宫颈鳞癌演进过程P16INK4a及Hh-Gli信号通路相关蛋白表达及其相关性研究

探讨P16^INK4a及Sonic hedgehog(Hh-Gli)信号通路蛋白在宫颈癌及癌前病变(CIN)中的表达相关性及其意义．采用Western-blot方法检测HPV16阳性及HPV18阳性宫颈癌细胞系P16^INK4a及Hh-Gli信号通路蛋白Smo、Ptch及Gli表达．免疫组化检测组织芯片P16^INK4a、Shh、Smo、Ptch及Gli表达,包括20例正常宫颈、18例癌旁组织、54例CIN及28例宫颈鳞癌组织．分析P16^INK4a与Hh-Gli信号通路蛋白间表达相关性及与临床病理因素的关系．结果显示P16^INK4a、Smo、Ptch及Gli蛋白在HPV16及HPV18阳性宫颈癌细胞系中表达无显著差异(P>0.05)．P16^INK4a、Shh、Smo、Ptch及Gli蛋白在宫颈癌中表达强度显著高于癌旁及正常组织(P<0.05),在CINⅠ与正常组织间差异不显著(P>0.05)．P16^INK4a、Shh、Smo及Gli蛋白,在CINⅠ、CINⅡ与CINⅢ之间均有显著性差异(P<0.05)．相关分析显示,CINⅡ-CINⅢ中P16^INK4a与Shh和Smo蛋白表达正相关,浸润癌中P16^INK4a与Shh、Smo和Gli蛋白正相关．结论认为,P16^INK4a及Hh-Gli信号通路异常激活与宫颈癌发生及演进密切相关,且二者间具有相关性．Hh-Gli信号通路的激活可能是Shh配体增高调控Smo高表达而上调Gli蛋白所致．     

Quantitative immunohistochemical detection of the molecular expression patterns in proliferative inflammatory atrophy

The proliferative inflammatory atrophy (PIA) is considered as a possible precursor of prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) or prostate cancer (PCa). In this study we assessed quantitatively the expression of AMACR, p63, COX-2, GST and iNOS in serial paraffin-embedded tissue sections obtained after radical prostatectomy of PCa patients (n = 30). The applicability of these markers to distinguish PIA, PIN and PCa was evaluated. We also compared the immunohistochemical expression profiles of AMACR, COX-2 and GST in the luminal and basal cells in lesions of PIN arisen in PIA or PIA alone. Two different patterns of COX-2 expression according to the p63 status of the basal cells were found. This observation gives us grounds to hypothesize that the diverse COX-2 patterns resulted from an initial basal cell damage which subsequently propagated to its luminal secretory cells progeny.     

自噬基因PULK、PI3KC3在宫颈病变的表达及相关性研究

目的探讨自噬基因PULK、PI3KC3在正常宫颈组织及病变宫颈组织的表达及相关性。方法随机抽取正常宫颈组织30例、CIN20例及宫颈癌45例,采用qRT-PCR法检测组织中PULK和PI3KC3基因表达水平,免疫组织化学染色方法定性检测PULK、PI3KC3在正常宫颈组织及病变宫颈组织中的表达情况。结果免疫组化结果显示,PULK和PI3KC3在CIN及宫颈癌组织中的阳性表达显著低于正常宫颈组织,CIN及宫颈癌组织的PULK和PI3KC3表达水平均低于正常宫颈组织(P0.05或P0.01)。PULK与PI3KC3表达呈正相关(r=0.862,P0.01)。结论 PULK和PI3KC3可能参与宫颈病变的恶性转变过程。     

ID1, inhibitor of differentiation/DNA binding, is an effector of the p53-dependent DNA damage response pathway

ID1, inhibitor of differentiation/DNA binding, plays an important role in cell proliferation, differentiation, and tumorigenesis. It has been shown that ID1 is de-regulated in multiple cancers and up-regulation of ID1 is correlated with high grades and poor prognosis of human cancers. In contrast, the p53 tumor suppressor was found to be mutated or inactivated in most human cancers and loss of p53 results in early onset of multiple cancers. Although the biological functions of the ID1 oncogene and the p53 tumor suppressor have been intensively investigated, little is known about the upstream regulators of ID1 and the cross-talk between ID1 and p53. Here, we showed that ID1 is down-regulated in cells treated with various DNA damage agents in a p53-dependent manner. Interestingly, we found that DEC1, which was recently identified as a p53 target and mediates p53-dependent cell cycle arrest and senescence, is capable of inhibiting ID1 expression. Conversely, we found that knockdown of DEC1 attenuates DNA damage-induced ID1 repression. In addition, we identified several potential DEC1 responsive elements in the proximal promoter region of the ID1 gene. Moreover, we showed that overexpression of ID1 or ID1', an isoform of ID1, promotes cell proliferation potentially through inhibition of p21 expression. Finally, we found that the extent of DNA damage-induced premature senescence was substantially decreased by overexpression of ID1 or ID1'. Taken together, our study suggests that p53 trans-repressional activity can be mediated by its own target DEC1 and ID1 is an effector of the p53-dependent DNA damage response pathway.     

