Cancer Biomarkers - Volume 21, issue 4

Authors: Yang, Jian-Gong | He, Xiao-Feng | Huang, Bing | Zhang, Hui-Ai | He, Yong-Kang

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the rule of changes in serum GGT activity, as well as GGT/ALT and AST/ALT ratios, in primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) patients with different alpha-fetal protein (AFP) levels. METHODS: GGT, AST and ALT were detected in 370 PHC patients with positive HBs-Ag using a automatic biochemical analyzer, and AFP was detected using a Roche E170 modular analytics immunoassay analyzer. GGT level, as well as AST/ALT and GGT/ALT, ratios were compared among PHC patients with different AFP levels. RESULTS: As shown in Table 1 , GGT levels were 109.59 ± …111.06, 151.13 ± 190.43, 135.86 ± 107.62, 151.36 ± 176.59 and 172.58 ± 188.84, respectively, in the groups of primary PHC patients with AFP levels of ⩽ 10, 10–100, 100–200, 200–400 and ⩾ 400 ng/ml; and the differences among these groups were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). AST/ALT ratios were 1.55 ± 1.02, 1.30 ± 0.81, 2.02 ± 1.89, 2.12 ± 1.11 and 1.73 ± 1.25, respectively; and the differences among these groups were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). GGT/ALT ratios were 3.43 ± 3.12, 3.57 ± 5.70, 3.57 ± 2.94, 3.89 ± 4.58 and 3.43 ± 3.61, respectively; and the differences among these groups were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: For patients with chronic hepatitis B and cirrhosis after hepatitis B, no matter how AFP level is, when liver function report reveals increased GGT, AST/ALT > 1 and GGT/ALT > 1 (that is, AST > ALT and GGT > ALT), even if AFP is negative, we should also be alert to the existence of PHC. Show more

Keywords: Liver neoplasms, hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis, GGT

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170088

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 743-746, 2018

Authors: Neumann, Mirko Peter | González, María Victoria | Pitiot, Ana S. | Santamaría, Íñigo | Martínez, Cristina | Tardón, Adonina | Astudillo, Aurora | Balbín, Milagros

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, with poor survival rates despite diagnostic and therapeutic advances. Markers are needed in order to improve clinical patient management and survival. TP53 is frequently involved in lung cancer development with polymorphic sites potentially having a role in it. This study aims to determine the value of codon 72 missense polymorphic variant genotyping, TP53 R72P, as a prognostic factor in NSCLC patients. METHODS: One hundred and fifteen NSCLC samples from patients exposed to tobacco smoke and silica dust from Asturias (Northern Spain) were genotyped by …direct sequencing. RESULTS: Seventy-five percent tumour samples alleles coded for Arg. The R72P genotype was an independent predictor of lymph node status (HR = 3.6). The heterozygous genotype was associated to a reduced 5-year survival rate (28% vs 51% for homozygotes). Importantly, this result was specifically observed in these subsets of patients: those over 67 years, patients with silicosis, current smokers, patients with squamous cell carcinomas and, notably, with tumour free lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate a remarkable application of R72P genotyping in the clinical setting: refine patient subclassification to identify those with an adverse clinical course despite tumour free lymph node status. Show more

Keywords: NSCLC, TP53, R72P, polymorphism, prognosis

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170230

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 747-754, 2018

Authors: Zhang, Qing-An | Yang, Xu-Hai | Chen, Dong | Yan, Xiang | Jing, Fu-Chun | Liu, Hong-Qian | Zhang, Ronghua

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: This article has been retracted, and the online PDF has been watermarked “RETRACTION”. The retraction notice is available at http://doi.org/10.3233/CBM219903

Keywords: Pancreatic cancer, chemoresistance, miR-34, Slug, PUMA

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170289

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 755-762, 2018

Authors: Zhang, Jiajia | Wang, Tong | Zhang, Yong | Wang, Hao | Wu, Yubing | Liu, Kunhe | Pei, Chong

