Cancer Biomarkers - Volume 18, issue 2

Authors: Shi, Liu | Chevolot, Yann | Souteyrand, Eliane | Laurenceau, Emmanuelle

Article Type: Other

Abstract: Thanks to their specificity and stability in the sera, autoantibodies (AAbs) against tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) are very attractive biomarkers for the development of less invasive serological tests for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancer. Heat shock proteins (HSP) belong to TAAs and they are over-expressed in various human cancers. Elevated HSP can stimulate the immune system to produce anti-HSP antibodies. So far, AAbs against HSP have been identified in the circulation of various cancer patients. Here we will review current literature on the use of anti-HSP antibodies for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. The challenges as well as future directions of …AAbs identification in oncology are also discussed. Show more

Keywords: Heat shock proteins, autoantibodies, cancer, diagnosis, prognosis

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-160117

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 105-116, 2017

Authors: Wu, Chunxiao | Zhang, Donglei

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Current staging methods are lack of precision in predicting prognosis of early-stage lung adenocarcinomas. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop a gene expression signature to identify high- and low-risk groups of patients. METHODS: We used the Bayesian Model Averaging algorithm to analyze the DNA microarray data from 442 lung adenocarcinoma patients from three independent cohorts, one of which was used for training. RESULTS: The patients were assigned to either high- or low-risk groups based on the calculated risk scores based on the identified 25-gene signature. The prognostic power was evaluated …using Kaplan-Meier analysis and the log-rank test. The testing sets were divided into two distinct groups with log-rank test p-values of 0.00601 and 0.0274 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that the prognostic models could successfully predict patients' outcome and serve as biomarkers for early-stage lung adenocarcinoma overall survival analysis. Show more

Keywords: Lung adenocarcinoma, prognosis, gene expression, Bayesian Model Averaging

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-151368

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 117-123, 2017

Authors: Hong, Zehui | Li, Hui | Li, Lili | Wang, Weilong | Xu, Ting

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: UTX and JMJD3 are recently identified histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27) demethylases. Many studies have shown aberrant H3K27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) levels widely exist in multiple cancers, and that altered H3K27me3 levels are correlated with tumorigenesis and tumor progression. To investigate expression patterns of UTX and JMJD3 genes in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and bladder cancer and the relationship between gene expression and tumor development. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Samples were collected from 35 patients with RCC and 21 patients with bladder cancer and qRT-PCR was performed. RESULTS: By comparing with adjacent normal tissues, …the expression of JMJD3 (10/21 = 47.62%) and UTX (10/21 = 47.62%) were significantly upregulated in bladder cancer tissues and the expression of JMJD3 (15/35 = 42.86%) was significantly downregulated in RCC tissues. Stratified analyses revealed that upregulated expression of JMJD3 was significantly associated with poorly differentiated tumor nuclear grade (p= 0.005) and advanced clinical stage (p= 0.043) in the bladder cancer group, while downregulated expression of JMJD3 was significantly associated with advanced clinical stage (p= 0.045) and poorly differentiated tumor nuclear grade (p= 0.011) in the RCC group. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest JMJD3 could be a hallmark and is involved in the development of RCC and bladder cancers. The potential role of H3K27 demethylases as biomarkers needs further investigations. Show more

Keywords: UTX, JMJD3, RCC, bladder cancer, histone demethylase

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-160003

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 125-131, 2017

Authors: Debouki-Joudi, Saoussen | Trifa, Fatma | Khabir, Abdelmajid | Sellami-Boudawara, Tahia | Frikha, Mounir | Daoud, Jamel | Mokdad-Gargouri, Raja

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Tumour suppressor gene (TSG) silencing through promoter hypermethylation plays an important role in cancer initiation. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of methylation of APC gene promoter in 91 sporadic and 44 familial cases of Tunisian patients with breast cancer (BC) in. The frequency of APC promoter methylation is somewhat similar for sporadic and familial breast cancer cases, (52.1%, and 54.5% respectively). For sporadic breast cancer patients, there was a significant correlation of APC promoter hypermethylation with TNM stage (p = 0.024) and 3-year survival (p = 0.025). Regarding the hormonal …status (HR), we found significant association between negativity to PR and unmethylated APC (p= 0.005) while ER and Her2/neu are not correlated. Moreover, unmethylated APC promoter is more frequent in tumours expressing at least one out the 3 proteins compared to triple negative cases (p= 0.053). On the other hand, aberrant methylation of APC was associated with tumour size (p = 0.036), lymph node (p = 0.028), distant metastasis (p = 0.031), and 3-year survival (p = 0.046) in the group of patients with familial breast cancer. Moreover, patients with sporadic breast cancer displaying the unmethylated profile have a significant prolonged overall survival compared to those with the methylated pattern of APC promoter (p log rank = 0.008). Epigenetic change at the CpG islands in the APC promoter was associated with the silence of its transcript and the loss of protein expression suggesting that this event is the main mechanism regulating the APC expression in breast cancer. In conclusion, our data showed that the loss of APC through aberrant methylation is associated with the aggressive behavior of both sporadic and familial breast cancer in Tunisian patients. Show more