LncRNA Erbb4-IR promotes esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) by downregulating miR-145

Erbb4-IR is a recently identified lncRNA with pivotal functions in renal injury. The present study investigated the roles of Erbb4-IR in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). It was observed that Erbb4-IR was upregulated in tumor tissues of patients with ESCC. Plasma levels of Erbb4-IR in patients with ESCC were positively correlated with expression levels of Erbb4-IR in tumor tissues. MicroRNA-145 (miR-145) was downregulated in tumor tissues and inversely correlated with Erbb4-IR only in tumor tissues. Erbb4-IR overexpression led to downregulated miR-145, and increased rates of ECSS cell proliferation and decreased rates of ECSS cell apoptosis. Overexpression of miR-145 showed no significant effects on Erbb4-IR expression, but played an opposite role on cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis. In addition, miR-145 overexpression attenuated the effects of Erbb4-IR overexpression. Therefore, lncRNA Erbb4-IR may promote ESCC by downregulating miR-145.     

Downregulation of 14-3-3σ Correlates with Multistage Carcinogenesis and Poor Prognosis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Aims

The asymptomatic nature of early-stage esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) results in late presentation and consequent dismal prognosis This study characterized 14-3-3σ protein expression in the multi-stage development of ESCC and determined its correlation with clinical features and prognosis.

Materials and Methods

Western blot was used to examine 14-3-3σ protein expression in normal esophageal epithelium (NEE), low grade intraepithelial neoplasia (LGIN), high grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN), ESCC of TNM I to IV stage and various esophageal epithelial cell lines with different biological behavior. Immunohistochemistry was used to estimate 14-3-3σ protein in 110 biopsy samples of NEE, LGIN or HGIN and in 168 ESCC samples all of whom had follow-up data. Support vector machine (SVM) was used to develop a classifier for prognosis.

Results

14-3-3σ decreased progressively from NEE to LGIN, to HGIN, and to ESCC. Chemoresistant sub-lines of EC9706/PTX and EC9706/CDDP showed high expression of 14-3-3σ protein compared with non-chemoresistant ESCC cell lines and immortalized NEC. Furthermore, the downregulation of 14-3-3σ correlated significantly with histological grade (P = 0.000) and worse prognosis (P = 0.004). Multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that 14-3-3σ protein (P = 0.016) and T stage (P = 0.000) were independent prognostic factors for ESCC. The SVM ESCC classifier comprising sex, age, T stage, histological grade, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage and 14-3-3σ, distinguished significantly lower- and higher-risk ESCC patients (91.67% vs. 3.62%, P = 0.000).

Conclusions

Downregulation of 14-3-3σ arises early in the development of ESCC and predicts poor survival, suggesting that 14-3-3σ may be a biomarker for early detection of high-risk subjects and diagnosis of ESCC. Our seven-feature SVM classifier for ESCC prognosis may help to inform clinical decisions and tailor individual therapy.     

Tenascin-C,a Prognostic Determinant of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background

Tenascin-C, an adhesion modulatory extracellular matrix molecule, is highly expressed in numerous human malignancies; thus, it may contribute to carcinogenesis and tumor progression. We explored the clinicopathological significance of Tenascin-C as a prognostic determinant of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Methods

In ESCC patient tissues and cell lines, the presence of isoforms were examined using western blotting. We then investigated Tenascin-C immunohistochemical expression in 136 ESCC tissue samples. The clinical relevance of Tenascin-C expression and the correlation between Tenascin-C expression and expression of other factors related to cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) were also determined.

