ErbB-2、PAK1及VEGF在大肠癌中的关系及其意义研究

目的探讨ErbB-2、PAK1和VEGF在大肠癌中的表达与相关性以及三者与大肠癌临床病理特征之间的关系。方法选取结直肠癌根治术后病理检测确诊为大肠癌的组织标本共48例,分为三组:肠癌组织组(48例)、癌旁组织组(21例)及远癌组织组(12例)。分别采用western blot法和RT-PCR法检测ErbB-2、PAK1及VEGF在各组中的蛋白表达及基因表达,并分析三者表达的相关性。同时收集患者的临床资料,包括组织学分型、病理学分级、Dukes分期、有无淋巴结转移等。结果ErbB-2在肠癌组织的基因表达(53.23±11.25)及蛋白表达(4183232.57±587378.18)比癌旁组织(38.21±6.20,2283766.18±376455.78)均明显增加(P0.05),癌旁组织蛋白表达又高于远癌组织(1394280.24±6562.30)(P0.05),但癌旁组织基因表达(38.21±6.20)与远癌组织(30.29±10.20)无显著差异。PAK1在肠癌组织基因(67.20±19.32)及蛋白表达(3879654.12±256332.02)较癌旁组织(26.50±7.22,1336987.25±98653.20)显著增加(P0.01),远癌组织几乎未见表达。VEGF在肠癌组织的基因(62.30±33.58)及蛋白表达(4219314.65±433587.02)均高于癌旁组织(28.22±7.56,2275653.51±403731.20)及远癌组织(23.33±8.12,1878528.34±387563.71)(P0.05)。三者在肠癌组织的表达呈现两两正相关关系,且与大肠癌的病理学分级、Dukes分期、淋巴结转移密切相关(P0.05),而与组织学分型、肿瘤形态及发生部位无关。结论 ErbB-2、PAK1及VEGF在大肠癌发生发展中具有重要作用。ErbB-2活化后可激活下游分子PAK1及VEGF,后二者又相互促进表达,共同导致了大肠癌的演进侵袭。提示联合检测ErbB-2、PAK1及VEGF比单一检测判定大肠癌恶性行为及评估预后更有意义。     

乳腺癌中丝/ 苏氨酸蛋白激酶Plk1 mRNA 的表达及其预后价值

目的:检测乳腺癌细胞和组织中丝/苏氨酸蛋白激酶Plk1基因mRNA的表达情况并分析其预后价值。方法:应用半定量RT-PCR方法分析3株人乳腺癌细胞和1株正常乳腺上皮细胞中Plk1基因mRNA的表达水平。同时分析84例乳腺癌及对应的癌旁正常乳腺上皮组织中Plk1 mRNA的表达水平。统计学分析Plk1 mRNA表达水平与乳腺癌患者年龄、肿瘤大小、组织分化程度、淋巴结转移状况、TNM分期和雌激素受体(ER)等临床病理参数之间的关系,以及与预后之间的关系。结果:Plk1基因mRNA在乳腺癌细胞中的相对表达水平显著高于其在正常乳腺上皮细胞中的相对表达水平(P值均小于<0.05)。另外,Plk1 mRNA在乳腺癌组织中平均表达水平(0.88±0.18)显著高于其在癌旁正常乳腺上皮组织中平均表达水平(0.22±0.10;P<0.01)。统计学分析结果表明:Plk1 mRNA表达水平和乳腺癌患者的淋巴结转移状况及TNM分期密切相关(P=0.009或0.007)。Kaplan-Meier生存曲线分析结果表明:高Plk1 mRNA表达水平的乳腺癌患者的5年无疾病进展率及总体生存率均显著低于低Plk1 mRNA表达水平的乳腺癌患者(P=0.0026及0.0136)。COX模型的多因素预后分析结果表明:Plk1基因mRNA表达水平是乳腺癌患者的一个独立的预后因素(HR=4.764,95%CI:1.341~6.123,P=0.0025)。结论:Plk1在乳腺癌组织呈现高表达水平,其mRNA表达水平有望成为临床乳腺癌患者一个重要的预后判断分子指标。     

