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Bibliography on: Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (causes)

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Robert J. Robbins is a biologist, an educator, a science administrator, a publisher, an information technologist, and an IT leader and manager who specializes in advancing biomedical knowledge and supporting education through the application of information technology. More About:  RJR | OUR TEAM | OUR SERVICES | THIS WEBSITE

RJR: Recommended Bibliography 22 Oct 2024 at 01:50 Created: 

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (causes)

Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), also known as infiltrating ductal carcinoma, is cancer that began growing in a milk duct and has invaded the fibrous or fatty tissue of the breast outside of the duct. IDC is the most common form of breast cancer, representing 80 percent of all breast cancer diagnoses.

The causes of invasive ductal carcinoma have not been conclusively established. Researchers have determined that cancer can form when the cells in a milk-producing duct undergo changes that cause them to grow uncontrollably, divide very rapidly or remain viable longer than they should. The result is an accumulation of excess cells that can form a mass, or tumor, and potentially spread to nearby lymph nodes and distant areas of the body. The underlying reason for those cellular changes, however, remains unclear.

By evaluating the results of extensive studies, scientists have identified certain hormonal, environmental and lifestyle factors that are believed to influence a person's breast cancer risk, such as smoking, poor nutrition and prior radiation therapy administered to the chest area. Even so, it's important to keep in mind that some individuals who have no risk factors develop cancer, while others with one or more risk factors do not. Most likely, the precise cause is a complex interaction of many factors.

In rare cases, the causes of invasive ductal carcinoma have been traced to inherited attributes, such as mutations of the: (a) Breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1), a tumor suppressor gene, (b) Breast cancer gene 2 (BRCA2), a tumor suppressor gene, or (c) ErbB2 gene, which produces the HER2 protein that promotes cellular proliferation.

Created with PubMed® Query: ( ("invasive ductal carcinoma" OR IDC) AND (cause OR caused OR etiology) ) NOT pmcbook NOT ispreviousversion

Citations The Papers (from PubMed®)

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RevDate: 2024-10-21
CmpDate: 2024-10-21

Cai F, Li Y, Liu H, et al (2024)

Single-cell and Spatial Transcriptomic Analyses Implicate Formation of the Immunosuppressive Microenvironment during Breast Tumor Progression.

Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950), 213(9):1392-1401.

Ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive ductal carcinoma represent two stages of breast cancer progression. A multitude of studies have shown that genomic instability increases during tumor development, as manifested by higher mutation and copy number variation rates. The advent of single-cell and spatial transcriptomics has enabled the investigation of the subtle differences in cellular states during the tumor progression at single-cell level, thereby providing more nuanced understanding of the intercellular interactions within the solid tumor. However, the evolutionary trajectory of tumor cells and the establishment of the immunosuppressive microenvironment during breast cancer progression remain unclear. In this study, we performed an exploratory analysis of the single-cell sequencing dataset of 13 ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive ductal carcinoma samples. We revealed that tumor cells became more malignant and aggressive during their progression, and T cells transited to an exhausted state. The tumor cells expressed various coinhibitory ligands that interacted with the receptors of immune cells to create an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Furthermore, spatial transcriptomics data confirmed the spatial colocalization of tumor and immune cells, as well as the expression of the coinhibitory ligand-receptor pairs. Our analysis provides insights into the cellular and molecular mechanism underlying the formation of the immunosuppressive landscape during two typical stages of breast cancer progression.

RevDate: 2024-09-28
CmpDate: 2024-09-20

Madrigal JM, Pruitt CN, Fisher JA, et al (2024)

Carcinogenic industrial air pollution and postmenopausal breast cancer risk in the National Institutes of Health AARP Diet and Health Study.

Environment international, 191:108985.

BACKGROUND: Chemicals emitted from industrial facilities include known or suspected mammary carcinogens and endocrine disruptors, but epidemiologic studies are limited. We evaluated associations between air emissions of multiple carcinogenic chemicals and postmenopausal breast cancer risk in a large prospective U.S.

METHODS: We used the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Toxics Release Inventory to estimate historical airborne emissions (1987-1995) of 19 known and probable carcinogens for participants enrolled (1995-1996) in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Among 170,402 women, 15,124 breast cancers were diagnosed through 2018. We constructed inverse distance- and wind-weighted average emissions metrics within 1, 2, 5, and 10 km of the enrollment address for each chemical. We estimated multivariable adjusted HRs and 95 % CIs for categories (quartiles, tertiles, medians) of each chemical in association with breast cancer overall and separately by type (invasive, ductal carcinoma in situ) and estrogen receptor (ER) status.

RESULTS: We observed an association between benzene emissions and breast cancer risk that was strongest at 1 km (HRQ4 vs. non-exposed = 2.06, 95 %CI: 1.34-3.17; p-trend = 0.001). The magnitude of the association weakened with increasing distance (2 km HRQ4 vs. non-exposed = 1.17, 95 %CI=0.92-1.49; p-trend = 0.19; 5 km HRQ4 vs. non-exposed = 1.05, 95 %CI=0.94-1.16; p-trend = 0.37; 10 km HRQ4 vs. non-exposed = 0.95, 95 %CI=0.89-1.02; p-trend = 0.19) and appeared to be most relevant for invasive rather than intraductal disease. Overall risk was also elevated for vinyl chloride at 5 km (HR≥median vs. non-exposed = 1.20, 95 %CI=1.01-1.43; p-trend = 0.04), but not 2 km or 10 km. We observed suggestive associations for asbestos, trichloroethylene, and styrene in different subgroup analyses, but risk patterns were not clear across distances. Associations with other chemicals were generally null, with limited evidence of heterogeneity by disease type or ER status.

CONCLUSIONS: An increased risk of breast cancer associated with relatively high levels of industrial benzene emissions warrants additional study, particularly among participants with diverse sociodemographic characteristics that live in areas with higher density of industrial facilities.

RevDate: 2024-10-15
CmpDate: 2024-10-15

Chen C, Tseng J, Amersi F, et al (2024)

Second primary malignancies in women with breast cancer.

Journal of surgical oncology, 130(3):355-359.

BACKGROUND: Increased screening and treatment advancements have resulted in improved survival rates in women with breast cancer (BC). However, recent data suggests these women have elevated risk of developing a second primary malignancy (SPM) compared to the general population. Limited data exists on factors associated with BC patients developing a SPM.

METHOD: A retrospective review of a prospective single institution database (1990-2016) identified 782 patients with a history of BC. One hundred and ninety-four BC patients developed a SPM. Clinicopathologic and treatment characteristics were analyzed.

RESULTS: Of the 194 patients (24.8%) who developed a SPM, 56 (28.9%) BC patients were <50 years old (range: 24-87 years). Two-thirds (64.9%) had at least one first or second degree relative with a malignancy (no relatives-35.1%; ≥1 relative-62.9%). Most patients had invasive ductal carcinoma (n = 117, 60.3%) or ductal carcinoma in situ (n = 39, 20.1%). Twenty-two patients (11.3%) had pathogenic genetic mutations. Mean time to developing a SPM was 8.9 years (range: 4 months-50 years). Eighty (47.6%) patients received chemotherapy with 91 (54.5%) completing radiation. The most common SPMs were breast (22%), melanoma (17.8%), gynecologic (14.1%), colorectal (12.6%), hematologic (8.9%), and sarcoma (6.5%). Most breast tumors were estrogen receptor (ER) (n = 99, 78.0%) or progesterone receptor (PR) positive (n = 87, 73.1%) but not HER2-neu positive (n = 13, 14.0%).

CONCLUSION: Most BC patients who developed a SPM had ER/PR positive tumors and a family history of malignancy, with most <50 years old. Although chemotherapy and radiation increase cancer risk, there were an equal number of patients with SPMs who did or did not receive either treatment. Most SPMs were breast, soft tissue, gynecologic, hematologic, or colorectal. BC patients should be followed closely given an elevated propensity for developing SPMs.

RevDate: 2024-10-15
CmpDate: 2024-10-15

Schimpfle L, Tsilingiris D, Mooshage CM, et al (2024)

Phase Angle of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis as an Indicator for Diabetic Polyneuropathy in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 109(11):e2110-e2119.

CONTEXT: Due to the heterogenous clinical symptoms and deficits, the diagnosis of diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is still difficult in clinical routines, leading to increased morbidity and mortality.

OBJECTIVE: We studied the correlation of phase angle (PhA) of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) with clinical, laboratory, and physical markers of DPN to evaluate PhA as a possible diagnostic method for DPN.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional observational study as part of the Heidelberg Study on Diabetes and Complications, we examined 104 healthy individuals and 205 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), among which 63 had DPN. The PhA was calculated from multifrequency BIA. Nerve conduction studies, quantitative sensory testing (QST) and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance neurography to determine fractional anisotropy (FA) reflecting peripheral nerve integrity were performed.

RESULTS: T2D patients with DPN had lower PhA values (5.71 ± 0.10) compared to T2D patients without DPN (6.07 ± 0.08, P = .007, + 6.1%) and healthy controls (6.18 ± 0.08, P < .001, + 7.9%). Confounder-adjusted analyses showed correlations of the PhA with conduction velocities and amplitudes of the peroneal (β=.28; β=.31, P < .001) and tibial nerves (β=.28; β=.32, P < .001), Z-scores of QST (thermal detection β=.30, P < .05) and the FA (β=.60, P < .001). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis showed similar performance of PhA in comparison to the mentioned diagnostic methods.

CONCLUSION: The study shows that PhA is, in comparison to other test systems used, at least an equally good and much easier to handle investigator-independent marker for detection of DPN.

RevDate: 2024-10-14
CmpDate: 2024-10-14

Wang Y, Li G, Chen B, et al (2024)

Myeloid cannabinoid CB1 receptor deletion confers atheroprotection in male mice by reducing macrophage proliferation in a sex-dependent manner.

Cardiovascular research, 120(12):1411-1426.

AIMS: Although the cannabinoid CB1 receptor has been implicated in atherosclerosis, its cell-specific effects in this disease are not well understood. To address this, we generated a transgenic mouse model to study the role of myeloid CB1 signalling in atherosclerosis.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Here, we report that male mice with myeloid-specific Cnr1 deficiency on atherogenic background developed smaller lesions and necrotic cores than controls, while only minor genotype differences were observed in females. Male Cnr1-deficient mice showed reduced arterial monocyte recruitment and macrophage proliferation with less inflammatory phenotype. The sex-specific differences in proliferation were dependent on oestrogen receptor (ER)α-oestradiol signalling. Kinase activity profiling identified a CB1-dependent regulation of p53 and cyclin-dependent kinases. Transcriptomic profiling further revealed chromatin modifications, mRNA processing, and mitochondrial respiration among the key processes affected by CB1 signalling, which was supported by metabolic flux assays. Chronic administration of the peripherally restricted CB1 antagonist JD5037 inhibited plaque progression and macrophage proliferation, but only in male mice. Finally, CNR1 expression was detectable in human carotid endarterectomy plaques and inversely correlated with proliferation, oxidative metabolism, and inflammatory markers, suggesting a possible implication of CB1-dependent regulation in human pathophysiology.

CONCLUSION: Impaired macrophage CB1 signalling is atheroprotective by limiting their arterial recruitment, proliferation, and inflammatory reprogramming in male mice. The importance of macrophage CB1 signalling appears to be sex-dependent.

RevDate: 2024-10-10
CmpDate: 2024-10-10

Voloch L, Icht M, Ben-David BM, et al (2024)

Seven Days of Voice Rest Post-phonosurgery Is Not Better than 3 days: A Prospective Randomized Short-term Outcome Study.

The Laryngoscope, 134(11):4661-4666.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to compare the short-term effect of 7 versus 3 days of voice rest (VR) on objective vocal (acoustic) parameters following phonosurgery.

METHODS: A prospective randomized study conducted at a tertiary referral medical center. Patients with vocal fold nodules, polyps, or cysts and scheduled for phonosurgery were recruited from the Voice Clinic. They were randomized into groups of 7- or 3-day postoperative VR periods and their voices were recorded preoperatively and at 4-week postoperatively. A mixed linear model statistical analysis (MLMSA) was used to compare pre- and postoperative jitter, shimmer, harmonic-to-noise ratio, and maximum phonation time between the two groups.

RESULTS: Sixty-five patients were recruited, but only 34 fully complied with the study protocol, and their data were included in the final analysis (19 males, 20 females; mean age: 40.6 years; 17 patients in the 7-day VR group and 16 in the 3-day VR group). The groups were comparable in age, sex, and type of vocal lesion distribution. The preoperative MLMSA showed no significant group differences in the tested vocal parameters. Both groups exhibited significant (p < 0.05) and comparable improvement in all vocal parameters at postoperative week 4.

CONCLUSIONS: A VR duration of 7 days showed no greater benefit on the examined vocal parameters than the 3-day protocol 4-week postoperatively. Our results suggest that a 3-day VR regimen can be followed by patients who undergo phonosurgery without compromising the vocal results. Larger-scale and longer-duration studies are needed to confirm our findings.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2 Laryngoscope, 134:4661-4666, 2024.

RevDate: 2024-10-11
CmpDate: 2024-10-11

Geppert J, M Rohm (2024)

Cancer cachexia: biomarkers and the influence of age.

Molecular oncology, 18(9):2070-2086.

Cancer cachexia (Ccx) is a complex metabolic condition characterized by pronounced muscle and fat wasting, systemic inflammation, weakness and fatigue. Up to 30% of cancer patients succumb directly to Ccx, yet therapies that effectively address this perturbed metabolic state are rare. In recent decades, several characteristics of Ccx have been established in mice and humans, of which we here highlight adipose tissue dysfunction, muscle wasting and systemic inflammation, as they are directly linked to biomarker discovery. To counteract cachexia pathogenesis as early as possible and mitigate its detrimental impact on anti-cancer treatments, identification and validation of clinically endorsed biomarkers assume paramount importance. Ageing was recently shown to affect both the validity of Ccx biomarkers and Ccx development, but the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. Thus, unravelling the intricate interplay between ageing and Ccx can help to counteract Ccx pathogenesis and tailor diagnostic and treatment strategies to individual needs.

RevDate: 2024-10-09
CmpDate: 2024-10-09

Voß F, Zweck E, Ipek R, et al (2024)

Myocardial Mitochondrial Function Is Impaired in Cardiac Light-Chain Amyloidosis Compared to Transthyretin Amyloidosis.

JACC. Heart failure, 12(10):1778-1780.

RevDate: 2024-09-01
CmpDate: 2024-08-26

Kolia A, Frountzas M, Liatsou E, et al (2024)

The Role of Serum Nestin in Diagnosis and Prognosis of Breast Cancer: A Prospective Observational Study.

In vivo (Athens, Greece), 38(5):2399-2403.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The molecular classification of breast cancer has enabled targeted therapy for specific molecular subtypes. Nestin, which has been studied for its role in oncogenesis, could contribute to this direction. This study aimed to investigate the differences between serum nestin levels and molecular profiling, as well as histopathological tumor types, in women who underwent surgery for breast cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Women who underwent surgery for breast cancer at the Breast Unit of the 1[st] Propaedeutic Department of Surgery, Hippocration General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens were prospectively included. Patients' demographic data were recorded and serum nestin levels were measured. Molecular biomarker analysis was performed, as well as histopathologic assessment.

RESULTS: Seventy patients were included in the analysis. Among patients with breast cancer, 93% were estrogen receptor (ER) positive, 91% were progesterone receptor (PR) positive, and 43% were human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive. Ki67 was expressed in 16% of patients and p53 was expressed in 32% of patients. Invasive ductal carcinoma was diagnosed in 80% of patients, with 44% of tumors classified as T1 and 46% as T2. Additionally, 43% were G1 and 56% were N0, while 34% were N1. No statistically significant difference was observed between serum nestin levels and ER, PR, HER2, Ki67, and p53 expression. Furthermore, no difference was observed between serum nestin levels and breast cancer histological type, size, N-stage, and grading.

CONCLUSION: The diagnostic and prognostic role of circulating nestin for breast cancer was not confirmed and no correlation with immunohistochemistry results was observed. Thus, the necessity of larger prospective studies is enhanced.

RevDate: 2024-08-18
CmpDate: 2024-08-15

Chen JH, Addanki S, Roy D, et al (2024)

Monitoring response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in triple negative breast cancer using circulating tumor DNA.

BMC cancer, 24(1):1016.

BACKGROUND: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype with poor prognosis. We aimed to determine whether circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and circulating tumor cell (CTC) could predict response and long-term outcomes to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

METHODS: Patients with TNBC were enrolled between 2017-2021 at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX). Serial plasma samples were collected at four timepoints: pre-NAC (baseline), 12-weeks after NAC (mid-NAC), after NAC/prior to surgery (post-NAC), and one-year after surgery. ctDNA was quantified using a tumor-informed ctDNA assay (Signatera[TM], Natera, Inc.) and CTC enumeration using CellSearch. Wilcoxon and Fisher's exact tests were used for comparisons between groups and Kaplan-Meier analysis used for survival outcomes.

RESULTS: In total, 37 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 50 and majority of patients had invasive ductal carcinoma (34, 91.9%) with clinical T2, (25, 67.6%) node-negative disease (21, 56.8%). Baseline ctDNA was detected in 90% (27/30) of patients, of whom 70.4% (19/27) achieved ctDNA clearance by mid-NAC. ctDNA clearance at mid-NAC was significantly associated with pathologic complete response (p = 0.02), whereas CTC clearance was not (p = 0.52). There were no differences in overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) with positive baseline ctDNA and CTC. However, positive ctDNA at mid-NAC was significantly associated with worse OS and RFS (p = 0.0002 and p = 0.0034, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: Early clearance of ctDNA served as a predictive and prognostic marker in TNBC. Personalized ctDNA monitoring during NAC may help predict response and guide treatment.

RevDate: 2024-09-24
CmpDate: 2024-08-14

Moragas N, Fernandez-Nogueira P, Recalde-Percaz L, et al (2024)

The SEMA3F-NRP1/NRP2 axis is a key factor in the acquisition of invasive traits in in situ breast ductal carcinoma.

Breast cancer research : BCR, 26(1):122.

BACKGROUND: A better understanding of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is urgently needed to identify these preinvasive lesions as distinct clinical entities. Semaphorin 3F (SEMA3F) is a soluble axonal guidance molecule, and its coreceptors Neuropilin 1 (NRP1) and NRP2 are strongly expressed in invasive epithelial BC cells.

METHODS: We utilized two cell line models to represent the progression from a healthy state to the mild-aggressive or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) stage and, ultimately, to invasive cell lines. Additionally, we employed in vivo models and conducted analyses on patient databases to ensure the translational relevance of our results.

RESULTS: We revealed SEMA3F as a promoter of invasion during the DCIS-to-invasive ductal carcinoma transition in breast cancer (BC) through the action of NRP1 and NRP2. In epithelial cells, SEMA3F activates epithelialmesenchymal transition, whereas it promotes extracellular matrix degradation and basal membrane and myoepithelial cell layer breakdown.

CONCLUSIONS: Together with our patient database data, these proof-of-concept results reveal new SEMA3F-mediated mechanisms occurring in the most common preinvasive BC lesion, DCIS, and represent potent and direct activation of its transition to invasion. Moreover, and of clinical and therapeutic relevance, the effects of SEMA3F can be blocked directly through its coreceptors, thus preventing invasion and keeping DCIS lesions in the preinvasive state.

RevDate: 2024-08-07
CmpDate: 2024-08-05

Wang DH, Yin WL, Pan XY, et al (2024)

[Prostate cancer with BRCA2 pathogenic mutation: a clinicopathological analysis].

Zhonghua bing li xue za zhi = Chinese journal of pathology, 53(8):789-796.

Objective: To analyze the clinicopathological features of prostate cancers with BRCA2 pathogenic mutations, and the association between BRCA2 pathogenic mutation and clinicopathological characteristics. Patient survivals were also examined. Methods: Clinicopathological data of 249 prostate cancer patients who underwent genetic testing in West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China from June 2014 to August 2021 were collected. A retrospective analysis of histopathological morphology, clinicopathological characteristics, and patient survivals was conducted. Results: The genetic testing in the 249 prostate cancer patients showed a pathogenic mutation of DNA damage repair gene (DRG) in 73 cases (73/249, 29.3%), including 22 cases (8.8%) with BRCA2 pathogenic mutation and 51 cases with pathogenic mutations of other DRG. Among the 22 patients with BRCA2 pathogenic mutation, 14 patients (5.6%) harbored germline mutations and 8 patients (3.2%) somatic mutations. Their ages ranged from 48 to 91 years, with a median of 67 years. Seventeen patients (77.3%) had distant metastasis, including 16 cases with bone metastasis and 1 case with multiple metastases. Thirteen patients (59.1%) were castration-resistant prostate cancer. The histological type was mainly classical prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma, including 16 cases (72.7%) with intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC-P). Six cases (27.3%) showed focal neuroendocrine differentiation. Perineural/vascular invasion and extraprostatic extension were seen in 11 cases (50.0%) and 8 cases (36.4%), respectively. The Gleason scores of 19 patients (86.4%) were≥8. IDC-P was more commonly found in patients with BRCA2 germline pathogenic mutation than those with BRCA2 somatic pathogenic mutation, other DRG pathogenic mutation or no-DRG pathogenic mutation (P=0.002). With a total follow-up time of 189 months, the median overall survival (OS) was 132.3 months. Patients with DRG pathogenic mutation had shorter OS than those with no-DRG pathogenic mutation (P=0.040). The OS of patients with BRCA2 germline pathogenic mutation did not significantly differ from that of patients with BRCA2 somatic pathogenic mutation, other DRG pathogenic mutation or no-DRG pathogenic mutation (P=0.216). Conclusions: The presence of BRCA2 gene pathogenic mutation is common in the prostate cancers with high Gleason grade, advanced clinical stage, and castration resistance. IDC-P is more commonly noted in cases with BRCA2 germline pathogenic mutation than those without. Patients with DRG pathogenic mutation have shorter OS than those with no-DRG pathogenic mutation, but there is no significant association between BRCA2 pathogenic mutations and OS.

RevDate: 2024-07-31
CmpDate: 2024-07-28

Imamura T, Komatsu S, Nishibeppu K, et al (2024)

Urinary microRNA-210-3p as a novel and non-invasive biomarker for the detection of pancreatic cancer, including intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma.