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Emerging studies show that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a essential role in tumorigenesis. Deregulation of miR-494 is frequently observed in various human cancers including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, little is known about the clinical significance of serum miR-494. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of serum miR-494 for NSCLC. METHODS: We first compared miR-494 levels between NSCLC cell lines and lung bronchus epithelial cell line. A total of 90 NSCLC patients and 50 healthy controls were included in this study. MiR-494 levels were examined in serum samples …by using real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reactions. Association between serum miR-494 levels and the prognosis of NSCLC was further analyzed. RESULTS: Our results showed that miR-494 was elevated in NSCLC cell lines. Serum miR-494 levels were significantly increased in patients with NSCLC compared to healthy controls. Area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 85.4%. In addition, serum miR-494 levels decreased remarkably when patients received effective therapy. High serummiR-494 levels were significantly associated with higher incidence of lymph node metastasis, advanced clinical stage and higher histological grade. Moreover, survival analysis demonstrated that patients in the high serum miR-494 group had a poorer 5 year overall survival and disease free survival compared with the patients in the low serum miR-494 group. Multivariate analysis showed that serum miR-494 was an independent risk factor. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, serum miR-494 was significantly elevated in NSCLC patients and closely correlated with poor clinical outcome, indicating that serum miR-494 might be a useful diagnostic and prognostic marker for NSCLC. Show more

Keywords: Biomarker, diagnosis, non-small cell lung cancer, serum miR-494, prognosis

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170337

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 763-768, 2018

Authors: Cui, Jian | Wang, Qian | Wang, Hai-Bo | Wang, Bin | Li, Ling

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women worldwide. There are evidences that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is associated with several malignant tumors. This study aims to investigate the infection of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in a large sample of breast cancer patients, and conduct a correlation analysis of clinical and pathological factors, to provide evidence for whether HCMV infection is associated with breast cancer development, progression and metastasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 438 tissue samples (including breast cancer tissue, paracancerous tissue and sentinel lymph node [SLN] tissue) obtained from 146 …patients who were diagnosed with breast cancer and intraoperatively underwent unilateral axillary SLN biopsy at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from June 2013 to June 2014 were included into this study. These tissue samples were divided into two groups: SLN positive group and SLN negative group. The clinical information is collated and numbered. Normal breast tissues of 40 patients with cyclomastopathy were taken as controls. The expressions of HCMV immediate-early (IE) and late antigen (LA) proteins of breast cancer tissues, paracancerous tissues, SLN tissues and normal breast tissues were analyzed by immunohistochemistry, and HCMV infection of the samples was graded according to the percentage of the positive cells, and HCMV IE2 mRNA expression was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The clinical data were collated and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: HCMV IE and LA proteins were highly expressed in all breast cancer tissue samples. IE proteins were detected in 47.9% (70/146) of paracancerous tissue samples, and LA proteins were detected in 53.4% (78/146) of paracancerous tissue samples. IE and LA proteins were expressed in 92.6% of metastatic SLN samples (62/68) and in most of the tumor cells. Inflammatory cells in 60% (42/70) of non-metastatic samples were positive for HCMV. HCMV DNA was present in 100% of breast cancer tissue samples, 50% of paracancerous tissue samples, and 91% of metastatic SLN samples; but this was not present in HCMV negative and non-metastatic SLN samples. Differences in HCMV infection, and estrogen receptor-α , progesterone receptor, Elston classification, Ki67 percentage, Her-2 and Luminal type and other clinical indicators were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: HCMV infection is common in breast cancer tissues, paracancerous tissues and SLN tissues. The severity of HCMV infection varied markedly with tissue type. HCMV infection might be associated with metastasis and invasion of breast cancer. The expression of HCMV IE2 was associated to breast cancer and lymph node metastasis. The expression level of estrogen receptor-α was related to HCMV infection. Show more

Keywords: Primary breast cancer, HCMV, para cancer tissues, sentinel lymph nodes, immunohistochemistry

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170409

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 769-780, 2018

Authors: Liang, Peiqi | Miao, Miao | Liu, Zhuogang | Wang, Hongtao | Jiang, Wei | Ma, Shiyu | Li, Chuan | Hu, Rong