Notch受体在胰腺癌组织中的表达及其临床意义

目的:探讨胰腺癌及癌旁组织中Notch1～4蛋白和mRNA表达及临床意义。方法:应用免疫组化方法检测40例胰腺癌组织及对应的癌旁组织石蜡标本中Notch1～4蛋白的表达情况;分析Notch1～4受体表达水平与胰腺癌临床病理特征关系;应用实时逆转录聚合酶链反应(Real-time RT PCR)检测冰冻胰腺癌组织及对应的癌旁组织手术标本中Notch1～4的mRNA表达情况。结果:免疫组化结果显示:Notch1、Notch2在胰腺癌组织中蛋白表达明显比胰腺癌旁组织低(P0.05);Notch3在胰腺癌组织中蛋白表达比胰腺癌旁组织高,但是差异无统计学意义(P0.05);Notch4在胰腺癌组织中蛋白表达比胰腺癌旁组织高(P0.05)。Notch1～4受体的表达与肿瘤分化程度和临床分期呈负相关(P0.05)。Real-time RT PCR结果显示:与胰腺癌旁组织相比,癌组织中Notch1,Notch2的mRNA相对表达水平显著下调;胰腺癌癌组织中Notch3,Notch4的mRNA相对表达水平显著上调。结论:Notch家族的Notch1～4受体在胰腺癌组织及其旁组织的蛋白和mRNA表达不同,Notch蛋白表达可以作为胰腺癌的风险预测因子。     

分化抑制因子-1在大肠癌中的表达及临床意义

目的:研究分化抑制因子-1(Id-1)在人大肠癌组织中的表达及其与临床病理特征的关系。方法:应用免疫组织化学方法(SP法)检测Id-1在56例大肠癌组织及56例远癌肠黏膜中的表达水平,并分析其与临床病理特征的关系。结果:在大肠癌组织中Id-1的过表达率为80.4%,在远癌肠粘膜中过表达率为12.5%,两组比较差异有统计学意义(P0.01)。Id-1过表达与大肠癌Dukes分期及淋巴结转移有关(P0.05),而与患者年龄、性别、肿瘤组织分化程度无关(P0.05)。结论:Id-1过表达可能参与大肠癌演进,Id-1可作为判断大肠癌恶性程度和预后的指标。     

胰岛素样生长因子-1 受体(IGF-IR)在乳腺癌组织中的表达及其 临床意义初探

目的:检测分析胰岛素样生长因子-1受体(IGF-IR)在乳腺癌组织中的表达状况及其临床意义。方法:应用半运用半定量RT-PCR方法分析84例乳腺癌和癌旁正常乳腺组织中IGF-1R基因mRNA的表达水平,并分析其表达与患者临床病理特征及预后之间的关系。结果:乳腺癌组织中IGF-1R基因mRNA表达水平显著高于癌旁乳腺组织,二者具有统计学差别(P<0.001)。乳腺癌组织中IGF-1R基因mRNA表达水平与肿瘤组织分化程度及乳腺癌患者的TNM分期和淋巴结转移情况显著相关(P值分别是0.005,0.025和0.041)。另外,高表达IGF-1R的乳腺癌患者的五年总体生存率(38.3%)显著高于低表达IGF-1R的患者(49.7%;P=0.009)。多因素COX模型分析结果表明:IGF-1R基因mRNA表达水平是乳腺癌患者的一个独立预后分子(HR=2.78,95%CI:1.94-3.94,P=0.041)。结论:IGF-1R基因表达水平上调在乳腺癌发展过程中起着重要的作用。IGF-1R基因mRNA表达水平有望成为临床乳腺癌患者预后判断的一个重要分子标志物。     

