Circulating angiopoietin-2 is a strong prognostic factor in acute myeloid leukemia.

Angiogenesis plays an important role in solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. The angiopoietins act as essential regulators in this process. We investigated the impact of circulating angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and soluble Tie2 (sTie2) on overall survival in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Ang-1, Ang-2 and sTie2 were measured in plasma samples from 68 AML patients and 11 controls using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Circulating levels of Ang-2 and sTie2 (median (range): 1098.0 (361.4-4147.6) pg/ml and 3.40 (1.21-10.00) ng/ml, respectively) were significantly elevated in AML patients as compared to controls (307.9 (199.7-1225.0) pg/ml and 2.88 (1.71-3.29) ng/ml; P<0.001 and P=0.014). In a univariate Cox proportional hazards model, higher levels of Ang-2 and sTie2 were predictive of poor survival. In multivariate analyses, Ang-2 and cytogenetics proved to be independent prognostic factors, with a relative risk of 4.07 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.88-8.81) and 2.70 (95% CI 1.25-5.81), respectively. The 3-year survival rate for AML patients with Ang-2 levels>/=1495.6 pg/ml was only 14.7% compared to 64.7% for those with Ang-2 levels<1495.6 pg/ml. These data provide evidence that circulating Ang-2 represents an independent prognostic factor in AML and may be used as a prognostic tool in the risk-adapted management of AML.     

Clinical implications of angiogenic factors in patients with acute or chronic leukemia: hepatocyte growth factor levels have prognostic impact, especially in patients with acute myeloid leukemia.

The present study evaluated the serum levels of known angiogenic factors and analysed their prognostic significance in patients with acute or chronic leukemia. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were performed to quantify the basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), angiogenin, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in stored samples obtained before treatment from patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML; 30 patients), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL; 10 patients), and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML; 14 patients). The levels of VEGF, HGF, angiogenin, and MMP-9 were all significantly higher in patients with CML than in healthy individuals. The HGF levels were also higher in patients with AML than in healthy individuals, plus there was a significant correlation between the HGF level and the white blood cell count, monocyte count, and serum level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in patients with AML. In a univariate analysis, age and HGF level were both found to be significant parameters predictive for an achievement of complete remission (CR) in patients with AML. Meanwhile, in a multivariate analysis using a logistic regression model, the HGF level was the only parameter strongly predictive for CR (P=0.047). The leukemia-free survival (LFS) rate for AML patients with a lower HGF concentration was better than that for AML patients with a higher HGF concentration (1 year LFS rates=75.0% vs. 37.5%, P=0.065). The HGF concentration was an independent prognostic factor for an achievement of CR, plus higher HGF concentrations were associated with a lower survival in patients with AML.     

急性髓系白血病预后相关因素分析

目的 探讨成年急性髓系白血病(AML)患者的预后影响因素.方法 回顾性分析182例初治AML患者临床资料,探讨患者性别、年龄(以60岁为界)、初治白细胞计数(≥30× 109/L)、骨髓细胞学免疫表型、细胞遗传学、异基因造血干细胞移植(allo-HSCT)和治疗1个疗程获得完全缓解(CR)等因素与总生存(OS)及无事件生存(EFS)的关系.结果 182例AML患者的中位年龄49岁(14～ 80岁),中位随访时间9.7个月(0.5～75.5个月),首次化疗达CR 107例,总有效率为65.9％(120/182),年龄≥60岁、CD64阴性、染色体高危组及首次诱导未达CR患者的总CR率低于无上述因素者.单因素生存分析提示年龄≥60岁、细胞遗传学高危组、CD19阴性、CD11b阳性、CD64阴性、未行allo-HSCT、首次诱导未达到CR的患者OS及EFS较短(P＜0.05),多因素分析显示年龄、细胞遗传学表达、CD11b、CD64、是否行allo-HSCT、首次诱导能否达CR是患者OS的独立预后因素,细胞遗传学表达、CD64表达、是否行allo-HSCT及首次诱导能否达CR是患者EFS的独立预后因素.结论 根据AML相关因素进行预后分析判断,有利于临床医生早期制订个体化治疗方案,对于延长患者生存期有重要意义.     

High bone marrow angiopoietin-1 expression is an independent poor prognostic factor for survival in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes

Background:

Angiogenic factors have an essential role in normal and pathologic angiogenesis. However, the clinical implication of angiogenic factor expression in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) remains unclear.

Methods:

In this study, we sought to investigate the prognostic impact of the expression of genes encoding angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), Ang-2, the receptor Tie2, vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and VEGF-C in the bone marrow (BM) in 208 patients with newly diagnosed primary MDS.

Results:

BM Ang-1 expression was significantly higher in MDS patients, especially those with higher-risk subtypes, than in normal controls. With a median follow-up time of 32.9 months, the disease transformed to acute leukaemia more frequently in the patients bearing higher Ang-1 expression than in those with lower expression (31.5% vs 18.6%, P=0.023). The MDS patients with higher Ang-1 expression had shorter overall survival than those with lower expression (median 20.8±4.5 months vs 63.3±17.8 months, P<0.001). Multivariate analyses showed that higher Ang-1 expression was an independent unfavourable prognostic factor for overall survival. There was no impact of the expression of other angiogenic factors on survival.

Conclusion:

BM Ang-1 expression may serve as a new biomarker to predict clinical outcome in MDS patients.     