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: We undertook a single-center retrospective study to determine the relationship between CD9 and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 112 newly diagnosed patients in our center were enrolled in the study. Their clinical information was collected and the patients werefollowed over the course of the study. Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of CD9. RESULTS: CD9 expression was more common in B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and patients > 40 years old. CD9-positive patients exhibited a higher BCR-ABL fusion gene positive rate and higher neutrophil counts …than CD9 negative patients (P = 0.004 and P = 0.004, respectively). Response to induction chemotherapy was not dependent on CD9 expression. CD9-positive patients had a lower 2-year overall survival rate than CD9-negative patients. CONCLUSION: CD9 expression predicts some clinical characteristics and indicates an unfavorable prognosis in ALL patients. Show more

Keywords: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, CD9, clinical characteristics, prognosis

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170422

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 781-786, 2018

Authors: Zhong, Li-Xia | Nie, Jun-Hua | Liu, Jia | Lin, Li-Zhu

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Aplysia ras homology member I/ARHI is known as ovarian cancer suppressor gene and potential inhibitor of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3/STAT3 signaling. Resveratrol suppresses growth and STAT3 activation of ovarian cancer cells, while its influence in ARHI expression remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: The current study aims to elucidate the status of ARHI expression and its relevance with growth suppression and STAT3 inactivation of resveratrol-treated cells. METHODS: ARHI expression patterns of three ovarian cancer cell lines (human CAOV-3, OVCAR-3 and rat NUTU-19) without and with 100 μ M resveratrol treatment …were checked by immunocytochemical staining, Western blotting and RT-PCR. The involvement of ARHI in the growth inhibition and STAT3 inactivation of resveratrol-treated OVCAR-3 cells was investigated by transfection of ARHI-specific siRNA. RESULTS: ARHI is expressed in low levels in three ovarian cancer cell lines, which is upregulated upon resveratrol treatment accompanied with growth arrest, extensive apoptosis, increased autophagic activity and inactivated STAT3 signaling. Specific siRNA transfection efficiently knocked down ARHI expression in resveratrol-treated CAOV-3 and OVCAR-3 cells and increased the total cell number in limited extents (P > 0.05) in comparison with that of resveratrol-treated ovarian cancer cells without any transfection or transfected with mock oligonucleotides. ARHI knockdown failed to prevent resveratrol-caused STAT3 inactivation and cell crisis. CONCLUSION: ARHI upregulation is another molecular event caused by resveratrol and one of the elements related with resveratrol’s anti-ovarian cancer efficacy. Resveratrol may inactivate STAT3 signaling of ovarian cancer cells in ARHI unrelated pattern(s). Show more

Keywords: ARHI, Resveratrol, Ovarian Cancer, STAT3 signaling, Growth suppression, siRNA transfection

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170483

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 787-795, 2018

Authors: Zhang, Xin | Liu, Xia | Kang, Shuxia | Liu, Caiyun | Hao, Yuqin

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is one of the most common skin cancers. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non-invasive treatment for SCC, but it is usually effective only on tumors just under the skin. Resveratrol (Res) is a polyphenolic compound, which is capable of promoting apoptosis of a variety of cancer cells. Res administration is non-invasive and effective on SCC, thus it may be used as an adjuvant for PDT. So far, there is no published study investigating the combination use of PDT with Res to improve clinical outcome of SCC. So in this study, we will …examine the effectiveness of combined treatment of PDT and Res as well as its underlying mechanism. METHODS: The human HaCaT keratinocytes and human A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells were treated with ALA-PDT or/and Res, and cell proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated by MTT and flow cytometry respectively afterwards. p-ERK, p38, p53 and caspase-3 protein expression was examined by western blot. Then a p38 inhibitor was added to test the involvement of p38 pathway in A431 cells responding to ALA-PDT and Res treatments. RESULTS: The results showed that Res could enhance the effect of ALA-PDT on cell proliferation and apoptosis in A431 cells. We also found that the expression of p-ERK, p-p38, p53 and caspase-3 was increased. However, inhibition of p38 pathway attenuated the effect of Res. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated that Res could enhance the effect of ALA-PDT against skin cancer cells through p38/ MAPK pathway. Show more