Keywords: Breast cancer, APC, CpG methylation, transcriptional silencing, epigenetic

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-160005

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 133-141, 2017

Authors: Lu, Meihong | Ju, Shaoqing | Shen, Xianjuan | Wang, Xudong | Jing, Rongrong | Yang, Chunlan | Chu, Haidan | Cong, Hui

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnostic value of combined detection of plasma miR-127-3p and HE4 for breast cancer (BC). METHODS: Included in this study were 102 patients with pathologically confirmed BC who received treatment in the affiliated hospital of Nantong University between March 2015 and April 2016, 87 patients with benign breast tumors, and 90 healthy volunteers as control. Plasma miR-127-3p was detected by SYBR Green RT-qPCR, and plasma HE4 was detected by chemiluminescent immunoassay. The diagnostic efficacy of miR-127-3p alone, HE4 alone and combined detection of miR-127-3p and HE4 in BC women patients was evaluated by …ROC curve analysis. RESULTS: The relative expression quantity (RQ) of plasma miR-127-3p and HE4 in BC patients was 13.561 (3.345∼18.281) pmol/L and 105.42 (40.28∼156.31) pmol/L. The RQ of plasma miR-127-3p in BC patients was significantly higher than that in benign breast tumor patients and healthy individuals (both P< 0.001), and there was no significant difference between benign breast tumor patients and healthy individuals (P> 0.05). There was no significant correlation between plasma miR-127-3p and HE4 levels (r2 = 0.086, P= 0.471). ROC curve analysis on the diagnostic efficacy of plasma miR-127-3p and HE4 in BC diagnosis showed that the cut-off value of miR-127-3p and HE4 in BC diagnosis was 3.471 and 63.21 pmol/L; AUC was 0.767 and 0.670; sensitivity was 78.2% and 64.6%; specificity was 79.1% and 69.3%; accuracy was 73.2% and 65.1%, respectively. Prediction probability (P) obtained from the miR-127-3p and HE4 model established by logistic regression was P= 1/ [1 + exp (-0.142miR-127-3p-0.024HE4 + 2.875)]. AUC calculated from ROC was 0.825 and the sensitivity was increased to 87.4%. CONCLUSION: Combined detection of plasma miR-127-3p and HE4 greatly improved the sensitivity of BC diagnosis and may prove to be a candidate biomarker for early detection and diagnosis of BC. Show more

Keywords: Breast cancer, miRNA, miR-127-3p, HE4, RT-PCR

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-160024

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 143-148, 2017

Authors: Li, Jian-Qiang | Yang, Xun | Zhou, Xin-Ming

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: We aimed to study the effect of PIM1 gene silencing on the proliferation and apoptosis of human esophageal cancer cell line Eca109. Cultured Eca109 cells were transfected with the recombinant plasmids in mediation of Lipofectamine TM 2000 Reagent. The Eca109 cells in logarithmic growth phase were collected and assigned into three groups: the PIM1 siRNA group (stably transfected with PIM1 -shRNA plasmids), the negative control (NC) group (transfected with vacant plasmids), and the blank group (Eca109 cells without any transfection). The PIM1 mRNA expression was determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cell cycle was analyzed …by flow cytometry. Cell proliferation was evaluated using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). Cell apoptosis was assessed by Annexin V-FITC/PI double-staining and TUNEL assays. The PIM1 mRNA expression of Eca109 cells in the PIM1 siRNA group was significantly lower than that in the NC and blank groups. Compared with the NC and blank groups, the viability and proliferation of the Eca109 cells in the PIM1 siRNA group were significantly decreased at 48 h, 72 h and 96 h after transfection. The cell growth inhibition rate of the PIM1 siRNA group was higher than that of the NC and blank groups after transfection. Furthermore, the apoptotic rate of the PIM1 siRNA group was also higher than that of the NC and blank groups. In conclusion, our preliminary findings suggest that PIM1 gene silencing could inhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells. Show more

