Low levels of WWOX protein immunoexpression correlate with tumour grade and a less favourable outcome in patients with urinary bladder tumours

Aims:  To correlate the immunohistochemical detection of WWOX with histological measures and disease progression within the whole spectrum of urothelial bladder neoplasms.
Methods and results:  One hundred and one patients with primary bladder tumours were retrospectively analysed. Immunohistochemically, a polyclonal antibody was utilized and the level of WWOX protein expression was analysed by using a combined score system based on intensity of the reaction and percentage of immunoreactive tumour cells. WWOX protein expression was consistently expressed in non-neoplastic urothelium, whereas a progressive loss of immunoreactivity was observed as tumour grade and stage increased ( P  < 0.05). Principal component analysis showed that reduced WWOX immunoexpression was significantly associated with high histological grades ( P  = 0.001), advanced stage ( P  = 0.002), tumour size ( P  = 0.04) and cancer progression ( P  = 0.028). Invasive urothelial carcinomas of the bladder with squamous metaplasia presented the lowest levels of WWOX protein. Kaplan–Meier analyses demonstrated a significant correlation between loss of WWOX expression and a shorter progression-free survival ( P  = 0.042), whereas the prediction of overall survival achieved borderline significance ( P  = 0.053).
Conclusion:  Loss of WWOX immunoexpression strongly correlates with classical clinicopathological factors and appears to be a potential predictive marker of progressive disease.     

SD胎鼠脑内WWOX表达与神经干细胞及神经元发育相关性初探

目的探讨胚胎期SD胎鼠脑内WWOX表达与神经干细胞及神经元的发育的相关性。方法通过免疫组织化学染色、尼氏染色及Western blot等方法,检测不同发育时段胎鼠脑内WWOX的表达及神经干细胞和神经元的发育特点。结果尼氏染色及免疫组织化学染色结果显示,E11-E13胎鼠脑发育仍处于神经管阶段,神经管上皮组成细胞多为神经干细胞及神经元前体细胞,WWOX表达呈下降趋势;E15天后,神经干细胞多已分化成神经元及神经胶质细胞等,神经干细胞迅速减少,神经元及神经胶质细胞等细胞成分在脑内迅速发育、增多,此期在SD胎鼠脑内新生的神经胶质细胞及脉络组织中的WWOX表达呈缓慢上升趋势,并维持至成年。结论在胎鼠脑发育过程中WWOX与神经干细胞的分化存在一定的相关性,但与神经元的发育没有直接的相关性。     

脆性位点抑癌基因FHIT和WWOX蛋白与卵巢上皮癌的相关性

目的探讨脆性位点抑癌基因FHIT和WWOX蛋白的表达及其与卵巢上皮性癌临床病理因素的相关性。方法对54例肿瘤标本应用免疫组织化学SP法检测FHIT和WWOX蛋白在卵巢上皮性癌组织中的表达。结果FHIT蛋白表达的阳性率为35.21%(19/54);WWOX蛋白阳性率为42.59%(23/54),两种基因蛋白表达与卵巢上皮癌临床分期、组织学分级及淋巴结转移密切相关(P<0.05)。在同一标本中,二者表达有密切相关性和较好的一致性(P<0.05)。结论FHIT和WWOX蛋白的表达与卵巢上皮性癌的浸润和转移密切相关,检测其表达异常对判断肿瘤的分化、临床进展以及推测预后有一定的参考价值。     