Keywords: ALA-PDT, resveratrol, squamous cell carcinoma, proliferation, apoptosis

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170495

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 797-803, 2018

Authors: Wang, Jianjun | Liu, Yuanyuan | Sun, Wangwei | Zhang, Qinghui | Gu, Tao | Li, Guangxin

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Exosomes are lipid bilayer vesicles of endocytic origin ranging from 30 to 100 nm in size, and contain various nucleic acid molecules such as DNA, mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA and multiple proteins, which could be transferred into target cells. Recent study indicated that exosomes as information carriers between cells has introduced us to a new previously unknown biological communication system. Increasing evidences show that exosomes play a crucial role in gastric cancer because they are potential to influence normal cellular physiology and promote various states of the cancer. In this review, we focus on the latest findings on exosomes in the …plasma of gastric cancer patients, mainly summarizing the functions of miRNAs, lncRNAs and multiple proteins in diagnosis, prognosis, and in establishing treatment regimens against gastric cancer. Furtherly, potential functions of exosomes as novel diagnostic biomarkers for gastric cancer are discussed extensively. Exosomes are believed to be a non-invasive disease biomarker with a dual capability to provide insights into the early diagnosis for gastric cancer. Show more

Keywords: Exosomes, gastric cancer, biomarker, miRNA, lncRNA

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170738

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 805-812, 2018

Authors: Li, Zhongqi | Guo, Qi | Wei, Juying | Jin, Jie | Wang, Jinghan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treated in the rituximab era was not clear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prognostic impact of GNRI in patients with DLBCL in our hospital. METHODS: DLBCL patients were recruited and classified into two groups with and without malnutrition based on GNRI. Clinical features, concentration of T-helper cell type (Th1/Th2/Th17) cytokine profiles and overall survival were compared between these two groups. RESULTS: One hundred and five (39%) out of 267 patients were classified into malnutrition group. …Patients with malnutrition had lower levels of albumin and hemoglobin, but older age, higher lactate dehydroxygenase (LDH) level, higher frequencies of advanced stage, poor performance status, B symptoms and extranodal involvement, higher scores of NCCN-IPI and higher level of INF-γ . Moreover, patients with malnutrition had poor overall survival in univariate analyses. But these significances did not stand after stratified analyses by NCCN-IPI, or in the context of NCCN-IPI in the multivariate analyses. CONCLUSIONS: GNRI is not an independent predictor for DLBCL patients. Show more

Keywords: lymphoma, nutritional risk, predictor

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170754

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 813-820, 2018

Authors: Saeednejad Zanjani, Leili | Madjd, Zahra | Abolhasani, Maryam | Shariftabrizi, Ahmad | Rasti, Arezoo | Asgari, Mojgan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: CD105 is recently described as a cancer stem cell (CSC) marker. OBJECTIVE: The present study was aimed to investigate the expression and prognostic significance of the CSC marker CD105 in different histological subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: Expression of CD105 was evaluated using immunohistochemistry in RCC samples on tissue microarrays including clear cell RCCs (ccRCCs), papillary, and chromophobe RCCs. The association between CD105 expression and clinicopathological features as well as survival outcomes was determined. RESULTS: In ccRCC, increased tumoral cytoplasmic and endothelial expression of CD105 were significantly …associated with advanced stage, renal vein invasion, and microvascular invasion (MVI). In addition, MVI was associated with a worse overall survival (OS). Moreover, in multivariate analysis tumor stage and nuclear grade were independent prognostic factors for OS both in case of tumoral cytoplasmic and endothelial CD105 expression. Additionally, CD105 expression was found to be a predictor of worse OS in univariate analysis. However, in papillary and chromophobe RCC, no significant association was found between CD105 expression and clinicopathological parameters or prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that CD105 expression was associated with more aggressive tumor behavior, more advanced disease, and worse prognosis in ccRCC but not in the other RCC subtypes. Show more

Keywords: CD105, renal cell carcinoma (RCC), cancer stem cells (CSCs), endothelial expression, tissue microarray (TMA), RCC subtypes