BMC cancer, 24(1):907.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore novel microRNAs in urine for screening and predicting clinical characteristics in pancreatic cancer (PC) patients using a microRNA array-based approach.

METHODS: We used the Toray[®] 3D-Gene microRNA array-based approach to compare urinary levels between PC patients and healthy volunteers.

RESULTS: (1) Four oncogenic microRNAs (miR-744-5p, miR-572, miR-210-3p, and miR-575) that were highly upregulated in the urine of PC patients compared to healthy individuals were identified by comprehensive microRNA array analysis. (2) Test-scale analysis by quantitative RT-PCR for each group of 20 cases showed that miR-210-3p was significantly upregulated in the urine of PC patients compared to healthy individuals (P = 0.009). (3) Validation analysis (58 PC patients and 35 healthy individuals) confirmed that miR-210-3p was significantly upregulated in the urine of PC patients compared to healthy individuals (P < 0.001, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.79, sensitivity: 0.828, specificity: 0.743). We differentiated PC patients into invasive ductal carcinoma (IDCa) and intraductal papillary mucinous carcinoma (IPMC) groups. In addition to urinary miR-210-3p levels being upregulated in IDCa over healthy individuals (P = 0.009), urinary miR-210-3p levels were also elevated in IPMC over healthy individuals (P = 0.0018). Urinary miR-210-3p can differentiate IPMC from healthy individuals by a cutoff of 8.02 with an AUC value of 0.762, sensitivity of 94%, and specificity of 63%. (4) To test whether urinary miR210-3p levels reflected plasma miR-210-3p levels, we examined the correlation between urinary and plasma levels. Spearman's correlation analysis showed a moderate positive correlation (ρ = 0.64, P = 0.005) between miR-210-3p expression in plasma and urine.

CONCLUSIONS: Urinary miR-210-3p is a promising, non-invasive diagnostic biomarker of PC, including IPMC.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: Not applicable.

RevDate: 2024-09-03
CmpDate: 2024-07-27

Corrêa TS, Asprino PF, de Oliveira ESC, et al (2024)

TP53 p.R337H Germline Variant among Women at Risk of Hereditary Breast Cancer in a Public Health System of Midwest Brazil.

Genes, 15(7):.

Despite the high prevalence of TP53 pathogenic variants (PV) carriers in the South and Southeast regions of Brazil, germline genetic testing for hereditary breast cancer (HBC) is not available in the Brazilian public health system, and the prevalence of Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is not well established in other regions of Brazil. We assessed the occurrence of TP53 p.R337H carriers among women treated for breast cancer (BC) between January 2021 and January 2022 at public hospitals of Brasilia, DF, Brazil. A total of 180 patients who met at least one of the NCCN criteria for HBC underwent germline testing; 44.4% performed out-of-pocket germline multigene panel testing, and 55.6% were tested for the p.R337H variant by allelic discrimination PCR. The median age at BC diagnosis was 43.5 years, 93% had invasive ductal carcinoma, 50% had estrogen receptor-positive/HER2 negative tumors, and 41% and 11% were diagnosed respectively at stage III and IV. Two patients (1.11%) harbored the p.R337H variant, and cascade family testing identified 20 additional carriers. The TP53 p.R337H detection rate was lower than that reported in other studies from south/southeast Brazil. Nonetheless, identifying TP53 PV carriers through genetic testing in the Brazilian public health system could guide cancer treatment and prevention.

RevDate: 2024-08-23
CmpDate: 2024-08-12

Das M, Semple JI, Haemmerli A, et al (2024)

Condensin I folds the Caenorhabditis elegans genome.

Nature genetics, 56(8):1737-1749.

The structural maintenance of chromosome (SMC) complexes-cohesin and condensins-are crucial for chromosome separation and compaction during cell division. During the interphase, mammalian cohesins additionally fold the genome into loops and domains. Here we show that, in Caenorhabditis elegans, a species with holocentric chromosomes, condensin I is the primary, long-range loop extruder. The loss of condensin I and its X-specific variant, condensin I[DC], leads to genome-wide decompaction, chromosome mixing and disappearance of X-specific topologically associating domains, while reinforcing fine-scale epigenomic compartments. In addition, condensin I/I[DC] inactivation led to the upregulation of X-linked genes and unveiled nuclear bodies grouping together binding sites for the X-targeting loading complex of condensin I[DC]. C. elegans condensin I/I[DC] thus uniquely organizes holocentric interphase chromosomes, akin to cohesin in mammals, as well as regulates X-chromosome gene expression.

RevDate: 2024-09-12
CmpDate: 2024-09-12

Bar Y, Bar K, Feldman D, et al (2024)

The impact of extensive intraductal component (EIC) on the genomic risk of recurrence in early hormone receptor positive breast cancer.

Breast (Edinburgh, Scotland), 77:103777.

BACKGROUND: Early invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) breast cancer often presents with a coexisting ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) component, while about 5 % of cases present with an extensive (>25 %) intraductal component (EIC). The impact of EIC on the genomic risk of recurrence is unclear.

METHODS: Patients with early hormone receptor-positive HER2neu-negative (HR + HER2-) IDC breast cancer and a known OncotypeDX Breast Recurrence Score® (RS) who underwent breast surgery at our institute were included. Using a rule-based text-analysis algorithm, we analyzed pathological reports and categorized patients into three groups: EIC, non-extensive DCIS (DCIS-L), and pure-IDC (NO-DCIS). Genomic risk was determined using OncotypeDX RS.

RESULTS: A total of 33 (4.6 %) EIC cases, 377 (57.2 %) DCIS-L cases and 307 (42.8 %) NO-DCIS cases were identified. Patients in the EIC group were younger and had lower tumor grades than other groups. The distribution of genomic risk varied between the groups, with EIC tumors significantly less likely to have a high RS (>25) compared to DCIS-L and No-DCIS tumors (3 % vs 20 % and 20 %, respectively; p = 0.03). When adjusted to age, tumor size, grade and LNs involvement, both DCIS-L and NO-DCIS groups were significantly correlated with a higher probability of high RS compared to the EIC group (OR 12.3 and OR 13.1, respectively; p < 0.02). Moreover, patients with EIC had a lower likelihood for adjuvant chemotherapy recommendation.

CONCLUSIONS: In early HR + HER2- IDC, an EIC correlates with a reduced genomic recurrence risk. The impact on genomic risk seems to be influenced by the extent, not merely the presence, of DCIS.

RevDate: 2024-08-14
CmpDate: 2024-07-16

Zin I, China A, Khan K, et al (2024)

AKT-dependent nuclear localization of EPRS1 activates PARP1 in breast cancer cells.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 121(30):e2303642121.

Glutamyl-prolyl-tRNA synthetase (EPRS1) is a bifunctional aminoacyl-tRNA-synthetase (aaRS) essential for decoding the genetic code. EPRS1 resides, with seven other aaRSs and three noncatalytic proteins, in the cytoplasmic multi-tRNA synthetase complex (MSC). Multiple MSC-resident aaRSs, including EPRS1, exhibit stimulus-dependent release from the MSC to perform noncanonical activities distinct from their primary function in protein synthesis. Here, we show EPRS1 is present in both cytoplasm and nucleus of breast cancer cells with constitutively low phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression. EPRS1 is primarily cytosolic in PTEN-expressing cells, but chemical or genetic inhibition of PTEN, or chemical or stress-mediated activation of its target, AKT, induces EPRS1 nuclear localization. Likewise, preferential nuclear localization of EPRS1 was observed in invasive ductal carcinoma that were also P-Ser[473]-AKT[+]. EPRS1 nuclear transport requires a nuclear localization signal (NLS) within the linker region that joins the catalytic glutamyl-tRNA synthetase and prolyl-tRNA synthetase domains. Nuclear EPRS1 interacts with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1), a DNA-damage sensor that directs poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) of proteins. EPRS1 is a critical regulator of PARP1 activity as shown by markedly reduced ADP-ribosylation in EPRS1 knockdown cells. Moreover, EPRS1 and PARP1 knockdown comparably alter the expression of multiple tumor-related genes, inhibit DNA-damage repair, reduce tumor cell survival, and diminish tumor sphere formation by breast cancer cells. EPRS1-mediated regulation of PARP1 activity provides a mechanistic link between PTEN loss in breast cancer cells, PARP1 activation, and cell survival and tumor growth. Targeting the noncanonical activity of EPRS1, without inhibiting canonical tRNA ligase activity, provides a therapeutic approach potentially supplementing existing PARP1 inhibitors.

RevDate: 2024-07-14
CmpDate: 2024-07-12

Nascimento KCG, São Marcos BF, Fontes PHB, et al (2024)

HPV Detection in Breast Tumors and Associated Risk Factors in Northeastern Brazil.

Cells, 13(13):.

Breast cancer risk factors include lifestyle, genetic-hormonal influences, and viral infections. Human papillomavirus (HPV), known primarily as the etiological agent of cervical cancer, also appears active in breast carcinogenesis, as evidenced in our study of 56 patients from northeastern Brazil. We assessed the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, correlating them with various breast cancer tumor types. HPV detection involved amplifying the L1 region, with viral load measured using the E2/E6 ratio and viral activity indicated by E5 oncogene expression. Predominantly, patients over 56 years of age with healthy lifestyles showed a high incidence of invasive ductal carcinoma and triple-negative breast cancer. HPV was detected in 35.7% of cases, mostly HPV16, which is associated with high viral loads (80 copies per cell) and significant E5 expression. These results hint at a possible link between HPV and breast carcinogenesis, necessitating further studies to explore this association and the underlying viral mechanisms.

RevDate: 2024-07-30
CmpDate: 2024-07-05

Zhang Z, Huang C, Wu J, et al (2024)

TICRR as a potential prognostic biomarker for lung adenocarcinoma: A comprehensive analysis using TCGA database.

Medicine, 103(27):e38660.

To investigate the role of TopBP1-interacting checkpoint and replication regulator (TICRR) in the tumorigenesis and prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients. Wilcoxon signed-rank test and logistic regression were utilized to analyze the relationship between clinical characteristics and TICRR expression in LUAD from TCGA dataset. Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox regressions were used to assess the impact of TICRR impact on prognosis. ROC curves and nomograms were generated to further evaluate the relationship between TICRR expression and the risk of LUAD. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted on TCGA dataset, and ssGSEA was employed to investigate the association between TICRR and immune infiltrates. The results showed that high TICRR expression was significantly associated with various clinical factors including gender, age, pathological stage, T stage, N stage, M stage, outcome of primary therapy and smoking status. ROC curves also demonstrated that TICRR was a promising biomarker for molecular pathology diagnosis in LUAD patients (AUC = 0.952). Further analysis using gene ontology (GO) term enrichment and GSEA revealed an abnormal correlation between TICRR expression and cell division. Interestingly, ssGSEA analysis showed that TICRR expression correlated with multiple immune cell types, such as Th2 cell, TFH cell, mast cell, iDC, eosinophils, and dendritic cell. Lastly, the KM-plotters indicated that LUAD patients with high TICRR expression obtained worse life expectancy (P < .001). TICRR has proven to be a valuable tool in predicting disease progression and prognosis in patients with LUAD, thereby establishing itself as a fitting biomarker for forecasting overall survival (OS) of LUAD patients.

RevDate: 2024-08-13
CmpDate: 2024-07-15

Bogaard M, Strømme JM, Kidd SG, et al (2024)

GRIN3A: A biomarker associated with a cribriform pattern and poor prognosis in prostate cancer.

Neoplasia (New York, N.Y.), 55:101023.

Prostate cancer with a cribriform pattern, including invasive cribriform carcinoma (ICC) and/or intraductal carcinoma (IDC) is associated with a poor prognosis, and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Therefore, we aimed to identify biomarkers for this feature. Using a radical prostatectomy cohort, we performed within-patient differential expression analyses with RNA sequencing data to compare samples with a cribriform pattern to those with non-cribriform Gleason pattern 4 (NcGP4; n=13). ACSM1, GRIN3A, PCDHB2, and REG4 were identified as differentially expressed, and validation was performed using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (n=99; 321 RNA samples) and RNA in situ hybridization on tissue microarrays (n=479; 2047 tissue cores). GRIN3A was significantly higher expressed in cribriform pattern vs. NcGP4, when assessed within the same patient (n=27; p=0.005) and between different patients (n=83; p=0.001). Tissue cores with IDC more often expressed GRIN3A compared to ICC, NcGP4, and benign tissue (52 % vs. ≤ 32 %). When IDC and NcGP4 was compared within the same patient (173 pairs of tissue cores; 54 patients), 38 (22 %) of the tissue microarray core pairs had GRIN3A expression in only IDC, 33 (19 %) had expression in both IDC and NcGP4, 14 (8 %) in only NcGP4 and 88 (51 %) were negative in both entities (p=0.001). GRIN3A was as well associated with biochemical recurrence (log-rank, p=0.002). In conclusion, ectopic GRIN3A expression is an RNA-based biomarker for the presence of cribriform prostate cancer, particularly for IDC.

RevDate: 2024-06-30
CmpDate: 2024-06-27

Delfin L, Doff JJ, Gagan J, et al (2024)

Pure Apocrine Intraductal Carcinoma of Salivary Glands: Reassessment of Molecular Underpinnings and Behavior.

Head and neck pathology, 18(1):58.

BACKGROUND: Intraductal carcinoma (IDC) of the salivary glands is a confounding entity, our understanding of which continues to evolve. At least four forms have been elucidated based on histomorphology, immunophenotype, and molecular profile: (1) intercalated duct-like, S100/SOX10+ with frequent NCOA4::RET fusions; (2) oncocytic, S100/SOX10+ with TRIM33::RET, NCOA4::RET, and BRAF V600E; (3) apocrine, AR+ with PI3 kinase pathway mutations; and (4) mixed/hybrid intercalated duct-like/apocrine, with S100/SOX10+ and AR+ areas and frequent TRIM27::RET. The revelation that myoepithelial cells harbor the same fusion as luminal cells suggested that fusion-positive cases are not in situ carcinomas as previously believed. To this point, purely apocrine IDC with entirely intraductal growth has not been found to harbor fusions, but very few cases have been tested.

METHODS: IDCs with pure apocrine morphology, entirely intraductal growth, and no precursor lesion (pleomorphic adenoma or sclerosing polycystic adenoma) were retrieved from the authors' archives. Several immunostains (S100, SOX10, GCDFP-15, AR, p40/SMA) and targeted next generation sequencing (NGS) panel including 1425 cancer-related genes were performed.

RESULTS: Seven entirely IDC with pure apocrine type were collected. The cases arose in the parotid glands (mean, 1.9 cm) of 5 men and 2 women ranging from 51 to 84 years (mean, 69.7 years). Histologically, tumors consisted of rounded to angulated ductal cysts lined by epithelial cells with abundant finely granular eosinophilic cytoplasm and large nuclei with prominent nucleoli. Pleomorphism was mild to moderate, the mitotic rate was low, and necrosis was absent. Conventionally invasive foci or areas of intercalated duct-like morphology were not identified. In all cases, luminal cells were diffusely positive for AR and GCDFP-15 while negative for S100/SOX10, and the ducts were completely surrounded by myoepithelial cells highlighted by p40 and SMA. Molecular analysis was successful in 6 cases. Three harbored fusions: one with NCOA4::RET, another with STRN::ALK and one with both CDKN2A::CNTRL and TANC1::YY1AP1. The three fusion-negative cases all harbored HRAS mutations; additional mutations (PIK3CA, SPEN, ATM) were found in 2 of 3 cases. All patients were treated by surgery alone. Six of them are currently free of disease (follow up 12-190 months), but the case harboring NCOA4::RET developed lymph nodes metastasis in the form of a fusion-positive invasive salivary duct carcinoma.

CONCLUSIONS: Purely apocrine IDC is a heterogeneous disease. A subset seems to be genetically similar to salivary duct carcinoma and may indeed represent carcinoma in situ. The other group harbors fusions, similar to other forms of IDC. Moreover, the occurrence of lymph node metastasis discredits the idea that any fusion-positive IDC with a complete myoepithelial cell layer has no metastatic potential. With the wide use of RET-and ALK-based targeted therapies, our findings further underscore the importance of fusion analysis for IDC.

RevDate: 2024-07-17
CmpDate: 2024-06-27

Markalunas EG, Arnold DH, Funkhouser AT, et al (2024)

Correlation Analysis of Genetic Mutations and Galectin Levels in Breast Cancer Patients.

Genes, 15(6):.

Galectins are innate immune system regulators associated with disease progression in cancer. This paper aims to investigate the correlation between mutated cancer-critical genes and galectin levels in breast cancer patients to determine whether galectins and genetic profiles can be used as biomarkers for disease and potential therapy targets. Prisma Health Cancer Institute's Biorepository provided seventy-one breast cancer samples, including all four stages spanning the major molecular subtypes and histologies. Hotspot mutation statuses of cancer-critical genes were determined using multiplex PCR in tumor samples from the same patients by Precision Genetics and the University of South Carolina Functional Genomics Core Facility. The galectin-1, -3, and -9 levels in patients' sera were analyzed using Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). An analysis was performed using JMP software to compare mean and median serum galectin levels between samples with and without specific cancer-critical genes, including pooled t-test, Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test, ANOVA, and Steel Dwass Test (α=0.05). Our analysis indicates that KIT mutations correlate with elevated serum levels of galectin-9 in patients with breast cancer. In patients with Luminal A subtype, FLT3 mutation correlates with lower serum galectin-1 and -9 levels and TP53 mutations correlate with higher serum galectin-3 levels. Patients with invasive ductal carcinoma had significantly higher serum galectin-3 levels than patients with ductal carcinoma in situ. Patients with both TP53 and PIK3CA mutations exhibit elevated serum galectin-3 levels, while patients with one or neither mutation show no significant difference in serum galectin-3 levels. In addition, metastatic breast cancer samples were more likely to have a KIT or PIK3CA mutation compared to primary breast cancer samples. The relationship between genetic mutations and galectin levels has the potential to identify appropriate candidates for combined therapy, targeting genetic mutations and galectins. Further understanding of the effect of genetic mutations and galectin levels on cancer progression and metastasis could aid in the search for biomarkers for breast cancer diagnosis, disease progression, and prognosis.

RevDate: 2024-07-16
CmpDate: 2024-06-27

Baranová I, Samec M, Dvorská D, et al (2024)

Droplet digital PCR analysis of CDH13 methylation status in Slovak women with invasive ductal breast cancer.

Scientific reports, 14(1):14700.

Identifying novel epigenetic biomarkers is a promising way to improve the clinical management of patients with breast cancer. Our study aimed to determine the methylation pattern of 25 tumor suppressor genes (TSG) and select the best methylation biomarker associated with clinicopathological features in the cohort of Slovak patients diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). Overall, 166 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues obtained from patients with IDC were included in the study. The methylation status of the promoter regions of 25 TSG was analyzed using semiquantitative methylation-specific MLPA (MS-MLPA). We identified CDH13 as the most frequently methylated gene in our cohort of patients. Further analysis by ddPCR confirmed an increased level of methylation in the promoter region of CDH13. A significant difference in CDH13 methylation levels was observed between IDC molecular subtypes LUM A versus HER2 (P = 0.0116) and HER2 versus TNBC (P = 0.0234). In addition, significantly higher methylation was detected in HER2+ versus HER2- tumors (P = 0.0004) and PR- versus PR+ tumors (P = 0.0421). Our results provide evidence that alteration in CDH13 methylation is associated with clinicopathological features in the cohort of Slovak patients with IDC. In addition, using ddPCR as a methylation-sensitive method represents a promising approach characterized by higher precision and technical simplicity to measure the methylation of target CpGs in CDH13 compared to other conventional methods such as MS-MLPA.

RevDate: 2024-08-02
CmpDate: 2024-08-02

Corso G, Fusco N, Guerini-Rocco E, et al (2024)

Invasive lobular breast cancer: Focus on prevention, genetics, diagnosis, and treatment.

Seminars in oncology, 51(3-4):106-122.

Invasive lobular cancer (ILC) is the most common of the breast cancer special types, accounting for up to 15% of all breast malignancies. The distinctive biological features of ILC include the loss of the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin, which drives the tumor's peculiar discohesive growth pattern, with cells arranged in single file and dispersed throughout the stroma. Typically, such tumors originate in the lobules, are more commonly bilateral compared to invasive ductal cancer (IDC) and require a more accurate diagnostic examination through imaging. They are luminal in molecular subtype, and exhibit estrogen and progesterone receptor positivity and HER2 negativity, thus presenting a more unpredictable response to neoadjuvant therapies. There has been a significant increase in research focused on this distinctive breast cancer subtype, including studies on its pathology, its clinical and surgical management, and the high-resolution definition of its genomic profile, as well as the development of new therapeutic perspectives. This review will summarize the heterogeneous pattern of this unique disease, focusing on challenges in its comprehensive clinical management and on future insights and research objectives.

RevDate: 2024-06-13
CmpDate: 2024-06-03

Wearn A, Tremblay SA, Tardif CL, et al (2024)

Neuromodulatory subcortical nucleus integrity is associated with white matter microstructure, tauopathy and APOE status.

Nature communications, 15(1):4706.

The neuromodulatory subcortical nuclei within the isodendritic core (IdC) are the earliest sites of tauopathy in Alzheimer's disease (AD). They project broadly throughout the brain's white matter. We investigated the relationship between IdC microstructure and whole-brain white matter microstructure to better understand early neuropathological changes in AD. Using multiparametric quantitative magnetic resonance imaging we observed two covariance patterns between IdC and white matter microstructure in 133 cognitively unimpaired older adults (age 67.9 ± 5.3 years) with familial risk for AD. IdC integrity related to 1) whole-brain neurite density, and 2) neurite orientation dispersion in white matter tracts known to be affected early in AD. Pattern 2 was associated with CSF concentration of phosphorylated-tau, indicating AD specificity. Apolipoprotein-E4 carriers expressed both patterns more strongly than non-carriers. IdC microstructure variation is reflected in white matter, particularly in AD-affected tracts, highlighting an early mechanism of pathological development.

RevDate: 2024-08-17
CmpDate: 2024-06-18

Stindt KR, MN McClean (2024)

Tuning interdomain conjugation to enable in situ population modification in yeasts.

mSystems, 9(6):e0005024.

