment, a meta-analysis and bioinformatics. The in vitro experiment determined the promoting effect of CELSR3 in the proliferation, invasion, and migration of HCC cells. CELSR3 knockout causes S-phage arrest in HCC cells. CELSR3 can also inhibit the apoptosis of HCC cells. The expression of the CELSR3 gene and protein was significantly elevated in HCC. Elevated CELSR3 was correlated to the bigger tumor size, higher pathological stage, and the worse overall survival of HCC. Methylation analysis revealed that the hypomethylation of CELSR3 regulated by DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B may be the underlying mechanism of upregulated CELSR3. Biological enrichment analysis uncovered that the cell cycle, DNA replication, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways were important pathways regulated by CELSR3 and its co-expressed genes in HCC. Taken together, upregulated CELSR3 is an important regulator in the progression and prognosis of HCC. The hypomethylation of CELSR3 and its regulation in the cell cycle may be the potential molecular mechanism in HCC.

The expression and biological function of chemokine CXCL12 and receptor CXCR4/CXCR7 in placenta accreta spectrum disorders

Objectives

Investigation of mechanism related to excessive invasion of trophoblast cells in placenta accreta spectrum disorders (PAS) provides more strategies and ideas for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Materials and Methods

Blood and placental samples were collected from included patients. The distribution and expression of CXCL12, CXCR4 and CXCR7 proteins in the paraffin of placental tissue in the included cases were analysed, and we analyse the downstream pathways or key proteins involved in cell invasion.

Results

Firstly, our results determined that CXCL12 and CXCR4/CXCR7 were increased in extravillous trophoblastic cell (CXCL12: P < .001; CXCR4: P < .001; CXCR7: P < .001), and the expression levels were closely related to the invasion depth of trophoblastic cells. Secondly, CXCL12 has the potential to become a biochemical indicator of PAS since the high expression of placental trophoblast CXCL12 may be an important source of blood CXCL12. Using lentivirus‐mediated RNA interference and overexpression assay, it was found that both chemokine CXCL12 and receptor CXCR4/CXCR7 are associated with regulation of trophoblast cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Further results proved that through the activating the phosphorylation and increasing the expression of MLC and AKT proteins in the Rho/rock, PI3K/AKT signalling pathway, CXCL12, CXCR4 and CXCR7 could up‐regulate the expression of RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42 proteins to promote the migration and invasion of extravillous trophoblastic cell and ultimately formate the placenta accrete compare to the normal placenta.

Conclusions

Our research proved that trophoblasts may contribute to a PAS‐associated increase in CXCL12 levels in maternal blood. CXCL12 is not only associated with biological roles of PAS, but may also be potential for prediction of PAS.

Clinical and genetic characteristics of female dystrophinopathy carriers

The present study aimed to determine the genetic status of manifesting carriers (MCs) of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)/Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) and asymptomatic carriers with a family history of DMD/BMD, and identify potential simple and reliable methods for screening dystrophinopathy carriers. Clinical data from probable carriers and MCs were collected and analyzed. MCs underwent multiplex ligation‑dependent probe amplification (MLPA) for dystrophin gene exons combined with muscle disease panel test based on a next‑generation sequencing (NGS) platform. In addition, the status of probable carriers was determined by MLPA or Sanger sequencing, according to the mutations of probands. A total of 154 female were enrolled, among which 78 cases were found to be carriers, including 4 MCs and 74 asymptomatic female carriers. The 4 MCs exhibited duplication mutations. Among the 74 asymptomatic carriers, 41.89% harbored deletion mutations, including 2 cases with suspected germline mosaicism and no mutation in the dystrophin gene, while 44.59% harbored point mutations in exons and only 10 cases (13.51%) carried duplication mutations. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of creatine kinase (CK) was 0.822, with a sensitivity of 65.38% and specificity of 92.1%. In addition, DMD was positively correlated with the CK, alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase levels of the carriers. MLPA for exons of the dystrophin gene, along with NGS and Sanger sequencing, was effective for the diagnosis of MCs and for determining the status of probable carriers. The ROC curve analysis also demonstrated that CK level was an excellent predictor for distinguishing DMD/BMD carriers.

Development of a prognostic index based on an immunogenomic landscape analysis of papillary thyroid cancer

BACKGROUND

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common subtype of thyroid cancer, and inflammation relates significantly to its initiation and prognosis. Systematic exploration of the immunogenomic landscape therein to assist in PTC prognosis is therefore urgent. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project provides a large number of genetic PTC samples that enable a comprehensive and reliable immunogenomic study.

METHODS

We integrated the expression profiles of immune-related genes (IRGs) and progression-free intervals (PFIs) in survival in 493 PTC patients based on the TCGA dataset. Differentially-expressed and survival-associated IRGs in PTC patients were estimated a computational difference algorithm and COX regression analysis. The potential molecular mechanisms and properties of these PTC-specific IRGs were also explored with the help of computational biology. A new prognostic index based on immune-related genes was developed by using multivariable COX analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 46 differentially expressed immune-related genes were significantly correlated with clinical outcome of PTC patients. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these genes were actively involved in a cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction KEGG pathway. A prognostic signature based on RGs (AGTR1, CTGF, FAM3B, IL11, IL17C, PTH2R and SPAG11A) performed moderately in prognostic predictions and correlated with age, tumor stage, metastasis, number of lesions, and tumor burden. Intriguingly, the prognostic index based on IRGs reflected infiltration by several types of immune cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, our results screened several IRGs of clinical significance, revealed drivers of the immune repertoire, and demonstrated the importance of a personalized, IRG-based immune signature in the recognition, surveillance, and prognosis of PTC.

Up-regulation of Polo-like Kinase 1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues: a comprehensive investigation based on RNA-sequencing, gene chips, and in-house tissue arrays

BACKGROUND

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly invasive malignancy which has unique characteristics when found among individuals from certain ethnic or geographic populations. The role and molecular mechanism of Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) in NPC remain yet to be clarified. Hence, the aim of this study is to identify the clinical implications of PLK1 in NPC based on gene chip, tissue microarray, and other silico approaches.

METHODS

Relevant data related to PLK1 levels in NPC was screened for by searching in SRA, GEO, ArrayExpress, Oncomine and throughout the existing literature on this topic. The raw data about gene chips were normalized by using an RMA algorithm provided by "Limma" package. Furthermore, the "SVA" package of R software was used to remove the batch effect and data from the same platform were merged into one part. The differential expression levels of PLK1 between NPC and non-NPC tissues were extracted and analyzed with the Student's t-test. Meta-analyses were used to calculate the standard mean difference and sROC. Furthermore, in-house immunohistochemistry was performed with tissue microarrays. Weighted correlation network analysis was used to identify the PLK1-related genes. Several bioinformatic evaluations, including the Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, and protein-protein interactions, were also performed to assess the PLK1-related pathways.