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170755

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 821-837, 2018

Authors: Weiten, Richard | Müller, Tim | Schmidt, Doris | Steiner, Susanne | Kristiansen, Glen | Müller, Stefan C. | Ellinger, Jörg | Syring, Isabella

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: MED15 is a part of the multiprotein Mediator complex which is involved in the transcription of polymerase (Pol) II-dependent genes. Several studies in this field have reported altered expressions of distinct subunits in human malignancy. However, the role of MED15 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has not be investigated yet. METHODS: First, we performed an RNA expression and survival analysis of MED15 in RCC by using the database cBioPortal. To confirm these data on the protein level, we executed immunohistochemical (IHC) staining against MED15 on a tissue microarray containing 184 samples of the most common …subtypes of the tumour at the various stages. Further, we performed functional analysis including proliferation, migration, and invasion assays on the RCC cell lines A-498 and ACHN following the siRNA-mediated MED15 knockdown. RESULTS: On the mRNA level, higher expression of MED15 was associated with worse patient survival rates. IHC staining validated this tendency, unfortunately the results were not significant. However, supporting this tendency, in vitro -assays showed a significant decrease in proliferation, migration, and invasion after knockdown of MED15 . CONCLUSION: The research concludes that MED15 does seem to play a tumour promoting role in the progression and metastatic spread of renal cell carcinoma. Show more

Keywords: Mediator complex, renal cell carcinoma, MED15, tumour promoter

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170757

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 839-847, 2018

Authors: Xue, Jinfang | Liao, Liya | Yin, Fang | Kuang, Haoyu | Zhou, Xiaojun | Wang, Yanan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: LncRNAs are involved in the metastasis and recurrence of human tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC). We previously reported that lncRNA AB073614 promotes tumor proliferation and metastasis and predicted a poor clinical outcome of CRC patients. Herein, we investigated the underlying mechanism of lncRNA AB073614-related metastasis in CRC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The expression of lncRNA AB073614 in CRC tissues were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Transwell assay was performed to detect the effects of lncRNA AB073614 on cell migration and invasion. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) molecular markers and Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT3) …pathway proteins expression levels were detected by Western blot and Immunofluorescence. RESULTS: We confirmed that lncRNA AB073614 was highly expressed in the colorectal cancer tissues. LncRNA AB073614 knockdown in SW480 and HCT116 cells significantly promoted the protein expression levels of E-cadherin and Occludin, and decreased the expressions of N-cadherin and Vimentin, then further decreased the cell migration and invasion ability. Interestingly, the expression of phosphorylated STAT3 was also down-regulated. Furthermore, SW480 and HCT116 cells were transfected with lncRNA AB073614 vector and treated with a JAK inhibitor, AT9283. The results showed that lncRNA AB073614 regulated EMT through JAK-STAT3 signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: All these results indicate that lncRNA AB073614 can induce the expression of EMT cell markers and regulate the process of EMT of CRC cells through regulating the JAK/STAT3 pathway activation. Show more

Keywords: Colorectal cancer, LncRNA AB073614, JAK/STAT3, epithelial-mesenchymal transition

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170780

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 849-858, 2018

Authors: Zhao, Xianguang | Chen, Yang | Mao, Qiqi | Jiang, Xiaoyun | Jiang, Weiru | Chen, Jiajie | Xu, Weijia | Zhong, Liang | Sun, Xu

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: In China, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in men, followed by lung and stomach cancer. There was an urgent need to identify novel prognostic biomarkers for HCC. We explored the expression pattern of m6A related proteins in HCC tissues by using TCGA in this study. We found that the m6A ‘reader’ YTHDF1 was significantly upregulated in HCC and was positive correlated with pathology stage. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that Lower YTHDF1 expression level was associated with better survival of HCC patients. Furthermore, we performed GO and KEGG pathway analysis of …YTHDF1 co-expressed genes and found YTHDF1 played an important role in regulating HCC cell cycle progression and metabolism. We believed that this study will provide a potential new therapeutic and prognostic target for HCC. Show more

