Relationships of body composition and adipocytokines with outcomes in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients receiving docetaxel chemotherapy

We evaluated the relationships of body composition and serum adipocytokine levels with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients receiving docetaxel. The medical records of mCRPC patients who received docetaxel between January 2011 and December 2015 at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (Shanghai, China) were reviewed. The following body composition parameters were calculated using computed tomography: skeletal muscle index (SMI), visceral adipose tissue index (VATI), and subcutaneous adipose tissue index (SATI). Pretreatment serum adipocytokine levels, including interleukin 6, insulin, leptin, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, adiponectin, and resistin, were measured using the multiplex bead-based immunoassays. Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier methods were used for survival analyses. Of the 453 mCRPC patients initially identified, 105 were included in the analysis. High VATI group patients had longer PFS (median, 10 months vs 7 months, P = 0.008) and OS (median, 24 months vs 15 months, P = 0.017), compared with low VATI group patients. SMI and SATI were not significantly associated with PFS or OS. Of the six detected adipocytokines, only leptin was associated with mCRPC prognosis. High leptin group patients had shorter PFS (median, 7 months vs 12 months, P = 0.0018) and OS (median, 17 months vs 22 months, P = 0.042), compared with low leptin group patients. Multivariate analysis showed that a high VATI was an independent protective factor for PFS and OS, while a high leptin level was an independent risk factor for PFS and OS. Therefore, VATI and serum leptin levels could provide important information concerning mCRPC prognosis.

Identification of prognostic biomarkers in papillary renal cell carcinoma and PTTG1 may serve as a biomarker for predicting immunotherapy response

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to identify potential prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers in papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC).

METHODS

Two microarray datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and functional annotations of DEGs were established. Survival analysis was utilized to evaluate the prognostic significance of the DEGs and the association between the expression level of candidate biomarkers and various tumour-infiltrating immune cells was explored. The role of PTTG1 in tumour microenvironments (TME) was further explored using Single-cell RNA-seq and its prognostic and therapeutic significance was validated in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Centre (FUSCC) cohort.

RESULTS

Eight genes, including BUB1B, CCNB1, CCNB2, MAD2L1, TTK, CDC20, PTTG1, and MCM were found to be negatively associated with patients' prognosis. The expression level of PTTG1 was found to be significantly associated with lymphocytes, immunomodulators, and chemokine in the TCGA cohort. Single-cell RNA-seq information indicated that PTTG1 was strongly associated with the proliferation of T cells. In the FUSCC cohort, the expression level of PTTG1 was also statistically significant for both progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) prediction (HR = 2.683, p < .001; HR = 2.673, p = .001). And higher expression level of PTTG1 was significantly associated with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) response in the FUSCC cohort (χ²=3.99, p < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Eight genes were identified as a prognostic biomarker and the expression level of PTTG1 was also found to serve as a potential predictor for ICB response in pRCC patients.Key messages:Eight genes, including BUB1B, CCNB1, CCNB2, MAD2L1, TTK, CDC20, PTTG1, and MCM were found to be negatively associated with pRCC patients' prognosis.Expression level of PTTG1 was significantly associated with tumour microenvironment including lymphocytes, immunomodulators, and chemokines.Higher expression level of PTTG1 was significantly associated with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) response in FUSCC cohort.

Combination of Androgen Deprivation Therapy with Radical Local Therapy Versus Androgen Deprivation Therapy Alone for Newly Diagnosed Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer: A Phase II Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Previous studies suggested that men with metastatic prostate cancer might benefit from local treatment of the primary tumor.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether radical local therapy (RLT) improves survival for men with oligometastatic prostate cancer (OMPCa).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This open-label randomized controlled trial included patients with newly diagnosed OMPCa defined as five or fewer bone or extrapelvic lymph node metastases and no visceral metastases.