RESULTS

The tissue microarray and gene chips indicated that the PLK1 levels clearly had an up-regulating trend as compared to the non-cancerous controls. These trends were observed in both the single study and the comprehensive meta-analysis. The area under the sROC curve in the NPC tissues was 0.87, with pooled sensitivity and specificity at 0.950 and 0.710, respectively, based on 393 NPC tissues and 83 non-cancerous controls. A total of 144 genes were identified as co-expressed genes of PLK1 in NPC and were mainly enriched in the "cell cycle" pathway. Among the genes related to the cell cycle, CDK1, CCNA2 and CCNB2 were all closely related to PLK1 expression level.

CONCLUSIONS

PLK1 may play a potential oncogenic role in the tumorigenesis and development of NPC. Since several PLK1 inhibitors have been developed, it is believed that the PLK1 inhibitors have great therapeutic potential in clinic applications for NPC patients.

A circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network identification for exploring underlying pathogenesis and therapy strategy of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have received increasing attention in human tumor research. However, there are still a large number of unknown circRNAs that need to be deciphered. The aim of this study is to unearth novel circRNAs as well as their action mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

A combinative strategy of big data mining, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and computational biology was employed to dig HCC-related circRNAs and to explore their potential action mechanisms. A connectivity map (CMap) analysis was conducted to identify potential therapeutic agents for HCC.

RESULTS

Six differently expressed circRNAs were obtained from three Gene Expression Omnibus microarray datasets (GSE78520, GSE94508 and GSE97332) using the RobustRankAggreg method. Following the RT-qPCR corroboration, three circRNAs (hsa_circRNA_102166, hsa_circRNA_100291 and hsa_circRNA_104515) were selected for further analysis. miRNA response elements of the three circRNAs were predicted. Five circRNA-miRNA interactions including two circRNAs (hsa_circRNA_104515 and hsa_circRNA_100291) and five miRNAs (hsa-miR-1303, hsa-miR-142-5p, hsa-miR-877-5p, hsa-miR-583 and hsa-miR-1276) were identified. Then, 1424 target genes of the above five miRNAs and 3278 differently expressed genes (DEGs) on HCC were collected. By intersecting the miRNA target genes and the DEGs, we acquired 172 overlapped genes. A protein-protein interaction network based on the 172 genes was established, with seven hubgenes (JUN, MYCN, AR, ESR1, FOXO1, IGF1 and CD34) determined from the network. The Gene Oncology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Reactome enrichment analyses revealed that the seven hubgenes were linked with some cancer-related biological functions and pathways. Additionally, three bioactive chemicals (decitabine, BW-B70C and gefitinib) based on the seven hubgenes were identified as therapeutic options for HCC by the CMap analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides a novel insight into the pathogenesis and therapy of HCC from the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network view.

LncRNA UCHL1-AS1 prevents cell mobility of hepatocellular carcinoma: a study based on in vitro and bioinformatics

We set out to investigate biological functions and potential molecular mechanisms of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC cell line Bel-7404 was cultured and transfected with antisense to the ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1-AS1). Viability and mobility were detected by MTT and wound healing assays. Additionally, enrichment analysis and functional networks of UCHL1-AS1 related genes in HCC were performed. Results showed that high level UCHL1-AS1 could effectively inhibit HCC cell migration. However, there was no significant correlation between overexpressed UCHL1-AS1 and HCC proliferation. Meanwhile, BMP4, CALM3, and HRAS were selected from 204 genes that related to UCHL1-AS1. All of these hub genes play critical roles in HCC occurrence and development. Thus, underlying molecular mechanisms among hub genes and UCHL1-AS1 in HCC might be valuable for prognosis and treatment.

Novel compound heterozygous PLEC mutations lead to early‑onset limb‑girdle muscular dystrophy 2Q

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2Q (LGMD2Q) is a specific mutation in the plectin (PLEC1) gene at chromosome 8q24.3. In the present study, targeted sequencing using a muscle disease gene panel was performed in a patient with muscular dystrophy. The family members were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The PolyPhen‑2, SIFT and MutationTaster tools were used to predicted the possible effect of the mutations. Immunocytochemistry was used to visualize and localize the plectin protein within the gastrocnemius. Novel compound heterozygous mutations c.5995C>T (p.Arg1999Trp) and c.9940T>A (p.Phe3314 Ile) in the PLEC gene were identified to be the genetic cause of LGMD2Q in this family. These variants were absent in 200 normal controls. Furthermore, defects in the plectin protein within the gastrocnemius were determined using immunocytochemistry. To the best of our knowledge, the present study provides the second report on plectin‑associated LGMD2Q without other symptoms, although the genotype identified was novel. The missense mutations in the proband were considered to be an explanation for the symptom. These findings extend current knowledge of the mutation spectrum of the PLEC gene associated with LGMD2Q.

The essential role of MTDH in the progression of HCC: a study with immunohistochemistry, TCGA, meta-analysis and in vitro investigation

Recent studies found that metadherin (MTDH) played an essential role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nevertheless, the exact function of MTDH in the pathogenesis of HCC was unclarified. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the clinical significance of MTDH in HCC and its effect on HCC cells. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to detect MTDH expression in HCC tissues. Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and ONCOMINE was obtained to examine MTDH expression in HCC and its clinical significance. Meta-analysis was conducted to assess the correlation between MTDH expression and both the prognosis (Overall Survival (OS) or Disease-free Survival (DFS)) and clinicopathological features of HCC via STATA 12.0. In vitro experiments were performed to investigate the role of MTDH in cell growth, caspase-3/7 activity and apoptosis in HCC cells. The MTDH staining was remarkably stronger in HCC tissues than in non-cancer tissues from IHC, TCGA and ONCOMINE data. Moreover, MTDH-positive expression was significantly correlated with pathological grade, distant metastasis and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection by IHC. For meta-analysis, MTDH expression was indicative of poor OS without heterogeneity in HCC patients. Additionally, MTDH expression was correlated with high-grade histological differentiation, non-vascular invasion and metastasis in HCC. In vitro experiments revealed that MTDH could the inhibit cell growth and activate caspase-3/7 activity and apoptosis in the four HCC cell lines. In conclusion, MTDH expression may serve as a novel targeting strategy for HCC due to its clinical significance and oncogenic function in HCC cells.