Survivin、CyclinD1在大肠癌中的表达及其临床意义

目的观察Survivin和CyclinD1在大肠癌组织中的表达与临床病理指标及预后的关系。方法应用免疫组织化学(S-P)法,检测44例大肠癌组织、30例癌旁组织、10例正常黏膜组织中Survivin、CyclinD1的表达情况。结果大肠癌组织中Survivin、CyclinD1的表达明显高于癌旁组织的表达,差异具有显著性(P<0.05),正常黏膜组织无Survivin、CyclinD1表达;Survivin表达与性别、年龄、肿瘤组织类型及组织分级、大体类型差异均无显著性(P>0.05),而与淋巴结转移、Dukes分期显著相关(P<0.05),CyclinD1表达与大肠癌各临床病理指标差异均无显著性(P>0.05);Survivin阳性生存率显著低于Survivin阴性患者,CyclinD1阳性生存率显著低于CyclinD1阴性患者(P<0.05);Survivin、CyclinD1在大肠癌中表达正相关(P<0.05)。结论Survivin表达与淋巴结转移、Dukes分期密切相关,提示预后不良,可作为大肠癌侵袭性和预后评估的生物学指标;CyclinD1表达提示预后不良,是判断预后的指标之一;Survivin、CyclinD1在大肠癌的发生过程中既有独立的功能,又有协同作用。     

血管内皮生长因子( VEGF) 在大肠癌中的表达及临床意义

目的：探讨VEGF（Vascular endothelial growth factor）在大肠癌中的表达及与肿瘤大小、病理分级、临床分期和预后的关系。方法：大肠癌组织蜡块50例、癌旁组织20例、正常组织20例。采用免疫组化S—P法对标本切片进行染色。结果：VEGF在癌组织中表达明显高于癌旁组织和正常组织,三者之间差异显著（P〈0．05）。VEGF抗原表达与病理分级、Dukes分期呈负相关性（P〈0．01）。结论：VEGF与大肠癌的发生有关,VEGF的检测可作为大肠癌预后评估的客观指标。     

Nucleostemin基因在非小细胞肺癌组织中的表达及意义

目的探讨Nucleostemin(NS,核干细胞因子)基因在非小细胞肺癌(non-small cell lung cancer,NSCLC)组织中的表达及临床意义。方法利用RT-PCR法检测13对NSCLC组织和癌旁正常组织中NS mRNA的表达;采用免疫组织化学SP法检测73例NSCLC组织和13例癌旁正常组织中NS蛋白的表达,并分析与NSCLC患者临床病理特征的关系。结果 NSCLC组织中NS mRNA相对表达强度(0.848±0.305)显著高于癌旁正常组织(0.153±0.020)(t=8.712,P0.01)。NS蛋白在NSCLC中的表达率为58.9%(43/73)显著高于癌旁正常组织中的表达率0%(0/13)(χ2=15.315,P0.01)。NS蛋白的表达率与NSCLC的组织类型及分化程度相关,腺癌组织的表达率为76.5%(26/34)明显高于鳞癌组织的表达率43.6%(17/39)(χ2=8.113,P0.01);低分化组织的表达率81.5%(22/27)明显高于高、中分化组织的表达率45.7%(21/46)(χ2=9.023,P0.01),而与患者性别、年龄、肿瘤大小、TNM分期及淋巴结转移无关(P0.05)。结论 NS基因mRNA及蛋白在NSCLC组织中高表达,对肿瘤细胞的恶性增殖起了重要作用,是一个新的有应用价值的肿瘤分子标志物。     

大肠癌组织及癌旁组织中c-myc,COX-2和CD44v6基因表达量差异的检测

目的:通过检测大肠癌组织和癌旁组织中c-myc,COX-2以及CD44v6的表达水平,探讨这三种基因在大肠癌发生和发展中的意义。方法:应用实时荧光定量PCR技术检测了10例大肠癌组织和相应癌旁组织中c-myc,COX-2以及CD44v6基因表达水平的差异,并探讨了各基因在癌组织中的表达水平与大肠癌临床病理指标之间的关系。结果:c-myc,COX-2以及CD44v6在大肠癌组织和癌旁组织中的表达均有非常显著性差异(P<0.01);癌组织中COX-2和CD44v6的表达与淋巴结转移、分化程度及Dukes分期有关(P<0.05)。结论:c-myc,COX-2和CD44v6的异常表达均与大肠癌密切相关,三者从不同方面对大肠癌的发生和发展起到了重要作用,可作为早期诊断和预后的参考指标。     