The ability to modify and control natural and engineered microbiomes is essential for biotechnology and biomedicine. Fungi are critical members of most microbiomes, yet technology for modifying the fungal members of a microbiome has lagged far behind that for bacteria. Interdomain conjugation (IDC) is a promising approach, as DNA transfer from bacterial cells to yeast enables in situ modification. While such genetic transfers have been known to naturally occur in a wide range of eukaryotes and are thought to contribute to their evolution, IDC has been understudied as a technique to control fungal or fungal-bacterial consortia. One major obstacle to the widespread use of IDC is its limited efficiency. In this work, we manipulated metabolic and physical interactions between genetically tractable Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae to control the incidence of IDC. We test the landscape of population interactions between the bacterial donors and yeast recipients to find that bacterial commensalism leads to maximized IDC, both in culture and in mixed colonies. We demonstrate the capacity of cell-to-cell binding via mannoproteins to assist both IDC incidence and bacterial commensalism in culture and model how these tunable controls can predictably yield a range of IDC outcomes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these controls can be utilized to irreversibly alter a recipient yeast population, by both "rescuing" a poor-growing recipient population and collapsing a stable population via a novel IDC-mediated CRISPR/Cas9 system.IMPORTANCEFungi are important but often unaddressed members of most natural and synthetic microbial communities. This work highlights opportunities for modifying yeast microbiome populations through bacterial conjugation. While conjugation has been recognized for its capacity to deliver engineerable DNA to a range of cells, its dependence on cell contact has limited its efficiency. Here, we find "knobs" to control DNA transfer, by engineering the metabolic dependence between bacterial donors and yeast recipients and by changing their ability to physically adhere to each other. Importantly, we functionally validate these "knobs" by irreversibly altering yeast populations. We use these controls to "rescue" a failing yeast population, demonstrate the capacity of conjugated CRISPR/Cas9 to depress or collapse populations, and show that conjugation can be easily interrupted by disrupting cell-to-cell binding. These results offer building blocks toward in situ mycobiome editing, with significant implications for clinical treatments of fungal pathogens and other fungal system engineering.

RevDate: 2024-07-01
CmpDate: 2024-07-01

Greenland NY, Cooperberg MR, Carroll PR, et al (2024)

Morphologic patterns observed in prostate biopsy cases with discrepant grade group and molecular risk classification.

The Prostate, 84(11):1076-1085.

BACKGROUND: Molecular-based risk classifier tests are increasingly being utilized by urologists and radiation oncologists to guide clinical decision making. The Decipher prostate biopsy test is a 22-gene RNA biomarker assay designed to predict likelihood of high-grade disease at radical prostatectomy and risk of metastasis and mortality. The test provides a risk category of low, intermediate, or high. We investigated histologic features of biopsies in which the Grade Group (GG) and Decipher risk category (molecular risk) were discrepant.

METHODS: Our institutional urologic outcomes database was searched for men who underwent prostate biopsies with subsequent Decipher testing from 2016 to 2020. We defined discrepant GG and molecular risk as either GG1-2 with high Decipher risk category or GG ≥ 3 with low Decipher risk category. The biopsy slide on which Decipher testing was performed was re-reviewed for GG and various histologic features, including % Gleason pattern 4, types of Gleason pattern 4 and 5, other "high risk" features (e.g., complex papillary, ductal carcinoma, intraductal carcinoma [IDC]), and other unusual and often "difficult to grade" patterns (e.g., atrophic carcinoma, mucin rupture, pseudohyperplastic carcinoma, collagenous fibroplasia, foamy gland carcinoma, carcinoma with basal cell marker expression, carcinoma with prominent vacuoles, and stromal reaction). Follow-up data was also obtained from the electronic medical record.

RESULTS: Of 178 men who underwent prostate biopsies and had Decipher testing performed, 41 (23%) had discrepant GG and molecular risk. Slides were available for review for 33/41 (80%). Of these 33 patients, 23 (70%) had GG1-2 (GG1 n = 5, GG2 n = 18) with high Decipher risk, and 10 (30%) had GG ≥ 3 with low Decipher risk. Of the 5 GG1 cases, one case was considered GG2 on re-review; no other high risk features were identified but each case showed at least one of the following "difficult to grade" patterns: 3 atrophic carcinoma, 1 collagenous fibroplasia, 1 carcinoma with mucin rupture, and 1 carcinoma with basal cell marker expression. Of the 18 GG2 high Decipher risk cases, 2 showed GG3 on re-review, 5 showed large cribriform and/or other high risk features, and 10 showed a "difficult to grade" pattern. Of the 10 GG ≥ 3 low Decipher risk cases, 5 had known high risk features including 2 with large cribriform, 1 with IDC, and 1 with Gleason pattern 5.

CONCLUSIONS: In GG1-2 high Decipher risk cases, difficult to grade patterns were frequently seen in the absence of other known high risk morphologic features; whether these constitute true high risk cases requires further study. In the GG ≥ 3 low Decipher risk cases, aggressive histologic patterns such as large cribriform and IDC were observed in half (50%) of cases; therefore, the molecular classifier may not capture all high risk histologic patterns.

RevDate: 2024-07-15
CmpDate: 2024-06-25

Khani S, Topel H, Kardinal R, et al (2024)

Cold-induced expression of a truncated adenylyl cyclase 3 acts as rheostat to brown fat function.

Nature metabolism, 6(6):1053-1075.

Promoting brown adipose tissue (BAT) activity innovatively targets obesity and metabolic disease. While thermogenic activation of BAT is well understood, the rheostatic regulation of BAT to avoid excessive energy dissipation remains ill-defined. Here, we demonstrate that adenylyl cyclase 3 (AC3) is key for BAT function. We identified a cold-inducible promoter that generates a 5' truncated AC3 mRNA isoform (Adcy3-at), whose expression is driven by a cold-induced, truncated isoform of PPARGC1A (PPARGC1A-AT). Male mice lacking Adcy3-at display increased energy expenditure and are resistant to obesity and ensuing metabolic imbalances. Mouse and human AC3-AT are retained in the endoplasmic reticulum, unable to translocate to the plasma membrane and lack enzymatic activity. AC3-AT interacts with AC3 and sequesters it in the endoplasmic reticulum, reducing the pool of adenylyl cyclases available for G-protein-mediated cAMP synthesis. Thus, AC3-AT acts as a cold-induced rheostat in BAT, limiting adverse consequences of cAMP activity during chronic BAT activation.

RevDate: 2024-05-22
CmpDate: 2024-04-28

Rostami B, Kahrizi S, Ghorbani Yekta B, et al (2024)

Correlation of IDH1 gene expression error in breast tumor biopsy in patients with invasive ductal carcinoma.

Cellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France), 70(4):242-247.

One of the most important cancers in terms of worldwide prevalence is breast tumors, which have been less investigated in correlation with the enzyme Isocitrate Dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) gene. The aim of this study was that expression of this gene could have significant effects on the progression of metastasis and invasive disease in breast cancer patients. We used the molecular method of RT-PCR with SYBR-Green to analyze breast tumor tissue from patients with metastasis and non-metastasis, the latter confirmed by the pathology department of Shohada-e Tajrish Hospital (serving as a control group). Also, patients population and its relationship with the degree of tumor in the IDH1 gene was investigated. The IDH1 gene has shown high expression in patients with metastatic breast cancer rather than in patients with non-metastatic breast cancer. The metastatic samples were compared with non-metastatic samples for IDH1 mRNA expression. In this research work, 72.5% (29 samples) were up-regulated in comparison to 27.5% of samples (11 samples) that did not exhibit high expression (P=0.000). This study examined the IDH1 gene expression, suggesting that changes in this gene's expression could impact the prognosis of breast cancer. However, further research is needed to draw definitive conclusions.

RevDate: 2024-07-16
CmpDate: 2024-06-17

Rukhsana , Supty AT, Hussain M, et al (2024)

STK3 higher expression association with clinical characteristics in intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer invasive ductal carcinoma patients.

Breast cancer research and treatment, 206(1):119-129.

PURPOSE: STK3 has a central role in maintaining cell homeostasis, proliferation, growth, and apoptosis. Previously, we investigated the functional link between STK3/MST2, and estrogen receptor in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. To expand the investigation, this study evaluated STK3's higher expression and associated genes in breast cancer intrinsic subtypes using publicly available data.

METHODS: The relationship between clinical pathologic features and STK3 high expression was analyzed using descriptive and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS: Increased STK3 expression in breast cancer was significantly associated with higher pathological cancer stages, and a different expression level was observed in the intrinsic subtypes of breast cancer. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that breast cancer with high STK3 had a lower survival rate in IDC patients than that with low STK3 expression (p < 0.05). The multivariate analysis unveiled a strong correlation between STK3 expression and the survival rate among IDC patients, demonstrating hazard ratios for lower expression. In the TCGA dataset, the hazard ratio was 0.56 (95% CI 0.34-0.94, p = 0.029) for patients deceased with tumor, and 0.62 (95% CI 0.42-0.92, p = 0.017) for all deceased patients. Additionally, in the METABRIC dataset, the hazard ratio was 0.76 (95% CI 0.64-0.91, p = 0.003) for those deceased with tumor. From GSEA outcomes 7 gene sets were selected based on statistical significance (FDR < 0.25 and p < 0.05). Weighted Sum model (WSM) derived top 5% genes also have higher expression in basal and lower in luminal A in association with STK3.

CONCLUSION: By introducing a novel bioinformatics approach that combines GSEA and WSM, the study successfully identified the top 5% of genes associated with higher expression of STK3.

RevDate: 2024-05-16
CmpDate: 2024-04-08

Rodriguez GF, Shah A, AD Maderal (2024)

Telangiectasias induced by combination tucatinib and ado-trastuzumab emtansine in a patient with metastatic breast cancer.

Breast disease, 43(1):61-64.

BACKGROUND: Tucatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor currently used in salvage therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast and colorectal cancer. The use of tucatinib alone or in combination with ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in the treatment of advanced HER2-positive cancers is rapidly expanding.

OBJECTIVE/METHODS: We report the case of a 66-year-old female who presented to the dermatology clinic with a one-year history of widespread telangiectasias that began after initiation of combination chemotherapy with tucatinib and T-DM1 for metastatic HER2-positive invasive ductal carcinoma.

RESULTS: The patient's lesions regressed upon cessation of combination therapy and reappeared in the setting of tucatinib re-initiation, with gradual improvement over the following four months following electrocautery to the affected regions.

CONCLUSIONS: We postulate that telangiectasias may be a previously unreported dermatologic side effect of combination treatment with tucatinib and T-DM1. Electrocautery is a safe and effective procedure to reduce the appearance of telangiectasias and improve patient satisfaction during chemotherapy.

RevDate: 2024-04-06
CmpDate: 2024-04-05

Wang J, Li B, Luo M, et al (2024)

Progression from ductal carcinoma in situ to invasive breast cancer: molecular features and clinical significance.

Signal transduction and targeted therapy, 9(1):83.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) represents pre-invasive breast carcinoma. In untreated cases, 25-60% DCIS progress to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). The challenge lies in distinguishing between non-progressive and progressive DCIS, often resulting in over- or under-treatment in many cases. With increasing screen-detected DCIS in these years, the nature of DCIS has aroused worldwide attention. A deeper understanding of the biological nature of DCIS and the molecular journey of the DCIS-IDC transition is crucial for more effective clinical management. Here, we reviewed the key signaling pathways in breast cancer that may contribute to DCIS initiation and progression. We also explored the molecular features of DCIS and IDC, shedding light on the progression of DCIS through both inherent changes within tumor cells and alterations in the tumor microenvironment. In addition, valuable research tools utilized in studying DCIS including preclinical models and newer advanced technologies such as single-cell sequencing, spatial transcriptomics and artificial intelligence, have been systematically summarized. Further, we thoroughly discussed the clinical advancements in DCIS and IDC, including prognostic biomarkers and clinical managements, with the aim of facilitating more personalized treatment strategies in the future. Research on DCIS has already yielded significant insights into breast carcinogenesis and will continue to pave the way for practical clinical applications.

RevDate: 2024-04-01
CmpDate: 2024-04-01

Dogan I, Khanmammadov N, Ozkurt S, et al (2024)

Outcomes of the patients with metastatic male breast cancer.

Journal of cancer research and therapeutics, 20(1):98-102.

BACKGROUND: The goal of this research is to investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of men with metastatic breast cancer (mMBC).

METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the data of 28 patients was conducted. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to assess overall survival (OS) and prognostic variables.

RESULTS: At the time of diagnosis, the median age was 57 years (range 26-86). The most prevalent pathological subtype was invasive ductal carcinoma (92.6%). HER2 positivity was 21.6% in patients, with estrogen and progesterone receptor positivity at 96.4% and 71.4%, respectively. Bone-75%, lung-39.3%, brain-21.4%, and adrenal gland-10.7% were the most prevalent metastatic sites. Trastuzumab-based chemotherapy was given to six patients. During the study period, 14 patients (or half) died. All patients had a median OS of 42.6 months (range: 21.6-63.7). The OS rates after 1, 3, and 5 years were 95.7%, 54.2%, and 36.6%, respectively. The number of metastatic locations (P = 0.045), brain metastasis (P = 0.033), and a history of regular alcohol intake (P = 0.008) were all shown to be statistically significant factors affecting OS in univariate analysis. However, multivariate analysis did not support the findings. In addition, we discovered that trastuzumab-based therapy and de-novo metastatic disease had no effect on OS for mMBC.

CONCLUSIONS: The data on mMBC is restricted because of its rarity. The prognosis of mMBC was shown to be poor in this investigation. Despite the small number of patients, we discovered that in univariate analysis, having brain metastases, the number of metastatic locations, and a history of alcohol intake may be prognostic factors.

RevDate: 2024-03-08
CmpDate: 2024-03-08

Saeed U, Uppal R, Khan AA, et al (2024)

Analytical assessment of clinical sensitivity and specificities of pharmaceutical rapid SARS-CoV-2 detection nasopharyngeal swab testing kits in Pakistan.

Brazilian journal of biology = Revista brasleira de biologia, 84:e265550 pii:S1519-69842024000101101.

Despite of the global unity against COVID-19 pandemic, the threat of SARS-CoV-2 variants on the lives of human being is still not over. SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has urged the need of rapid viral detection at earliest. To cope with gradually expanding scenario of SARS-CoV-2, accurate diagnosis is extremely crucial factor which should be noticed by international health organizations. Limited research followed by sporadic marketing of SARS-CoV-2 rapid pharmaceutical detection kits raises critical questions against quality assurance and quality control measures. Herein we aimed to interrogate effectivity and specificity analysis of SARS-CoV-2 pharmaceutical rapid detection kits (nasopharyngeal swab based) using conventional gold standard triple target real-time polymerase chain reaction (USFDA approved). A cross-sectional study was conducted over 1500 suspected SARS-CoV-2 patients. 100 real time-PCR confirmed patients were evaluated for pharmaceutical RDT kits based upon nasopharyngeal swab based kits. The SARS-CoV-2 nasopharyngeal swab based rapid diagnostic kit (NSP RDTs) analysis showed 78% reactivity. Among real time PCR confirmed negative subjects, 49.3% represented false positivity. The positive predictive analysis revealed 67.82%, while negative predictive values were 64.40%. The NSP RDTs showed limited sensitivities and specificities as compared to gold standard real time PCR. Valid and authentic detection of SARS-CoV-2 is deemed necessary for accurate COVID-19 surveillance across the globe. Current study highlights the potential consequences of inadequate detection of SARS-CoV-2 and emerging novel mutants, compromising vaccine preventable diseases. Current study emphasizes need to wake higher authorities including strategic organizations for designing adequate measures to prevent future SARS-CoV-2 epidemics.

RevDate: 2024-05-08
CmpDate: 2024-03-25

Hu J, Chen X, Sun F, et al (2024)

Identification of recurrent BRAF non-V600 mutations in intraductal carcinoma of the prostate in Chinese populations.

Neoplasia (New York, N.Y.), 50:100983.

While BRAF alterations have been established as a driver in various solid malignancies, the characterization of BRAF alterations in prostate cancer (PCa) has not been thoroughly interrogated. By bioinformatics analysis, we first found that BRAF alterations were associated with advanced PCa and exhibited mutually exclusive pattern with ERG alteration across multiple cohorts. Of the most interest, recurrent non-V600 BRAF mutations were found in 3 of 21 (14.3 %) PCa patients demonstrating IDC-P morphology. Furthermore, experimental overexpression of BRAF[K601E] and BRAF[L597R] exhibited emergence of oncogenic phenotypes with intensified MAPK signaling in vitro, which could be targeted by MEK inhibitors. Comparison of the incidence of BRAF alterations in IDC-P between western and Chinese ancestry revealed an increased prevalence in the Chinese population. The BRAF mutation may represent important genetic alteration in a subset of IDC-P, highlighting the role of MAPK signaling pathway in this subtype of PCa. To the best of knowledge, this is the first description of non-V600 BRAF mutation in setting of IDC-P, which may in part explain the aggressive phenotype seen in IDC-P and could also bring more treatment options for PCa patients with IDC-P harboring such mutations.

RevDate: 2024-07-26
CmpDate: 2024-04-09

Ruan GJ, Zanwar S, Ravindran A, et al (2024)

Clinical characteristics, molecular aberrations, treatments, and outcomes of malignant histiocytosis.

American journal of hematology, 99(5):871-879.

Malignant histiocytosis (MH) is an extremely rare neoplasm of the macrophage-dendritic cell lineage. We report the clinical characteristics, molecular aberrations, treatments, and outcomes of patients with MH seen at two referral centers from January 2000 to May 2023. We identified 43 patients with MH, of which 26 had histiocytic sarcoma (MH-H), 9 interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma (MH-IDC), and 8 Langerhans cell sarcoma (MH-LC). The median age at diagnosis was 61 years (range, 3-83). Thirty-three patients (77%) had multifocal disease, while 10 had unifocal involvement. Tumor specimens from 22 patients (51%) underwent targeted next generation sequencing, and 19 of 22 (86%) had at least one pathogenic mutation, including mutations in MAPK pathway genes (73%). The median overall survival (OS) among the entire cohort was 16 months (95% CI: 8-50). The outcomes of those with multifocal disease were significantly shorter than their unifocal counterpart: median OS of 10 months versus 50 months (p = .07). Patients with risk organ involvement (bone marrow, spleen, or liver) had significantly inferior outcomes. Chemotherapy and surgery were the most common first-line treatments for multifocal and unifocal disease, respectively. While the outcome for patients with multifocal disease was poor, there was a subset of patients who had durable responses to treatment. Our study highlights that MH has heterogeneous clinical presentation, frequent oncogenic mutations, and prognosis, which is strongly tied to disease extent and type of organ involvement.

RevDate: 2024-02-24
CmpDate: 2024-02-22

Zhu S, Xu N, H Zeng (2024)

Molecular complexity of intraductal carcinoma of the prostate.

Cancer medicine, 13(2):e6939.

Intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC-P) is an aggressive subtype of prostate cancer characterized by the growth of tumor cells within the prostate ducts. It is often found alongside invasive carcinoma and is associated with poor prognosis. Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving IDC-P is crucial for improved diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment strategies. This review summarizes the molecular characteristics of IDC-P and their prognostic indications, comparing them to conventional prostate acinar adenocarcinoma, to gain insights into its unique behavior and identify potential therapeutic targets.

RevDate: 2024-08-23
CmpDate: 2024-05-18

Bufman H, Faermann R, Halshtok-Neiman O, et al (2024)

Breast cancer diagnosed after age 70 years in Israeli BRCA1/BRCA2 pathogenic sequence variant carriers: a single institution experience.

Breast cancer research and treatment, 205(2):281-285.

PURPOSE: A semi-annual surveillance scheme from age 25 to 30 years is offered to BRCA1/BRCA2 pathogenic sequence variants (PSVs) carriers for early detection of breast cancer (BC). There is a paucity of data on the yield of adhering to this scheme beyond 70 years of age.

METHODS: Female BRCA1/BRCA2 PSV carriers followed at the Meirav high-risk clinic, Sheba Medical center, Israel were eligible. Type and frequencies if use of Imaging modalities, breast biopsies and histological outcomes for participants after age 70 years were retrieved and analyzed.

RESULTS: Overall, the study encompassed 88 consenting participants (46 BRCA1 carriers) mean age ± SD 73.7 ± 3.3 years (range 70-90 years), followed for an average of 3.8 years (range 1-11 years). Ten carriers (11.3%) were diagnosed with BC after age 70 years (mean age at diagnosis 72 ± 2 years) and an additional case was diagnosed with breast lymphoma. The imaging modality that has led to most diagnoses was MRI (8/11 cases). Eight of these ten cases were previously diagnosed with BC prior to age 70 and in six, BC past 70 years was in the contralateral breast. The lesions size averaged 1.29 ± 0.75 cm, with IDC and DCIS diagnosed in five cases each, and none had lymph node involvement.

CONCLUSION: In ~10% of BRCA1/BRCA2 PSV carriers BC is diagnosed by breast imaging after age 70 years. If these results are validated in a larger study, the guidelines for the maximum age for BC surveillance in high risk women should be revisited and set at 75 years.

RevDate: 2024-03-27
CmpDate: 2024-02-21

Piracha ZZ, U Saeed (2023)

Leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains protein 1 (LRIG1) is downregulated in Invasive ductal carcinoma and potential prognostic marker of breast cancer.

Journal of cancer research and therapeutics, 19(7):1870-1879.

BACKGROUND: LRIG1 belongs to the family of transmembrane proteins containing leucine-rich repeats. LRIGs are considered as tumor suppressors as they negatively regulate receptor tyrosine kinases. The role of LRIG1 as an EGFR regulator makes it an important marker to be studied in various epithelial-derived cancers.

METHODS: LRIG1 expression was determined in Erbb2 + cell lines by western blotting, and cell motility was examined by cell migration assay. The AKT/GSK3-β/β-catenin pathway was determined in the presence of LRIG1 and Erbb2 by using western blotting.