Expression and clinicopathological implication of DcR3 in lung cancer tissues: a tissue microarray study with 365 cases

BACKGROUND

Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3) has been reported to be involved in different cancers. However, few related researches have been accomplished on the role of DcR3 in lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the expression level and clinicopathological implication of DcR3 protein in lung cancer tissues.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Immunohistochemistry was used to examine DcR3 protein expression in lung cancer (n=365) and normal lung tissues (n=26). The relationships between DcR3 expression and clinical parameters were further investigated. Furthermore, the diagnostic and clinicopathological value of DcR3 mRNA was analyzed based on The Cancer Genome Atlas database in lung cancer patients.

RESULTS

Compared to normal lung tissues, DcR3 expression was significantly higher in lung cancer (P=0.007) tissues, including small-cell lung cancer (P=0.001) and non-small-cell lung cancer (P=0.008). In addition, DcR3 expression was related to tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (P<0.001), tumor diameter (P=0.007), distant metastasis (P<0.001), and lymph node metastasis (P<0.001) in lung cancers. When concerning non-small-cell lung cancer, consistent correlations between DcR3 expression and TNM stage (P<0.001), tumor diameter (P=0.019), distant metastasis (P<0.001), and lymph node metastasis (P<0.001) were found. Simultaneously, in small-cell lung cancer, TNM stage (P=0.004) and lymph node metastasis (P=0.005) were also associated with DcR3 expression. Additionally, receiver operator characteristic curve revealed that the area under curve (AUC) of DcR3 was 0.637 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.531-0.742) for lung cancer. Furthermore, DcR3 was overexpressed in both adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma tissues than in noncancerous lung tissues (all P<0.0001) based on the data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. AUC of DcR3 was 0.726 (95% CI 0.644-0.788) for lung adenocarcinoma patients and 0.647 (95% CI 0.566-0.728) for squamous cell carcinoma patients. DcR3 expression was also related to the overall survival (P<0.001) and disease-free survival (P<0.001) of lung adenocarcinoma according to the data from The Cancer Genome Atlas.

CONCLUSION

Our study confirms that DcR3 might be involved in the tumorigenesis and deterioration of lung cancer. Therefore, the detection of DcR3 gains the potential to be applied in the clinic for screening and progression prediction of lung cancer.

An Encapsulation of Gene Signatures for Hepatocellular Carcinoma, MicroRNA-132 Predicted Target Genes and the Corresponding Overlaps

OBJECTIVES

Previous studies have demonstrated that microRNA-132 plays a vital part in and is actively associated with several cancers, with its tumor-suppressive role in hepatocellular carcinoma confirmed. The current study employed multiple bioinformatics techniques to establish gene signatures for hepatocellular carcinoma, microRNA-132 predicted target genes and the corresponding overlaps.

METHODS

Various assays were performed to explore the role and cellular functions of miR-132 in HCC and a successive panel of tasks was completed, including NLP analysis, miR-132 target genes prediction, comprehensive analyses (gene ontology analysis, pathway analysis, network analysis and connectivity analysis), and analytical integration. Later, HCC-related and miR-132-related potential targets, pathways, networks and highlighted hub genes were revealed as well as those of the overlapped section.

RESULTS

MiR-132 was effective in both impeding cell growth and boosting apoptosis in HCC cell lines. A total of fifty-nine genes were obtained from the analytical integration, which were considered to be both HCC- and miR-132-related. Moreover, four specific pathways were unveiled in the network analysis of the overlaps, i.e. adherens junction, VEGF signaling pathway, neurotrophin signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

The tumor-suppressive role of miR-132 in HCC has been further confirmed by in vitro experiments. Gene signatures in the study identified the potential molecular mechanisms of HCC, miR-132 and their established associations, which might be effective for diagnosis, individualized treatments and prognosis of HCC patients. However, combined detections of miR-132 with other bio-indicators in clinical practice and further in vitro experiments are needed.

Decoy Receptor 3 (DcR3) as a Biomarker of Tumor Deterioration in Female Reproductive Cancers: A Meta-Analysis

Background

DcR3 (decoy receptor 3) has been proposed be involved in development and prognosis of female reproductive cancers, including cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to explore the evidence for the correlation between DcR3 and the clinicopathological characteristics, as well as the overall survival time, in female reproductive cancers.

Material/Methods

Relevant studies were searched for in PubMed, Wiley Online Library, Web of Science, Science Direct, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Google Scholar, EMBASE, Ovid, LILACS, Chinese CNKI, Chong Qing VIP, Wan Fang, and China Biology Medicine disc up to 30 September 2015. Data on the relationship between DcR3 expression and TNM stage, differentiation, lymph node metastasis, age, and overall survival time were extracted. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs (confidence intervals) were estimated by forest plot.

Results

Twelve studies with 1127 patients met the inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. Overexpression of DcR3 was significantly related to the risk of female reproductive cancers (OR=10.69, 95% CI: 6.33–18.05), TNM stage (OR=5.51, 95% CI: 2.83–10.71), differentiation (OR=4.16, 95% CI: 2.28–7.60), lymph node metastasis (OR=5.89, 95% CI: 3.16–10.9), age (OR=0.85, 95% CI: 0.51–1.44), and overall survival time (OR=1.84, 95% CI: 0.58–5.83). Subgroup analyses showed that overexpression of DcR3 in cervical, ovarian, and breast cancer all had similar relationships with these clinicopathological parameters.

Conclusions

Our meta-analysis suggests that overexpression of DcR3 may play vital roles in the tumorigenesis and deterioration of female reproductive cancers. However, the relationship between DcR3 expression and prognosis needs further investigation.

Clinicopathological significance of STAT4 in hepatocellular carcinoma and its effect on cell growth and apoptosis

Background

Recent studies showed that signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) was downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues. However, the role of STAT4 in HCC is still unknown. The aim of this study is to explore the association between STAT4 expression and other clinicopathological features in HCC and to test the effect of STAT4 on cell growth and apoptosis in vitro.

Methods

STAT4 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 171 HCC and corresponding paraneoplastic liver, 37 cirrhosis, and 33 normal liver tissues. Association between STAT4 and clinicopathological parameters was analyzed. Meta-analysis on STAT4 in cancer was performed. The effect of STAT4 small interfering RNA (siRNA) on cell growth and cell apoptosis was also detected.