Keywords: YTHDF1, HCC, m6A, prognostic, biomarker

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170791

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 859-868, 2018

Authors: Vocka, Michal | Langer, Daniel | Fryba, Vladimir | Petrtyl, Jaromir | Hanus, Tomas | Kalousova, Marta | Zima, Tomas | Petruzelka, Lubos

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: GDF-15 is a protein belonging to the transforming growth factor beta superfamily that has a role in regulating inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. High level GDF-15 in tumor tissues and plasma correlate with an increased risk of recurrence and reduced overall survival. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to screen GDF-15 capacity to detecting metastatic CRC and compare it with standard tumor markers CEA and CA19-9. METHODS: We collected serum samples from 97 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and 79 samples from healthy controls. Serum levels of GDF-15, CEA and CA19-9 were measured …by immunochemically. A Kaplan-Meier curve was applied for analysis of survival rates, and a log-rank was used for univariate analysis. RESULTS: Serum levels of GDF-15 were significantly higher in patients with colorectal cancer compared to healthy controls (p < 0.001). In addition, serum levels of GDF-15 correlated with extent of liver involvement and patients with higher GDF-15 levels had significantly worse outcome (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results show GDF-15 as an effective biomarker in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with the same sensitivity as CEA. In addition, GDF-15 levels strongly correlate with extension of liver involvement in contrast with CEA. Show more

Keywords: GDF-15, colorectal cancer, biomarker, survival

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170792

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 869-874, 2018

Authors: Wang, Dong | Zhou, Juan | Zheng, Jihua | Zhang, Jiang | Chen, Yaoming | Li, Wen | Wang, Ruizhi

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy is recommended for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) at advanced stages. Excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) plays an important function in the repair of DNA damage that is a critical process of chemo- and radiotherapy. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of ERCC1 expression in NPC treated with cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy in locoregionally advanced NPC. METHODS: The expression level of ERCC1 and its association with clinicopathological characteristics in 205 locoregionally advanced NPC patients receiving cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The correlation analysis …revealed that the treatment-sensitive patients displayed dramatically lower ERCC1 expression than treatment-resistant cases did. Furthermore, the Kaplan-Meier plots revealed lower ERCC1 expression was significantly associated with better survival. Multivariate analysis further showed that the ERCC1 expression was an independent predictor of NPC patients’ survival. CONCLUSIONS: ERCC1 expression might be a useful predictive marker in patients with locoregionally advanced NPC receiving cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Show more

Keywords: ERCC1, cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy, nasopharyngeal cancer, survival

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170817

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 875-881, 2018

Authors: Hu, Jianxia | Liu, Xiaoyi | Chi, Jingwei | Che, Kui | Feng, Yan | Zhao, Shihua | Wang, Zhongchao | Wang, Yangang

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Epidemiological data have revealed that colorectal cancer (CRC) risk is increased in patients with Metabolic syndrome. OBJECTIVE: To explore the expressions of IGF-1, ERK, GLUT4, IRS-1 in MS patients with CRC and their associations with the clinical characteristics of CRC. METHODS: We investigated the expressions of IGF-1, ERK, GLUT4 and IRS-1 in greater omental adipose tissues of 168 MS patients with/without CRC, 85 CRC patients without MS and 98 healthy controls by RT-PCR, and analyzed the relationships between their expressions and clinical characteristics of CRC. RESULTS: The expression levels …of IGF-1 and ERK in MS patients with/without CRC were higher while the expression levels of GLUT4 were lower compared with CRC patients without MS and healthy controls (P < 0.01). The expression levels of IGF-1 and ERK in MS patients with CRC were higher while expression levels of GLUT4 were lower compared to MS patients without CRC (P < 0.01). Expression levels of ERK, IGF-1, GLUT4 were associated with clinical characteristics of CRC, including tumor size, distant metastasis and advanced stages (III/IV) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Expressions of IGF-1, ERK and GLUT4 in greater omental adipose tissues might be useful biomarkers and predictive targets in the diagnosis of CRC. Show more