RESULTS: So far, no study has reported the expression of LRIG1 in benign forms of tumor such as fibroadenoma. The current study aims to analyze LRIG1 expression in fibroadenoma and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) tissues. In this study, we compared the LRIG1 expression with different clinicopathological parameters of patients having IDC or fibroadenoma. LRIG1 expression was low in Erbb2+ cell lines, and more cell motility was observed. The AKT/GSK3-β/β-catenin pathway was activated when LRIG1 was downregulated; consequently, Erbb2 was upregulated. Our results indicated that LRIG1 expression can be significantly correlated with age, Nottingham index, and Her2/neu status of cancer. The expression of LRIG1 in IDC and fibroadenoma were found to be significantly different.

CONCLUSION: The fibroadenoma tissue sections were found to express LRIG1 more intensely as compared to the IDC sections, which are in line with the studies reporting reduced copy number of the gene either due to gene deletion or transcriptional inhibition. This further supports that the downregulation of LRIG1 may lead to malignant tumor acting as a tumor suppressor.

RevDate: 2024-03-21
CmpDate: 2024-02-20

Liu XS, Chen YX, Wan HB, et al (2024)

TRIP6 a potential diagnostic marker for colorectal cancer with glycolysis and immune infiltration association.

Scientific reports, 14(1):4042.

Thyroid hormone receptor interactor 6 (TRIP6) it is an adaptor protein belonging to the zyxin family of LIM proteins, participating in signaling events through interactions with various molecules. Despite this, TRIP6's role in colorectal cancer (CRC), particularly its correlation with glucose metabolism and immune cell infiltration, remains unclear. Through the TCGA and GEO databases, we obtained RNA sequencing data to facilitate our in-depth study and analysis of TRIP6 expression. To investigate the prognostic value of TRIP6 in CRC, we also used univariate Cox regression analysis. In addition, this study also covered a series of analyses, including clinicopathological analysis, functional enrichment analysis, glycolysis correlation analysis, immunoinfiltration analysis, immune checkpoint analysis, and angiogenesis correlation analysis, to gain a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of this biological phenomenon. It has been found that TRIP6 expression is significantly upregulated in CRC and correlates with the stage of the disease. Its overexpression portends a worse survival time. Functional enrichment analysis reveals that TRIP6 is associated with focal adhesion and glycolysis. Mechanistically, TRIP6 appears to exert its tumorigenic effect by regulating the glycolysis-related gene GPI. A higher level of expression of TRIP6 is associated with an increase in the number of iDC immune cells and a decrease in the number of Th1 immune cells. Also, TRIP6 may promote angiogenesis in tumor cells by promoting the expression of JAG2. Our study uncovers the upregulation of TRIP6 in CRC, illuminating its prognostic and diagnostic value within this context. Furthermore, we examine the relationship between TRIP6 expression levels, glycolysis, angiogenesis and immune cell infiltration. This underscores its potential as a biomarker for CRC treatment and as a therapeutic target.

RevDate: 2024-03-04
CmpDate: 2024-02-14

Santos MM, Baerga CG, Lamsal S, et al (2023)

Breast cancer in a Hispanic patient with Werner syndrome.

Journal of radiology case reports, 17(10):21-31.

Werner Syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive condition characterized by premature aging and increased risk of malignancies due to gene mutations associated with DNA stability. We present the first case report of a 29-year-old Hispanic female with WS diagnosed with breast cancer. Diagnostic mammography and ultrasound, breast MRI and PET examinations revealed two lesions biopsy proven as invasive ductal carcinoma. The patient underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy and radical mastectomy. Recurrence occurred 10 months postoperatively with molecular analysis demonstrating TP53 mutations. The multifactorial assessment of breast cancer in this case study is crucial towards optimizing screening, diagnosis and management of this disease in patients with WS.

RevDate: 2024-03-20
CmpDate: 2024-02-09

Verma VK, Beevi SS, Nair RA, et al (2024)

MicroRNA signatures differentiate types, grades, and stages of breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC): miRNA-target interacting signaling pathways.

Cell communication and signaling : CCS, 22(1):100.

BACKGROUND: Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most common form of breast cancer which accounts for 85% of all breast cancer diagnoses. Non-invasive and early stages have a better prognosis than late-stage invasive cancer that has spread to lymph nodes. The involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the initiation and progression of breast cancer holds great promise for the development of molecular tools for early diagnosis and prognosis. Therefore, developing a cost effective, quick and robust early detection protocol using miRNAs for breast cancer diagnosis is an imminent need that could strengthen the health care system to tackle this disease around the world.

METHODS: We have analyzed putative miRNAs signatures in 100 breast cancer samples using two independent high fidelity array systems. Unique and common miRNA signatures from both array systems were validated using stringent double-blind individual TaqMan assays and their expression pattern was confirmed with tissue microarrays and northern analysis. In silico analysis were carried out to find miRNA targets and were validated with q-PCR and immunoblotting. In addition, functional validation using antibody arrays was also carried out to confirm the oncotargets and their networking in different pathways. Similar profiling was carried out in Brca2/p53 double knock out mice models using rodent miRNA microarrays that revealed common signatures with human arrays which could be used for future in vivo functional validation.

RESULTS: Expression profile revealed 85% downregulated and 15% upregulated microRNAs in the patient samples of IDC. Among them, 439 miRNAs were associated with breast cancer, out of which 107 miRNAs qualified to be potential biomarkers for the stratification of different types, grades and stages of IDC after stringent validation. Functional validation of their putative targets revealed extensive miRNA network in different oncogenic pathways thus contributing to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cellular plasticity.

CONCLUSION: This study revealed potential biomarkers for the robust classification as well as rapid, cost effective and early detection of IDC of breast cancer. It not only confirmed the role of these miRNAs in cancer development but also revealed the oncogenic pathways involved in different progressive grades and stages thus suggesting a role in EMT and cellular plasticity during breast tumorigenesis per se and IDC in particular. Thus, our findings have provided newer insights into the miRNA signatures for the classification and early detection of IDC.

RevDate: 2024-03-04
CmpDate: 2024-03-04

Agaoglu NB, Unal B, Hayes CP, et al (2024)

Genomic disparity impacts variant classification of cancer susceptibility genes in Turkish breast cancer patients.

Cancer medicine, 13(3):e6852.

OBJECTIVE: Turkish genome is underrepresented in large genomic databases. This study aims to evaluate the effect of allele frequency in the Turkish population in determining the clinical utility of germline findings in breast cancer, including invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), mixed invasive ductal and lobular carcinoma (IDC-L), and ductal carcinoma (DC).

METHODS: Two clinic-based cohorts from the Umraniye Research and Training Hospital (URTH) were used in this study: a cohort consisting of 132 women with breast cancer and a non-cancer cohort consisting of 492 participants. The evaluation of the germline landscape was performed by analysis of 27 cancer genes. The frequency and type of variants in the breast cancer cohort were compared to those in the non-cancer cohort to investigate the effect of population genetics. The variant allele frequencies in Turkish Variome and gnomAD were statistically evaluated.

RESULTS: The genetic analysis identified 121 variants in the breast cancer cohort (actionable = 32, VUS = 89) and 223 variants in the non-cancer cohort (actionable = 25, VUS = 188). The occurrence of 21 variants in both suggested a possible genetic population effect. Evaluation of allele frequency of 121 variants from the breast cancer cohort showed 22% had a significantly higher value in Turkish Variome compared to gnomAD (p < 0.0001, 95% CI) with a mean difference of 60 times (ranging from 1.37-354.4). After adjusting for variant allele frequency using the ancestry-appropriate database, 6.7% (5/75) of VUS was reclassified to likely benign.

CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study of population genetic effects in breast cancer subtypes in Turkish women. Our findings underscore the need for a large genomic database representing Turkish population-specific variants. It further highlights the significance of the ancestry-appropriate population database for accurate variant assessment in clinical settings.

RevDate: 2024-02-06
CmpDate: 2024-02-05

Coria LM, Rodriguez JM, Demaria A, et al (2024)

A Gamma-adapted subunit vaccine induces broadly neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants and protects mice from infection.

Nature communications, 15(1):997.

In the context of continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs), one strategy to prevent the severe outcomes of COVID-19 is developing safe and effective broad-spectrum vaccines. Here, we present preclinical studies of a RBD vaccine derived from the Gamma SARS-CoV-2 variant adjuvanted with Alum. The Gamma-adapted RBD vaccine is more immunogenic than the Ancestral RBD vaccine in terms of inducing broader neutralizing antibodies. The Gamma RBD presents more immunogenic B-cell restricted epitopes and induces a higher proportion of specific-B cells and plasmablasts than the Ancestral RBD version. The Gamma-adapted vaccine induces antigen specific T cell immune responses and confers protection against Ancestral and Omicron BA.5 SARS-CoV-2 challenge in mice. Moreover, the Gamma RBD vaccine induces higher and broader neutralizing antibody activity than homologous booster vaccination in mice previously primed with different SARS-CoV-2 vaccine platforms. Our study indicates that the adjuvanted Gamma RBD vaccine is highly immunogenic and a broad-spectrum vaccine candidate.

RevDate: 2024-02-06
CmpDate: 2024-02-05

Aoyagi T, Namura M, Sakata H, et al (2023)

[A Case of Recurrent Breast Cancer That Was BRCA1 Pathogenic Variant-Positive Successfully Treated with PARP Inhibitor].

Gan to kagaku ryoho. Cancer & chemotherapy, 50(13):1462-1464.

The patient was a 51-year-old woman at the time of diagnosis of left breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy and axillary dissection. Pathological findings were invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, tumor diameter 25 mm, and metastasis in 2 of 16 removed axillary lymph nodes. The subtype was triple negative. Postoperative chemotherapy was administered, and the patient was followed by follow-up imaging. At the age of 63 years, ultrasonography showed local recurrence, and local mass excision was performed. Genetic abnormalities were suspected since she had a family history of breast cancer, and it was a recurrent case. After genetic counseling, she underwent genetic testing, which revealed a BRCA1 pathogenic variant, so we initiated imaging surveillance. At age 65, a chest CT scan was performed due to respiratory symptoms, and she was diagnosed with multiple lung metastases. Respiratory symptoms improved at the examination 1 month after administration of Poly ADP ribose polymerase(PARP)inhibitor, and the metastatic masses shrank at the CT scan 3 months later. She continues to maintain CR and has no respiratory symptoms at present.

RevDate: 2024-03-06
CmpDate: 2024-01-31

Younas H, Shahid M, Khan Z, et al (2024)

Investigating the association of Angiotensin II Type I Receptor A1166C Polymorphism with Breast Cancer Risk in the Pakistani Population.

Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP, 25(1):79-85.

The polymorphisms of the Renin-Angiotensin System are related to many disorders like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and different types of cancer. Among all the polymorphisms related to AGTR1, A1166C has been associated with several disorders, including cardiovascular diseases and breast cancer. This study was conducted to discover the association of AGTR1 polymorphism (A1166C) Renin-Angiotensin and its effect on the development and progression of breast cancer in the Pakistani population. One hundred forty participants, including seventy diagnosed breast cancer patients and seventy healthy individuals, were included in this study and genotyped with an allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. The most frequent genotype in healthy participants and breast cancer patients was CC. An insignificant (p value>0.05) risk of breast cancer was found with A1166C polymorphism in codominant (CC vs. AA OR=1.200 [0.256-5.631] and AC vs. AA 0.941 [OR=0.223-3.976]), dominant (OR=1.00 [0.240-4.167]), recessive (OR=1.230 [0.593-2.552]) and additive models (OR=1.028 [0.533-1.983]) of general population genotypes. Nonetheless, when the AA genotype was considered a reference group, a significant association was found between AC and CC genotypes and invasive ductal and ductal carcinoma development in breast cancer patients. In conclusion, this study demonstrated no significant association between AGTR1 (A1166C) polymorphism and breast cancer risk.

RevDate: 2024-02-09
CmpDate: 2024-02-09

Dimitrov G, Shousha S, P Troianova (2024)

CD10 expression as a potential predictor of pathological complete response in ER-negative and triple-negative breast cancer patients treated with anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Experimental and molecular pathology, 135:104885.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) can induce a pathological complete response (pCR) in breast cancer patients, leading to improved outcomes. However, predicting which patients will achieve pCR remains a challenge. CD10, a myoepithelial marker, has shown diagnostic and prognostic value in metastatic tumors. Its potential as a predictor of chemosensitivity to anthracycline-based NCT in breast cancer is unknown.

AIM: This retrospective study aimed to investigate the potential of CD10 cancer cell expression as a predictive marker of chemosensitivity in breast cancers treated with anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

METHODS: We analyzed 130 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma who received anthracycline-based NCT. CD10 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry on pre-treatment biopsies. Statistical analysis evaluated the association between CD10 expression and pCR rates.

RESULTS: Univariate analysis revealed that ER-positive and CD10-negative tumors had lower pCR rates [OR 7.4830 (95% CI 2.7762-20.1699); p = 0.0001]. Multivariate analysis confirmed ER status as a strong predictor of poor response [OR 0.085 (95% CI 0.024-0.30); p < 0.001] and CD10 expression as a predictor of a favourable response [OR 0.11 (0.8-0.19); p = 0.049]. CD10 expression significantly predicted pCR in ER-negative cases [OR 0.1098 (0.0268-0.4503); p = 0.0022] and triple-negative breast cancer [OR 0.0966 (95% CI 0.0270-0.3462); p = 0.0003]. Concordance was observed between core biopsies and excised samples.

CONCLUSION: Positive CD10 cancer cell expression may predict increased response to anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy in ER-negative and triple-negative breast cancer cases. Further research is needed to validate these findings in larger cohorts and determine the clinical utility of CD10 as a predictive marker.

RevDate: 2024-02-23
CmpDate: 2024-02-23

Mahlow J, Barry M, Albertson DJ, et al (2024)

Histologic patterns in prostatic adenocarcinoma are not predictive of mutations in the homologous recombination repair pathway.

Human pathology, 144:28-33.

Somatic or germline homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway gene mutations are commonly detected in prostate cancer, especially in advanced disease, and are associated with response to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. In this study, we evaluated whether histological patterns are predictive of HRR pathway gene mutations. The study population comprised 130 patients with advanced prostate carcinoma who underwent comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) of tumor tissue at a CLIA-certified laboratory. HRR genes in the study included BRCA1, BRCA2, ATM, BARD1, BRIP, CHEK2, MRE11A, NBN, PALB2, RAD51C, RAD51D, EMSY, ATR, CHEK1, and FAM175A. Overall, 38 patients had mutations in BRCA1/2, 36 in other HRR genes, and 56 were negative for HRR mutations. All cases were re-reviewed and quantified by two genitourinary pathologists blinded to mutational status for the following histological patterns of prostate carcinoma: cribriform, ductal, intraductal carcinoma (IDC), small cell carcinoma, signet ring-like pattern, and lobular carcinoma-like pattern. Discordances were resolved by consensus review. Histologic patterns were analyzed for any correlation with mutations in HRR pathway genes (grouped as BRCA1/2 mutated or non-BRCA1/2 mutated) compared to tumors without mutations in HRR genes by Chi-square testing. Patterns with >20 % and >30 % of tumor volume were additionally evaluated for correlation with mutational status. We found no significant association between HRR pathway mutations and cribriform pattern, IDC, ductal carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, signet ring-like pattern, or lobular carcinoma-like patterns. Tumors with >20 % or >30 % histologic patterns by volume also demonstrated no significant association with mutational status. This study suggests that histopathologic examination alone is insufficient to distinguish prostate cancer with germline or somatic mutations in HRR pathway genes, highlighting the continuing importance of ancillary molecular diagnostics in guiding therapy selection for prostate cancer patients who may benefit from PARP inhibitors.

RevDate: 2024-02-06
CmpDate: 2024-01-29

Yang ZJ, Xin F, Chen ZJ, et al (2024)

Real-world data on neoadjuvant chemotherapy with dual-anti HER2 therapy in HER2 positive breast cancer.

BMC cancer, 24(1):134.

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy with dual-targeted therapy is the standard treatment for human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. Although the dual-targeted therapy has significantly improved the pathological complete response (pCR) rate, further investigation is needed to identify biomarkers that predict the response to neoadjuvant therapy.

METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 353 patients with HER2-positive breast invasive ductal carcinoma. The correlation between clinicopathological factors and pCR rate was evaluated. A nomogram was constructed based on the results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis to predict the probability of pCR.

RESULTS: The breast pCR (b-pCR) rate was 56.1% (198/353) and the total pCR (t-pCR) rate was 52.7% (186/353). Multivariate analysis identified ER status, PR status, HER2 status, Ki-67 index, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens as independent indicators for both b-pCR and t-pCR. The nomogram had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.73 (95% CI: 0.68-0.78). According to the nomogram, the t- pCR rate was highest in the ER-PR- HER2-positive patients (131/208) and lowest in the ER + PR + HER2-positive patients (19/73). The subgroup analyses showed that there was no significant difference in pCR rate among the neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens in ER positive, PR positive, HER2 IHC 2 + , Ki67 index < 30% population. However, for ER-PR-HER2-positive patients, the neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen has a great influence on the pCR rates.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ER-negative, PR-negative, HER2 3 + and high KI-67 index were more likely to achieve pCR. THP may be used as an alternative to AC-THP or TCbHP in selected HER2-positive patients.

RevDate: 2024-01-19
CmpDate: 2024-01-18

Ido M, Fujii K, Mishima H, et al (2024)

Comprehensive genomic evaluation of advanced and recurrent breast cancer patients for tailored precision treatments.

BMC cancer, 24(1):85.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate genetic alterations within breast cancer in the setting of recurrent or de novo stage IV disease.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included 22 patients with recurrent breast cancer (n = 19) and inoperable de novo stage IV breast cancer (n = 3). For next generation sequencing, FoundationOneCDx (F1CDx) (Foundation Medicine Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA) was performed in 21 patients and FoundationOneLiquid CDx was performed in 1 patient.

RESULTS: Median age was 62.9 years (range, 33.4-82.1). Pathological diagnoses of specimens included invasive ductal carcinoma (n = 19), invasive lobular carcinoma (n = 2), and invasive micropapillary carcinoma (n = 1). F1CDx detected a median of 4.5 variants (range, 1-11). The most commonly altered gene were PIK3CA (n = 9), followed by TP53 (n = 7), MYC (n = 4), PTEN (n = 3), and CDH1 (n = 3). For hormone receptor-positive patients with PIK3CA mutations, hormonal treatment plus a phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor was recommended as the treatment of choice. Patients in the hormone receptor-negative and no human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression group had significantly higher tumor mutational burden than patients in the hormone receptor-positive group. A BRCA2 reversion mutation was revealed by F1CDx in a patient with a deleterious germline BRCA2 mutation during poly ADP ribose polymerase inhibitor treatment.

CONCLUSION: Guidance on tailored precision therapy with consideration of genomic mutations was possible for some patients with information provided by F1CDx. Clinicians should consider using F1CDx at turning points in the course of the disease.

RevDate: 2024-03-25
CmpDate: 2024-03-25

Nakagawa S, Miyashita M, Maeda I, et al (2024)

Potential role of Fbxo22 in resistance to endocrine therapy in breast cancer with invasive lobular carcinoma.

Breast cancer research and treatment, 204(3):453-463.

BACKGROUND: Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is distinct from invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) in terms of their hormonal microenvironments that may require different therapeutic strategies. We previously reported that selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) function requires F-box protein 22 (Fbxo22). Here, we investigated the role of Fbxo22 as a potential biomarker contributing to the resistance to endocrine therapy in ILC.

METHODS: A total of 302 breast cancer (BC) patients including 150 ILC were recruited in the study. Fbxo22 expression and clinical information were analyzed to elucidate whether Fbxo22 negativity could be a prognostic factor or there were any correlations among clinical variables and SERM efficacy.

RESULTS: Fbxo22 negativity was significantly higher in ILC compared with IDC (58.0% vs. 27.0%, P < 0.001) and higher in postmenopausal patients than premenopausal patients (64.1% vs. 48.2%, P = 0.041). In the ILC cohort, Fbxo22-negative patients had poorer overall survival (OS) than Fbxo22-positive patients, with 10-year OS rates of 77.4% vs. 93.6% (P = 0.055). All patients treated with SERMs, Fbxo22 negativity resulted in a poorer outcome, with 10-year OS rates of 81.3% vs. 92.3% (P = 0.032). In multivariate analysis regarding recurrence-free survival (RFS) in ILC patients, Fbxo22 status was independently predictive of survival as well as lymph node metastasis.

CONCLUSION: Fbxo22 negativity significantly impacts on survival in BC patients with IDC and ILC, and the disadvantage was enhanced among ILC postmenopausal women or patients treated with SERMs. The findings suggest that different therapeutic strategies might be needed according to the different histopathological types when considering adjuvant endocrine therapy.

RevDate: 2024-07-02
CmpDate: 2024-01-23

Li QY, Guo Q, Luo WM, et al (2024)

Overexpression of MTFR1 promotes cancer progression and drug-resistance on cisplatin and is related to the immune microenvironment in lung adenocarcinoma.

Aging, 16(1):66-88.

OBJECTIVE: The roles of MTFR1 in the drug resistance of lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) to cisplatin remain unexplored. In this study, the expression, clinical values and mechanisms of MTFR1 were explored, and the relationship between MTFR1 expression and immune microenvironment was investigated in LAC using bioinformatics analysis, cell experiments, and meta-analysis.

METHODS: MTFR1 expression and clinical values, and the relationship between MTFR1 expression and immunity were explored, through bioinformatics analysis. The effects of MTFR1 on the growth, migration and cisplatin sensitivity of LAC cells were identified using cell counting kit-8, wound healing and Transwell experiments. Additionally, the mechanisms of drug resistance of LAC cells involving MTFR1 were investigated using western blotting.

RESULTS: MTFR1 was elevated in LAC tissues. MTFR1 overexpression was associated with sex, age, primary therapy outcome, smoking, T stage, unfavourable prognosis and diagnostic value and considered an independent risk factor for an unfavourable prognosis in patients with LAC. MTFR1 co-expressed genes involved in the cell cycle, oocyte meiosis, DNA replication and others. Moreover, interfering with MTFR1 expression inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of A549 and A549/DDP cells and promoted cell sensitivity to cisplatin, which was related to the inhibition of p-AKT, p-P38 and p-ERK protein expression. MTFR1 overexpression was associated with stromal, immune and estimate scores along with natural killer cells, pDC, iDC and others in LAC.