阿帕替尼调控WWOX对子宫内膜癌细胞增殖、凋亡、迁移、侵袭的影响及其机制研究

目的:探讨阿帕替尼（Apatinib）是否通过包含氧化还原酶的WW结构域（WWOX）影响子宫内膜癌细胞增殖、凋亡、迁移、侵袭。方法:噻唑蓝（MTT）比色法检测4 μmol/L、8 μmol/L、16 μmol/L、32 μmol/L Apatinib作用于子宫内膜癌细胞HEC-1 24 h、48 h、72 h后的细胞活性,流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡率;蛋白质印迹法（Western blot）检测细胞周期蛋白D1（Cyclin D1）、p21、B细胞淋巴瘤/白血病-2（Bcl-2）、Bcl-2相关X蛋白（Bax）、基质金属蛋白酶-2（MMP-2）、E-钙黏蛋白（E-cadherin）、WWOX蛋白水平,Transwell小室法检测迁移细胞数、侵袭细胞数。在HEC-1中转染pcDNA3.1-WWOX,或转染si-WWOX并用16 μmol/L Apatinib进行处理,采用上述方法评估细胞增殖、凋亡、迁移、侵袭情况。结果:Apatinib明显降低HEC-1细胞活性（P＜0.05）,呈剂量、时间依赖性;Apatinib显著增加HEC-1细胞凋亡率及p21、Bax蛋白表达量（P＜0.05）,呈剂量依赖性;Apatinib明显降低Cyclin D1、Bcl-2蛋白表达量（P＜0.05）,呈剂量依赖性;16 μmol/L Apatinib显著减少HEC-1细胞的迁移细胞数、侵袭细胞数、MMP-2蛋白表达量（P＜0.05）,明显提高E-cadherin、WWOX蛋白表达量（P＜0.05）。过表达WWOX明显降低HEC-1细胞中Cyclin D1、Bcl-2、MMP-2蛋白表达量、细胞活性、迁移细胞数、侵袭细胞数（P＜0.05）,提高p21、Bax、E-cadherin、WWOX蛋白表达量及细胞凋亡率（P＜0.05）。抑制WWOX表达逆转了Apatinib对HEC-1细胞中Cyclin D1、Bcl-2、MMP-2蛋白表达量、细胞活性、迁移、侵袭的抑制作用,以及逆转了其对p21、Bax、E-cadherin、WWOX蛋白表达量、细胞凋亡的促进作用。结论:阿帕替尼通过调控WWOX表达,抑制子宫内膜癌细胞增殖、迁移、侵袭,并诱导细胞凋亡。     

抑癌基因WWOX在肝外胆管癌中的表达

目的:检测WWOX mRNA及其编码蛋白在肝外胆管癌中的表达,分析其临床病理学意义.方法:用Real Time RT-PCR方法定量分析21例胆管癌组织WWOX mRNA表达情况,5例肝移植的正常胆管组织作为对照;采用UIP法染色检测相应病理切片的蛋白表达情况,并比较mRNA和蛋白在不同分级组织中的表达差异.结果:WWOX mRNA在肝外胆管癌中的表达显著低于正常胆管组织(8.936×10~(-7)±3.253×10~(-7) vs 1.079×10~(-6)±1.735×10~(-7),P<0.001),47%表达缺失;蛋白表达的缺失频率为57%,其mRNA及蛋白表达与组织学分级有显著相关(r=-0.583,-0.840,P<0.001),而年龄、性别、术前肝功能及临床分期无显著相关性.低分化胆管癌组织中的表达显著低于分化较好的肿瘤组织(P±<0.05).结论:WWOX表达改变参与胆管癌的发病,可作为预测肝外胆管癌生物侵袭性的有效指标.     

Frequent loss of WWOX expression in breast cancer: correlation with estrogen receptor status

WWOX is a cancer gene, spanning the common chromosomal fragile site 16D. Genomic and expression aberrations affecting this gene and locus are common in various neoplasias including breast cancer. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between WWOX expression at the protein level with respect to clinico-pathological characteristics. We performed immunohistochemical analyses on breast specific tissue microarrays representing, human normal breast epithelium (n=16), ductal carcinoma in situ (n=15) and invasive breast cancer cases (n=203). Staining intensity measurements were objectively determined utilizing an image analysis system. Western blot analyses were also performed on an independent set of 23 invasive breast carcinomas. All normal breast epithelial samples express WWOX protein abundantly while 34% (69/203 cases) of invasive breast carcinomas were completely negative for WWOX expression and an additional 26% (52/203) of cases expressed WWOX very weakly. For DCIS samples five out of 15 (33%) were negative or weak for WWOX staining. Interestingly, we found a statistically significant correlation between WWOX expression and estrogen receptor (ER) status, 27% of ER+ breast carcinomas were completely negative for WWOX expression versus 46% for ER–cases (p = 0.0054). Furthermore, when negative plus weakly WWOX stained cases were considered the difference became more significant with 51% of ER+ cases and 73% for the ER – group, with a p = 0.003. These data indicate that loss of WWOX expression is a common event in breast cancer. It is unclear at this point whether loss of WWOX expression is a consequence of tumor progression or represents a subclass of breast carcinomas. The strong association of WWOX expression with ER status reinforces the suggested role of this protein as an enzyme involved in sex steroid metabolism.     