Results

Both 250 and 350 kDa sized isoforms of Tenascin-C were expressed only in esophageal cancer tissue not in normal tissue. Furthermore, both isoforms were also identified in all of four CAFs derived from esophageal cancer tissues. Tenascin-C expression was remarkably higher in ESCC than in adjacent non-tumor esophageal epithelium (p < 0.001). Tenascin-C expression in ESCC stromal fibroblasts was associated with patient’s age, tumor (pT) stage, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, and cancer recurrence. Tenascin-C expression in cancer cells was correlated with an increase in tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) population, cancer recurrence, and hypoxia inducible factor1α (HIF1α) expression. Moreover, Tenascin-C overexpression in cancer cells and stromal fibroblasts was an independent poor prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). In the Cox proportional hazard regression model, Tenascin-C overexpression in cancer cells and stromal fibroblasts was a significant independent hazard factor for OS and DFS in ESCC patients in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Furthermore, Tenascin-C expression in stromal fibroblasts of the ESCC patients was positively correlated with platelet-derived growth factor α (PDGFRα), PDGFRβ, and smooth muscle actin (SMA) expression. The 5-year OS and DFS rates were remarkably lower in patients with positive expressions of both Tenascin-C and PDGFRα (p < 0.001), Tenascin-C and PDGFRβ (p < 0.001), Tenascin-C and SMA (p < 0.001), Tenascin-C and fibroblast activation protein (FAP) (p < 0.001), and Tenascin-C and fibroblast-stimulating protein-1 (FSP1) (p < 0.001) in ESCC stromal fibroblasts than in patients with negative expressions of both Tenascin-C and one of the abovementioned CAF markers.

Conclusion

Our results show that Tenascin-C is a reliable and significant prognostic factor in ESCC. Tenascin-C may thus be a potent ESCC therapeutic target.     

PIK3CA Gene Mutations and Overexpression: Implications for Prognostic Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in Chinese Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Aims

To evaluate PIK3CA gene mutations and PIK3CA expression status in Chinese esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients, and their correlation with clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcomes.

Methods

Direct sequencing was applied to investigate mutations in exons 9 and 20 of PIK3CA in 406 Chinese ESCC patients. PIK3CA expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistry analysis. The associations of PIK3CA gene mutations and PIK3CA expression with clinicopathological characteristics and clinical outcome were examined.

Results

Thirty somatic point mutations (30/406, 7.4%) were identified in exon 9 whereas no mutations were detected in exon 20. PIK3CA mutations were not correlated with clinicopathological characteristics or clinical outcomes. However in the ESCC patients with family cancer history, PIK3CA mutations were independently correlated with worse overall survival (multivariate hazard ratio (HR) = 10.493, 95% CI: 2.432–45.267, P = 0.002). Compared to normal esophageal tissue, PIK3CA was significantly overexpressed in cancer tissue (P<0.001). PIK3CA overexpression was independently associated with higher risk of local recurrence (multivariate HR  = 1.435, 95% CI: 1.040–1.979, P = 0.028). In female ESCC patients, PIK3CA overexpression was independently correlated with worse overall survival (multivariate HR  = 2.341, 95% CI: 1.073–5.108, P = 0.033).

Conclusions

Our results suggest PIK3CA gene mutation and overexpression could act as biomarkers for individualized molecular targeted therapy for Chinese ESCC patients.     

Long noncoding RNA HAND2-AS1 inhibits cancer cell proliferation,migration, and invasion in esophagus squamous cell carcinoma by regulating microRNA-21

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) HAND2-AS1 is a well-characterized tumor suppressor in several types of malignancies, while its role in esophagus squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is unknown. In this study, we found that lncRNA HAND2-AS1 was downregulated, while microRNA-21 ( miRNA-21) was upregulated in tumor tissues than in adjacent healthy tissues of ESCC patients. Expression levels of lncRNA HAND2-AS1 and miRNA-21 were significantly and inversely correlated in tumor tissues but not in healthy tissues. Plasma levels of lncRNA HAND2-AS1 were lower in ESCC patients than in healthy controls, and downregulation of plasma lncRNA HAND2-AS1 distinguished early stage ESCC patients from healthy controls. lncRNA HAND2-AS1 overexpression resulted in downregulation of miRNA-21 in cells of ESCC cell lines and inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. miRNA-21 overexpression failed to affect lncRNA HAND2-AS1 expression but significantly attenuated the inhibitory effect of lncRNA HAND2-AS1 overexpression on cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Therefore, lncRNA HAND2-AS1 may inhibit cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in ESCC by regulating miRNA-21.     