LAT1在大肠癌中的表达及其与预后的相关性研究

目的:研究L型氨基酸转运子1(LATl)在大肠癌组织中的表达及其与大肠癌患者临床病理特征和预后的关系.方法:用免疫组织化学方法检测大肠癌组织和癌旁正常大肠组织中LAT1的表达水平,分析大肠癌组织中LAT1的表达与大肠癌患者临床病理特征和术后生存的关系.结果:LAT1在大部分大肠癌组织中表达呈阳性,阳性率为87.1％(81/93),而在癌旁正常大肠组织的阳性表达率仅为16.13％(15/93),显著低于大肠癌组织(P＜0.05).LAT1的表达水平与大肠癌患者的临床病理参数间无显著相关性,与患者的总生存期之间的相关性也无统计学意义(P＞0.05),但LAT1高表达的患者无进展生存期较低表达患者显著缩短(Log-rank P=0.046),单因素Cox回归分析表明LAT1高表达是影响大肠癌术后复发转移的潜在危险因素[HR=2.338(95％CI:0.990-5.523),P=0.053].结论:LAT1的表达可能作为判断大肠癌患者术后复发转移风险的参考指标,LAT1高表达的大肠癌患者术后复发转移风险较高.     

The co-expression of USP22 and BMI-1 may promote cancer progression and predict therapy failure in gastric carcinoma

Recent experimental evidence support the model in which the simultaneous induction of BMI-1 and USP22 is critical during cancer progression. Whether this model may affect gastric cancer (GC) progression is worthy of additional study. In this study, we examined the significance of the USP22 and BMI-1 expression in GC (n = 219), non-cancerous mucosa (n = 37), and lymph node metastasis (n = 37). The protein expression level of USP22 and BMI-1 were concomitantly up-regulated from non-cancerous mucosa to primary carcinoma and from carcinomas to lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001). A statistical correlation was observed between USP22 and BMI-1 expression in GC tissues (n = 219, r = 0.634, P < 0.001) and in lymph node metastasis (n = 37, r = 0.689, P < 0.001). The incidence of positive expression was 57.08% for USP22, 49.32% for BMI-1, and 45.21% for USP22/BMI-1 in 219 GC tissues, respectively. Co-positive of USP22/BMI-1 was significantly correlated with gross features (x(2) = 14.256, P < 0.001), differentiation (x(2) = 5.872, P = 0.015), pT classification (x(2) = 18.486, P < 0.001), pN classification (x(2) = 9.604, P = 0.002), pM classification (x(2) = 32.766, P < 0.001), and AJCC stage (x(2) = 58.278, P < 0.001). Notably, high USP22/BMI-1 expression was significantly associated with shorter disease-specific survival (P < 0.001). By Cox regression analysis, co-positive of USP22/BMI-1 was found to be an independent prognostic factor (P = 0.002). Our results indicated the simultaneous activation of USP22 and BMI-1 may associate with GC progression and therapy failure.     

USP22 acts as an oncogene by the activation of BMI-1-mediated INK4a/ARF pathway and Akt pathway

Recent studies provided strong support for the view that ubiquitin-specific protease 22 (USP22) plays a central role in cell-cycle progression and also in pathological processes such as oncogenesis. We have recently shown that USP22 levels are elevated in colorectal carcinoma with associated increase in the expression of several cell-cycle-related genes. However, the precise mechanism for these functions of USP22 at molecular level has not been fully elucidated. Currently, we investigated the role of USP22 in human colorectal cancer (CRC). We observed that USP22 expression was statistically significantly correlated positively with that of BMI-1, c-Myc and both, pAkt (Ser473), and pAkt (Thr308), in primary tumor tissues from 43 CRC patients. Down-regulation of USP22 expression in HCT116 colorectal cancer cells by siRNA resulted in the accumulation of cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle. RNAi-knockdown of USP22 in HCT16 cells also led to the repression of BMI-1 and was accompanied by the up-regulation of p16INK4a and p14ARF, with a consequent decrease in E2F1 and p53 levels. In addition, down-regulation of c-Myc-targeted cyclin D2 was also noticed in cells treated with USP22-siRNA. Furthermore, our results showed that USP22 deletion also caused down-regulation of Akt/GSK3β activity, which can also contribute to the reduction of cyclin D2. Collectively, our current results suggest that USP22 may act as an oncogene in CRC as it positively regulates cell cycle via both BMI-1-mediated INK4a/ARF pathway and Akt signaling pathway.     