CONCLUSIONS: MTFR1 overexpression was related to the unfavourable prognosis, diagnostic value and immunity in LAC. MTFR1 also participated in cell growth and migration and promoted the drug resistance of LAC cells to cisplatin via the p-AKT and p-ERK/P38 signalling pathways.

RevDate: 2024-06-05
CmpDate: 2024-06-03

Kos Z, Nielsen TO, AV Laenkholm (2024)

Breast Cancer Histopathology in the Age of Molecular Oncology.

Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine, 14(6):.

For more than a century, microscopic histology has been the cornerstone for cancer diagnosis, and breast carcinoma is no exception. In recent years, clinical biomarkers, gene expression profiles, and other molecular tests have shown increasing utility for identifying the key biological features that guide prognosis and treatment of breast cancer. Indeed, the most common histologic pattern-invasive ductal carcinoma of no special type-provides relatively little guidance to management beyond triggering grading, biomarker testing, and clinical staging. However, many less common histologic patterns can be recognized by trained pathologists, which in many cases can be linked to characteristic biomarker and gene expression patterns, underlying mutations, prognosis, and therapy. Herein we describe more than a dozen such histomorphologic subtypes (including lobular, metaplastic, salivary analog, and several good prognosis special types of breast cancer) in the context of their molecular and clinical features.

RevDate: 2024-02-01
CmpDate: 2024-01-24

Schwartz CJ, Khorsandi N, Blanco A, et al (2024)

Clinicopathologic and genetic analysis of invasive breast carcinomas in women with germline CHEK2 variants.

Breast cancer research and treatment, 204(1):171-179.

PURPOSE: Germline pathogenic variants in checkpoint kinase 2 (CHEK2) are associated with a moderately increased risk of breast cancer (BC). The spectrum of clinicopathologic features and genetics of these tumors has not been fully established.

METHODS: We characterized the histopathologic and clinicopathologic features of 44 CHEK2-associated BCs from 35 women, and assessed responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. A subset of cases (n = 23) was additionally analyzed using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS).

RESULTS: Most (94%, 33/35) patients were heterozygous carriers for germline CHEK2 variants, and 40% had the c.1100delC allele. Two patients were homozygous, and five had additional germline pathogenic variants in ATM (2), PALB2 (1), RAD50 (1), or MUTYH (1). CHEK2-associated BCs occurred in younger women (median age 45 years, range 25-75) and were often multifocal (20%) or bilateral (11%). Most (86%, 38/44) were invasive ductal carcinomas of no special type (IDC-NST). Almost all (95%, 41/43) BCs were ER + (79% ER + HER2-, 16% ER + HER2 + , 5% ER-HER2 +), and most (69%) were luminal B. Nottingham grade, proliferation index, and results of multiparametric molecular testing were heterogeneous. Biallelic CHEK2 alteration with loss of heterozygosity was identified in most BCs (57%, 13/23) by NGS. Additional recurrent alterations included GATA3 (26%), PIK3CA (226%), CCND1 (22%), FGFR1 (22%), ERBB2 (17%), ZNF703 (17%), TP53 (9%), and PPM1D (9%), among others. Responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy were variable, but few patients (21%, 3/14) achieved pathologic complete response. Most patients (85%) were without evidence of disease at time of study (n = 34). Five patients (15%) developed distant metastasis, and one (3%) died (mean follow-up 50 months).

CONCLUSION: Almost all CHEK2-associated BCs were ER + IDC-NST, with most classified as luminal B with or without HER2 overexpression. NGS supported the luminal-like phenotype and confirmed CHEK2 as an oncogenic driver in the majority of cases. Responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapy were variable but mostly incomplete.

RevDate: 2023-12-16
CmpDate: 2023-12-16

Adedokun KA, Oluogun WA, Oyenike MA, et al (2023)

Expression Patterns of ER, PR, HER-2/neu and p53 in Association with Nottingham Tumour Grade in Breast Cancer Patients.

Sultan Qaboos University medical journal, 23(4):526-533.

OBJECTIVES: Recent molecular studies show that breast cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease, and several molecular changes may accumulate over time to influence treatment response. As a result, employing reliable molecular biomarkers to monitor these modifications may help deliver personalised treatment. However, this may be unrealistic in the resource-limited parts of the world. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the expression pattern of hormone receptors and p53 tumour suppressor using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in BC compared to the traditional tumour grade.

METHODS: In total, 205 cases were investigated, and the Modified Bloom-Richardson score system was adopted in grading the tumours. The tissue sections of the cases were stained with specific primary antibodies at dilutions of 1:60 for oestrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR), 1:350 for the human epidermal growth factor (HER-2/neu) and 1:50 for p53.

RESULTS: Invasive ductal carcinoma of no-specific type (n = 190, 92.7%) was predominant and grade II tumour (n = 146, 71.2%) was the most frequent. Hormone receptors ER (n = 127) and PR (n = 145) had 62.0% and 70.7% positive cases, respectively; 34.1% (n = 70) were positive for HER-2/neu, while 76.1% (n = 156) were positive for p53. Significant associations between Nottingham grade and expression patterns of ER (P <0.01), PR (P <0.001), HER-2/neu (P <0.001) and p53 (P = 0.001) were observed.

CONCLUSION: Nottingham grade had a high degree of concordance with the patterns of expression of hormone receptors, HER-2/neu and p53, suggesting that it may play an important role in connection with the predictive and prognostic biomarkers for BC.

RevDate: 2024-03-06
CmpDate: 2024-03-06

Mouabbi JA, Qaio W, Shen Y, et al (2024)

Efficacy of Single-Agent Chemotherapy in Endocrine Therapy-Refractory Metastatic Invasive Lobular Carcinoma.

The oncologist, 29(3):213-218.

BACKGROUND: Hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative metastatic invasive lobular breast cancer (mILC) is distinct from invasive ductal cancer (IDC) in clinicopathologic and molecular characteristics, impacting its response to systemic therapy. While endocrine therapy (ET) combined with targeted therapies has shown efficacy in ET-sensitive mILC, data on chemotherapy in ET-refractory mILC remain limited. We investigated the efficacy of single-agent capecitabine (CAP) versus taxanes (TAX) in ET-refractory HR+ HER2-negative patients with mILC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using data from the MD Anderson prospectively collected breast cancer database, we identified patients with HR+ HER2-negative mILC who received prior ET and first-time chemotherapy in the metastatic setting. We compared outcomes between 173 CAP-treated and 96 TAX-treated patients.

RESULTS: CAP-treated patients had significantly better median progression-free survival (PFS) than TAX-treated patients (8.8 vs 5.0 months, HR 0.63, P < .001). Overall survival (OS) did not differ significantly between the groups (42.7 vs 36.6 months for CAP vs TAX, respectively, HR 0.84, P = .241). Multivariate analyses for PFS and OS revealed better outcomes in subjects with fewer metastatic sites and those exposed to more lines of ET. Additionally, Black patients showed worse OS outcomes compared to White patients (HR 2.46; P = .001).

CONCLUSION: In ET-refractory HR+ HER2-negative mILC, single-agent CAP demonstrated superior PFS compared to TAX. Our findings highlight the potential benefit of CAP in this patient subset, warranting further investigation through prospective trials.

RevDate: 2024-02-28
CmpDate: 2023-12-06

Zhang W, Nowotny H, Theodoropoulou M, et al (2023)

E47 as a novel glucocorticoid-dependent gene mediating lipid metabolism in patients with endogenous glucocorticoid excess.

Frontiers in endocrinology, 14:1249863.

PURPOSE: E47 has been identified as a modulating transcription factor of glucocorticoid receptor target genes, its loss protecting mice from metabolic adverse effects of glucocorticoids. We aimed to analyze the role of E47 in patients with endogenous glucocorticoid excess [Cushing's syndrome (CS)] and its association with disorders of lipid and glucose metabolism.

METHODS: This is a prospective cohort study including 120 female patients with CS (ACTH-dependent = 79; ACTH-independent = 41) and 26 healthy female controls. Morning whole blood samples after an overnight fast were used to determine E47 mRNA expression levels in patients with overt CS before and 6-12 months after curative surgery. Expression levels were correlated with the clinical phenotype of the patients. Control subjects underwent ACTH stimulation tests and dexamethasone suppression tests to analyze short-term regulation of E47.

RESULTS: E47 gene expression showed significant differences in patient cohorts with overt CS vs. patients in remission (p = 0.0474) and in direct intraindividual comparisons pre- vs. post-surgery (p = 0.0353). ACTH stimulation of controls resulted in a significant decrease of E47 mRNA expression 30 min after i.v. injection compared to baseline measurements. Administration of 1 mg of dexamethasone overnight in controls did not change E47 mRNA expression. E47 gene expression showed a positive correlation with total serum cholesterol (p = 0.0036), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p = 0.0157), and waist-arm ratio (p = 0.0138) in patients with CS in remission.

CONCLUSION: E47 is a GC-dependent gene that is upregulated in GC excess potentially aiming at reducing metabolic glucocorticoid side effects such as dyslipidemia.

RevDate: 2023-12-17
CmpDate: 2023-12-05

Naeimzadeh Y, Ilbeigi S, Dastsooz H, et al (2023)

Protooncogenic Role of ARHGAP11A and ARHGAP11B in Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Two Promising Breast Cancer Biomarkers.

BioMed research international, 2023:8236853.

Invasive duct carcinoma (IDC) is one of the most common types of breast cancer (BC) in women worldwide, with a high risk of malignancy, metastasis, recurrence, and death. So far, molecular patterns among IDC cases have not been fully defined. However, extensive evidence has shown that dysregulated Rho family small GTPases (Rho GTPases) including Rho GTPase activating proteins (RhoGAPs) have important roles in the invasive features of IDCs. In the current study, we analyzed the expression levels of two RhoGAP genes, ARHGAP11A and ARHGAP11B, in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer (BRCA) and also our 51 IDC tumors compared to their matched normal tissues using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Our TCGA data analysis revealed higher expression of ARHGAP11A and ARHGAP11B in various cancers comprising BCs. Also, we found correlations between these genes and other genes in TCGA-BRCA. Moreover, our methylation analysis showed that their promotor methylation had a negative correlation with their overexpression. QPCR revealed their significant upregulation in our tumor samples. Furthermore, we found that the expression level of ARHGAP11A was considerably lower in women who were breastfeeding. Moreover, it had overexpression in cases who had regular menstrual cycles and early age (younger than 14) at menarche. However, ARHGAP11B had a higher expression in HER2-positive tumors versus HER2-positive and ER-positive tumors. Our study found possible protooncogenic roles for these genes and their involvement in IDC pathogenesis and malignancy. Therefore, they can be considered novel prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers for IDC.

RevDate: 2023-12-20
CmpDate: 2023-11-28

Jalilian E, Abolhasani-Zadeh F, Afgar A, et al (2023)

Neutralizing tumor-related inflammation and reprogramming of cancer-associated fibroblasts by Curcumin in breast cancer therapy.

Scientific reports, 13(1):20770.

Tumor-associated inflammation plays a vital role in cancer progression. Among the various stromal cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts are promising targets for cancer therapy. Several reports have indicated potent anti-inflammatory effects attributed to Curcumin. This study aimed to investigate whether inhibiting the inflammatory function of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) with Curcumin can restore anticancer immune responses. CAFs were isolated from breast cancer tissues, treated with Curcumin, and co-cultured with patients' PBMCs to evaluate gene expression and cytokine production alterations. Blood and breast tumor tissue samples were obtained from 12 breast cancer patients with stage II/III invasive ductal carcinoma. Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP) + CAFs were extracted from tumor tissue, treated with 10 μM Curcumin, and co-cultured with corresponding PBMCs. The expression of smooth muscle actin-alpha (α-SMA), Cyclooxygenase-2(COX-2), production of PGE2, and immune cell cytokines were evaluated using Real-Time PCR and ELISA, respectively. Analyzes showed that treatment with Curcumin decreased the expression of genes α-SMA and COX-2 and the production of PGE2 in CAFs. In PBMCs co-cultured with Curcumin-treated CAFs, the expression of FoxP3 decreased along with the production of TGF-β, IL-10, and IL-4. An increase in IFN-γ production was observed that followed by increased T-bet expression. According to our results, Curcumin could reprogram the pro-tumor phenotype of CAFs and increase the anti-tumor phenotype in PBMCs. Thus, CAFs, as a component of the tumor microenvironment, are a suitable target for combination immunotherapies of breast cancer.

RevDate: 2024-09-03
CmpDate: 2024-08-22

Boyraz B, A Ly (2024)

Spectrum of histopathologic findings in risk-reducing bilateral prophylactic mastectomy in patients with and without BRCA mutations.

Human pathology, 151:105534.

Many germline mutations have been implicated in breast cancer pathogenesis and despite several studies on occult atypical lesions in prophylactic mastectomy specimens from patients with BRCA1/2 mutations, there are very limited data on other genes associated with increased breast cancer risk and the distribution of lesions in patients with hereditary breast cancer. We identified 207 patients who underwent bilateral prophylactic mastectomy due to germline mutations in BRCA1/2, PALB2, CHEK2, ATM, CDH1, PTEN, BARD1, or strong family history between 2015 and 2023. Patients with biopsy-proven past or current invasive breast carcinoma or carcinoma in-situ preoperatively were excluded. In addition to multiple benign lesions, the following atypical lesions were identified: flat epithelial atypia (16.9%), atypical ductal hyperplasia (14.0%), lobular neoplasia (14.0%), ductal carcinoma in-situ (4.3%), invasive ductal carcinoma (0.4%). Both low-grade and high-grade pathway lesions were identified in this cohort, and in a subset of patients, they co-occurred. The frequency of atypical lesions identified in patients with strong family history were comparable to those with proven germline mutation. PTEN immunohistochemistry showed loss of expression in ductal carcinoma in-situ and tubular adenomas in PTEN-mutant patients. Overall, findings from this cohort support the benefit of prophylactic mastectomy in patients with germline mutations and/or strong family history. Additionally, this is the first demonstration that PTEN immunohistochemistry may be helpful in identifying germline mutations in patients with atypical or neoplastic proliferations.

RevDate: 2024-06-07
CmpDate: 2024-02-26

Derakhshan F, Da Cruz Paula A, Selenica P, et al (2024)

Nonlobular Invasive Breast Carcinomas with Biallelic Pathogenic CDH1 Somatic Alterations: A Histologic, Immunophenotypic, and Genomic Characterization.

Modern pathology : an official journal of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology, Inc, 37(2):100375.

CDH1 encodes for E-cadherin, and its loss of function is the hallmark of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC). Albeit vanishingly rare, biallelic CDH1 alterations may be found in nonlobular breast carcinomas (NL-BCs). We sought to determine the clinicopathologic characteristics and repertoire of genetic alterations of NL-BCs harboring CDH1 biallelic genetic alterations. Analysis of 5842 breast cancers (BCs) subjected to clinical tumor-normal sequencing with an FDA-cleared multigene panel was conducted to identify BCs with biallelic CDH1 pathogenic/likely pathogenic somatic mutations lacking lobular features. The genomic profiles of NL-BCs with CDH1 biallelic genetic alterations were compared with those of ILCs and invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs), matched by clinicopathologic characteristics. Of the 896 CDH1-altered BCs, 889 samples were excluded based on the diagnosis of invasive mixed ductal/lobular carcinoma or ILC or the detection of monoallelic CDH1 alterations. Only 7 of the 5842 (0.11%) BCs harbored biallelic CDH1 alterations and lacked lobular features. Of these, 4/7 (57%) cases were ER-positive/HER2-negative, 1/7 (14%) was ER-positive/HER2-positive, and 2/7 (29%) were ER-negative/HER2-negative. In total, 5/7 (71%) were of Nottingham grade 2, and 2/7 (29%) were of grade 3. The NL-BCs with CDH1 biallelic genetic alterations included a mucinous carcinoma (n = 1), IDCs with focal nested growth (n = 2), IDC with solid papillary (n = 1) or apocrine (n = 2) features, and an IDC of no special type (NST; n = 1). E-cadherin expression, as detected by immunohistochemistry, was absent (3/5) or aberrant (discontinuous membranous/cytoplasmic/granular; 2/5). However, NL-BCs with CDH1 biallelic genetic alterations displayed recurrent genetic alterations, including TP53, PIK3CA (57%, 4/7; each), FGFR1, and NCOR1 (28%, 2/7, each) alterations. Compared with CDH1 wild-type IDC-NSTs, NL-BCs less frequently harbored GATA3 mutations (0% vs 47%, P = .03), but no significant differences were detected when compared with matched ILCs. Therefore, NL-BCs with CDH1 biallelic genetic alterations are vanishingly rare, predominantly comprise IDCs with special histologic features, and have genomic features akin to luminal B ER-positive BCs.

RevDate: 2024-02-10
CmpDate: 2023-11-06

Kalra R, Lim B, Ellis MJ, et al (2023)

The uncharted role of HER2 mutant alleles in breast cancer.

Oncotarget, 14:904-907.

Somatic HER2 mutations are a novel class of therapeutic targets across different cancer types. Treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) neratinib as a single agent continues to be evaluated in HER2-mutant metastatic disease. However, responses are heterogeneous, with frequent early progression. Herein, we discuss the under-explored effects of individual HER2 mutant alleles on therapeutic response, a role for HER2 mutation in metastatic propensity, and differences in patient outcomes in ER+ invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) versus invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). The preclinical efficacy of additional agents is also discussed, particularly the pan-HER inhibitor poziotinib.

RevDate: 2024-06-15
CmpDate: 2023-11-03

Imamichi T, Chen Q, Sowrirajan B, et al (2023)

Interleukin-27-induced HIV-resistant dendritic cells suppress reveres transcription following virus entry in an SPTBN1, autophagy, and YB-1 independent manner.

PloS one, 18(11):e0287829.

Interleukin (IL)-27, a member of the IL-12 family of cytokines, induces human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-resistant monocyte-derived macrophages and T cells. This resistance is mediated via the downregulation of spectrin beta, non-erythrocytic 1 (SPTBN1), induction of autophagy, or suppression of the acetylation of Y-box binding protein-1 (YB-1); however, the role of IL-27 administration during the induction of immature monocyte-derived dendritic cells (iDC) is poorly investigated. In the current study, we investigated the function of IL-27-induced iDC (27DC) on HIV infection. 27DC inhibited HIV infection by 95 ± 3% without significant changes in the expression of CD4, CCR5, and SPTBN1 expression, autophagy induction and acetylation of YB-1 compared to iDC. An HIV proviral DNA copy number assay displayed that 27DC suppressed reverse transcriptase (RT) reaction without influencing the virus entry. A DNA microarray analysis was performed to identify the differentially expressed genes between 27DC and iDC. Compared to iDC, 51 genes were differentially expressed in 27DC, with more than 3-fold changes in four independent donors. Cross-reference analysis with the reported 2,214 HIV regulatory host genes identified nine genes as potential interests: Ankyrin repeat domain 22, Guanylate binding protein (GBP)-1, -2, -4, -5, Stabilin 1, Serpin family G member 1 (SERPING1), Interferon alpha inducible protein 6, and Interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 3. A knock-down study using si-RNA failed to determine a key factor associated with the anti-HIV activity due to the induction of robust amounts of off-target effects. Overexpression of each protein in cells had no impact on HIV infection. Thus, we could not define the mechanism of the anti-HIV effect in 27DC. However, our findings indicated that IL-27 differentiates monocytes into HIV-resistant DC, and the inhibitory mechanism differs from IL-27-induced HIV-resistant macrophages and T cells.

RevDate: 2024-02-01
CmpDate: 2024-01-24

Zhao YY, Ge HJ, Yang WT, et al (2024)

Secretory breast carcinoma: clinicopathological features and prognosis of 52 patients.

Breast cancer research and treatment, 203(3):543-551.

PURPOSE: Secretory breast carcinoma is a rare histological subtype of invasive breast cancer and considered with an indolent clinical behavior. This study was conducted to analyze the clinicopathological features of patients with secretory breast carcinoma (SBC), explore the outcome, and compare the prognostic difference with invasive ductal breast carcinoma (IDC). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Patients with SBC diagnosed between 2006 and 2017 from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center were included in the study, excluding patients with previous malignant tumor history and incomplete clinical data or follow-up records. Peculiar clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features of the cases were fully described. Clinical data of 4979 cases of IDC were also evaluated during this period. After propensity score matching, prognostic analysis of SBCs and IDCs was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method and landmark analysis method.

RESULTS: The data of 52 patients diagnosed with SBC were identified from the pathological files. Among them, 47 patients were women, and 5 were men. The median age of the 52 SBCs was 46 years (mean, 48.1 years; range, 10-80 years). The tumor sizes ranged from 0.3 to 6.8 cm, with a mean of 3.5 cm. Eight patients (15.4%) had positive axillary lymph node involvement. The molecular classification was mostly triple-negative breast cancer (65.4%). Fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmed the presence of ETV6::NTRK3 rearrangement in 16 of 18 cases (88.9%). Furthermore, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and landmark analysis demonstrated that there were no statistically significant differences in DFS and OS between SBC and IDC patients.

CONCLUSION: Although SBCs are generally associated with a favorable prognosis, our work exhibited that the clinicopathological features of SBC were partly different from former understandings, indicating that therapeutic procedure should be prudent. Further studies are necessary to fully identify the clinical behavior and predictive markers to improve diagnosis and management in this unique subtype of breast cancer.

RevDate: 2024-03-22
CmpDate: 2023-12-04

Liao H, Wang H, Zheng R, et al (2024)

LncRNA CARMN suppresses EMT through inhibiting transcription of MMP2 activated by DHX9 in breast cancer.

Cellular signalling, 113:110943.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to drive cancer progression. However, the function of lncRNAs and the underlying mechanism in early-stage breast cancer(BC) have rarely been investigated. Datasets of pre-invasive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), invasive ductal BC (IDC) and normal breast tissue from TCGA and GEO databases were used to conduct bioinformatics analysis. LncRNA CARMN was identified as a tumor suppressor in early-stage BC and related to a better prognosis. CARMN over-expression inhibited MMP2 mediated migration and EMT in BC. Further analysis showed that CARMN was located in the nucleus and functioned as an enhancer RNA (eRNA) in mammary epithelial cell. Mechanically, CARMN binding protein DHX9 was identified by RNA pull-down and mass spectrometry (MS) assays and it also bound to the MMP2 promoter to activate its transcription. As a decoy, CARMN competitively bound to DHX9 and blocked MMP2 transcriptional activation, thereby inhibiting metastasis and EMT of BC cells. These findings reveal the important role of CARMN as a tumor suppressor in the metastasis and a potential biomarker for progression in early-stage BC.