INTERVENTION

Patients were randomly allocated to androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) or ADT and RLT. Men allocated RLT received either cytoreductive radical prostatectomy (RP) or prostate radiation therapy (RT) with a radical dose schedule.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

The primary outcome was radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS). Secondary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) progression-free survival.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

Between September 2015 and March 2019, 200 patients were randomized, with 100 men allocated to each group. The median age was 68 yr and the median PSA at diagnosis was 99 ng/ml. In the study group, 96 patients underwent RLT (85 RP and 11 RT). In the control group, 17 patients eventually received RLT (15 RP and two RT). All patients were included for an intention-to-treat analysis. After a median follow-up of -48 mo, the median rPFS was not reached in the study group and was 40 mo in the control group (hazard ratio [HR] 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.27-0.70; p = 0.001). The 3-yr OS rate was 88% for the study group and 70% for the control group (HR 0.44, 95% CI 0.24-0.81; p = 0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

Men with newly diagnosed OMPCa who received ADT plus RLT (mainly prostatectomy) had significantly higher rates of rPFS and OS than those who received ADT alone.

PATIENT SUMMARY

This study investigated the effect of radical local therapy (RLT) of the primary tumor on survival in patents with oligometastatic prostate cancer. In our group, RLT improved radiographic progression-free and overall survival.

Construction of a robust prognostic model for adult adrenocortical carcinoma: Results from bioinformatics and real-world data

This study aims to construct a robust prognostic model for adult adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) by large‐scale multiomics analysis and real‐world data. The RPPA data, gene expression profiles and clinical information of adult ACC patients were obtained from The Cancer Proteome Atlas (TCPA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Integrated prognosis‐related proteins (IPRPs) model was constructed. Immunohistochemistry was used to validate the prognostic value of the IPRPs model in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC) cohort. 76 ACC cases from TCGA and 22 ACC cases from GSE10927 in NCBI’s GEO database with full data for clinical information and gene expression were utilized to validate the effectiveness of the IPRPs model. Higher FASN (P = .039), FIBRONECTIN (P < .001), TFRC (P < .001), TSC1 (P < .001) expression indicated significantly worse overall survival for adult ACC patients. Risk assessment suggested significantly a strong predictive capacity of IPRPs model for poor overall survival (P < .05). IPRPs model showed a little stronger ability for predicting prognosis than Ki‐67 protein in FUSCC cohort (P = .003, HR = 3.947; P = .005, HR = 3.787). In external validation of IPRPs model using gene expression data, IPRPs model showed strong ability for predicting prognosis in TCGA cohort (P = .005, HR = 3.061) and it exhibited best ability for predicting prognosis in GSE10927 cohort (P = .0898, HR = 2.318). This research constructed IPRPs model for predicting adult ACC patients’ prognosis using proteomic data, gene expression data and real‐world data and this prognostic model showed stronger predictive value than other biomarkers (Ki‐67, Beta‐catenin, etc) in multi‐cohorts.

High Expression of CD39 is Associated with Poor Prognosis and Immune Infiltrates in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Introduction

The cell-surface ectonucleotidase CD39 is a key molecule of the immunosuppressive adenosine pathway within the tumor microenvironment. However, the relationship between CD39 and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is rarely reported and still remains unclear.

Methods

CD39 expression was first analyzed using the Oncomine and the Tumor IMmune Estimation Resource (TIMER) databases, and then examined in ccRCC patients (n=367) who had undergone radical nephrectomy using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and real-time quantitative PCR analysis (qPCR). The prognosis value of CD39 in ccRCC was evaluated by Cox proportional hazards analysis. Functional and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed using transcriptomic data of ccRCC from TCGA. Correlation analysis between CD39 and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) was performed using the TISIDB database. The impact of CD39 on immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) was evaluated by two public cohorts.