USP22 Is Useful as a Novel Molecular Marker for Predicting Disease Progression and Patient Prognosis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background and Objective

The significance of ubiquitin-specific protease 22 (USP22) as a potential marker has been growing in the field of oncology. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of USP22 and the association with its potential targets in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Methods

Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the expression of USP22 protein in 319 OSCC patients in comparison with 42 healthy controls. The clinical correlations and prognostic significance of the aberrantly expressed protein was evaluated to identify novel biomarker of OSCC.

Results

The incidence of positive USP22 expression was 63.32% in 319 conventional OSCC tissues. The protein expression level of USP22 was concomitantly up-regulated from non-cancerous mucosa to primary carcinoma and from carcinomas to lymph node metastasis (P<0.001). Moreover, statistical analysis showed that positive USP22 expression was positively related to lymph node metastasis, Ki67, Cox-2 and recurrence. Furthermore, it was shown that patients with positive USP22 expression had significantly poorer outcome compared with patients with negative expression of USP22 for patients with positive lymph nodes. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that USP22 expression level was an independent prognostic factor for both overall survival and disease-free survival (P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). Cancer cells with reduced USP22 expression exhibited reduced proliferation and colony formation evaluated by MTT and soft agar assays.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first study that determines the relationship between USP22 expression and prognosis in OSCC. We found that increased expression of USP22 is associated with poor prognosis in OSCC. USP22 may represent a novel and useful prognostic marker for OSCC.     

MicroRNA-218 Inhibits Cell Cycle Progression and Promotes Apoptosis in Colon Cancer by Downregulating BMI1 Polycomb Ring Finger Oncogene

Deregulated miRNAs participate in colorectal carcinogenesis. In this study, miR-218 was found to be downregulated in human colorectal cancer (CRC) by miRNA profile assay. miR-218 was silenced or downregulated in all five colon cancer cells (Caco2, HT29, SW620, HCT116 and LoVo) relative to normal colon tissues. miR-218 expression was significantly lower in 46 CRC tumor tissues compared with their adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.001). Potential target genes of miR-218 were predicted and BMI1 polycomb ring finger oncogene (BMI-1), a polycomb ring finger oncogene, was identified as one of the potential targets. Upregulation of BMI-1 was detected in CRC tumors compared with adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.001) and in all five colon cancer cell lines. Transfection of miR-218 in colon cancer cell lines (HCT116, HT29) significantly reduced luciferase activity of the wild-type construct of BMI-1 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) (P < 0.001), whereas this effect was not seen in the construct with mutant BMI-1 3′UTR, indicating a direct and specific interaction of miR-218 with BMI-1. Ectopic expression of miR-218 in HCT116 and HT29 cells suppressed BMI-1 mRNA and protein expression. In addition, miR-218 suppressed protein expression of BMI-1 downstream targets of cyclin-dependent kinase 4, a cell cycle regulator, while upregulating protein expression of p53. We further revealed that miR-218 induced apoptosis (P < 0.01), inhibited cell proliferation (P < 0.05) and promoted cell cycle arrest in the G2 phase (P < 0.01). In conclusion, miR-218 plays a pivotal role in CRC development through inhibiting cell proliferation and cycle progression and promoting apoptosis by downregulating BMI-1.     