Keywords: Esophageal cancer, PIM1, Eca109 cell line, proliferation, apoptosis, gene silencing

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-160038

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 149-154, 2017

Authors: Hashemi, Mohammad | Danesh, Hiva | Bizhani, Fatemeh | Narouie, Behzad | Sotoudeh, Mehdi | Nouralizadeh, Akbar | Sharifiaghdas, Farzaneh | Bahari, Gholamreza | Taheri, Mohsen

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: The association studies between miR-34b/c rs4938723 polymorphism and cancer risk showed conflicting results. This study aimed to assess the impact of rs4938723 polymorphism on prostate cancer risk. This case-control study was done on 151 prostate cancer (PCa) patients and 152 benign prostate hyperplasia to examine whether rs4938723 polymorphism in the promoter of pri-miR-34b/c was linked to the carcinogenesis of PCa in a sample of Iranian population. Genotyping of Pri-miR-34 b/c rs4938723 polymorphism was performed by using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The results showed that rs4938723 variant significantly increased the risk of PCa in codominant (OR …= 1.92, 95% CI = 1.15 - 3.18, p= 0.012, TC vs TT), dominant (OR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.23 - 3.24, p= 0.005, TC + CC vs TT), and allelic (OR = 1.79, 95% CI = 1.20 - 2.68, p= 0.005, C vs T) inheritance model. Our findings propose that Pri-miR-34 b/c rs4938723 variant may be a risk factor for the development of PCa in a sample of Iranian population. Larger sample sizes with different ethnicities are required to validate our findings. Show more

Keywords: Pri-miR-34 b/c, prostate cancer, polymorphism

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-160058

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 155-159, 2017

Authors: Qi, Yuanling | Wang, Wenhui

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung represents 20-30% of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) and is associated with a poor prognosis. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in squamous cell lung cancer patients and what its role might be in providing prognostic information. METHODS: Serial blood samples from 100 patients both before and after initiation of one cycle of standard chemotherapy were analyzed using CellSearch system. RESULTS: Of 105 patients enrolled, 100 were evaluable. ≥ 2 CTCs per 7.5 …mL of blood were present in 29% of patients at baseline before chemotherapy, and 9% patients have more than 5 CTCs. Based on the current literature, the CTC measurements were dichotomized as 2-4 versus ≥ 5 CTCs. In the univariate analysis, CTC count ≥ 5 at baseline and CTC count ≥ 5 at both time points (before and after one cycle of chemotherapy) were significantly associated with a poor PFS and OS outcome. Both factors remained independent poor prognostic markers in the stepwise multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Our study indicate that the CTC count is a prognostic factor for PFS and OS outcomes in Chinese patients with locally advanced SCC of the lung. Show more

Keywords: Squamous cell lung cancer, circulating tumor cells, prognostic marker

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-160090

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 161-167, 2017

Authors: Aristizabal-Pachon, Andrés Felipe | Castillo, Willian Orlando

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is one of the principal causes of death among Brazilian women, so it is a challenge to find new and specific early diagnostic markers, using simple and fast procedures. GSK3β gene is an important Wnt signaling regulator involved in β-Catenin degradation. Wnt signaling is associated with initiation and progression process in many tumor types, and alterations in β-Catenin explain only a small proportion of aberrant signaling found in breast cancer, indicating that other Wnt signaling components and/or regulators as GSK3β may be involved. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate …the genetic, epigenetic and transcriptional alterations of GSK3β in breast cancer. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples from 204 breast cancer and healthy women were collected. Assessment of rs334558 polymorphism was performed by PCR-RFLP, promoter methylation profiles analysis by MS-PCR and qPCR was used to determine GSK3β expression levels. RESULTS: The rs334558 polymorphism showed a strong association with aggressive cancer. A significant increase was observed in GSK3β expression level respect to hormone receptors status and tumor size. CONCLUSION: The results indicated an inverse relationship between GSK3β performance and tumor progression. This is the first study to relate GSK3β gene with breast cancer in Brazilian population. Show more

Keywords: rs334558, wnt signaling, β-catenin destruction complex, PCR-RFPLs, RT-qPCR