Results

Positive rate of STAT4 was 29.2% (50/171) in HCC tissues, 53.2% (91/171) in paraneoplastic liver tissues, 64.9% (24/37) in cirrhosis tissues, and 72.7% (24/33) in normal liver tissues. STAT4 was upregulated in younger patients who were female, with single tumor node, early TNM stage, without portal vein tumor embolus, and α-fetoprotein (AFP)-positive tumors compared with the groups comprising older patients, males, and those with multiple tumor nodes, advanced TNM stage, with portal vein tumor embolus, and AFP negative tumors. Meta-analysis showed STAT4 was correlated with TNM stage (OR =0.50, 95% CI =0.30, 0.83, P=0.008) and age (OR =0.58, 95% CI =0.38, 0.95, P=0.032) in malignant tissues, and with AFP level (OR =1.76, 95% CI =1.06, 2.94, P=0.03) in HCC. STAT4 siRNA promoted growth and suppressed apoptosis of HepG2 cells.

Conclusion

STAT4 might play a vital role in development of HCC, via influencing cell growth and apoptosis, as a tumor suppressor.

An immunohistochemical study of cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC): a possible prognostic biomarker

Background

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) is an atypical CDK which plays a vital role in several cancers via regulating migration and motility of cancer cells. However, the clinicopathological impact and function of CDK5 in lung cancer remain poorly understood. The present study was aimed at exploring expression and clinicopathological significance of CDK5 in lung cancer.

Methods

There were 395 samples of lung tissue including 365 lung tumors (339 non-small cell lung cancers and 26 small cell lung cancers) and 30 samples of normal lung. CDK5 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry on lung tissue microarrays.

Results

Over expression was detected in lung cancer compared with normal lung tissues (P = 0.001). Furthermore, area under curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) of CDK5 was 0.685 (95 % CI 0.564~0.751, P = 0.004). In lung cancer, we also discovered close correlations between CDK5 and pathological grading (r = 0.310, P < 0.001), TNM stage (r = 0.155, P = 0.003), and lymph node metastasis (r = 0.279, P < 0.001) by using Spearman analysis. In two subgroups of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), the expression of CDK5 was also higher than that of normal lung tissue, respectively (P = 0.001 and P = 0.004). Moreover, in NSCLCs, Spearman analysis revealed that expression of CDK5 was correlated with TNM stages (r = 0.129, P = 0.017), lymph node metastasis (r = 0.365, P < 0.001), and pathological grading (r = 0.307, P < 0.001), respectively. The significant correlation was also found between CDK5 expression and TNM stages (r = 0.415, P = 0.049) and lymphatic metastasis (r = 0.469, P = 0.024) in SCLCs.

Conclusions

The results of this present study suggest that the CDK5 expression is associated with several clinicopathological factors linked with poorer prognosis.

Long Noncoding RNA MALAT-1 Can Predict Poor Prognosis: A Meta-Analysis

Background

MALAT-1 is a highly conserved nuclear long non-coding RNA (lncRNA). The overexpression of MALAT-1 has been reported in several types of cancers. This meta-analysis was conducted to further investigate its potential role as a prognostic indicator in various cancers.

Material/Methods

The meta-analysis was performed by use of systematic search terms in 13 databases for qualified papers on prognosis in cancer from inception to June 30, 2015. The combined hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were computed to demonstrate the effect of MALAT-1 on prognosis of cancers.

Results

A total of 590 papers were initially identified, and 17 studies were finally included in this paper. Meta-analysis was accomplished with a total of 1626 patients. Combined HRs and 95% CI were calculated by fixed-effects or random-effects models. The quality assessment of included studies was performed by the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS). High expression of MALAT-1 was found to be an indicator of poor prognosis in overall survival (OS) (HR=1.84, 95% CI: 1.27–2.67) and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR=2.37, 95% CI: 1.55–3.62). In subgroups, the associations between MALAT-1 and survival were also apparent, for instance, in country subgroup: China (HR=1.85, 95% CI: 1.14–2.99).

Conclusions

The overexpression of MALAT-1 may be a potential prognostic indicator for various human cancers.

Astrocyte Elevated Gene-1 as a Novel Clinicopathological and Prognostic Biomarker for Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Meta-Analysis with 2999 Patients

BACKGROUND

There have been numerous articles as to whether the staining index (SI) of astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) adversely affects clinical progression and prognosis of gastrointestinal cancers. Nevertheless, controversy still exists in terms of correlations between AEG-1 SI and clinicopathological parameters including survival data. Consequently, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis to confirm the role of AEG-1 in clinical outcomes of gastrointestinal carcinoma patients.

METHODS

We performed a comprehensive search in PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, Science Direct, Wiley Online Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang and Chinese VIP databases. STATA 12.0 (STATA Corp., College, TX) was used to analyze the data extracted from suitable studies and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was applied to assess the quality of included articles.

RESULTS

The current meta-analysis included 2999 patients and our results suggested that strong associations emerged between AEG-1 SI and histological differentiation (OR = 2.129, 95%CI: 1.377-3.290, P = 0.001), tumor (T) classification (OR = 2.272, 95%CI: 1.147-4.502, P = 0.019), lymph node (N) classification (OR = 2.696, 95%CI: 2.178-3.337, P<0.001) and metastasis (M) classification (OR = 3.731, 95%CI: 2.167-6.426, P<0.001). Furthermore, high AEG-1 SI was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) (HR = 2.369, 95%CI: 2.005-2.800, P<0.001) and deteriorated disease-free survival (DFS) (HR = 1.538, 95%CI: 1.171-2.020, P = 0.002). For disease-specific survival (DSS) and relapse-free survival (RFS), no statistically significant results were observed (HR = 1.573, 95%CI: 0.761-3.250, P = 0.222; HR = 1.432, 95%CI: 0.108-19.085, P = 0.786). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that high AEG-1 SI was significantly related to poor prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) (HR = 1.715, 95%CI: 1.211-2.410, P = 0.002), gastric carcinoma (GC) (HR = 2.255, 95%CI: 1.547-3.288, P<0.001), colorectal carcinoma (CRC) (HR = 2.922, 95%CI: 1.921-4.444, P<0.001), gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) (HR = 3.047, 95%CI: 1.685-5.509, P<0.001), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (HR = 2.245, 95%CI: 1.620-3.113, P<0.001), pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) (HR = 2.408, 95%CI: 1.625-3.568, P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The current meta-analysis indicated that high AEG-1 SI might be associated with tumor progression and poor survival status in patients with gastrointestinal cancer. AEG-1 might play a vital role in promoting tumor aggression and could serve as a potential target for molecular treatments. Further clinical trials are needed to validate whether AEG-1 SI provides valuable insights into improving treatment decisions.