Expression of DEC2 enhances chemosensitivity by inhibiting STAT5A in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers. Resistance to 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu)-based chemotherapy is a major cause of treatment failure followed by the poor prognosis of patients. In GC, it was reported that human differentiated embryonic chondrocyte-expressed gene 2 (DEC2), suppressed tumor proliferation and metastasis, but the effect of DEC2 on chemosensitivity of GC cells was unknown. In our study, we found that DEC2 can obviously increase the sensibility of GC cells to 5-Fu by promoting 5-Fu-induced apoptosis. DEC2 overexpression is significantly associated with decreased phosphorylation of STAT5A (P-STAT5A). More importantly, negative correlations between DEC2 with P-STAT5A expression were observed in tissue sections from GC patients. GC patients with low expression levels of DEC2 and high expression levels of P-STAT5A showed a poor prognosis. Furthermore, enhanced chemosensitivity mediated by DEC2 can be reversed by STAT5A which confer GC cells resistance to apoptosis induced by 5-Fu. Together, our results suggest that through inhibiting activation of STAT5A, DEC2 enhances 5-Fu-induced apoptosis and suppression of proliferation in GC cells. These findings will provide new insight for identifying potential targets that can be used to sensitize GC cells to chemotherapy.     

Caveolin-1 upregulation contributes to c-Myc-induced high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and prostate cancer

Previously we reported caveolin-1 (Cav-1) overexpression in prostate cancer cells and showed that it promotes prostate cancer progression. Here, we report that Cav-1 was overexpressed in 41.7% (15 of 36) of human high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) specimens obtained during radical prostatectomies. Positive correlations exist between Cav-1-positive (Cav-1(+)) HGPIN and Cav-1(+) primary prostate cancer (rho = 0.655, P < 0.0001) and between Cav-1 and c-Myc expression in HGPIN (rho = 0.41, P = 0.032). To determine whether Cav-1 cooperates with c-Myc in development of premalignant lesions and prostate cancer in vivo, we generated transgenic mice with c-Myc overexpression driven by the ARR(2)PB promoter. In this ARR(2)PB-c-myc model, Cav-1 overexpression was found in mouse PIN (mPIN) lesions and prostate cancer cells and was associated with a significantly higher ratio of proliferative to apoptotic labeling in mPIN lesions than in the Cav-1-negative epithelia adjacent to those lesions (10.02 vs. 4.34; P = 0.007). Cav-1 overexpression was also associated with increased levels of P-Akt and VEGF-A, which were previously associated with Cav-1-induced prostate cancer cell survival and positive feedback regulation of cellular Cav-1 levels, respectively. In multiple prostate cancer cell lines, Cav-1 protein (but not mRNA) was induced by c-Myc transfection, whereas VEGF siRNA transfection abrogated c-Myc-induced Cav-1 overexpression, suggesting a c-Myc-VEGF-Cav-1 signaling axis. Overall, our results suggest that Cav-1 is associated with c-Myc in the development of HGPIN and prostate cancer. Furthermore, Cav-1 overexpression in HGPIN is potentially a biomarker for early identification of patients who tend to develop Cav-1(+) primary prostate cancer.     

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in the progression of cervical neoplasia and its relation to angiogenesis and p53 status

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in the successive steps of cervical neoplasia and to determine its correlation with angiogenesis and p53 status. STUDY DESIGN: Immunohistochemical staining with a VEGF monoclonal antibody was performed on a total of 161 cervical specimens representing 12 normal epithelium, 33 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1, 30 CIN 3 and 86 squamous cell carcinomas. Microvessels were immunohistochemically labeled with an antibody to CD34. Computerized image analysis was used to evaluate microvessel density (MVD). p53 Status was determined by immunohistochemistry and direct sequencing of exons 5-8 of the p53 gene. RESULTS: VEGF expression progressively increased along the continuum from normal epithelium to squamous cell carcinoma (P < .05). MVD increased significantly with cervical neoplasia progression, from normal epithelium, through CIN, to squamous cell carcinoma (P < .001). A strong correlation was observed between VEGF expression and MVD (P < .001). p53 Protein expression was not detected in the normal epithelium or in CIN 1, while 3 (10%) of 30 CIN 3 and 28 (33%) of 86 squamous cell carcinomas were positive for p53. VEGF expression correlated statistically with p53 protein expression (P < .001). In double VEGF- and p53-stained sections, the 2 markers were generally expressed in the same tumor cells. Of the 4 p53 gene mutations, 3 exhibited strong VEGF expression, and 1 exhibited moderate VEGF expression. VEGF expression did not correlate significantly with outcome variables in patients with squamous cell carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that VEGF expression is involved in the promotion of angiogenesis in cervical neoplasia and that p53 is likely to be involved in the regulation of VEGF expression.     