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-160120

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 169-175, 2017

Authors: Zayed, Rania A. | Eltaweel, Maha A. | Botros, Shahira K.A. | Zaki, Mohamed A.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Multiple genetic alterations with prognostic significance have been discovered in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We studied the expression level of two genes, Meningioma1 (MN1) and Phosphatase and Tensin homolog (PTEN) to determine their expression in AML patients and their role as prognostic markers. METHODS: The study included 50 cytogenetic normal de novo AML cases and 10 controls, Their level was detected by Real time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction. RESULT: Relative mRNA expression of MN1 was significantly higher (p value < 0.001) and PTEN expression was significantly lower (p value = 0.002). No …correlation was found between neither MN1 nor PTEN mRNA expression and overall survival (p value = 0.212 and 0.310) respectively. CONCLUSION: Although our study suggests a role for MN1 gene and PTEN genes in AML, we could not recommend their use as routine diagnostic and prognostic markers for AML in Egyptian population. Show more

Keywords: AML, MN1, PCR, PTEN, PROGNOSIS

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-160235

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 177-182, 2017

Authors: Huang, Xu-Hui | Liang, Rong-Hua | Su, Le | Guo, Wei | Wang, Chang-Jun

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: PURPOSE: Research on the mechanism of Bushen Jianpi decoction (BJD) for preventing and treating osteoporosis caused by aromatase inhibitors (AI) during treatment for breast cancer resection. METHODS: An ovariectomized mouse model was established using random division into 6 groups: a sham ovariectomized group, a blank control group, a control group, an alendronate group, a BJD group, and a drug combination group. Mice breast cancer cell lines (4T1) were cultured and seeded into the armpits of 6 groups of BALB/c mice. The mouse breast cancer postoperative model was built when resecting the tumor after 3 weeks …following seeding tumor. After 1 weeks, the 6 groups of mice were given different drugs. Then the following analyses were made: estradiol (E2) levels and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in the serum; detection of in vitro bone density and calcium and bone phosphorus content; tumor pathology and immunohistochemistry detection. RESULTS: The results suggested that BJD decreased levels of ALP in ovariectomized mice, and there was a trend for improved bone loss. BJD strengthened the trend of alendronate to improve bone loss, improved bone density, bone calcium and phosphorous, and reduced ALP. BJD had a certain role on the promotion of the expression of estrogen receptors (ERs) in the relapse of the tumor tissue. CONCLUSIONS: Combined therapy with BJD and alendronate can act synergistically against osteoporosis, which was possibly related to a reduced bone conversion rate through inhibiting bone resorption. BJD may block the MAPK signal pathway in breast cancer cells, increasing the expression of ERs and making cancer cells sensitive to endocrine treatment. Show more

Keywords: Bushen Jianpi decoction, breast cancer, AI treatment, osteoporosis

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-160281

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 183-190, 2017

Authors: Yan, Xiaorong | Kang, Dezhi | Pan, Jun | Jiang, Changzhen | Lin, Yuanxiang | Qi, Songtao

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The calcification of adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP) often creates difficulties for surgical therapy. Nevertheless, the mechanism of ACP calcification is unclear. Our previous studies demonstrated that osteoblastic factors might play important roles in ACP calcification. OBJECTIVE: We examined the effects of recombinant human Bmp2 on ACP cell differentiation by testing osteoblastic proteins and calcium deposition. METHODS: The expression of osteoblastic factors including osteopontin (OPN), Runx2, and osterix in Bmp2-treated ACP cells was examined by western blot and/or real time PCR. ALP activity and calcium deposition after Bmp2 induction were also tested. …RESULTS: Bmp2 significantly amplified the expression of Runx2, Osterix and OPN, as well as ALP activity. Both of these effects could be repressed by noggin treatment. Bmp2 also significantly induced the calcification of ACP, and noggin inhibited this calcium deposition. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated for the first time that ACP cells could differentiate into an osteoblastic lineage via induction by Bmp2. The mechanism of ACP calcification likely involves osteoblastic differentiation modulated by Bmp2. Further studies targeting Bmp2 cascades could result in novel therapeutic interventions for recurrent ACP. Show more

Keywords: Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma calcification, bone morphogenetic protein-2, cell calcification, osteoblastic differentiation