Results

CD39 mRNA and protein expression was upregulated in tumor tissues from ccRCC patients and aberrant expression of CD39 was associated with advanced tumor stage and poor prognosis in ccRCC patients. EMT, IL-2/STAT5, inflammatory response, interferon gamma and KRAS hallmark gene sets were identified as CD39-related signaling pathway. The expression level of CD39 was significantly and positively correlated with high abundance of the regulatory TILs including NK cells, macrophages, Th cells and Treg cells. CD39 was correlated with expression of several immune checkpoints and higher CD39 expression was associated with better OS of ccRCC patients who received ICT.

Conclusion

CD39 is a powerful prognostic marker of ccRCC patients. Increased tumor expression of CD39 mRNA is significantly correlated with infiltrating levels of TILs, and better efficacy of ICT to ccRCC. CD39 could be a novel therapeutic target for ccRCC.

Identification of seven long noncoding RNAs signature for prediction of biochemical recurrence in prostate cancer

Accumulating evidence suggested that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) possess a potential role in prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and prognosis. Rapid biochemical recurrence (BCR) is considered as a sign for clinical recurrence metastasis and PCa-specific mortality. Hence, the aim of the present study was to identify a lncRNA signature that can predict BCR of PCa accurately. Bioinformatics analysis, Kaplan–Meier analyses, Cox regression analyses, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were performed in a publicly available database with 499 PCa tissues and 52 matched normal tissues. A signature was identified. All these lncRNAs were differentially expressed between tumor and normal tissues and differentially expressed between high Gleason score and low Gleason score tissues. Furthermore, we developed a seven lncRNAs signature that can predict PCa BCR. Patients classified into low-risk group showed better BCR survival significantly than the patients in the high-risk group (hazard ratio = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.20–0.52, concordance index = 0.63). The area under the curve was 0.68 for BCR. The signature also had good discrimination for BCR in men with Gleason 7 PCa. In conclusion, our results suggest that the seven lncRNAs signature is a new biomarker of BCR and high risk in PCa. In addition, the individual lncRNA warrants further study to uncover the associated mechanisms of PCa progression and the signature could be used to design direct clinical trials for adjuvant therapy.

Prognostic value of primary tumor surgery in seminoma patients with distant metastasis at diagnosis: a population-based study

The aims of this study were to determine the prognostic value of primary tumor surgery and identify optimal candidates for such surgery among patients with seminoma and distant metastasis at diagnosis. We identified 521 patients with seminoma and distant metastasis at diagnosis between 2004 and 2014 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Among these patients, 434 had undergone surgery, whereas 87 had not. The prognostic value of primary tumor surgery was assessed by Kaplan–Meier methods, log-rank analyses, and multivariate Cox's proportional hazards model. Survival curves and forest plots were also plotted. Survival analysis indicated that patients who underwent surgery had a better 5-year overall survival and cancer-specific survival than those who did not. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that primary tumor surgery is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival and cancer-specific survival, along with age at diagnosis, M stage, and marital status. In addition, primary tumor surgery still had considerable prognostic value in the subgroup of patients with lymph node metastasis. Further, forest plots demonstrated that patients with M1a stage, N1 or N2–3 stage, and a younger age at diagnosis (<60 years) may benefit from primary tumor surgery. In conclusion, our findings indicate that primary tumor surgery is correlated with improved survival in patients with seminoma and distant metastasis. Furthermore, primary tumor surgery is an independent prognostic indicator for patients with seminoma and distant metastasis.

The Role of Serine Peptidase Inhibitor Kazal Type 13 (SPINK13) as a Clinicopathological and Prognostic Biomarker in Patients with Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Background

The serine peptidase inhibitor Kazal type 13 (SPINK13) gene has tumor suppressor activity, but its role in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate mRNA expression of SPINK13 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) in human tissue and to use bioinformatics data to investigate the role of SPINK13 expression as a clinicopathological and prognostic biomarker for patients with CCRCC.

Material/Methods

Patients with CCRCC (N=533) with available RNA sequence data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-CCRCC database were analyzed with patients who had a tissue diagnosis of CCRCC (N=305) at the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC). Differential transcriptional and proteome expression profiles were obtained from the ONCOMINE cancer microarray database, TCGA, and the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) measured SPINK13 mRNA expression in 305 samples of CCRCC tissue from the FUSCC. The effects of clinicopathological parameters on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test.