Keywords: Metabolic syndrome, colorectal cancer, IGF-1, ERK, GLUT4

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170942

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 883-891, 2018

Authors: Qiu, Fei | Gao, Wei | Wang, Bin

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in digestive tract. Previous study found close correlation between insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) and occurrence of multiple tumors. This study aims to analyze the effects of IGFBP6 on the apoptosis and migration of tumor cells, and to investigate underlying mechanism. HCT-116 or SW480 cell was cultured with 1.0 mg/l, 10 mg/l and 100 mg/l IGFBP-6. MTT assay was employed to test the proliferation activity of tumor cells after differential treatment. The cell cycle of tumor cells was detected by flow cytometry, while Transwell assay was used to quantify the invasion …and migration of tumor cells after IGFBP-6 intervention. In experimental group with IGFPB-6 application, the proliferation rate of HCG-116 or SW480 cells was gradually decreased with higher concentrations of IGFBP-6 (p < 0.05). The ratio of cells at G0/G1 phase was increased while S phase and G2/M phase ratio were all decreased with IGFPB-6. With further elevated concentration of IGFPB-6, there was more potency of higher G0/G1 ratio and lower S phase or G2/M phase (p < 0.05). Both invasion and migration ability of HCT-116 or SW480 cells in experimental group were decreased. With elevated IGFBP-6 concentration, cell invasion and migration were further weakened (p < 0.05). IGFBP-6 could inhibit invasion and migration of colorectal carcinoma cells possibly via inhibiting proliferation activity and arresting cell cycle of HCT-116 or SW480 cells. Show more

Keywords: IGFBP-6, colorectal cancer, cell apoptosis, migration

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170947

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 893-898, 2018

Authors: Yao, Qiang | Wang, Weimin | Jin, Jun | Min, Ke | Yang, Jian | Zhong, Yubing | Xu, Chunni | Deng, Jianliang | Zhou, Yan

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Expressions of Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 have been identified as important markers in many malignant tumors, but their roles in colorectal cancer (CRC) have not been confirmed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 in CRC. METHODS: We enrolled 470 CRC patients in this study. Archival paraffin-embedded CRC tissue samples were used to construct tissue microarray (TMA), expressions of Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 that were stained by immunohistochemistry. Prognostic and predictive role of Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 expressions, alone or united, were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analysis respectively. …RESULTS: In comparison with adjacent normal tissues, Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 protein levels were upregulated in CRC tissues significantly, furthermore, high expressions of Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 were correlated with decreased overall survival (OS) (p < 0.05), and also with unfavorable clinicopathologic characteristics. Cox regression analysis showed that high Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 expressions were independent negative markers of OS. CONCLUSION: Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 expressions in tumor tissues are novel candidate prognostic markers for CRC patients. It was the first time to be identified that Caspase-8 and Caspase-3 expressions had synergistic role as efficient prognostic indicators for CRC patients. Show more

Keywords: Caspase-8, Caspase-3, colorectal cancer (CRC), diagnosis, prognosis

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170967

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 899-908, 2018

Authors: Cui, Li-Na | Li, Na | Fu, Shuang | Zhang, Xin | Wang, Xin | Wang, Rui-Tao

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is associated with severe morbidity and mortality in cancer. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is an indicator of activated platelets. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate whether the combination of D-dimer and MPV could have a better performance in predicting deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in patients with breast cancer. MEHTODS: In 342 consecutive breast cancer patients without preoperative DVT, we measured the preoperative D-dimer and MPV levels. Compression ultrasonography was performed in all breast cancer patients before surgery, as well as one month, three months, six months, and twelve months. …RESULTS: During a median period of twelve months, 15 of the 234 patients (6.4%) developed DVT. MPV was reduced and D-dimer was increased in patients with DVT events compared to those without DVT. Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that both MPV and D-dimer were independent predictors for DVT events. The area under the ROC curve was 0.619 (95% CI: 0.553 to 0.681) when D-dimer was used alone, whereas it increased to 0.790 (95% CI 0.732 to 0.840, p < 0.001) with the addition of MPV. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of preoperative D-Dimer and MPV improves the predictive power of postoperative DVT risk in breast cancer patients. Show more

Keywords: Breast cancer, D-dimer, mean platelet volume, risk prediction

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-170975

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 909-913, 2018

Authors: Liu, Yuan | Men, Changping | Xu, Yingmin | Zhao, Kai | Luo, Lei | Dong, Dahai | Yu, Qinchao