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-161576

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 191-198, 2017

Authors: Donaires, Flávia S. | Godoy, Paulo R.D.V. | Leandro, Giovana S. | Puthier, Denis | Sakamoto-Hojo, Elza T.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma is considered to the most common and malignant brain tumor in adults. Patients have a median survival of approximately one year from diagnosis due to poor response to therapy. OBJECTIVE: We applied bioinformatics approaches to predict transcription factors (TF) that are deregulated in glioblastoma in an attempt to point out molecular targets for therapy. METHODS: Up-regulated genes in glioblastoma selected from public microarray data were submitted to two TF association analyses. Thereafter, the expression levels of TF obtained in the overlap of analyses were assessed by RT-qPCR carried out in seven …glioblastoma cell lines (T98, U251, U138, U87, U343, M059J, and M059K). RESULTS: E2F1 and E2F4 were highlighted in both TF analyses. However, only E2F1 was confirmed as significantly up-regulated in all glioblastoma cell lines in vitro . CONCLUSION: E2F1 is a potential common regulator of differentially expressed genes in glioblastoma, despite the genetic heterogeneity of tumor cells. Show more

Keywords: Glioblastoma, E2F transcription factors

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-161628

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 199-208, 2017

Authors: Chen, Fan | Li, Xin-Feng | Fu, Dong-Sheng | Huang, Jian-Guo | Yang, Shun-E

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: miRNA-221 is one of the over 700 kinds of currently known microRNAs (miRNAs) and is up-regulated in multiple tumors, suggesting that it may be a potential carcinogenic miRNA. Few studies have explored the relationship between miRNA-221 and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We performed real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to detect miRNA-221 expression in HCC and para-carcinoma tissues and to explore the relationship between abnormal expression of miRNA-221 and clinicopathological features of HCC patients. miRNA-221 expression was significantly higher in HCC tissues than in adjacent tissues (P < 0.001). We analyzed the relationship between miRNA-221 expression level and clinicopathological characteristics of …HCC patients. Our results suggested that miRNA-221 expression level was closely related to tumor stage (P = 0.012), number of tumor nodes (P = 0.018), and microvascular invasion (P = 0.010) in HCC patients. The results of survival analysis suggested that HCC patients with up-regulated miRNA-221 expression had a shorter survival time. The high miRNA-221 expression indicates the poor prognosis of HCC patients; thus, miRNA-221 can be regarded an important molecular marker for HCC prognosis. Show more

Keywords: MicroRNA, real-time qPCR, prognosis, carcinoma, hepatocellular

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-161671

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 209-214, 2017

Authors: Caliò, Anna | Bria, Emilio | Pilotto, Sara | Gilioli, Eliana | Nottegar, Alessia | Eccher, Albino | Cima, Luca | Santo, Antonio | Pedron, Serena | Turri, Giona | Knuutila, Sakari | Chilosi, Marco | Vanzo, Francesca | Bogina, Giuseppe | Terzi, Alberto | Tortora, Giampaolo | Scarpa, Aldo | Loda, Massimo | Martignoni, Guido | Brunelli, Matteo

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Gains of a gene due to DNA polyploidy versus amplification of the specific locus are distinct molecular alterations in tumors. OBJECTIVE: We quantified copy number gains of ALK gene due to unspecific polyploidy versus amplifications of the specific locus in a series of non-small cell lung cancers. METHODS: The locus specific ALK copy (LSI) number status was evaluated in 205 cases by FISH. Ratio LSI ALK copy number corrected for control probes CEP2, CEP3 and CEP17 (CEPs) was scored. Amplification of the specific ALK locus was defined when …ratio set to ≥ 2 while polyploidy was interpreted when the increase in gene copy resulted < 2 in ratio (LSI/control CEPs). RESULTS: Twenty one cases (10.2%) showed ≥ 8 ALK signals, 68 cases (33.2%) 3-7 signals and 116 cases (56.6%) a mean of 2 signals. Only 2/21 cases of the cohort harboring ≥ 8 signals showed a ratio ≥ 2 after CEPs correction interpretable as amplified, showing numerous doubled fluorescent spots. All the remaining cases showed a mirrored number of fluorescent spots per each CEPs, interpretable as polyploidy. CONCLUSION: We detected a high prevalence of ALK gene copy number usually due to polyploidy rather than ALK locus amplification, the latter visible prevalently as double minutes. Show more

Keywords: ALK gene copy number, gains, polyploidy, amplification, double minutes

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-161680

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 215-220, 2017