TRAP1 Shows Clinical Significance and Promotes Cellular Migration and Invasion through STAT3/MMP2 Pathway in Human Esophageal Squamous Cell Cancer

Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1 (TRAP1), an important member of mitochondrial heat shock protein 90 family, is involved in multiple biological processes in several types of tumors. However, its pathological role in esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) remains unknown. Herein, we demonstrated the clinical value of TRAP1, and its role in apoptosis and motility in ESCC. The clinical potential of TRAP1 was investigated through immunohistochemical analysis in 328 ESCC samples, which revealed that strong TRAP1 expression was associated with increased risk of lymph node metastasis, while high TRAP1 expression correlated with poor prognosis. Expression of TRAP1 was found to be an independent prognostic factor for patients with ESCC. Additionally, the upregulation of TRAP1 antagonized cisplatin-induced apoptosis while its downregulation sensitized cells to cisplatin-induced apoptosis. As revealed by the transwell assay, TRAP1 overexpression promoted cellular migration and invasion as compared to the control groups. In contrast, silencing of endogenous TRAP1 expression attenuated the ability of migration and invasion. Finally, the molecular mechanism investigated in the present study demonstrated that TRAP1-mediated migration and invasion occurred through STAT3/MMP2 signaling pathway. In conclusion, TRAP1 may be considered as a molecular predictive marker for prognosis and a novel molecular candidate for therapeutic target in ESCC.     

Retracted: MicroRNA-145 performs as a tumor suppressor in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by targeting phospholipase C epsilon 1

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the leading pathologic type in China. miR-145 has been reported to be downregulated in multiple tumors. This study was aimed to investigate the role of miR-145 in ESCC. miR-145 expression was investigated in 65 ESCC samples as well as four ESCC cell lines by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Targetscan 6.2 website ( http://www.targetscan.org/ ) was used to predict the targets of miR-145. Expression of phospholipase C epsilon 1 (PLCE1) messenger RNA and protein was detected by qRT-PCR or Western blot. MTT and wound healing assay were conducted to explore the effects of miR-145 on the proliferation and migration of ESCC cell lines, respectively. miR-145 was significantly decreased in ESCC tissues. An inverse correlation between miR-145 and invasion depth and TNM stage were observed. PLCE1 was a direct target of miR-145, and the expression of PLCE1 was inversely correlated with miR-145 expression in ESCC tissues. In addition, overexpression of miR-145 suppressed cell proliferation and migration in ESCC cells. The enforced expression of PLCE1 partially reversed the suppressive effect of miR-145. These results prove that miR-145 may perform as a tumor suppressor in ESCC by targeting PLCE1.     

GATA6 activates Wnt signaling in pancreatic cancer by negatively regulating the Wnt antagonist Dickkopf-1

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal disease characterized by late diagnosis and treatment resistance. Recurrent genetic alterations in defined genes in association with perturbations of developmental cell signaling pathways have been associated with PDAC development and progression. Here, we show that GATA6 contributes to pancreatic carcinogenesis during the temporal progression of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia by virtue of Wnt pathway activation. GATA6 is recurrently amplified by both quantitative-PCR and fluorescent in-situ hybridization in human pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia and in PDAC tissues, and GATA6 copy number is significantly correlated with overall patient survival. Forced overexpression of GATA6 in cancer cell lines enhanced cell proliferation and colony formation in soft agar in vitro and growth in vivo, as well as increased Wnt signaling. By contrast siRNA mediated knockdown of GATA6 led to corresponding decreases in these same parameters. The effects of GATA6 were found to be due to its ability to bind DNA, as forced overexpression of a DNA-binding mutant of GATA6 had no effects on cell growth in vitro or in vivo, nor did they affect Wnt signaling levels in these same cells. A microarray analysis revealed the Wnt antagonist Dickopf-1 (DKK1) as a dysregulated gene in association with GATA6 knockdown, and direct binding of GATA6 to the DKK1 promoter was confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Transient transfection of GATA6, but not mutant GATA6, into cancer cell lines led to decreased DKK1 mRNA expression and secretion of DKK1 protein into culture media. Forced overexpression of DKK1 antagonized the effects of GATA6 on Wnt signaling in pancreatic cancer cells. These findings illustrate that one mechanism by which GATA6 promotes pancreatic carcinogenesis is by virtue of its activation of canonical Wnt signaling via regulation of DKK1.