MiR-30a-5p suppresses cell growth and enhances apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via targeting AEG-1

BACKGROUND

MiR-30a-5p has been reported to play vital roles in the carcinogenesis and progression of various malignancies via different molecular mechanisms. However, the role and target genes of miR-30a-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain still unclear. In silico analysis finds that there are complementary sequences between the 3'-untrasnlated region of astrocyte elevated gene 1 (AEG-1) and miR-30a-5p. Herein, we investigated the biological function of miR-30a-5p, as well as the potential molecular mechanism via targeting AEG-1 in HCC cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MiR-30a-5p inhibitor, miR-30a-5p mimic, AEG-1 siRNAs, as well as their negative controls were transfected into HCC cell lines HepG2, SMMC-7221, HepB3 and SNU449. Then, the in vitro influence and mechanism of miR-30a-5p on cell viability, proliferation, caspase-3/7 activity and apoptosis were studied, as assessed by different methods, including spectrophotometry, fluorimetry, fluorescence microscopy of Hoechst 33342/propidium iodide double chromatin staining, western blot and dual luciferase reporter assay, respectively.

RESULTS

MiR-30a-5p mimic markedly inhibited cell growth, also induced caspase-3/7 activity and apoptosis in all four HCC cell lines tested. The strongest effect was observed in HepG2 and SMMC-7721 cells. However, this effect was slightly weaker than that of AEG-1 siRNAs. Transfection of miR-30a-5p mimic led to a markedly reduced AEG-1 protein level and further dual luciferase reporter assay confirmed that AEG-1 was one of the target genes of miR-30a-5p in HCC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-30a-5p may play an essential role in the cell growth and apoptosis of HCC cells, partially via targeting AEG-1.

Sp1 cooperates with Sp3 to upregulate MALAT1 expression in human hepatocellular carcinoma

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), also known as nuclear-enriched transcript 2 (NEAT2), is highly conserved among mammals and highly expressed in the nucleus. It was first identified in lung cancer as a prognostic marker for metastasis but is also associated with several other solid tumors. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), MALAT1 is a novel biomarker for predicting tumor recurrence after liver transplantation. The mechanism of overexpression in tumor progression remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the role of specificity protein 1/3 (Sp1/3) in regulation of MALAT1 transcription in HCC cells. The results showed a high expression of Sp1, Sp3 and MALAT1 in HCC vs. paired non-tumor liver tissues, which was associated with the AFP level (Sp1, r=7.44, P=0.0064; MALAT1, r=12.37, P=0.0004). Co-silencing of Sp1 and Sp3 synergistically repressed MALAT1 expression. Sp1 binding inhibitor, mithramycin A (MIT), also inhibited MALAT1 expression in HCC cells. In conclusion, the upstream of MALAT1 contains five Sp1/3 binding sites, which may be responsible for MALAT1 transcription. Inhibitors, such as MIT, provide a potential therapeutic strategy for HCC patients with MALAT1 overexpression.

Prognostic significance of MiR-34a in solid tumors: a systemic review and meta-analysis with 4030 patients

PURPOSE

The aim of the present meta-analysis and systematic review was to explore the association between the expression of miR-34a and prognosis in solid tumor.

METHODS

PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science and NCBI databases were used to search studies to evaluate the effect of miR-34a expression on clinical outcomes, including overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), disease-free survival (DFS), progression-free survival (PFS) and event-free survival (EFS) in solid tumor. The pooled random effect models were performed to calculate pooled hazard ratio (HR), 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess the association.

RESULTS

Twenty-three eligible studies with 4030 patients were included in this meta-analysis. It was confirmed that increased expression of miR-34a was in relevant with better DFS/RFS/PFS/EFS, which was identified with both univariate and multivariate models (univariate model: HR = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.42-0.92, P = 0.019; multivariate model: HR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.34-0.88, P = 0.013). Furthermore, in the analysis of relationship between miR-34a and DFS/RFS/PFS/EFS, the results remained similar when excluding the studies contributed to the heterogeneity (univariate analysis: HR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.46-0.70, P < 0.001; multivariate analysis: HR = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.43-0.75, P < 0.001). With univariate analysis, it was also demonstrated that miR-34a overexpression might be positively associated with a favorable OS in solid tumor (HR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.54-1.00, P = 0.005) with considering an obvious heterogeneity.

CONCLUSION

Our current study supports the notion that miR-34a may be a potential biomarker to predict OS and RFS/PFS/DFS/EFS in solid tumor.

Overexpression of the fat mass and obesity associated gene (FTO) in breast cancer and its clinical implications

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Incidence of breast cancer is increasing and seems to be associated with fatty foods, metabolism, and so on. The fat mass and obesity associated gene (FTO) has been intensively investigated in diabetes, obesity and the other diseases. Previous studies have reported that FTO SNPs are associated with breast cancer risk. Here, we investigated the expression of FTO in human breast cancer tissues and its relationship with the clinicopathological features.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, tissues from 79 patients with breast cancer were collected, as well as 43 cases of adjacent breast tissues. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of FTO. Statistical analysis was performed to assess the association between FTO expression and the clinicopathological features of breast cancer.

RESULTS

FTO was expressed in both mammary epithelial and breast cancer tissues, but with different degree. The expression level of FTO in breast cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in the adjacent breast tissues (P < 0.001). The percentage of FTO-positive expression in cases with hormone receptor (HR) negative and HER2 amplification was significantly higher than that in those with HR positive and HER2 negative (P = 0.001, P < 0.001). The positivity rate of FTO in breast cancer with P53 positive and histological grade 3 seemed to be higher than that with P53 negative and histological grade 1 or 2, respectively (P = 0.077, P = 0.082). There was no association between FTO expression and age, T stage, LN status, TNM stage, Ki67, and BMI in breast cancer. Besides, FTO expression in HER2-overexpressed subtype was significantly higher than that in Triple-negative and Luminal A/B1 subtypes (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that FTO expression may have a vital role in the carcinogenesis of breast cancer, especially in HER2-overexpressed breast cancer.

Overexpression of MMP Family Members Functions as Prognostic Biomarker for Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are regarded to be relevant to the prognosis of breast cancer. Numerous studies have confirmed the association between MMPs and tumor growth, invasion and metastasis in breast cancer. However, their prognostic values for survival in patients with breast cancer remain controversial. Hence, a meta-analysis was performed to clarify a more accurate estimation of the role of MMPs on prognosis of breast cancer patients.