Results

Transcriptional and proteome expression of SPINK13 were significantly increased CCRCC tissue samples. Increased SPINK13 mRNA expression was significantly associated with reduced PFS and OS in 838 patients with CCRCC patients from the two independent cohorts, the FUSCC and the TCGA-CCRCC cohorts (p<0.01). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that SPINK13 expression was involved in complement, apical junction, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), glycolysis, hypoxia, and inflammation signaling pathways.

Conclusions

Increased expression of SPINK13 was associated with poor prognosis in patients with CCRCC.

Screening and Identification of Potential Prognostic Biomarkers in Adrenocortical Carcinoma

Objective: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare but aggressive malignant cancer that has been attracting growing attention over recent decades. This study aims to integrate protein interaction networks with gene expression profiles to identify potential biomarkers with prognostic value in silico. Methods: Three microarray data sets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) according to the normalization annotation information. Enrichment analyses were utilized to describe biological functions. A protein-protein interaction network (PPI) of the DEGs was developed, and the modules were analyzed using STRING and Cytoscape. LASSO Cox regression was used to identify independent prognostic factors. The Kaplan-Meier method for the integrated expression score was applied to analyze survival outcomes. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed with area under curve (AUC) analysis to determine the diagnostic ability of the candidate biomarkers. Results: A total of 150 DEGs and 24 significant hub genes with functional enrichment were identified as candidate prognostic biomarkers. LASSO Cox regression suggested that ZWINT, PRC1, CDKN3, CDK1 and CCNA2 were independent prognostic factors in ACC. In multivariate Cox analysis, the integrated expression scores of the modules showed statistical significance in predicting disease-free survival (DFS, P = 0.019) and overall survival (OS, P < 0.001). Meanwhile, ROC curves were generated to validate the ability of the Cox model to predict prognosis. The AUC index for the integrated genes scores was 0.861 (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study identifies DEGs and hub genes that may be involved in poor prognosis and early recurrence of ACC. The expression levels of ZWINT, PRC1, CDKN3, CDK1 and CCNA2 are of high prognostic value, and may help us understand better the underlying carcinogenesis or progression of ACC. Further studies are required to elucidate molecular pathogenesis and alteration in signaling pathways for these genes in ACC.

Prognostic value and immune infiltration of novel signatures in clear cell renal cell carcinoma microenvironment

Growing evidence has highlighted the immune response as an important feature of carcinogenesis and therapeutic efficacy in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). This study categorized ccRCC cases into high and low score groups based on their immune/stromal scores generated by the ESTIMATE algorithm, and identified an association between these scores and prognosis. Differentially expressed tumor environment (TME)-related genes extracted from common upregulated components in immune and stromal scores were described using functional annotations and protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks. Most PPIs were selected for further prognostic investigation. Many additional previously neglected signatures, including AGPAT9, AQP7, HMGCS2, KLF15, MLXIPL, PPARGC1A, exhibited significant prognostic potential. In addition, multivariate Cox analysis indicated that MIXIPL and PPARGC1A were the most significant prognostic signatures, and were closely related to immune infiltration in TCGA cohort. External prognostic validation of MIXIPL and PPARGC1A was undertaken in 380 ccRCC cases from a real-world cohort. These findings indicate the relevance of monitoring and manipulation of the microenvironment for ccRCC prognosis and precision immunotherapy.

Procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenases 1, 2, and 3 are potential prognostic indicators in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Intratumoral fibrosis is a frequent histologic finding in highly vascularized clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Here, we investigated the expression of a family of collagen-modifying enzymes, procollagen-lysine, 2-oxoglutarate 5-dioxygenases 1, 2, and 3 (PLOD1/2/3), in ccRCC tissues and assessed the prognostic value of wild-type and genetically mutated PLOD1/2/3 for ccRCC patients. Normal kidney and ccRCC mRNA and protein expression datasets were obtained from Oncomine, The Cancer Genome Atlas, and Human Protein Atlas databases. Associations between PLOD1/2/3 expression, clinicopathological variables, and patient survival were evaluated using Cox regression and Kaplan–Meier analyses. PLOD1/2/3 mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly elevated in ccRCC tissues compared with normal kidney. Increased PLOD1/2/3 mRNA expression was significantly associated with advanced tumor stage, high pathological grade, and shorter progression-free and overall survival (all p<0.01). Genetic mutation of PLOD1/2/3 was present in ~3% of ccRCC patients and was associated with significantly poorer prognosis compared with expression of wild-type PLOD1/2/3 (p<0.001). This study thus identifies tumor expression of wild-type or mutated PLOD1/2/3 mRNA as a potential predictive biomarker for ccRCC patients and sheds light on the underlying molecular pathogenesis of ccRCC.

Elevated CD36 expression correlates with increased visceral adipose tissue and predicts poor prognosis in ccRCC patients

Objective: Growing evidence has proved obesity one of the confirmed important etiologic indicators for renal cell carcinoma (RCC). CD36 is underpinned to be involved in adipose absorption, but its role in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the mRNA expression of CD36 in anthropometric measures of adipose tissue and defining its value in predicting prognosis in ccRCC patients. Methods: Real-Time qPCR gene expression analysis was detected from 367 paired ccRCC and adjacent normal tissues. Distributions of categorical clinical-pathological data together with levels of CD36 expression were compared with χ²-test in a contingency table. Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) were measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and identified at the level of the umbilicus. Pearson's correlation coefficient was utilized to quantify relations between body mass index (BMI), VAT%, SAT and CD36 expression respectively. Partial likelihood test from univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were developed to address the influence of independent factors on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were performed to assess the survival benefits between discrete levels. Results: In the current study, CD36 mRNA was demonstrated highly expressed in ccRCC compared with normal tissues. In addition, CD36 mRNA expression was significantly increased in patients with advanced TNM stage (p=0.003, p<0.001, p<0.001), and high VAT% (p=0.004). Pearson's correlation coefficient indicated that CD36 amplification positively correlated with BMI (r=0.117, p=0.025), VAT% (r=0.465, p<0.001), while negatively associated with SAT (r=-0.296, p=0.002). Median PFS was 60 months and OS was 99 months. Meanwhile, ccRCC patients with elevated CD36 expression held shorter PFS and OS, with hazard ratios [HR; 95% confidence interval (CI)] of 4.873 (3.300-7.196, p<0.001) and 4.610 (2.956-7.189, p<0.001). In 104 cases with available MRI scans, VAT was significantly correlated with poor PFS and OS, with HR of 2.556 (1.036-6.310, p<0.042) and 3.291 (1.034-10.477, p<0.044). A total of 100 significant genes were obtained from GSEA, and CD36 was found involved in the most significant pathways including fatty acid metabolism, UV response, angiogenesis and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signaling pathways. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study first reveal that elevated CD36 mRNA expression is positively correlated to distribution of abdominal adipose, particularly VAT%, which, in addition, notably predicts poor prognosis in ccRCC patients.

Prognosis of rare pathological primary urethral carcinoma

Purpose

Urethral carcinoma (UC), as a rare tumor, is not widely studied. There have been no systematic studies of rare pathological types of UC. We conducted this study to further investigate rare pathological types of primary urethral carcinoma (PUC).

Materials and methods

We used the population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to evaluate prognostic factors in rare pathological types of PUC. From 1978 to 2015, 2,651 and 257 cases were identified in the SEER database as common and rare pathological types of PUC, respectively. Overall and cancer-specific survival (CSS) times were computed using the Kaplan–Meier method, and the Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to evaluate patient age at diagnosis, gender, race, and TNM stage.