RevDate: 2023-11-12
CmpDate: 2023-10-27

Wang HY, Li SJ, Zhang AL, et al (2023)

[Identification of lymph node metastasis related genes in prostate cancer using weighted gene co-expression network analysis].

Zhonghua yi xue za zhi, 103(40):3204-3210.

Objective: To explore the molecular markers related to lymph node metastasis of prostate cancer (PCa) based on bioinformatics technology and carry out clinical verification. Methods: The differentially expressed genes of PCa with lymph node metastasis were screened from geo data, and the hub genes of the gene co expression network were constructed. The hub genes were incorporated into the support vector machine model to evaluate its prediction efficiency. The hub genes were verified in the TCGA data set and analyzed for immune infiltration. The clinical data of 80 patients with prostate cancer in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2019 to December 2022 were collected. The logistic risk model was used to evaluate the prediction efficiency of hub gene metastasis. Results: Five hub genes (GSK3B, TP53, PSMC6, SUMO1, PIK3CA) were identified, and the support vector machine model constructed by them had good diagnostic value (the accuracy rate was 83.87%). TCGA validation results showed that only PSMC6 was significantly differentially expressed in PCa tissues with lymph node metastasis (P<0.001). The results of immune infiltration analysis showed that the expression of PSMC6 was significantly correlated with 9 kinds of immune cells (B cells, DC, IDC, etc.). Clinical information analysis showed that the expression of PSMC6 was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, PSA value, T stage and Gleason score (P<0.01). Univariate logistic results showed that T stage (OR=3.230, 95%CI:1.192-8.757, P=0.021), Gleason score (OR=4.627, 95%CI:2.212-9.677, P<0.001), PSMC6 (OR=25.235, 95%CI:5.326-119.560, P<0.001) could be used as predictors of lymph node metastasis. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that PSMC6 (OR=16.537, 95%CI:2.928-93.393, P=0.001) could be used as an independent risk factor for predicting lymph node metastasis. Conclusion: PSMC6 may be used as a potential molecular marker for judging lymph node metastasis in patients with PCa.

RevDate: 2023-10-26
CmpDate: 2023-10-26

Coskunpinar E, Tiryakioglu DZ, Abaci N, et al (2023)

Investigation of the miR-637 and miR-523-5p as candidate biomarkers in breast cancer.

Bratislavske lekarske listy, 124(11):814-820.

OBJECTIVES: The distinction of benign lesions from malign tumors is crucial for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancers.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the use of miRNAs as plasma biomarkers for the discrimination of malign and benign breast tumors.

METHODS: Whole blood samples obtained from 40 individuals in 3 groups designated as invasive ductal carcinoma group, fibroadenoma group and healthy controls were included in this study. The expression levels of 372 miRNAs were determined using RT-PCR.  Results: The comparison of fibroadenoma group with healthy controls revealed an upregulation of thirty miRNAs and downregulation of twenty-nine miRNAs. The comparison of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) group with controls has shown that eight miRNAs were upregulated while eleven miRNAs were downregulated. When comparing IDC and fibroadenoma groups, 15 miRNAs were found to be upregulated, while 10 miRNAs were downregulated. Further analysis of these miRNAs aimed to determine their power in distinguishing  IDCs from fibroadenomas. Among the miRNAs analyzed, seven miRNAs have shown sufficient discriminative power, of which three miRNAs, namely miR-637, miR-523-5p and miR-490-3p, have shown a significantly high discriminative power.

CONCLUSIONS: Circulating miR-637 and miR-523-5p combination maybe used to discriminate between invasive ductal carcinomas and fibroadenomas. (Tab. 9, Fig. 4, Ref. 30).

RevDate: 2024-02-09
CmpDate: 2024-01-03

Zhao J, Xu N, Zhu S, et al (2024)

Genomic and Evolutionary Characterization of Concurrent Intraductal Carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma of the Prostate.

Cancer research, 84(1):154-167.

UNLABELLED: Intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC-P) is a lethal prostate cancer subtype that generally coexists with invasive high-grade prostate acinar adenocarcinoma (PAC) but exhibits distinct biological features compared with concomitant adenocarcinoma. In this study, we performed whole-exome, RNA, and DNA-methylation sequencing of IDC-P, concurrent invasive high-grade PAC lesions, and adjacent normal prostate tissues isolated from 22 radical prostatectomy specimens. Three evolutionary patterns of concurrent IDC-P and PAC were identified: early divergent, late divergent, and clonally distant. In contrast to those with a late divergent evolutionary pattern, tumors with clonally distant and early divergent evolutionary patterns showed higher genomic, epigenomic, transcriptional, and pathologic heterogeneity between IDC-P and PAC. Compared with coexisting PAC, IDC-P displayed increased expression of adverse prognosis-associated genes. Survival analysis based on an independent cohort of 505 patients with metastatic prostate cancer revealed that IDC-P carriers with lower risk International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grade 1-4 adenocarcinoma displayed a castration-resistant free survival as poor as those with the highest risk ISUP grade 5 tumors that lacked concurrent IDC-P. Furthermore, IDC-P exhibited robust cell-cycle progression and androgen receptor activities, characterized by an enrichment of cellular proliferation-associated master regulators and genes involved in intratumoral androgen biosynthesis. Overall, this study provides a molecular groundwork for the aggressive behavior of IDC-P and could help identify potential strategies to improve treatment of IDC-P.

SIGNIFICANCE: The genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic characterization of concurrent intraductal carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of the prostate deepens the biological understanding of this lethal disease and provides a genetic basis for developing targeted therapies.

RevDate: 2023-11-06
CmpDate: 2023-11-02

Yang SY, Zhang J, Yang ZQ, et al (2023)

Advanced hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive invasive ductal carcinoma with cecal metastasis: A case report.

Science progress, 106(4):368504231201043.

The incidence of gastrointestinal metastases from breast cancer (BC) is low. We report a special case of Luminal B (Hormone Receptor positive [HR+]/Human Epidermal Growth Factor receptor 2-positive [HER-2+]) BC. The patient presented with asymptomatic brain metastases two years after radical surgery for modified breast cancer and developed right lower abdominal pain during relief therapy. Electronic gastroenteroscopy revealed inflammatory changes in the cecal mucosa. These changes were confirmed on pathology to be cecal metastasis from BC. The patient's condition was stabilised after treatment with an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC). For patients with BC who develop appendicitis-like symptoms after treatment for invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast, clinicians should be fully aware that the possibility of cecal metastasis needs to be considered, despite the very low probability of occurrence.

RevDate: 2023-12-06
CmpDate: 2023-12-06

Dieu Vuong L, Q Ngoc Nguyen (2023)

ABERRANT METHYLATION OF CANCER-RELATED GENES IN VIETNAMESE BREAST CANCER PATIENTS: ASSOCIATIONS WITH CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL FEATURES.

Experimental oncology, 45(2):195-202.

BACKGROUND: Epigenetic alteration is one of the most common molecular changes identified in the progression of breast cancer (BC).

AIM: To study the frequency and relation between methylation of BRCA1, MLH1, MGMT, GSTP1, APC, RASSF1A, p16, WIF, and EGFR and the clinicopathological features in Vietnamese BC patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MS-PCR) and SPSS 20.0 software were utilized in order to identify methylated frequency as well as evaluate its relationship with the patient's clinical features.

RESULTS: In 162 BC cases, the methylation rates of the selected genes were 53.7%, 22.8%, 38.9%, 34.6%, 29.0%, 46.3%, 20.4%, 18.5%, and 28.4% respectively. In 32 cases of benign breast diseases (BBD) - 12.5%, 15.6%, 6.3%, 3.1%, 12.5%, 21.9%, 3.1%, 15.6% and 3.1%. BC samples displayed higher BRCA1, MGMT, GSTP1, APC, RASSF1A, WIF1, and p16 methylation levels than BBD samples (p < 0.001). Hypermethylation of BRCA1, GSTP1, and RASSF1A was predominant in the invasive ductal carcinoma, while hypermethylation of BRCA1, GSTP1, RASSF1A, WIF-1, and p16 was found to significantly correlate with lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05). Hypermethylation of BRCA1, MGMT, and GSTP1 was more common in stage III (p < 0.05) than in stages I/II, whereas MLH1 methylation was predominant in stage I and APC methylation was less common in stage III (p = 0.03). In addition, methylation of RASSF1A and EGFR was more frequent in younger patients (p < 0.01) than in elder patients.

CONCLUSION: These data suggest that a gene panel (BRCA1/MGMT/GSTP1) can be used to support the diagnosis and screening of Vietnamese patients' BC with a sensitivity of 70%, and a specificity of 85%.

RevDate: 2023-10-08
CmpDate: 2023-09-26

Choi JH, Yu J, Jung M, et al (2023)

Prognostic significance of TP53 and PIK3CA mutations analyzed by next-generation sequencing in breast cancer.

Medicine, 102(38):e35267.

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors affecting women globally. It is a heterogeneous disease characterized by mutations in several genes. Several gene panels have been applied to assess the risk of breast cancer and determine the appropriate treatment. As a powerful tool, Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been widely utilized in cancer research due to its advantages, including high speed, high throughput, and high accuracy. In this study, we aim to analyze the correlation between somatic mutations in breast cancer, analyzed using NGS, and the prognosis of patients. Between May 2018 and May 2019, a total of 313 patients with breast cancer underwent surgical treatment, which included total mastectomy and breast-conserving surgery. Among these patients, 265 were diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma. In this study, we analyzed the NGS results, clinicopathological characteristics, and their correlation with prognosis. Using a gene panel, we examined 143 somatic mutations in solid cancers. Notably, the study population included patients who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The mean age of the patients was 53.1 (±10.28) years, and the median follow-up time was 48 months (range, 8-54). Among the 265 patients, 68 had received prior systemic therapy. Of these, 203 underwent breast-conserving surgery, and 62 underwent a mastectomy. Various somatic mutations were observed in NGS, with the most frequent mutation being PIK3CA mutations, which accounted for 44% of all mutations. TP53 mutations were the second most frequent, and ERBB2 mutations were the third most frequent. TP53 mutations were associated with poor disease-free survival (P = .027), while PIK3CA mutations were associated with better disease-free survival (P = .035) than PIK3CA wild-type. In our study, we identified various somatic mutations in breast cancer. Particularly, we found that TP53 and PIK3CA mutations are potentially associated with the prognosis of breast cancer. These findings suggest that the presence of specific mutations may have implications for predicting the prognosis of breast cancer. Further research and validation are needed to gain a deeper understanding of the role of these mutations and their mechanisms in prognosis prediction.

RevDate: 2024-09-19
CmpDate: 2024-05-25

Peng L, He X, Peng X, et al (2023)

STGNNks: Identifying cell types in spatial transcriptomics data based on graph neural network, denoising auto-encoder, and k-sums clustering.

Computers in biology and medicine, 166:107440.

BACKGROUND: Spatial transcriptomics technologies fully utilize spatial location information, tissue morphological features, and transcriptional profiles. Integrating these data can greatly advance our understanding about cell biology in the morphological background.

METHODS: We developed an innovative spatial clustering method called STGNNks by combining graph neural network, denoising auto-encoder, and k-sums clustering. First, spatial resolved transcriptomics data are preprocessed and a hybrid adjacency matrix is constructed. Next, gene expressions and spatial context are integrated to learn spots' embedding features by a deep graph infomax-based graph convolutional network. Third, the learned features are mapped to a low-dimensional space through a zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB)-based denoising auto-encoder. Fourth, a k-sums clustering algorithm is developed to identify spatial domains by combining k-means clustering and the ratio-cut clustering algorithms. Finally, it implements spatial trajectory inference, spatially variable gene identification, and differentially expressed gene detection based on the pseudo-space-time method on six 10x Genomics Visium datasets.

RESULTS: We compared our proposed STGNNks method with five other spatial clustering methods, CCST, Seurat, stLearn, Scanpy and SEDR. For the first time, four internal indicators in the area of machine learning, that is, silhouette coefficient, the Davies-Bouldin index, the Caliniski-Harabasz index, and the S_Dbw index, were used to measure the clustering performance of STGNNks with CCST, Seurat, stLearn, Scanpy and SEDR on five spatial transcriptomics datasets without labels (i.e., Adult Mouse Brain (FFPE), Adult Mouse Kidney (FFPE), Human Breast Cancer (Block A Section 2), Human Breast Cancer (FFPE), and Human Lymph Node). And two external indicators including adjusted Rand index (ARI) and normalized mutual information (NMI) were applied to evaluate the performance of the above six methods on Human Breast Cancer (Block A Section 1) with real labels. The comparison experiments elucidated that STGNNks obtained the smallest Davies-Bouldin and S_Dbw values and the largest Silhouette Coefficient, Caliniski-Harabasz, ARI and NMI, significantly outperforming the above five spatial transcriptomics analysis algorithms. Furthermore, we detected the top six spatially variable genes and the top five differentially expressed genes in each cluster on the above five unlabeled datasets. And the pseudo-space-time tree plot with hierarchical layout demonstrated a flow of Human Breast Cancer (Block A Section 1) progress in three clades branching from three invasive ductal carcinoma regions to multiple ductal carcinoma in situ sub-clusters.

CONCLUSION: We anticipate that STGNNks can efficiently improve spatial transcriptomics data analysis and further boost the diagnosis and therapy of related diseases. The codes are publicly available at https://github.com/plhhnu/STGNNks.

RevDate: 2023-12-12
CmpDate: 2023-11-22

McMurtry V, Cleary AS, Ruano AL, et al (2023)

Metaplastic Breast Carcinoma: Clinicopathologic Features and Recurrence Score Results From a Population-based Database.

American journal of clinical oncology, 46(12):559-566.

OBJECTIVES: Metaplastic breast carcinoma (MBC) is a rare, aggressive form of cancer comprising epithelial and mesenchymal elements. The purpose of this study was to use population-based data to review the clinicopathologic, molecular features, and outcomes of MBC.

METHODS: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) data were used to identify MBC and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), no special type (NOS) between 2004 and 2015. Results from Oncotype DX's 21-gene assay linked to SEER registries were included for hormone receptor (HR)-positive tumors. χ 2 analysis was performed to determine the differences between MBC and IDC. Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used for breast cancer specific death (BCSD).

RESULTS: Compared with IDC, NOS (n=509,864), MBC (n=3876) were more likely to present at an older age, be black, have negative lymph nodes, be >2 cm, grade 3, and triple negative (TN). All subtypes [HR-positive/human epidermal growth receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, HR-positive/HER2-positive, HR-negative/HER2-positive, and TN] had higher BCSD than IDC, NOS. 22.3% of MBC cases were HR-positive. HR-positive MBCs tested for a recurrence score (RS) 65% were high-risk compared with 16.8% of IDC, NOS. Within the MBC cohort, no significant differences in BCSD were identified with respect to different molecular subtypes. In a fully adjusted model, TN or HER2-positive status did not adversely affect BCSD compared with HR-positive MBC.

CONCLUSIONS: All molecular subtypes of MBC had a poorer prognosis compared with IDC, NOS. The different molecular subtypes of MBC did not affect the BCSD. HR-positive MBC patients had a significantly higher high-risk RS than IDC, NOS patients.

RevDate: 2023-08-31
CmpDate: 2023-08-29

Barlier A, Romanet P, NS Pellegata (2023)

Editorial: New insights into multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1.

Frontiers in endocrinology, 14:1266148.

RevDate: 2023-11-20
CmpDate: 2023-11-20

Ito T, Takahara T, Taniguchi N, et al (2023)

PTEN loss in intraductal carcinoma of the prostate has low incidence in Japanese patients.

Pathology international, 73(11):542-548.

Clinical and genomic features of prostate cancer (PCa) vary considerably between Asian and Western populations. PTEN loss is the most frequent abnormality in intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC-P) in Western populations. However, its prevalence and significance in Asian populations have not yet been well studied. In the present study, we evaluated PTEN expression in IDC-P in a Japanese population and its association with ERG expression. This study included 45 and 59 patients with PCa with and without IDC-P, respectively, who underwent radical prostatectomy. PTEN loss was observed in 10 patients with PCa with IDC-P (22%) and nine patients with PCa without IDC-P (17%). ERG expression was relatively frequent in patients with PCa with PTEN loss, although a significant difference was not observed. The co-occurrence of PTEN loss and ERG expression was observed in four patients with PCa with IDC-P and one without IDC-P. PTEN loss and ERG expression did not affect progression-free survival, regardless of the presence of IDC-P. The frequency of PTEN loss in IDC-P is lower in Asian patients than in Western patients. Our results indicate that mechanisms underlying IDC-P in Asian populations are different from those of Western populations.

RevDate: 2023-08-11
CmpDate: 2023-08-11

Doi K, Fujii T, Hanamoto M, et al (2023)

[A Case of BRCA2 Mutation-Positive Intraductal Carcinoma of the Prostate].

Hinyokika kiyo. Acta urologica Japonica, 69(7):189-192.

A 75-year-old man presented with macroscopic hematuria and a high serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level. Macroscopic hematuria had subsided by the time of consultation. The PSA level was 38.590 ng/ml, which, along with rectal examination and magnetic resonance imaging findings, led to the suspicion of prostate cancer. Transrectal needle biopsy of the prostate revealed intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC-P). Computed tomography and bone scintigraphy were performed, and the prostate cancer was classified as cT2cN0M0. After 6 months of combined androgen blockade therapy, a radical prostatectomy was performed; however, PSA levels continued to increase, and the patient was diagnosed with castration resistant prostate cancer. Multiple bone metastases appeared 5 months after the initiation of abiraterone therapy. Three courses of docetaxel and two courses of cabazitaxel were administered, but the disease progression continued. The IDC-P was found to be positive for the BRCA2 mutation by BRACAnalysis® performed at the start of cabazitaxel therapy. To our knowledge, no other cases of BRCA2 mutation positive IDC-P have been reported in Japan. After we started administration of Olaparib, the patient's PSA level was lowered and the disease progression stopped.

RevDate: 2023-09-19
CmpDate: 2023-09-19

Abdollahi E, H Mozdarani (2023)

Epigenetic regulation of circ-HIPK3, circ-PVT1, miR-25, and miR-149 in radiosensitivity of breast cancer.

Experimental and molecular pathology, 132-133:104865.

Assessing the radiosensitivity of cells before administering radiation therapy (RT) to individuals diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) can facilitate the selection of appropriate treatment regimens and minimize the incidence of adverse side effects in patients undergoing radiation exposure. In this research, blood samples were obtained from 60 women who had been diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) Breast Cancer. The average age of the patients was 47 ± 9.93. Additionally, the study incorporated 20 healthy women, with an average age of 44.43 ± 6.7. A standard G2 assay was conducted to predict the cellular response to radiation. Out of the 60 samples, the G2 assay identified 20 patients with breast cancer who exhibited radiosensitivity. Hence, molecular investigations were ultimately conducted on two equivalent cohorts comprising 20 subjects each, one with and the other without cellular radiosensitivity. The expression levels of miR-149, miR-25, circ-PVT1, and circ-HIPK3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were evaluated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the RNAs. An analysis using binary logistic regression was performed to investigate the relationship between RNAs and both BC and cellular radiosensitivity (CR) in patients with BC. The findings revealed a significant upregulation of Circ-HIPK3 and circ-PVT1 in individuals diagnosed with BC. The levels of Circ-HIPK3 and Circ-PVT1 were found to be directly associated with CR in BC patients. The analysis of the ROC curve demonstrated that circ-HIPK3 and circ-PVT1 exhibit favorable specificity and sensitivity in accurately predicting both BC and CR in patients with BC. The findings from the binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that circ-HIPK3 and circ-PVT1 were effective predictors of both BC and CR. The ROC curve and binary logistic regression analyses provide evidence that miR-25 is a reliable predictor for BC patients exclusively. Our research has demonstrated that circ-HIPK3, circ-PVT1, and miR-25 may be involved in BC regulatory processes. The circular RNAs Circ-HIPK3 and circ-PVT1, as well as miR-25, among other significant biomarkers, could potentially serve as promising biomarkers for predicting BC. Furthermore, Circ-HIPK3 and circ-PVT1 have the potential to serve as biomarkers for predicting CR in BC patients.

RevDate: 2023-11-02
CmpDate: 2023-11-02

Cakir Y, Talu CK, Trabulus DC, et al (2023)

The immunohistochemical Galectin-3 expression in tumor and cancer-associated fibroblasts in invasive ductal carcinomas of breast and their relationship with clinicopathological parameters.

Indian journal of pathology & microbiology, 66(3):456-464.

BACKGROUND: Galectin-3 has an important role in metastasis, therefore, Galectin-3-focused therapies have attracted attention for various cancers.

AIM: We aimed to reveal the relationship between the expression of Galectin-3 within the tumor/cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) and clinicopathological parameters in patients with invasive ductal carcinomas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides of breast excision materials diagnosed between 2010 and 2016 were re-examined retrospectively. Accordingly, 118 cases (luminal group = 58, Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) group = 27, and triple-negative breast carcinoma group [TNBC] =33 cases) were included. Galectin-3 levels were evaluated with a calculated H-score in tumor and semiquantitatively in CAFs.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Data was analyzed with t-tests and Chi-square tests. Kaplan-Meier and Log-rank tests were used for survival analysis.

RESULTS: The presence of Galectin-3 expression in CAFs but not in the tumor was associated with the greater number of axillary metastatic nodes and advanced pN stage. The loss of Galectin-3 expression in CAFs was more frequent in TNBC. There was no significant relationship between the expression level of Galectin-3 and survival status. However, in most of the cases with distant metastasis or patients who died, Galectin-3 was negative in the tumor, whereas it was positive in CAFs.

CONCLUSIONS: The expression of Galectin-3 in tumors and CAFs may have a role in metastasis to axillary lymph nodes and distant sites. In terms of molecular subtype, TNBCs show a relationship with Galectin-3 negativity in CAFs.