Method

A systemic electronic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase and Web of science databases to identify eligible studies, which were associated with the relationship between MMPs and prognosis of breast cancer. The correlation in random-effect model was evaluated by using the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

A total of 28 studies covering 4944 patients were included for meta-analysis. A summary hazard ratio (HR) of all studies was calculated, as well as the sub-group HRs. The combined HRs calculated by either univariate or multivariate analysis both suggested that overexpression of MMPs had an unfavorable impact on overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.694, 95%CI: 1.347–2.129, P < 0.001; HR = 1.611, 95%CI: 1.419–1.830, P < 0.001, respectively). And the univariate analysis showed that patients with overexpression of MMPs had worse relapse-free survival (RFS) (HR = 1.969, 95%CI: 1.460–2.655, P < 0.001) in all eligible studies. In the sub-group analyses, HRs of MMP-9 positivity with poor OS were 1.794 (95%CI: 1.330–2.420, P < 0.001) and 1.709 (95%CI: 1.157–2.526, P = 0.007) which were separately evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis. A small number of articles demonstrated that MMP-2 overexpression was not related with shorter OS (HR = 1.400, 95%CI: 0.610–3.029, P = 0.427). Four studies included in the OS analysis of MMPs expression in serum suggested that positive expression of serum MMPs may be an unfavorable factor (HR = 1.630, 95%CI: 1.065–2.494) for breast cancer patients. No publication bias was observed in the current meta-analysis.

Conclusions

Our findings suggested that MMPs overexpression (especially MMP-9, MMP-2, MMPs overexpression in serum) might indicate a higher risk of poor prognosis in breast cancer. Larger prospective studies are further needed to estimate the prognostic values of MMPs overexpression.

Down-Regulation of MiR-193a-3p Dictates Deterioration of HCC: A Clinical Real-Time qRT-PCR Study

Background

Although some recent reports have shown that the expression level of miR-193a varied in different cancers, its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unidentified. The aim of the current study was to validate the relationship between miR-193a-3p and clinicopathological characteristics in HCC patients.

Material/Methods

Expression of miR-193a-3p in 95 HCC cases and their corresponding peritumoral tissues (PT) was examined by using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). miR-193a-3p expression and its correlation with a variety of clinicopathological features and patient recurrence were analyzed.

Results

The relative level of miR-193a-3p was 3.2028±1.1951 in PT, significantly higher than its expression in HCC tissues (1.5941±0.7079, P<0.001). The area under the curve of underexpression of miR-193a-3p was 0.906 to distinguish HCC from normal liver (95% CI: 0.864–0.948, P<0.001). Expression of miR-193a-3p was negatively correlated to metastasis (r=−0.371, P=0.000), TNM (r=−0.321, P=0.002), respectively. Additionally, the recurrence time was 50.271±2.631 months for the low miR-193a-3p level group and 60.132±3.626 months for the high miR-193a-3p level group. However, no significant difference between them was found (chi-square=0.354, P=0.552).

Conclusions

MiR-193a-3p may be a tumor-suppressive miRNA which is down-regulated in HCC tissues. It could be regarded as a predictor for the deterioration of HCC patients.

Expression and clinicopathological significance of miR-193a-3p and its potential target astrocyte elevated gene-1 in non-small lung cancer tissues

Background

Aberrant expression of miR-193a-3p and astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) have been revealed to be related to the tumorigenesis of various cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the significance of miR-193a-3p and its correlation with AEG-1 in NSCLC has not been explored. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between miR-193a-3p and AEG-1 and their relationship with the clinicopathological features in NSCLC patients.

Methods

Via online in silico prediction, complementary sequences were found between miR-193a-3p and the 3′-untranslated region of AEG-1. Three independent cohorts were applied in the current study. Firstly, miR-193a-3p level was detected in 125 cases of NSCLC with quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Secondly, AEG-1 protein level was evaluated in 339 cases of lung cancers with immunohistochemistry. Finally, the relationship between miR-193a-3p and AEG-1 protein expression was verified in another group with 65 cases of NSCLC.

Results

The results showed that miR-193a-3p level was decreased in NSCLC tissues and significantly negatively related to tumor size (r = −0.277, P = 0.002), clinical TNM stage (r = −0.226, P = 0.011), lymph node metastasis (r = −0.186, P = 0.038), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein level (r = −0.272, P = 0.041). On the contrary, AEG-1 protein expression was up-regulated in NSCLC and positively relative to tumor size (r = 0.240, P < 0.001), TNM stages (r = 0.164, P = 0.002) and lymph node metastasis (r = 0.232, P < 0.001) in NSCLC patients. In addition, miR-193a-3p was found to be inversely associated with AEG-1 protein expression in the third cohort (r = −0.564, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

In conclusion, miR-193a-3p and AEG-1 might be responsible for the carcinogenesis and aggressiveness of NSCLC. AEG-1 has the potential to be one of the targeted genes of miR-193a-3p. However, future in vitro and in vivo experiments are needed to verify this hypothesis.

Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of high Ki-67 labeling index in hepatocellular carcinoma patients: a meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The relationship between Ki-67 labeling index (LI) and clinical outcome in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been investigated by various studies, but no consistent result has been concluded. To define the prognostic significance of Ki-67 LI in patients with HCC, we performed a meta-analysis.

METHODS

We searched for literatures in the following databases: PubMed, ISI Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Science Direct, Wiley Online Library, Google Scholar, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese VIP and WanFang Databases. Our search ended on April 6th, 2015. Data were extracted from eligible studies and the correlation between Ki-67 LI and clinicopathological features of HCC was analyzed and pooled hazard ratios (HRs) for eligible studies were calculated by STATA 11.0 (STATA Corp., College, TX).

RESULTS

In total, 54 studies involving 4996 patients were included in the current meta-analysis. The meta-analysis provided evidence that high Ki-67 LI was closely associated with histological grade, tumor size, number of tumor nodes, the status of metastasis, cirrhosis and vein invasion in HCC patients. The pooled HRs showed that high Ki-67 LI had an unfavorable impact on disease-free survival (DFS) (HR=1.626, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.364-1.939, P<0.001), relapse-free survival (RFS) (HR=1.820, 95% CI: 1.215-2.725, P=0.004) and overall survival (OS) (HR=1.170, 95% CI: 1.102-1.243, P<0.001), respectively. Additionally, subgroup analysis indicated that high Ki-67 LI was related to poorer DFS, RFS and OS independent of regions, treatment strategies or statistical methods, except that no statistical significance was found on RFS (HR=2.413, 95% CI: 0.523-11.142, P=0.259) and OS (HR=1.998, 95% CI: 0.797-5.009, P=0.14) in patients with liver transplantation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our meta-analysis suggests that higher Ki-67 LI confers a fast progression and poor prognosis for HCC patients.

Expression and clinical contribution of MRGD mRNA in non-small cell lung cancers

PURPOSE

MAS-related G protein-coupled receptor, member D (MRGD) has been reported to be involved in tumorigenesis in vivo. However, the clinical role of MRGD in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclarified. The purpose of the current study was to detect the expression of MRGD mRNA in NSCLC formalin-fixed (FF), paraffin-embedded (PE) tissues and to investigate the clinicopathological significance of the MRGD level in NSCLC patients.