Results

The median overall survival (OS) rates were 36 and 59 months for rare and common pathological groups, respectively, and their respective 10-year OS rates were 31.9% and 42.4%, respectively. The median CSS rate was 61 months for the rare pathological group. Through multivariate analysis, it was found that age, race, T stage, and M stage were independent prognostic risk factors for rare pathological type of urethral cancer. In the age group, the HR ratio of patients aged older than 60 years and younger or equal to 60 years was 2.778 (P<0.001). The HR ratio of other races to Whites was 1.444 (P=0.040). In TNM staging, the HR ratio between T3–T4 and Ta–T2 was 2.386 (P=0.046), and the HR value of M1 and M0 was 5.847 (P<0.001).

Conclusion

Age, race, T stage, and M stage were predictive of OS and CSS in rare pathological PUC.

Functional variants in the low-density lipoprotein receptor gene are associated with clear cell renal cell carcinoma susceptibility

Recent studies indicate that abnormal levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is an important component of dyslipidaemia, are associated with alterations to cancer risk, including that of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Single nucleotide polymorphisms at microRNA-binding sites contribute to cancer susceptibility and progression by affecting the messenger RNA (mRNA) function of target genes. In this case-control study, we examined the frequency of six potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms in the LDL receptor gene (LDLR) in 1004 clear cell RCC (ccRCC) patients and 1065 cancer-free subjects. Logistic regression analyses estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The association between genetic variants and levels of LDLR mRNA and protein was also evaluated. Compared with the CC genotype, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the LDLR rs2738464 variant GG genotype was associated with a significantly decreased ccRCC risk (P = 0.002, OR: 0.605, 95% CI: 0.439-0.833). Further functional experiments showed that the rs2738464 variant G allele affected miR-330 regulation of the LDLR 3'-untranslated region (UTR), increasing LDLR mRNA levels in patient kidney tissues. These findings suggest that LDLR rs2738464 may affect the affinity of miR-330 binding to the LDLR 3'-UTR, thus regulating LDLR expression and contributing to ccRCC risk.

Genetic variants of the CYP1B1 gene as predictors of biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy in localized prostate cancer patients

Clinically localized prostate cancer is curative. Nevertheless many patients suffered from biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radical prostatectomy (RP). Mounting evidence suggest that estrogen and xenobiotic carcinogens play an essential role in progression of prostate cancervia oxidative estrogen metabolism. CYP1B1 is an enzyme involved in the hydroxylation of estrogens, a reaction of key relevance in estrogen metabolism. Given the role of CYP1B1 in the oxidative metabolism of endogenous/exogenous estrogen and compounds, CYP1B1 polymorphisms have the potential to modify its expression and subsequently lead to progression. We hypothesize that genetic variants of the CYP1B1 gene may influence clinical outcome in clinically localized prostate cancer patients. In this cohort study, we genotyped 9 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the CYP1B1 gene in 312 patients treated with RP. For replication, these SNPs were genotyped in an independent cohort of 426 patients. The expression level of CYP1B1 in the adjacent normal prostate tissues was quantified by reverse transcription and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard models were utilized to identify SNPs that correlated with BCR. CYP1B1 rs1056836 was significantly associated with BCR (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.69; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.40-0.89, P = 0.002) and relative CYP1B1 mRNA expression. Our findings suggest inherited genetic variation in the CYP1B1 gene may contribute to variable clinical outcomes for patients with clinically localized prostate cancer.

Prognostic significance of the TREK-1 K2P potassium channels in prostate cancer

Background

TREK-1 channels belong to the two-pore domain potassium channel superfamily and play an important role in central nervous system diseases. However, few studies have examined their role in carcinogenesis.

Methods

In this study, we assessed the expression of TREK-1 in 100 prostate cancer (PCa) tissues using immunohistochemistry and further analyzed its clinicopathological significance. Next, cell proliferation and cell cycle analysis were carried out on human PCa PC-3 cell lines where TREK-1 was stably knockdown.