WWOX及P53基因在大肠癌中的表达及与肿瘤浸润的关系

目的探讨WWOX（WW domain-containing oxidoreductase）基因及P53在大肠癌组织中的表达情况、相关性及与肿瘤浸润转移的关系。方法用免疫组化染色的方法分别检测WWOX及P53基因在35例大肠癌组织及14例正常大肠粘膜组织中的表达情况。结果 WWOX基因在大肠癌组织中的表达明显降低,与正常组织比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。P53（突变型）基因在大肠癌组织中的表达明显高于正常组织,二者比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。WWOX与肿瘤浸润、淋巴结转移情况密切相关（P〈0.05）。P53表达与癌组织的浸润密切相关（P〈0.05）,与淋巴结转移情况无关（P〉0.05）。WWOX与P53基因的表达情况均与患者的年龄、性别无关（P〉0.05）。WWOX与P53基因的表达呈负相关（r=-0.442,P=0.008）。结论 WWOX、P53（野生型）基因同为抑癌基因,且两者之间在大肠癌的发生、浸润及转移过程中有着较为明显的协同作用,联合评价其功能具有重要的临床意义。     

FHIT、WWOX和MDR1基因在鼻咽癌中的表达

目的探讨FHIT、WWOX基因组在鼻咽癌患者中的表达、失活机制及MDR1基因在鼻咽癌中的表达。方法采用荧光相对定量RT-PCR法检测89例鼻咽癌患者(试验组)和61例慢性鼻黏膜炎患者(对照组)鼻咽部组织WWOX、FHIT和MDR1基因mRNA表达水平,甲基化特异性(MSP)方法及变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳分析FHIT和WWOX基因mRNA表达下调原因。结果 (1)实验组鼻咽组织中FHIT、WWOX和MDR1基因的mRNA表达量与对照组间的差异有统计学意义(P0.05);按临床分期和分化程度分层后,试验组中病情较严重者较病情轻者,分化程度低的较分化程度高者间的FHIT和WWOX基因表达量差异有统计学意义(P0.05),且FHIT和WWOX基因表达量与临床分期、分化程度呈负相关(r=-0.731,P=0.000;r=-0.816,P=0.000;r=-0.626,P=0.000;r=-0.536,P=0.001);试验组低分化者MDR1基因mRNA与高分化者间差异有统计学意义(P=0.021),且组织学类型与MDR1基因mRNA相对表达量呈负相关(r=-0.697,P=0.000);试验组的FHIT与WWOX基因的mRNA相对表达量呈正相关(r=0.540,P=0.000)。(2)试验组的FHIT和WWOX基因启动子甲基化程度明显高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);且FHIT和WWOX的mRNA与该基因启动子甲基化程度呈正相关(r=-0.689,P=0.000;r=-0.594,P=0.000)。(3)试验组中有39例(43.8%)在FHIT基因中至少有1个位点存在杂合性缺失(LOH),在WWOX基因中42例(47.2%)至少一个位点存在LOH,明显高于对照组的3例和2例(4.9%,3.3%),差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。且FHIT和WWOX基因mRNA与该基因基因杂合性缺失呈负相关(r=-0.239,P=0.049;r=-0.364,P=0.013)。结论启动子甲基化是鼻咽癌患者WWOX和FHIT基因表达下调的主要原因,可能也是鼻咽癌的发生、发展的主要原因。MDR1基因过度表达与鼻咽癌的分化程度密切相关。     

Reduced WWOX protein expression in human astrocytoma

The WW domain‐containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) functions as a tumor suppressor by interacting with various proteins in numerous important signaling pathways. WWOX silencing via homozygous deletion of its locus and/or promoter hypermethylation has been observed in various human cancers. However, the relationship between WWOX and tumors in the central nervous system has not been fully explored. In this study, the expression levels of WWOX protein in astrocytomas from 38 patients with different tumor grades were retrospectively analyzed by immunohistochemical staining. The results showed that 19 (50.0%) samples had highly reduced WWOX protein expression when compared with normal controls, while 14 (36.8%) and five (13.2%) cases exhibited moderate and mild decreases in WWOX expression, respectively. Reduction of the expression of WWOX protein correlated with patient age, supra‐tentorial localization of the tumor and severity of the symptoms. Furthermore, loss of WWOX expression inversely correlated with survival time. No significant correlation was observed between the loss of WWOX expression and the gender of patients or the difference in pre‐operative and post‐operative karnofsky performance status scores. Surprisingly, there was no significant correlation between the loss of WWOX protein expression and overall tumor grades. Nevertheless, it was found that 63.6% (7/11) of the grade II astrocytomas had highly reduced WWOX expression and 36.4% (4/11) showed moderately reduced WWOX expression, while none of the samples exhibited mild reductions. Similar results were also found in grade III astrocytomas. The results from this small‐size sample pilot study suggest that the loss of WWOX expression may be an early event in the pathogenesis of human astrocytoma.