METHODS

The expression of MRGD mRNA was examined in 125 NSCLC tissue samples together with paired para-noncancerous FF/PE tissues by using real time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). Furthermore, the relationship between MRGD level and clinicopathological parameters of NSCLC was analyzed.

RESULTS

The average level of MRGD in NSCLC tumor tissues (1.0682±0.6096) was remarkably higher than that in the adjacent non-cancerous lung tissue (0.3994±0.2838, p<0.001). The area under curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of MRGD mRNA was 0.853 (95% CI: 0.808-0.898, p(0.001). Moreover, the level of MRGD mRNA was found to be correlated to lymph node metastasis (r=0.219, p=0.014), tumor size (r=0.221, p=0.013) and clinical TNM stage (r=0.187, p=0.037). Finally, the survival of patients in high MGRD expression group was 7.94±9.85 months, remarkably shorter than that of the low expression group (20.84±1.19 months, p=0.049).

CONCLUSIONS

MRGD may be a vital diagnostic and prognostic factor in NSCLC. MRGD possesses the potential to become a new target for the molecular therapy of NSCLC.

Aberrant expression of CDK5 infers poor outcomes for nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

PURPOSE

Aberrant expression of CDK5 involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition had been reported in various types of cancers, but its functions in nasopharyngeal carcinoma have not been fully clarified yet. The principal purpose of this research was to investigate the clinicopathological significance of CDK5 and its potential effect on NPC carcinogenesis.

METHODS

Pre-treated formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsy samples of 393 patients between January 2011 and December 2013 were collected for tissue microarrays (TMAs). Immunohistochemistry was performed on sequential TMA sections stained with antibodies against CDK5, EGFR and P53.

RESULTS

The expression of CDK5 in NPC tissues was significantly higher than that in normal nasopharyngeal tissues. Among squamous carcinomas, the expression of CDK5 in undifferentiated tissues was noticeably increased compared with that in differentiated tissues. NPC patients in advanced T category showed a perceptibly higher level of CDK5 than those in early T category. The relative level of CDK5 in NPC sufferers with lymph node metastasis was obviously higher than that of patients without. Compared with patients in early TNM stages, the relative expression level of CDK5 of those in advanced TNM stages was notably up-regulated. Moreover, the CDK5 expression was positively correlated with EGFR and P53 expression. Nevertheless, no significant association was observed between CDK5 and gender, age or histological type.

CONCLUSION

Overexpression of CDK5 might be considered as a warning signal for NPC. Consequently, CDK5 could serve as a potential target for diagnosis and gene therapy for NPC patients.

Association between underexpression of microrna-203 and clinicopathological significance in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues

Background

Although recent studies have shown the utility of miR-203 as a cancer-relevant biomarker, the validated clinical significance of miR-203 in HCC remains obscure. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between miR-203 expression and clinicopathological features in HCC patients.

Methods

MiR-203 expression in 95 formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) HCC tissues and their paired adjacent non-cancerous tissues was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Simultaneously, expression of miR-203 and its correlation with a variety of clinicopathological parameters and patient recurrence was analyzed.

Results

The relative level of miR-203 was 1.1651 ± 0.70378 in HCC tissues, significantly lower than its expression in the corresponding adjacent non-cancerous liver tissues (2.2408 ± 0.75351, P < 0.001). The area under curve (AUC) of low miR-203 expression to diagnose HCC was 0.85 (95 % CI: 0.796 ~ 0.904, P = 0.027) at a cut-off value 1.99 evaluated by the median expression of miR-203 in all tissues, including HCC and normal liver tissues. Expression of miR-203 was negatively correlated to metastasis (r = −0.254, P = 0.013), clinical tumor nodes metastasis (TNM) stage (r = −0.300, P = 0.003), nm23 expression (r = −0.292, P = 0.004), p21 expression (r = −0.223, P = 0.030), microvessel density (MVD)(r = −0.206, P = 0.045) and was positively correlated to cirrhosis (r = 0.487, P < 0.001). Additionally, the recurrent time of lower miR-203 expression group was 57.949 ± 4.184 months, slightly longer than that in the high expression group (54.682 ± 2.591 months), however, no significant difference was noted (Chi-square = 0.206, P = 0.650).

Conclusions

MiR-203 plays a vital role in the carcinogenesis and progression of HCC, which makes itself as a predictor for the deterioration of HCC. Furthermore, miR-203 may become a new target for molecular therapy in HCC.

Clinical implication of long non-coding RNA NEAT1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a primary malignancy of the liver, is associated with high mortality rate and poor prognosis. Emerging evidence showed that novel biomarkers are required toward a better understanding of the biological mechanisms of HCC. NEAT1 (nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1, also known as MENε/β), a novel long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), serves as a crucial regulator in several cancers. However, the correlation between NEAT1 expression with tumorigenesis and metastasis in HCC tissues remains out of the question so far. In the current study, the aim was to evaluate the potential role of NEAT1 expression in HCC tissues and its relationship with clinicopathological parameters.

METHOD

The expression of NEAT1 was detected by qRT-PCR, in 95 cases of adjacent non-cancerous liver and their paired HCC tissues, respectively. The associations of NEAT1 with clinicopathological features and other biological factors were further analyzed.

RESULT

Our results revealed that NEAT1 appeared to have higher expression in the HCC tissues, compared with the adjacent non-cancerous liver tissues. High levels of NEAT1 promoted the clinical features of HCC, including the number of tumor nodes, metastasis, clinical TNM stage, the status of portal vein tumor embolus, vaso-invasion and the infiltration of tumor cells. Additionally, high NEAT1 expression levels were significantly associated with the expression level of MDTH, NM23 and MALAT1.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates that NEAT1 acts as a pivotal player in tumorigenesis and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Decreased expression and clinical significance of miR-148a in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues

Background

Aberrant expression of microRNA-148a (miR-148a) has been reported in several types of malignancies. However, its expression and clinicopathological significance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been entirely clarified. Our objective was to investigate the clinicopathological contribution of the miR-148a expression in HCC formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues.

Methods

Eighty-nine HCC and their para-cancerous liver tissues were recruited. Total mRNA including miRNA was isolated and miR-148a expression was determined by using real time RT-qPCR. Furthermore, the relationship between the miR-148a level and clinicopathological features was explored.