Results

We found that compared with normal prostate tissues, PCa tissues showed overexpressed TREK-1 levels and TREK-1 levels were positively associated with Gleason score and T staging. High level of TREK-1 expression was related to shorter castration resistance free survival (CRFS). Furthermore, knockdown of TREK-1 significantly inhibited PCa cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, and induced a G1/S cell cycle arrest.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that TREK-1 might be a biomarker in CRFS judgment of PCa, as well as a potential therapeutic target.

Reactive stroma component COL6A1 is upregulated in castration-resistant prostate cancer and promotes tumor growth

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains the most critical challenge in the clinical management of prostate cancer (PCa). Reactive stromal changes in PCa are likely involved in the emergence of CRPC. In the present study, we identified a novel oncogene termed COL6A1 which was upregulated in the reactive stroma of CRPC. We established an androgen-independent LNCaP (LNCaP-AI) cell line in steroid-reduced (SR) medium within 2 months. We examined COL6A1 expression with western blot during the LNCaP-AI induction, and studied the function of COL6A1 in vitro and in vivo. Immunohistochemical staining of COL6A1 was performed in ten pairs of androgen-sensitive PCa and CRPC samples. We demonstrated that COL6A1 expression was markedly increased in LNCaP-AI cells and CRPC tissues compared with LNCaP cells and paired androgen-sensitive PCa specimens. In vitro, COL6A1 knockdown resulted in G1-S cell cycle arrest and descended vitality. Overexpression of COL6A1 was associated with accelerated S phase entry and elevated vitality in prostate cancer cells. COL6A1 also promoted tumorigenesis of LNCaP cells in vivo. Taken together, these data suggest an important role of COL6A1 in the molecular etiology of castration-resistant prostate cancer, and support the potential use of COL6A1 in CRPC therapy.

Pretreatment Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio: A Predictor of Advanced Prostate Cancer and Biochemical Recurrence in Patients Receiving Radical Prostatectomy

The pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is reportedly associated with the clinical outcomes of many cancers. However, it has not been widely investigated whether the pretreatment NLR is associated with the pathological characteristics of prostate cancer (PCa) and biochemical recurrence in PCa patients receiving radical prostatectomy (RP).In this cohort study, a total of 1688 PCa patients who had undergone RP were analyzed retrospectively, and a subset of 237 of these patients were evaluated to determine the relationship between pretreatment NLR and biochemical recurrence. Patients were divided into a high-NLR group (NLR ≥2.36) and a low-NLR group (NLR < 2.36) according to the pretreatment NLR. The association between the pretreatment NLR and pathological stage and lymph node involvement was evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Time of biochemical recurrence was determined using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox's proportional hazard regression model was used to compare the time of biochemical recurrence between the groups.As compared with patients in the low-NLR group, those in the high-NLR group had an increased risk of pT3-4 disease (odds ratio (OR), 1.883; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.419-2.500; P < 0.001), and a 1.7-fold increased risk of lymph node involvement (OR, 1.685; 95% CI, 1.101-2.579; P = 0.016). For the subset of 237 patients, those with a high NLR showed a significantly shorter median biochemical recurrence-free survival time (51.9 months) than those with a low NLR (76.5 months; log-rank test, P = 0.019). However, multivariate analysis indicated that the NLR was not an independent predictor of biochemical recurrence (hazard ratio, 1.388; 95% CI, 0.909-2.118; P = 0.129).Our findings suggest that the pretreatment NLR may be associated with pathological stage and lymph node involvement in PCa patients receiving RP, and that PCa patients with a high NLR may have a higher rate of biochemical recurrence following RP than those with a low NLR.