RevDate: 2023-08-19
CmpDate: 2023-08-18

Bódis K, Bombrich M, Schön M, et al (2023)

Effects of TM6SF2 rs58542926 polymorphism on hepatocellular lipids and insulin resistance in early type 2 diabetes.

Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD, 33(9):1785-1796.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Increased hepatocellular lipid content (HCL) is linked to insulin resistance, risk of type 2 diabetes and related complications. Conversely, a single-nucleotide polymorphism (TM6SF2[EK]; rs58542926) in the transmembrane 6 superfamily member 2-gene has been associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), but lower cardiovascular risk. This case-control study tested the role of this polymorphism for tissue-specific insulin sensitivity during early course of diabetes.

METHODS AND RESULTS: Males with recent-onset type 2 diabetes with (TM6SF2[EK]: n = 16) or without (TM6SF2[EE]: n = 16) the heterozygous TM6SF2-polymorphism of similar age and body mass index, underwent Botnia-clamps with [6,6-[2]H2]glucose to measure whole-body-, hepatic- and adipose tissue-insulin sensitivity. HCL was assessed with [1]H-magnetic-resonance-spectroscopy. A subset of both groups (n = 24) was re-evaluated after 5 years. Despite doubled HCL, TM6SF2[EK] had similar hepatic- and adipose tissue-insulin sensitivity and 27% higher whole-body-insulin sensitivity than TM6SF2[EE]. After 5 years, whole-body-insulin sensitivity, HCL were similar between groups, while adipose tissue-insulin sensitivity decreased by 87% and 55% within both groups and circulating triacylglycerol increased in TM6SF2[EE] only.

CONCLUSIONS: The TM6SF2-polymorphism rs58542926 dissociates HCL from insulin resistance in recent-onset type 2 diabetes, which is attenuated by disease duration. This suggests that diabetes-related metabolic alterations dominate over effects of the TM6SF2-polymorphism during early course of diabetes and NAFLD.

RevDate: 2024-01-16
CmpDate: 2024-01-16

Shi K, Liu XL, Guo Q, et al (2023)

TMEM41A overexpression correlates with poor prognosis and immune alterations in patients with endometrial carcinoma.

PloS one, 18(7):e0285817.

BACKGROUND: Expression levels of transmembrane protein 41A (TMEM41A) are related to the progression of malignant tumors. However, the association between TMEM41A expression and endometrial carcinoma (EC) remains unclear. This study aims to identify the roles of TMEM41A expression in the prognosis of patients with EC and its correlation with EC progression.

METHODS: The TMEM41A expression and its correlation with the survival of patients with EC were assessed. Cox regression analysis was used to identify the prognostic factors, while nomograms were used to examine the association between the prognostic factors and the survival of patients with EC. Finally, the link between TMEM41A level and immune microenvironment and RNA modifications was investigated in EC.

RESULTS: TMEM41A was overexpressed in EC. TMEM41A overexpression could diagnose the EC and evaluate the poor prognosis of patients. Overexpression of TMEM41A was associated with clinical stage, age, weight, histological subtype, tumor grade, and survival status of patients with EC. Clinical stage, age, tumor grade, radiotherapy, and TMEM41A overexpression were factors of poor prognosis in patients with EC. The nomograms revealed the correlation between the TMEM41A level and survival time of patients with EC at 1, 3, and 5 years. Furthermore, TMEM41A overexpression was significantly correlated with the level of the stromal score, immune score, estimate score, NK CD56 bright cells, iDC, NK cells, eosinophils, pDC, T cells, TReg, cytotoxic cells, mast cells, Th17 cells, neutrophils, aDC, NK CD56 dim cells, TFH, Th2 cells, CD8 T cells, macrophages, immune cell markers, and RNA modifications.

CONCLUSIONS: TMEM41A is overexpressed in EC tissues and is associated with the prognosis, immune microenvironment, and RNA modification. Our preliminary studies indicate that overexpression of TMEM41A can potentially serve as a biomarker for EC treatment.

RevDate: 2024-03-25
CmpDate: 2024-03-25

Chappidi MR, Sjöström M, Greenland NY, et al (2024)

Transcriptomic Heterogeneity of Expansile Cribriform and Other Gleason Pattern 4 Prostate Cancer Subtypes.

European urology oncology, 7(2):222-230.

BACKGROUND: Prostate cancers featuring an expansile cribriform (EC) pattern are associated with worse clinical outcomes following radical prostatectomy (RP). However, studies of the genomic characteristics of Gleason pattern 4 subtypes are limited.

OBJECTIVE: To explore transcriptomic characteristics and heterogeneity within Gleason pattern 4 subtypes (fused/poorly formed, glomeruloid, small cribriform, EC/intraductal carcinoma [IDC]) and the association with biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival.

This was a retrospective cohort study including 165 men with grade group 2-4 prostate cancer who underwent RP at a single academic institution (2016-2020) and Decipher testing of the RP specimen. Patients with Gleason pattern 5 were excluded. IDC and EC patterns were grouped. Median follow-up was 2.5 yr after RP for patients without BCR.

Prompted by heterogeneity within pattern 4 subtypes identified via exploratory analyses, we investigated transcriptomic consensus clusters using partitioning around medoids and hallmark gene set scores. The primary clinical outcome was BCR, defined as two consecutive prostate-specific antigen measurements >0.2 ng/ml at least 8 wk after RP, or any additional treatment. Multivariable Cox proportional-hazards models were used to determine factors associated with BCR-free survival.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS: In this cohort, 99/165 patients (60%) had EC and 67 experienced BCR. Exploratory analyses and clustering demonstrated transcriptomic heterogeneity within each Gleason pattern 4 subtype. In the multivariable model controlled for pattern 4 subtype, margin status, Cancer of the Prostate Risk Assessment Post-Surgical score, and Decipher score, a newly identified steroid hormone-driven cluster (hazard ratio 2.35 95% confidence interval 1.01-5.47) was associated with worse BCR-free survival. The study is limited by intermediate follow-up, no validation cohort, and lack of accounting for intratumoral and intraprostatic heterogeneity.

CONCLUSIONS: Transcriptomic heterogeneity was present within and across each Gleason pattern 4 subtype, demonstrating there is additional biologic diversity not captured by histologic subtypes. This heterogeneity can be used to develop novel signatures and to classify transcriptomic subtypes, which may help in refining risk stratification following RP to further guide decision-making on adjuvant and salvage treatments.

PATIENT SUMMARY: We studied prostatectomy specimens and found that tumors with similar microscopic appearance can have genetic differences that may help to predict outcomes after prostatectomy for prostate cancer. Our results demonstrate that further gene expression analysis of prostate cancer subtypes may improve risk stratification after prostatectomy. Future studies are needed to develop novel gene expression signatures and validate these findings in independent sets of patients.

RevDate: 2023-12-28
CmpDate: 2023-08-29

Chen BF, Tsai YF, Lien PJ, et al (2023)

Clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of invasive ductal and lobular carcinoma: analyses of 54,832 taiwan cancer registry index cases.

Breast cancer research and treatment, 201(3):547-560.

PURPOSE: Invasive lobular cancer (ILC) is the second most common histology type of breast cancer followed by invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). This study aimed to investigate the characteristic, treatment strategies, and clinical outcomes of ILC based on a national population-based cancer registry.

METHODS: This study recruited 2671 ILC and 52,215 IDC patients diagnosed between 2011 and 2017 using the Taiwan Cancer Registry (TCR). Correlations between ILC and IDC subgroups were assessed using 1:4 propensity score matching and compared using the χ2 test. Disease free survival(DFS) and overall survival(OS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test. The risk of disease relapse and mortality were assessed using Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS: ILC patients had larger tumor sizes, more positive axillary lymph node involvement, lower tumor grade, and higher cancer stage than IDC patients. After matching, ILC patients had a significantly higher rate of receiving mastectomy (58.93% and 53.85%) and positive surgical margin regardless of surgery type. ILC exhibited a significantly higher rate of distant metastasis than IDC(3.67% and 2.93%), but no difference in local recurrence rate, DFS or OS between the two groups. Higher cancer stage, higher grade, and mastectomy were risk factors for disease relapse and cancer-specific mortality. The hormone receptor-positive and HER2 over-expression subtypes were found to be associated with a reduced risk of disease relapse, while only PR positivity was associated with a decreased risk of mortality. (all P-values < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: ILC patients had a higher mastectomy rate, higher surgical margin rate and distant metastasis rate than IDC patients. There is no significant difference in DFS or OS between ILC and IDC patients. Mastectomy was associated with poor outcomes regardless of ILC or IDC.

RevDate: 2023-12-28
CmpDate: 2023-08-29

Tsunokake S, Iwabuchi E, Miki Y, et al (2023)

SGLT1 as an adverse prognostic factor in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast.

Breast cancer research and treatment, 201(3):499-513.

PURPOSE: Sodium/glucose cotransporter (SGLT) 1 and 2 expression in carcinoma cells was recently examined, but their association with the clinicopathological factors of the patients and their biological effects on breast carcinoma cells have remained remain virtually unknown. Therefore, in this study, we explored the expression status of SGLT1 and SGLT2 in breast cancer patients and examined the effects of SGLT1 inhibitors on breast carcinoma cells in vitro.

METHODS: SGLT1 and SGLT2 were immunolocalized and we first correlated the findings with clinicopathological factors of the patients. We then administered mizagliflozin and KGA-2727, SGLT1 specific inhibitors to MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 breast carcinoma cell lines, and their growth-inhibitory effects were examined. Protein arrays were then used to further explore their effects on the growth factors.

RESULTS: The SGLT1 high group had significantly worse clinical outcome including both overall survival and disease-free survival than low group. SGLT2 status was not significantly correlated with clinical outcome of the patients. Both mizagliflozin and KGA-2727 inhibited the growth of breast cancer cell lines. Of particular interest, mizagliflozin inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells, even under very low glucose conditions. Mizagliflozin downregulated vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 phosphorylation.

CONCLUSION: High SGLT1 expression turned out as an adverse clinical prognostic factor in breast cancer patient. This is the first study demonstrating that SGLT1 inhibitors suppressed breast carcinoma cell proliferation. These results indicated that SGLT1 inhibitors could be used as therapeutic agents for breast cancer patients with aggressive biological behaviors.

RevDate: 2023-08-15
CmpDate: 2023-08-14

Chen J, Gao P, Xiao W, et al (2023)

Multi-omics dissection of stage-specific artemisinin tolerance mechanisms in Kelch13-mutant Plasmodium falciparum.

Drug resistance updates : reviews and commentaries in antimicrobial and anticancer chemotherapy, 70:100978.

AIMS: We investigated the stage-specific mechanisms of partial resistance to artemisinin (ART, an antimalarial drug) in Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) carrying the Kelch13 C580Y mutation.

METHODS: Using fluorescence labeling and activity-based protein profiling, we systematically profile the ART activation levels in P. falciparum during the entire intra-erythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC), and determined the ART-targets profile of the ART-sensitive and -resistant strains at different stages. We retrieved and integrated datasets of single-cell transcriptomics and label-free proteomics across three IDC stages of wild-type P. falciparum. We also employed lipidomics to validate lipid metabolic reprogramming in the resistant strain.

RESULTS: The activation and expression patterns of genes and proteins of ART-targets in both ART-sensitive and resistant strains varied at different stages and periods of P. falciparum development, with the late trophozoite stage harboring the largest number of ART targets. We identified and validated 36 overlapping targets, such as GAPDH, EGF-1a, and SpdSyn, during the IDC stages in both strains. We revealed the ART-insensitivity of fatty acid-associated activities in the partially resistant strain at both the early ring and early trophozoite stages.

CONCLUSIONS: Our multi-omics strategies provide novel insights into the mechanisms of ART partial resistance in Kelch13 mutant P. falciparum, demonstrating the stage-specific interaction between ART and malaria parasites.

RevDate: 2023-08-28
CmpDate: 2023-08-25

Wu K, Li W, Liu H, et al (2023)

Metabolome Sequencing Reveals that Protein Arginine-N-Methyltransferase 1 Promotes the Progression of Invasive Micropapillary Carcinoma of the Breast and Predicts a Poor Prognosis.

The American journal of pathology, 193(9):1267-1283.

Invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) of the breast is a special histopathologic type of cancer with a high recurrence rate and the biological features of invasion and metastasis. Previous spatial transcriptome studies indicated extensive metabolic reprogramming in IMPC, which contributes to tumor cell heterogeneity. However, the impact of metabolome alterations on IMPC biological behavior is unclear. Herein, endogenous metabolite-targeted metabolomic analysis was done on frozen tumor tissue samples from 25 patients with breast IMPC and 34 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma not otherwise specified (IDC-NOS) by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. An IMPC-like state, which is an intermediate transitional morphologic phenotype between IMPC and IDC-NOS, was observed. The metabolic type of IMPC and IDC-NOS was related to breast cancer molecular type. Arginine methylation modification and 4-hydroxy-phenylpyruvate metabolic changes play a major role in the metabolic reprogramming of IMPC. High protein arginine-N-methyltransferase (PRMT) 1 expression was an independent factor related to the poor prognosis of patients with IMPC in terms of disease-free survival. PRMT1 promoted H4R3me2a, which induced tumor cell proliferation via cell cycle regulation and facilitated tumor cell metastasis via the tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway. This study identified the metabolic type-related features and intermediate transition morphology of IMPC. The identification of potential targets of PRMT1 has the potential to provide a basis for the precise diagnosis and treatment of breast IMPC.

RevDate: 2023-06-08
CmpDate: 2023-06-08

Bukamal Z, A AlRayes (2023)

Prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 Mutations Among High-risk Bahraini Patients with Breast Cancer.

The Gulf journal of oncology, 1(42):22-25.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose is to study the prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in high-risk Bahraini patients diagnosed with breast cancer, its relation to family history, and to determine the clinicopathologic features of breast cancer associated with these genetic mutations, over a period of 7 years.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer occurring in women and the second most common type generally. Approximately 12% of women worldwide will develop carcinoma of the breast sometime during their life. Additionally, 72% of women with an inherited BRCA1 mutation and 69% of those with a mutated BRCA2 will develop breast cancer by 80 years of age. The incidence of breast cancer in Bahraini women have increased over the last decade. Still, the data on BRCA1 & BRCA2 mutations in relation to breast cancer patients is limited in the Arab region, not omitting Bahrain as a country with deficient BRCA prevalence data.

METHODS: This retrospective study was carried out in Salmaniya Medical Complex, Bahrain, to determine the prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations and to observe the breast cancer's histopathologic features that are associated with these mutations.

RESULTS: 271 patients underwent the BRCA gene testing between 2013 and 2019. Out of 271 patients, 35 were excluded. Out of the 236 breast cancer patients, 219 (93%) did not have the mutation. The BRCA gene was carried by a total of 17 (7%) patients; 13 (5%) BRCA1 and 4 (2%) BRCA2. Thirteen BRCA carrier patients had invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) (76%), 2 had ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) (12%), while 2 patients' histopathology was not available. Molecular subtypes showed 4 triple negative basal sub-type (TNBC), 10 positive ER and PR hormonal status, 1 positive HER-2, while 2 patients' hormonal receptor status was not available. Two BRCA1 carriers had both breast and ovarian cancers. A total of 5 (2%) breast cancer male patients were among the tested population, out of which, 1 (0.4% of the total and 20% of the male patients) was a BRCA2 carrier. Out of the 236 patients, 76 (32%) were younger than 40 years of age at the time of diagnosis. Then again, out of the 17 BRCA carrier patients, 7 (41%) were younger than 40 years.

CONCLUSION: The prevalence of BRCA mutation in high risk Bahraini breast cancer patients is 7%. Among those patients, BRCA1 mutation is the most prevalent (5%) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most common histopathological subtype. However, there was not enough data to conclude the most prevalent molecular subtype of breast cancer in BRCA carriers due to deficiency of overseas pathology reports for patients operated outside Bahrain. When developing treatment plans for younger patients with breast cancer, inherited syndromes and precisely BRCA mutations need to be considered. Bahrain is implementing genetic testing for breast cancer patients ≤ 50 years of age since 2018, according to NCCN guidelines. We will continue to build our database to better characterize breast cancer subtypes and determine their hereditary pattern for identification of high risk families in Bahrain and for future development of more specific therapeutic approaches.

KEY WORDS: Breast cancer, BRCA1, BRCA2, BRCA mutation, Bahrain, Arab region.

RevDate: 2023-09-05
CmpDate: 2023-09-04

Lee J, Park S, Jung HA, et al (2023)

A phase 2 multicenter study of docetaxel-PM and trastuzumab-pkrb combination therapy in recurrent or metastatic salivary gland carcinomas.

Cancer, 129(19):2966-2974.

BACKGROUND: Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is uncommon but is the most aggressive subtype of salivary gland carcinomas. The high positivity rate for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) led to an investigation of the efficacy of HER2-targeted agents. Docetaxel-PM (polymeric micelle) is a low-molecular-weight, nontoxic, biodegradable, and docetaxel-loaded micellar formulation. Trastuzumab-pkrb is a biosimilar to trastuzumab.

METHODS: This was a multicenter, single-arm, open-label phase 2 study. Patients with HER2-positive (immunohistochemistry [IHC] score of ≥2+ and/or HER2/chromosome enumeration probe 17 [CEP17] ratio of ≥2.0) advanced SDCs were enrolled. Patients received docetaxel-PM (75 mg/m[2]) and trastuzumab-pkrb (8 mg/kg in the first cycle and 6 mg/kg in subsequent cycles) every 3 weeks. Primary end point was objective response rate (ORR).

RESULTS: A total of 43 patients were enrolled. The best objective responses were partial response in 30 (69.8%) patients and stable disease in 10 (23.3%) patients, leading to an ORR of 69.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 53.9-82.8) and a disease control rate of 93.0% (80.9-98.5). Median progression-free survival, duration of response, and overall survival were 7.9 (6.3-9.5), 6.7 (5.1-8.4), and 23.3 (19.9-26.7) months, respectively. Patients with HER2 IHC score of 3+ or HER2/CEP17 ratio ≥2.0 demonstrated better efficacies compared to those with HER2 IHC score of 2+. Thirty-eight (88.4%) patients experienced treatment-related adverse events (TRAE). Because of TRAE, nine (20.9%), 14 (32.6%), and 19 (44.2%) patients required temporary discontinuation, permanent discontinuation, or dose reduction, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: The combination of docetaxel-PM and trastuzumab-pkrb demonstrated promising antitumor activity with a manageable toxicity profile in HER2-positive advanced SDC.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is uncommon but is the most aggressive subtype of salivary gland carcinomas. SDC shares morphological and histological similarities with invasive ductal carcinoma of breast, which led to an investigation of hormonal receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)/neu expression status in SDC. In this study, patients with HER2-positive SDC were enrolled and treated with combination of docetaxel-polymeric micelle and trastuzumab-pkrb. Promising antitumor activities were shown with objective response rate of 69.8%, disease control rate of 93.0%, median progression-free survival of 7.9 months, median duration of response of 6.7 months, and median overall survival of 23.3 months.

RevDate: 2023-11-20
CmpDate: 2023-08-07

Abdollahi E, Mozdarani H, BZ Alizadeh (2023)

Role of circ-FOXO3 and miR-23a in radiosensitivity of breast cancer.

Breast cancer (Tokyo, Japan), 30(5):714-726.

Identifying the radiosensitivity of cells before radiotherapy (RT) in breast cancer (BC) patients allows appropriate switching between routinely used treatment regimens and reduces adverse side effects in exposed patients. In this study, blood was collected from 60 women diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) BC and 20 healthy women. To predict cellular radiosensitivity, a standard G2-chromosomal assay was performed. From these 60 samples, 20 BC patients were found to be radiosensitive based on the G2 assay. Therefore, molecular studies were finally performed on two equal groups (20 samples each) of patients with and without cellular radiosensitivity. QPCR was performed to examine the expression levels of circ-FOXO3 and miR-23a in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and RNA sensitivity and specificity were determined by plotting Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify RNA involvement in BC and cellular radiosensitivity (CR) in BC patients. Meanwhile, qPCR was used to compare differential RNA expression in the radiosensitive MCF-7 and radioresistant MDA-MB-231 cell lines. An annexin -V FITC/PI binding assay was used to measure cell apoptosis 24 and 48 h after 2 Gy, 4 Gy, and 8 Gy gamma-irradiation. Results indicated that circ-FOXO3 was downregulated and miR-23a was upregulated in BC patients. RNA expression levels were directly associated with CR. Cell line results showed that circ-FOXO3 overexpression induced apoptosis in the MCF-7 cell line and miR-23a overexpression inhibited apoptosis in the MDA-MB-231 cell line. Evaluation of the ROC curves revealed that both RNAs had acceptable specificity and sensitivity in predicting CR in BC patients. Binary logistic regression showed that both RNAs were also successful in predicting breast cancer. Although only circ-FOXO3 has been shown to predict CR in BC patients, circ-FOXO3 may function as a tumor suppressor and miR-23a may function as oncomiR in BC. Circ-FOXO3 and miR-23a may be promising potential biomarkers for BC prediction. Furthermore, Circ-FOXO3 could be a potential biomarker for predicting CR in BC patients.

RevDate: 2024-09-18
CmpDate: 2023-05-22

Koçberber Z, Willemsen N, A Bartelt (2023)

The role of proteasome activators PA28αβ and PA200 in brown adipocyte differentiation and function.

Frontiers in endocrinology, 14:1176733.

INTRODUCTION: Brown adipocytes produce heat through non shivering thermogenesis (NST). To adapt to temperature cues, they possess a remarkably dynamic metabolism and undergo substantial cellular remodeling. The proteasome plays a central role in proteostasis and adaptive proteasome activity is required for sustained NST. Proteasome activators (PAs) are a class of proteasome regulators but the role of PAs in brown adipocytes is unknown. Here, we studied the roles of PA28α (encoded by Psme1) and PA200 (encoded by Psme4) in brown adipocyte differentiation and function.

METHODS: We measured gene expression in mouse brown adipose tissue. In cultured brown adipocytes, we silenced Psme1 and/or Psme4 expression through siRNA transfection. We then assessed impact on the ubiquitin proteasome system, brown adipocyte differentiation and function.