Overexpression of GLUT1 in colorectal cancer is independently associated with poor prognosis

Background: To investigate the expression of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its relationship to clinicopathological variables. Methods: The expression of GLUT1 in 163 primary tumors together with the corresponding normal mucosa, and 36 liver metastases was examined using real-time PCR. Results: The mean value of GLUT1 was higher in primary tumors (50.390 ± 68.648) than in the corresponding normal mucosa (20.437 ± 28.703, p<0.0001), while there was no significant difference in GLUT1 expression between CRC and liver metastasis (50.390 ± 68.648 vs 52.277 ± 52.482, p=0.190). In CRCs, GLUT1 expression was higher in poorly differentiated than in well and moderately differentiated tumors (p=0.022), and higher in stage III + IV than in stage I + II tumors (p=0.035). The patients with high-expressed GLUT1 had a worse prognosis than those with low-expressed GLUT1 independently of gender, age, tumor site, stage and differentiation (p=0.026, RR 2.737, 95% CI 1.126-6.651) in stage I-III CRCs. In liver metastasis, GLUT1 expression was higher in larger tumors than in smaller ones (p=0.025). Conclusions: Overexpression of GLUT1 in stage I-III CRCs was independently associated with poor prognosis.     

结直肠癌组织miR-137-3p、miR-410-3p表达水平与上皮间充质转化和预后的关系分析

摘要 目的：探讨结直肠癌（CRC）组织微小RNA-137-3p（miR-137-3p）、微小RNA-410-3p（miR-410-3p）的表达与上皮间充质转化（EMT）和预后的关系。方法：选取2017年2月至2019年2月本院收治的115例接受CRC根治术治疗的患者，采用实时荧光定量聚合酶链式反应（qRT-PCR）检测癌组织及癌旁组织中miR-137-3p、miR-410-3p表达、EMT标志物E-钙粘蛋白（E-cadherin）、波形蛋白（Vimentin）的mRNA表达并进行相关性分析，分析癌组织中miR-137-3p、miR-410-3p表达与CRC临床病理特征的关系。术后随访3年，采用Kaplan-Meier法分析miR-137-3p、miR-410-3p高表达和低表达患者的预后情况。结果：癌组织中miR-137-3p表达及E-cadherin mRNA表达水平低于癌旁组织，miR-410-3p表达及Vimentin mRNA表达水平高于癌旁组织（P＜0.05）。癌组织中miR-137-3p表达与E-cadherin mRNA表达水平、miR-410-3p表达与Vimentin mRNA表达水平分别呈正相关（P＜0.05），癌组织中miR-137-3p表达与Vimentin mRNA表达水平、miR-410-3p表达与E-cadherin mRNA表达水平分别呈负相关（P＜0.05）。miR-137-3p、miR-410-3p表达与TNM分期、肿瘤分化程度、淋巴结转移有关（P＜0.05）。Kaplan-Meier生存曲线分析显示，miR-137-3p低表达、miR-410-3p高表达患者3年累积生存率下降（P＜0.05）。结论：CRC组织中miR-137-3p表达下调、miR-410-3p表达上调，miR-137-3p、miR-410-3p表达水平与EMT密切相关，且miR-137-3p高表达、miR-410-3p低表达患者的预后更好。     

USP44 suppresses proliferation and enhances apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells by inactivating the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway via Axin1 deubiquitination