MicroRNA-302a Suppresses Tumor Cell Proliferation by Inhibiting AKT in Prostate Cancer

Micro (mi) RNAs are important regulators involved in various physical and pathological processes, including cancer. The miRNA-302 family has been documented as playing a critical role in carcinogenesis. In this study, we investigated the role of miRNA-302a in prostate cancer (PCa). MiRNA-302a expression was detected in 44 PCa tissues and 10 normal prostate tissues, and their clinicopathological significance was analyzed. Cell proliferation and cell cycle analysis were performed on PCa cells that stably expressed miRNA-302a. The target gene of miRNA-302a and the downstream pathway were further investigated. Compared with normal prostate tissues, miRNA-302a expression was downregulated in PCa tissues, and was even lower in PCa tissues with a Gleason score ≥8. Overexpression of miRNA-302a induced G1/S cell cycle arrest in PCa cells, and suppressed PCa cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, miRNA-302a inhibits AKT expression by directly binding to its 3΄ untranslated region, resulting in subsequent alterations of the AKT-GSK3β-cyclin D1 and AKT-p27^Kip1 pathway. These results reveal miRNA-302a as a tumor suppressor in PCa, suggesting that miRNA-302a may be used as a potential target for therapeutic intervention in PCa.

MS4A8B promotes cell proliferation in prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer cells must maintain or achieve the further ability of proliferation during the progression. The molecular mechanisms, however, remain poorly understood. We identified a novel oncogene, termed membrane-spanning 4-domains, subfamily A, member 8B (MS4A8B), over-expressed in prostate cancer.

METHODS

We firstly detected MS4A8B mRNA in 13 types of paired human normal and cancer tissues by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In 140 clinically localized prostate cancer samples from radical prostatectomy, immunohistochemical staining was performed to study MS4A8B and PCNA protein level as an index of proliferative activity, TUNEL staining as an index of apoptosis. As MS4A8B RNAi and cDNA transfection technologies were used, the effect of MS4A8B on cellular vitality was determined in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

MS4A8B mRNA was over-expressed specifically in prostate cancer. Positive ratios of MS4A8B protein expression were 1.94%, 5.92%, and 62.8% in benign, HPIN and prostate cancer, respectively. Moreover, MS4A8B was positively associated with Gleason score, the proliferation index. In vitro, MS4A8B knockdown resulted in G1 -S cell cycle arrest and descended vitality, MS4A8B over-expression with accelerated S phase entry, elevated vitality in prostate cancer cells. Moreover, it was also found that expression of MS4A8B led to changes of Cyclin D1 , Cyclin E1 and PCNA. LNCaP cells transfected with sh-MS4A8B lentivirus particles grew more slowly when subcutaneously injected into the flanks of nude mice.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that the expression of MS4A8B expression promotes cell proliferation and plays an important role in carcinogenesis and progression of prostate cancer.

Downregulation of DAB2IP results in cell proliferation and invasion and contributes to unfavorable outcomes in bladder cancer

The DOC-2/DAB2 interactive protein (DAB2IP) is a member of the Ras GTPase-activating protein family. It has been shown to be often downregulated and a poor prognostic factor in several human malignancies. In this study, we analyzed the clinicopathological features and outcomes of DAB2IP expression in 135 patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) treated by radical cystectomy plus bilateral lymph node dissection, and evaluated the effect of DAB2IP knockdown in vitro using the MTT method, colony formation assay, cell cycle assay, and cell migration and invasive assay. We found low expression of DAB2IP was significantly associated with high pathological stage (P = 0.002), high pathological grade (P = 0.02), tumor size more than 3 cm (P = 0.04), and presence of histological variants (P = 0.01). DAB2IP was an independent prognostic factor of disease recurrence (hazard ratio, 2.67; P = 0.034) and cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio, 2.79; P = 0.038). Knockdown of DAB2IP could promote cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Downregulation of DAB2IP could activate the ERK and Akt pathways and was correlated with the expression of epithelial–mesenchymal transition markers, such as E-cadherin and vimentin. In conclusion, downregulation of DAB2IP is associated with features of biologically aggressive UCB and results in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of bladder cancer. DAB2IP may serve as a promising biomarker in patients with UCB treated by radical cystectomy and bilateral lymph node dissection.