Results

Significantly lower miR-148a expression in HCC tissues was observed than that in adjacent noncancerous hepatic tissues. miR-148a expression was also correlated to clinical TNM stage, metastasis, status of capsular infiltration and numbers of tumor nodes.

Conclusions

Underexpression of miR-148a might be associated with HCC tumorigenesis and deterioration of HCC. miR-148a might act as a suppressor miRNA of HCC and it therefore has a potential role in prognosis of HCC patients.

Expression of IRAK1 in lung cancer tissues and its clinicopathological significance: a microarray study

The interleukin-1 receptor associated kinases 1 (IRAK1) is a down stream effector molecule of the toll like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway, which is involved in inflammation, autoimmunity and cancer. However, the role of IRAK1 in lung cancer remains unclarified. Herein, we investigated the protein expression and the clinicopathological significance of IRAK1 in 3 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded lung cancer tissue microarrays by using immunohistochemistry, which included 365 tumor and 30 normal lung tissues. We found that the expression of IRAK1 in lung cancer was significantly higher compared with that in normal lung tissues (P=0.002). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to evaluate the power of IRAK1 to distinguish lung cancer from non-cancerous lung tissue. The area under curve (AUC) of ROC of IRAK1 was 0.643 (95% CI 0.550~0.735, P=0.009). Additionally, IRAK1 expression was related to clinical TNM stage (r=0.241, P < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (r=0.279, P < 0.001) and tumor size (r=0.299, P < 0.001) in lung cancer. In the subgroup of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), the positive rates of IRAK1 were both higher than that in the normal lung tissues (P=0.003, P=0.002, respectively). Further spearman analysis showed that IRAK1 protein in NSCLC was positive correlated with clinical TNM stage (r=0.222, P < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (r=0.277, P < 0.001), tumor size (r=0.292, P < 0.001) and distal metastasis (r=0.110, P=0.043). In conclusion, the expression of IRAK1 protein might be valuable in identifying patients with increased risks of lung cancer and might act as a target for diagnosis and gene therapy for lung cancer.

Expression and clinicopathological significance of miR-146a in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues

BACKGROUND

Aberrant expression of microRNA-146a (miR-146a) has been found in several classes of cancers. However, its expression and clinicopathological contribution in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been fully elucidated.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the clinicopathological significance of the miR-146a level in HCC formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue.

METHODS

Eighty-five HCC samples and their para-cancerous normal liver tissues were collected. Total mRNA including miRNA was extracted, and miR-146a expression was determined using real-time RT-PCR. Furthermore, the correlation between the miR-146a expression and clinicopathological parameters was investigated.

RESULTS

MicroRNA-146a expression in HCC tissues was lower compared with that in adjacent non-cancerous hepatic tissues. MicroRNA-146a expression was also related to clinical TNM stage, metastasis, portal vein tumor embolus, and number of tumor nodes.

CONCLUSIONS

Down-regulation of miR-146a is related to HCC carcinogenesis and deterioration of HCC. MicroRNA-146a may act as a suppressor miRNA of HCC, and it is therefore a potential prognostic biomarker for HCC patients.

Rare cavernous hemangioma of adrenal gland: case report

CONTEXT

Cavernous hemangiomas of the adrenal gland are rare benign neoplastic tumors. The clinical presentation of adrenal hemangiomas is usually vague, and they are often discovered incidentally through imaging examination s performed for other reasons.

CASE REPORT

We report the case of a non-functional adrenal hemangioma found incidentally in a 37-year-old man with a one-year history of headache and hypertension. A right adrenal mass was detected by means of magnetic resonance imaging. Physical examination and all laboratory values were unremarkable. The patient underwent laparoscopic right adrenal gland resection. Histopathological evaluation confirmed adrenal cavernous hemangioma.

CONCLUSIONS

Most occurrences of cavernous hemangiomas of the adrenal gland are non-functional and often discovered incidentally. Although rare, these unusual benign adrenal masses should form part of the differential diagnosis of adrenal neoplasms. The proper treatment for adrenal cavernous hemangioma is surgical removal.

Increased miR-221 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and its role in enhancing cell growth and inhibiting apoptosis in vitro

Background

MiR-221 is over-expressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but its clinical significance and function in HCC remains uncertain. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between miR-221 overexpression and clinicopathological parameters in HCC formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues, and the effect of miR-221 inhibitor and mimic on different HCC cell lines in vitro.

Methods

MiR-221 expression was detected using real time RT-qPCR in FFPE HCC and the adjacent noncancerous liver tissues. The relationship between miR-221 level and clinicopathological features was also analyzed. Furthermore, miR-221 inhibitor and mimic were transfected into HCC cell lines HepB3, HepG2 and SNU449. The effects of miR-221 on cell growth, cell cycle, caspase activity and apoptosis were also investigated by spectrophotometry, fluorimetry, fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry, respectively.

Results

The relative expression of miR-221 in clinical TNM stages III and IV was significantly higher than that in the stages I and II. The miR-221 level was also upregulated in the metastatic group compared to the nonmetastatic group. Furthermore, miR-221 over-expression was related to the status of tumor capsular infiltration in HCC clinical samples. Functionally, cell growth was inhibited, cell cycle was arrested in G1/S-phase and apoptosis was increased by miR-221 inhibitor in vitro. Likewise, miR-221 mimic accelerated the cell growth.

Conclusions

Expression of miR-221 in FFPE tissues could provide predictive significance for prognosis of HCC patients. Moreover, miR-221 inhibitor could be useful to suppress proliferation and induce apoptosis in HCC cells. Thus miR-221 might be a critical targeted therapy strategy for HCC.

Significance of decoy receptor 3 in sera of hepatocellular carcinoma patients

OBJECTIVE

Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, is amplified and over-expressed in various cancers. The objective of the present study was to investigate the concentration of DcR3 in sera of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and its clinical significance.

METHODS

Serum concentrations of DcR3 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 67 patients with HCC, 8 with liver cirrhosis, 17 with cholecystitis, and in 28 healthy individuals. Immunohistochemistry was employed to access protein expression of DcR3 in the corresponding HCC tissues.

RESULTS

Serum concentrations of DcR3 in patients with HCC or cirrhosis were significantly higher than in healthy individuals (P < 0.01). Moreover, serum concentrations of DcR3 in HCC patients were associated with TNM stage, para-cirrhosis, capsular infiltration, and metastasis or recurrence of disease (P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between the serum concentration of DcR3 and protein expression in HCC tissues (r = 0.472, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The high serum concentration of DcR3 might play a certain role in pathogenesis, progress, and metastasis of HCC. Moreover, DcR3 might serve as a valuable molecular indicator in early diagnosis and contribute to predicting the clinical outcome in HCC patients.