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Clusterin promotes cell proliferation, motility and invasiveness in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells but the underlying molecular mechanisms of this action are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of clusterin on cancer cell growth, invasion and S100A4 expression and to determine the effects of clusterin on in vitro cell proliferation and migration and in vivo tumour growth in RCC cells. METHODS: We have established stable transfectants of highly invasive Caki-1 human RCC cells with expression of clusterin shRNA targeting clusterin (Caki-1/clusterin shRNA). We also …established stable transfectants of 786-O human RCC cells with expression of clusterin cDNA plaismid (786-O/clusterin cDNA). Clusterin and S100A4 expression was detected by reverse transcription (RT) PCR and western blot assay; Caki-1/clusterin shRNA and 786-O/clusterin cDNA clones were subjected to in vitro -invasion assays. Cell viability and cell growth was assessed in MTT and clonogenic assay. Specific small interfering RNA was employed to down-regulate S100A4. The expression plasmid for S100A4 (pCMV-S100A4) was used to upregulate S100A4. Caki-1/clusterin shRNA clones were injected subcutaneously in nude mice to determine tumour growth and cancer cell invasiveness in vivo . Xenograft tumour tissues were assessed by immunohistochemistry and frozen tissues were used for the detection of S100A4 and clusterin. RESULTS: Overexpression of clusterin increased cell invasiveness; and targeting clusterin reduced cell invasiveness in vitro . This increase in cell invasiveness was mediated by S100A4. Targeting clusterin decreased cell proliferation and down-regulated cellular S100A4 levels in Caki-1 cells; Overexpression of clusterin increased cell proliferation and up-regulated cellular S100A4 levels in 786-O cells; Stable Caki-1/clusterin shRNA transfectants produced smaller xenograft tumours containing reduced S100A4 protein levels in vivo . Stable 786-O/clusterin cDNA transfectants produced larger xenograft tumours containing increased S100A4 protein levels in vivo . CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that clusterin promotes growth and invasion in RCC cells in vitro and in vivo through upregulation of S100A4; And targeting clusterin confers growth inhibitory and anti-invasive properties in RCC cells in vitro and in vivo through a down-regulation of S100A4. These findings provide the rationale for future oncostatic strategies aimed at suppressing clusterin-mediated signal transduction pathways as a novel therapeutic approach in human RCC. Show more

Keywords: Renal cell carcinoma, invasion, growth, clusterin, S100a4

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-171018

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 915-923, 2018

Authors: Zhou, Qianping | Huang, Lanshan | Gu, Yongyao | Lu, Huiping | Feng, Zhenbo

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Molecular target therapy has become a hot spot in cancer treatment, finding effective targets for diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an urgent problem. OBJECTIVE: To detect the expression level of C-C motif chemokine ligand 18 (CCL18) in DLBCL and clarify its potential role in the progression of DLBCL. METHODS: Gene expression datas of DLBCL were obtained from TCGA and GEO databases. The relationship between CCL18 and clinicopathologic information of DLBCL was assessed using meta-analysis method. Then we conducted bioinformatics analysis to uncover the biological function of CCL18 and its co-expression …genes. Immunohistochemistry was applied to detect expression of CCL18 in DLBCL and reactive hyperplasia lymphoid tissues. RESULTS: The expression of CCL18 in DLBCL was higher than negative control group. The levels of CCL18 were distinct in different molecular subtypes and ages, and patients with higher level of CCL18 had a shorter overall survival than those with lower level. CCL18 and its co-expression genes were enriched in biological function such as cell proliferation, migration, apoptotic, and correlated with NF-κ B, pathway in cancer, PI3K-AKT pathway. CONCLUSIONS: CCL18 was up-regulated in DLBCL and related to poor prognosis. CCL18 may act as a valuable target for diagnosis and treatment of DLBCL. Show more

Keywords: CCL18, DLBCL, meta-analysis, bioinformatics, immunohistochemistry

DOI: 10.3233/CBM-171097

Citation: Cancer Biomarkers, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 925-934, 2018