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the leading cause of cancer death, and its 5‐year survival rate remains unsatisfactory. Recent studies have revealed that ubiquitin‐specific protease 44 (USP44) is a cancer suppressor or oncogene depending on the type of neoplasm. However, its role in CRC remains unclear. Here, we found that the USP44 expression level was markedly decreased in CRC, and USP44 overexpression inhibited proliferation while enhancing apoptosis in CRC cells, suggesting that USP44 is a cancer suppressor in CRC. We then investigated if USP44 functioned through regulating the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway. We found that USP44 overexpression increased the Axin1 protein while decreasing β‐catenin, c‐myc, and cyclin D1 proteins, suggesting that USP44 inhibited the activation of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway. Moreover, we found that two Wnt/β‐catenin activators, LiCl and SKL2001, both attenuated oeUSP44‐mediated proliferation and apoptosis in CRC cells. Collectively, these data points indicated that USP44 inhibited proliferation while promoting apoptosis in CRC cells by inhibiting the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway. Interestingly, we observed that USP44 overexpression did not affect the Axin1 mRNA level. Further study uncovered that USP44 interacted with Axin1 and reduced the ubiquitination of Axin1. Furthermore, Axin1 knock‐down abolished the effects of oeUSP44 on proliferation, apoptosis, and Wnt/β‐catenin activity in CRC cells. Taken together, this study demonstrates that USP44 inhibits proliferation while enhancing apoptosis in CRC cells by inactivating the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway via Axin1 deubiquitination. USP44 is a cancer suppressor in CRC and a potential target for CRC therapy.     

Distinct changes of dendritic cell number and IL-12 mRNA level in adjacent mucosa throughout the colorectal adenoma–carcinoma sequence

Adjacent mucosa may reflect the conflicting of host factors in response to the establishment or invasion of cancers. Characterization of anti-tumor immunity in this region may add help in understanding the immune-related mechanisms of colorectal carcinoma (CRC). In this study, adjacent non-tumor mucosa from 36 patients with colorectal adenoma (CRA), 26 with CRC and normal mucosa from 15 health controls were included, immune cell populations of dendritic cell, lymphocyte and macrophage were characterized with immunohistochemistry (IHC) and tissue messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of Th1 cytokines interferon (IFN)-gamma and its upstream inducers interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-18 were quantified with real-time PCR; In addition, dendritic cell differentiation and function inhibitors cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and IL-6 mRNA levels were also quantified. By IHC, a significant decreased dendritic cell density in the non-tumor mucosa adjacent to CRC was detected (P < 0.05) as compared to the normal controls or adjacent mucosa of CRA. The grading scores for lymphocyte number in the adjacent mucosa of CRA and CRC were gradually non-statistically increased, while the grading scores for macrophages number was not changed. By quantitative real-time PCR, distinct local cytokine gene expression profile was demonstrated. In which, the Th1 cytokines, particularly IL-12, were increased in adjacent mucosa of CRA, but all significantly decreased in adjacent mucosa of CRC. In addition, the mRNA levels of IL-6 and COX-2 were significantly higher in adjacent mucosa of CRC than that in adjacent mucosa of CRA (both P < 0.05). Therefore, dendritic cell functional changes could be one of the important mechanisms for altered anti-tumour immunity in the adjacent non-tumor mucosa throughout adenoma–carcinoma sequence. The increased COX-2 and IL-6 might contribute to dendritic cell funtional defect in adjacent mucosa of CRC.     

Ubiquitin-Specific Peptidase 22, a Histone Deubiquitinating Enzyme,Is a Novel Poor Prognostic Factor for Salivary Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma

Salivary Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma (SACC) is characterized by a high rate of local recurrence and infiltration, strong invasion to peripheral nerves or late distant metastasis. Our aim was to investigate the expression of Ubiquitin-specific protease 22 (USP22) in SACC patients and its possible relationship to the outcome of the disease. A total of 135 SACC tissues and adjacent non-cancerous tissues which were diagnosed between 2002 and 2007 were enrolled in this study. Immunohistochemistry was used to compare the expression pattern of USP22 in SACC and adjacent non-cancerous groups, and the prognostic significance was assessed by Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression in SACC patients. The rate of high expression of USP22 was significantly higher in SACC group than that in adjacent non-cancerous group. High expression of USP22 was significantly correlated with histological subtype, lymph node metastasis, grade, Ki-67 and SOX2 expression. Furthermore, USP22 acts as an oncogene by regulation the BMI-1 pathway and c-Myc pathway. SACC patients with high USP22 expression showed the poorer overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) than those patients with low USP22 expression. In multivariate analysis, only lymph node metastasis and USP22 expression were the independent prognostic factors for OS and DFS in SACC. Our study provides evidence that USP22 expression is an independent prognostic factor for SACC patients.