RESULTS: We found that Psme1 and Psme4 are expressed in brown adipocytes in vivo and in vitro. Through silencing of Psme1 and/or Psme4 expression in cultured brown adipocytes, we found that loss of PAs did not impair proteasome assembly or activity, and that PAs were not required for proteostasis in this model. Loss of Psme1 and/or Psme4 did not impair brown adipocyte development or activation, suggesting that PAs are neither required for brown adipogenesis nor NST.

DISCUSSION: In summary, we found no role for Psme1 and Psme4 in brown adipocyte proteostasis, differentiation, or function. These findings contribute to our basic understanding of proteasome biology and the roles of proteasome activators in brown adipocytes.

RevDate: 2023-06-05
CmpDate: 2023-05-22

Amer NN, Khairat R, Hammad AM, et al (2023)

DDX43 mRNA expression and protein levels in relation to clinicopathological profile of breast cancer.

PloS one, 18(5):e0284455.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is the most often diagnosed cancer in women globally. Cancer cells appear to rely heavily on RNA helicases. DDX43 is one of DEAD- box RNA helicase family members. But, the relationship between clinicopathological, prognostic significance in different BC subtypes and DDX43 expression remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the clinicopathological significance of DDX43 protein and mRNA expression in different BC subtypes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 80 females newly diagnosed with BC and 20 control females that were age-matched were recruited for this study. DDX43 protein levels were measured by ELISA technique. We used a real-time polymerase chain reaction quantification (real-time PCR) to measure the levels of DDX43 mRNA expression. Levels of DDX43 protein and mRNA expression within BC patients had been compared to those of control subjects and correlated with clinicopathological data.

RESULTS: The mean normalized serum levels of DDX43 protein were slightly higher in control than in both benign and malignant groups, but this result was non-significant. The mean normalized level of DDX43 mRNA expression was higher in the control than in both benign and malignant cases, although the results were not statistically significant and marginally significant, respectively. Moreover, the mean normalized level of DDX43 mRNA expression was significantly higher in benign than in malignant cases. In malignant cases, low DDX43 protein expression was linked to higher nuclear grade and invasive duct carcinoma (IDC), whereas high mRNA expression was linked to the aggressive types of breast cancer such as TNBC, higher tumor and nuclear grades.

CONCLUSION: This study explored the potential of using blood DDX43 mRNA expression or protein levels, or both in clinical settings as a marker of disease progression in human breast cancer. DDX43 mRNA expression proposes a less invasive method for discriminating benign from malignant BC.

RevDate: 2023-07-06
CmpDate: 2023-07-06

Wei S, Bao M, Zhu Y, et al (2023)

Identifying potential targets for lung cancer intervention by analyzing the crosstalk of cancer-associated fibroblasts and immune and metabolism microenvironment.

Environmental toxicology, 38(8):1951-1967.

BACKGROUND: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) have been reported to play a crucial role in the tumor microenvironment and progression.

METHODS: The data used in this study were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases, and all analyses were performed using R software.

RESULTS: We first quantified the CAFs infiltration through single sample gene set enrichment analysis in the TCGA and combined GEO cohort (GSE30219, GSE37745, and GSE50081). Our result showed that patients with high levels of CAF infiltration were associated with worse clinical features and poor prognosis. Immune microenvironment analysis indicated that high CAF infiltration might result in increased infiltration of immune cells, including aDC, B cells, CD8+ T cells, cytotoxic cells, DC, eosinophils, iDC, macrophages, mast cells, neutrophils, NK CD56dim cells, NK cells, pDC, and T cells. Correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between CAFs and M2 macrophages, while a negative correlation was found between CAFs and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Kaplan-Meier survival curves indicated that glycerophospholipid metabolism was a protective factor against lung cancer. Biological enrichment analysis showed that pathways such as allograft rejection, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, KRAS signaling, TNF-α signaling, myogenesis, IL6/JAK/STAT3 signaling, IL2/STAT5 signaling were upregulated in the patients with high CAF infiltration. Moreover, patients with high CAF infiltration had a lower proportion of immunotherapy responders. Genome analysis showed that low CAFs infiltration was associated with high genome instability. We identified FGF5 and CELF3 as key genes involved in the interaction between CAFs, M2 macrophages, and glycerophospholipid metabolism, and further analyzed FGF5. In vitro experiments showed that FGF5 promoted the proliferation, invasion and migration of lung cancer cells and was primarily localized in the nucleoli fibrillar center.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides novel insights into the roles of CAFs in lung cancer progression and the underlying crosstalk of tumor metabolism and immune microenvironment.

RevDate: 2023-12-13
CmpDate: 2023-10-30

Traberg WC, Uribe J, Druet V, et al (2023)

Organic Electronic Platform for Real-Time Phenotypic Screening of Extracellular-Vesicle-Driven Breast Cancer Metastasis.

Advanced healthcare materials, 12(27):e2301194.

Tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (TEVs) induce the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in nonmalignant cells to promote invasion and cancer metastasis, representing a novel therapeutic target in a field severely lacking in efficacious antimetastasis treatments. However, scalable technologies that allow continuous, multiparametric monitoring for identifying metastasis inhibitors are absent. Here, the development of a functional phenotypic screening platform based on organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) for real-time, noninvasive monitoring of TEV-induced EMT and screening of antimetastatic drugs is reported. TEVs derived from the triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 induce EMT in nonmalignant breast epithelial cells (MCF10A) over a nine-day period, recapitulating a model of invasive ductal carcinoma metastasis. Immunoblot analysis and immunofluorescence imaging confirm the EMT status of TEV-treated cells, while dual optical and electrical readouts of cell phenotype are obtained using OECTs. Further, heparin, a competitive inhibitor of cell surface receptors, is identified as an effective blocker of TEV-induced EMT. Together, these results demonstrate the utility of the platform for TEV-targeted drug discovery, allowing for facile modeling of the transient drug response using electrical measurements, and provide proof of concept that inhibitors of TEV function have potential as antimetastatic drug candidates.

RevDate: 2023-05-11
CmpDate: 2023-05-08

Cipolletti M, Leone S, Bartoloni S, et al (2023)

A functional genetic screen for metabolic proteins unveils GART and the de novo purine biosynthetic pathway as novel targets for the treatment of luminal A ERα expressing primary and metastatic invasive ductal carcinoma.

Frontiers in endocrinology, 14:1129162.

Targeting tumor cell metabolism is a new frontier in cancer management. Thus, metabolic pathway inhibitors could be used as anti-estrogen receptor α (ERα) breast cancer (BC) drugs. Here, the interplay among metabolic enzyme(s), the ERα levels and cell proliferation was studied. siRNA-based screen directed against different metabolic proteins in MCF10a, MCF-7 and MCF-7 cells genetically resistant to endocrine therapy (ET) drugs and metabolomic analyses in numerous BC cell lines unveil that the inhibition of GART, a key enzyme in the purine de novo biosynthetic pathway, induces ERα degradation and prevent BC cell proliferation. We report here that a reduced GART expression correlates with a longer relapse-free-survival (RFS) in women with ERα-positive BCs. ERα-expressing luminal A invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs) are sensitive to GART inhibition and GART expression is increased in receptor-positive IDCs of high grade and stage and plays a role in the development of ET resistance. Accordingly, GART inhibition reduces ERα stability and cell proliferation in IDC luminal A cells where it deregulates 17β-estradiol (E2):ERα signaling to cell proliferation. Moreover, the GART inhibitor lometrexol (LMX) and drugs approved for clinical treatment of primary and metastatic BC (4OH-tamoxifen and the CDK4/CDK6 inhibitors) exert synergic antiproliferative effects in BC cells. In conclusion, GART inhibition by LMX or other inhibitors of the de novo purine biosynthetic pathway could be a novel effective strategy for the treatment of primary and metastatic BCs.

RevDate: 2023-07-18
CmpDate: 2023-07-07

Ikegami M (2023)

Prognostic benefit of comprehensive genomic profiling in clinical practice remains uncertain.

Cancer science, 114(7):3053-3055.

The overall survival of patients who received genomically matched therapy was not significantly longer than that of patients receiving treatment only other than genomically matched therapy in the breast invasive ductal carcinoma (A), colorectal adenocarcinoma (B), and pancreatic adenocarcinoma (C) cohorts.

RevDate: 2023-05-26
CmpDate: 2023-05-26

Bilici A, Olmez OF, Kaplan MA, et al (2023)

Impact of adding pertuzumab to trastuzumab plus chemotherapy in neoadjuvant treatment of HER2 positive breast cancer patients: a multicenter real-life HER2PATH study.

Acta oncologica (Stockholm, Sweden), 62(4):381-390.

AIM: To investigate the pathological complete response (pCR) achieved after neoadjuvant therapy with versus without adding pertuzumab (P) to trastuzumab (H) plus neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) in HER2+ breast cancer (BC) patients in a real-life setting.

METHODS: A total of 1528 female HER2+ BC patients who received NCT plus H with or without P were included in this retrospective real-life study. Primary endpoint was pCR rate (ypT0/Tis ypN0). Clinicopathological characteristics, event-free survival (EFS) time, and relapse rates were evaluated with respect to HER2 blockade (NCT-H vs. NCT-HP) and pCR.

RESULTS: Overall, 62.2% of patients received NCT-H and 37.8% received NCT-HP. NCT-HP was associated with a significantly higher pCR rate (66.4 vs. 56.8%, p < 0.001) and lower relapse (4.5 vs. 12.2%, p < 0.001) in comparison to NCT-H. Patients with pCR had a significantly lower relapse (5.6 vs. 14.9%, p < 0.001) and longer EFS time (mean(SE) 111.2(1.9) vs. 93.9(2.7) months, p < 0.001) compared to patients with non-pCR. Patients in the NCT-HP group were more likely to receive docetaxel (75.0 vs. 40.6%, p < 0.001), while those with pCR were more likely to receive paclitaxel (50.2 vs. 40.7%, p < 0.001) and NCT-HP (41.5 vs. 32.1%, p < 0.001). Hormone receptor status and breast conservation rates were similar in NCT-HP vs. NCT-H groups and in patients with vs. without pCR. Invasive ductal carcinoma (OR, 2.669, 95% CI 1.596 to 4.464, p < 0.001), lower histological grade of the tumor (OR, 4.052, 95% CI 2.446 to 6.713, p < 0.001 for grade 2 and OR, 3.496, 95% CI 2.020 to 6.053, p < 0.001 for grade 3), lower T stage (OR, 1.959, 95% CI 1.411 to 2.720, p < 0.001) and paclitaxel (vs. docetaxel, OR, 1.571, 95% CI 1.127 to 2.190, p = 0.008) significantly predicted the pCR.

CONCLUSIONS: This real-life study indicates that adding P to NCT-H enables higher pCR than NCT-H in HER2+ BC, while pCR was associated with lower relapse and better EFS time.

RevDate: 2023-06-14
CmpDate: 2023-06-06

Hacking SM, Yakirevich E, Y Wang (2023)

Defining triple-negative breast cancer with neuroendocrine differentiation (TNBC-NED).

The journal of pathology. Clinical research, 9(4):313-321.

Primary breast neuroendocrine (NE) neoplasms are uncommon, and definitions harbor controversy. We retrospectively collected 73 triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) and evaluated NE biomarker expression along with p53 aberrant staining (which correlates with TP53 gene mutation) and Rb protein loss by immunohistochemistry. In the study cohort, we found 11 (15%) cases of TNBC with neuroendocrine differentiation (TNBC-NED) showing positivity for one or more NE markers (synaptophysin/chromogranin/insulinoma-associated protein 1 [INSM1]). We also identified one separate small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. Histologic types for these 11 TNBC-NED cases were as follows: 8 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) not otherwise specified (NOS), 2 IDC with apocrine features, 1 IDC with solid papillary features. INSM1 had the highest positivity and was seen in all 11 carcinomas. Seven (64%) cases showed p53 aberrant staining, 6 (55%) had Rb protein loss, while 6 (55%) had p53/Rb co-aberrant staining/protein loss. TNBC-NED was associated with Rb protein loss (p < 0.001), as well as p53/Rb co-aberrant staining/protein loss (p < 0.001). In 61 cases negative for NE markers, 37 (61%) showed p53 aberrant staining, while 5 (8%) had Rb protein loss. We also analyzed genomic and transcriptomic data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) PanCancer Atlas of 171 basal/TNBC patients. Transcriptomic analysis revealed mRNA expression of RB1 to be correlated negatively with SYN1 mRNA expression (p = 0.0400) and INSM1 mRNA expression (p = 0.0106) in this cohort. We would like to highlight the importance of these findings. TNBC-NED is currently diagnosed as TNBC, and although it overlaps morphologically with TNBC without NED, the unique p53/Rb signature highlights a genetic overlap with NE carcinomas of the breast.

RevDate: 2023-04-21
CmpDate: 2023-04-18

López-Janeiro Á, Rodriguez AM, Mendiola M, et al (2023)

Pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm with sarcomatous transformation. A case report.

Revista espanola de patologia : publicacion oficial de la Sociedad Espanola de Anatomia Patologica y de la Sociedad Espanola de Citologia, 56(2):124-128.

Mixed pancreatic epithelial and mesenchymal tumors are rare, usually invasive, entities. Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) is a precursor of invasive ductal carcinoma and shares mutations with its invasive counterparts. We report the case of a 72-year-old female with a previously undescribed sarcomatous transformation of a residual IPMN with no evidence of an invasive component. The mesenchymal component showed no heterologous differentiation. Both the epithelial and the mesenchymal populations showed aberrant expression of p53 protein and the same point mutation in KRAS gene. After a 6 month follow up, there were no signs of local or distant relapse. The present case suggests that sarcomatous transformation is possible in non-invasive, intraductal pancreatic lesions.

RevDate: 2024-01-16
CmpDate: 2023-11-07

De Angelis Rigotti F, Wiedmann L, Hubert MO, et al (2023)

Semaphorin 3C exacerbates liver fibrosis.

Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.), 78(4):1092-1105.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Chronic liver disease is a growing epidemic, leading to fibrosis and cirrhosis. TGF-β is the pivotal profibrogenic cytokine that activates HSC, yet other molecules can modulate TGF-β signaling during liver fibrosis. Expression of the axon guidance molecules semaphorins (SEMAs), which signal through plexins and neuropilins (NRPs), have been associated with liver fibrosis in HBV-induced chronic hepatitis. This study aims at determining their function in the regulation of HSCs.

APPROACH AND RESULTS: We analyzed publicly available patient databases and liver biopsies. We used transgenic mice, in which genes are deleted only in activated HSCs to perform ex vivo analysis and animal models. SEMA3C is the most enriched member of the semaphorin family in liver samples from patients with cirrhosis. Higher expression of SEMA3C in patients with NASH, alcoholic hepatitis, or HBV-induced hepatitis discriminates those with a more profibrotic transcriptomic profile. SEMA3C expression is also elevated in different mouse models of liver fibrosis and in isolated HSCs on activation. In keeping with this, deletion of SEMA3C in activated HSCs reduces myofibroblast marker expression. Conversely, SEMA3C overexpression exacerbates TGF-β-mediated myofibroblast activation, as shown by increased SMAD2 phosphorylation and target gene expression. Among SEMA3C receptors, only NRP2 expression is maintained on activation of isolated HSCs. Interestingly, lack of NRP2 in those cells reduces myofibroblast marker expression. Finally, deletion of either SEMA3C or NRP2, specifically in activated HSCs, reduces liver fibrosis in mice.

CONCLUSION: SEMA3C is a novel marker for activated HSCs that plays a fundamental role in the acquisition of the myofibroblastic phenotype and liver fibrosis.

RevDate: 2023-04-21
CmpDate: 2023-04-21

Zheng L, Wu H, Wen N, et al (2023)

Aptamer-Functionalized Nanovaccines: Targeting In Vivo DC Subsets for Enhanced Antitumor Immunity.

ACS applied materials & interfaces, 15(15):18590-18597.

Cancer vaccines, which directly pulsed in vivo dendritic cells (DCs) with specific antigens and immunostimulatory adjuvants, showed great potential for cancer immunoprevention. However, most of them were limited by suboptimal outcomes, mainly owing to overlooking the complex biology of DC phenotypes. Herein, based on adjuvant-induced antigen assembly, we developed aptamer-functionalized nanovaccines for in vivo DC subset-targeted codelivery of tumor-related antigens and immunostimulatory adjuvants. We chose two aptamers, iDC and CD209, and tested their performance on DC targeting. Our results verified that these aptamer-functionalized nanovaccines could specifically recognize circulating classical DCs (cDCs), a subset of DCs capable of priming naïve T cells, noting that iDC outperformed CD209 in this regard. With excellent cDC-targeting capability, the iDC-functionalized nanovaccine induced potent antitumor immunity, leading to effective inhibition of tumor occurrence and metastasis, thus providing a promising platform for cancer immunoprevention.

RevDate: 2023-03-30
CmpDate: 2023-03-29

Cheng X, Jia X, Wang C, et al (2023)

Hyperglycemia induces PFKFB3 overexpression and promotes malignant phenotype of breast cancer through RAS/MAPK activation.

World journal of surgical oncology, 21(1):112.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common tumor in women worldwide. Diabetes mellitus is a global chronic metabolic disease with increasing incidence. Diabetes mellitus has been reported to positively regulate the development of many tumors. However, the specific mechanism of hyperglycemic environment regulating breast cancer remains unclear. PFKFB3 (6-phosphofructose-2-kinase/fructose-2, 6-bisphosphatase 3) is a key regulatory factor of the glycolysis process in diabetes mellitus, as well as a promoter of breast cancer. So, we want to explore the potential link between PFKFB3 and the poor prognosis of breast cancer patients with hyperglycemia in this study.

METHODS: Cell culture was utilized to construct different-glucose breast cancer cell lines. Immunohistochemistry was adopted to analyze the protein level of PFKFB3 in benign breast tissues, invasive ductal carcinoma with diabetes and invasive ductal carcinoma without diabetes. The Kaplan-Meier plotter database and GEO database (GSE61304) was adopted to analyze the survival of breast cancer patients with different PFKFB3 expression. Western blot was adopted to analyze the protein level of PFKFB3, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related protein and extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) in breast cancer cells. Gene Set Cancer Analysis (GSCA) was utilized to investigate the potential downstream signaling pathways of PFKFB3. TargetScan and OncomiR were utilized to explore the potential mechanism of PFKFB3 overexpression by hyperglycemia. Transfections (including siRNAs and miRNA transfection premiers) was utilized to restrain or mimic the expression of the corresponding RNA. Cell functional assays (including cell counting, MTT, colony formation, wound-healing, and cell migration assays) were utilized to explore the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells.

RESULTS: In this study, we demonstrated that the expression of PFKFB3 in breast cancer complicated with hyperglycemia was higher than that in breast cancer with euglycemia through cell experiment in vitro and histological experiment. PFKFB3 overexpression decreased the survival period of breast cancer patients and was correlated with a number of clinicopathological parameters of breast cancer complicated with diabetes. PFKFB3 promoted the proliferation and migration of breast cancer in a hyperglycemic environment and might be regulated by miR-26. In addition, PFKFB3 stimulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition of breast cancer in a hyperglycemic environment. In terms of downstream mechanism exploration, we predicted and verified the cancer-promoting effect of PFKFB3 in breast cancer complicated with hyperglycemia through RAS/MAPK pathway.

CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, PFKFB3 could be overexpressed by hyperglycemia and might be a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer complicated with diabetes.

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RJR Experience and Expertise

Researcher

Robbins holds BS, MS, and PhD degrees in the life sciences. He served as a tenured faculty member in the Zoology and Biological Science departments at Michigan State University. He is currently exploring the intersection between genomics, microbial ecology, and biodiversity — an area that promises to transform our understanding of the biosphere.

Educator

Robbins has extensive experience in college-level education: At MSU he taught introductory biology, genetics, and population genetics. At JHU, he was an instructor for a special course on biological database design. At FHCRC, he team-taught a graduate-level course on the history of genetics. At Bellevue College he taught medical informatics.

Administrator

Robbins has been involved in science administration at both the federal and the institutional levels. At NSF he was a program officer for database activities in the life sciences, at DOE he was a program officer for information infrastructure in the human genome project. At the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, he served as a vice president for fifteen years.

Technologist

Robbins has been involved with information technology since writing his first Fortran program as a college student. At NSF he was the first program officer for database activities in the life sciences. At JHU he held an appointment in the CS department and served as director of the informatics core for the Genome Data Base. At the FHCRC he was VP for Information Technology.

Publisher

While still at Michigan State, Robbins started his first publishing venture, founding a small company that addressed the short-run publishing needs of instructors in very large undergraduate classes. For more than 20 years, Robbins has been operating The Electronic Scholarly Publishing Project, a web site dedicated to the digital publishing of critical works in science, especially classical genetics.

Speaker

Robbins is well-known for his speaking abilities and is often called upon to provide keynote or plenary addresses at international meetings. For example, in July, 2012, he gave a well-received keynote address at the Global Biodiversity Informatics Congress, sponsored by GBIF and held in Copenhagen. The slides from that talk can be seen HERE.

Facilitator

Robbins is a skilled meeting facilitator. He prefers a participatory approach, with part of the meeting involving dynamic breakout groups, created by the participants in real time: (1) individuals propose breakout groups; (2) everyone signs up for one (or more) groups; (3) the groups with the most interested parties then meet, with reports from each group presented and discussed in a subsequent plenary session.

Designer

Robbins has been engaged with photography and design since the 1960s, when he worked for a professional photography laboratory. He now prefers digital photography and tools for their precision and reproducibility. He designed his first web site more than 20 years ago and he personally designed and implemented this web site. He engages in graphic design as a hobby.

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Cancer is the generic name for more than 100 diseases in which cells begin to grow and divide in an uncontrolled manner. Usually, when cells get too old or damaged, they die and new cells take their place. Cancer begins when genetic changes impair this orderly process so that some cells start to grow uncontrollably. The Emperor of All Maladies is a "biography" of cancer — from its first documented appearances thousands of years ago through the epic battles in the twentieth century to cure, control, and conquer it to a radical new understanding of its essence. This is a must read book for anyone with an interest in cancer. R. Robbins

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