D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer as an independent prognostic factor of 10-year overall survival

BackgroundThe extension of lymphadenectomy for GA remains on debate even after Eastern and Western clinical trials. The main concern is if morbidity of extended lymphadenectomy could be justified based on benefits in oncologic outcomes. This study addressed the extension of lymphadenectomy as a prognostic factor of overall survival (OS) for gastric adenocarcinoma (GA).MethodsConsecutive patients who underwent gastrectomy for GA were retrospectively evaluated. Univariate and multivariate models assessed determinants of OS.ResultsFrom 1994 to 2015, 656 consecutive patients who underwent gastrectomy were evaluated. Briefly, 455 (69.4%) were male, 397 (60.5%) underwent total gastrectomy, Roux-en-Y reconstruction was done in 483 (73.6%), and R0 resection was achieved in 632 patients (96.3%). According to multivariate analysis, the risk of death was increased with older age (≥70-y), high-grade tumors, lesions ≥ 5 cm, positive nodes ≥ 3, and extra-gastric resections. Otherwise, D2 lymphadenectomy improved median OS (37 versus 16 months), 3-y (51.1 versus 32.2%), 5-y (43.2 versus 26), and 10-y OS (30.6 versus 9.4%), with HR of 0.48 (95% CI 0.34–0.67, p < 0.001). The general median OS was 31 months and 3-, 5-, and 10-y were 47.6, 40, and 27%, respectively. The median follow-up for all patients was 26 months, and for survivors was 65 months.ConclusionThis study showed D2 lymphadenectomy for GA as an independent prognostic factor for OS, even after 5-y and until 10-y. Our study suggests that D2 should be offered as the curative-intent treatment for all patients with GA that fit to undergo surgery.     

Polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 6 expression in pancreatic cancer is an independent prognostic factor indicating better overall survival

Background:

The family of polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferases (GalNAc-Ts) is responsible for the altered glycosylation in cancer. The purpose of our study was to investigate the clinical significance of two isoforms, GalNAc-T6 and -T3, and their correlation with the prognosis of pancreatic cancer.

Methods:

Immunohistochemistry was used to analyse GalNAc-T6 and -T3 expressions in 70 clinicopathologically characterised pancreatic cancer cases.

Results:

Positive expressions of GalNAc-T6 and -T3 were immunohistochemically identified in 51% (36 of 70) and in 77% (54 of 70) of patients, respectively. A close relationship was noted between GalNAc-T6 positive expression and pathological well/moderate differentiated type (P=0.001), small tumour size (P=0.044), absence of vascular invasion (P=0.009), and low stage of the American Joint Committee on Cancer systems (P=0.043). The expression of GalNAc-T3 significantly correlated with good differentiation (P=0.001), but not with other clinicopathologic features. Furthermore, univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that GalNAc-T6 expression was an independent prognosis indicator for the disease, whereas GalNAc-T3 expression had no impact on clinical outcome, even though 33 of 36 GalNAc-T6-positive cases also had a positive expression of GalNAc-T3 (P=0.001, r=0.356).

Conclusion:

Both GalNAc-T6 and -T3 expressions correlated significantly with tumour differentiation, whereas only GalNAc-T6 expression predicted prognosis in pancreatic cancer.     

CD56 expression is an independent prognostic factor for relapse in acute myeloid leukemia with t(8;21)

We investigated the significance of surface antigen expression for prognosis by focusing on a specific subtype, AML with t(8;21). The investigation included 144 patients with AML with t(8;21) in the JALSG AML97 study. AML with t(8;21) expressed CD19 (36%), CD34 (96%), and CD56 (65%) more frequently than did other subtypes of AML. CD19 expression had a significant favorable effect on CR (95.7% vs. 83.8%; P = 0.049). Univariate analysis showed that increased white blood cell (WBC) counts (WBC ≥ 20 × 10⁹/L), CD19 negativity, and CD56 positivity were critical adverse factors for relapse after CR; multivariate analysis revealed that WBC count and CD56 expression were independent adverse risk factors (HR 2.18; P = 0.045, HR 2.30; P = 0.011, respectively). We concluded that CD56 expression has a possible role in risk stratification for patients with AML with t(8;21).     

Soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1, and not receptor 2, is an independent prognostic factor in acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes

BACKGROUND: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors (VEGFRs) are major regulators of angiogenesis, which plays a key role in the growth and dissemination of solid tumors and hematologic neoplasms. METHODS: The authors measured the plasma concentrations of soluble VEGFR1 (sVEGFR1) and sVEGFR2 in 133 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and in 80 patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) at the time of initial presentation and compared clinical behaviors. RESULTS: A reverse correlation was observed between plasma sVEGFR1 levels and the rate of complete remission (CR) in patients with AML, but not in patients with MDS. In contrast, increased plasma levels of sVEGFR2 were correlated with a lower CR rate in patients with MDS, but not in patients with AML. Cox regression model analysis demonstrated that plasma levels of sVEGFR1, but not sVEGFR2, were independent prognostic factors in both patients with AML and patients with MDS. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that different mechanisms are involved in the pathophysiology of AML and MDS. The concentration of sVEGFR1 and sVEGFR2 in plasma should be considered a significant factor in guiding antiangiogenic therapy for AML and MDS. They may play a role in the pharmacodynamics of therapeutic agents that are supposed to bind directly to these receptors.     

Gene expression of PMP22 is an independent prognostic factor for disease-free and overall survival in breast cancer patients

Background  

Gene expression of peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) and the epithelial membrane proteins (EMPs) was found to be differentially expressed in invasive and non-invasive breast cell lines in a previous study. We want to evaluate the prognostic impact of the expression of these genes on breast cancer.     

Thymidylate synthase expression: an independent prognostic factor for local recurrence, distant metastasis, disease-free and overall survival in rectal cancer.

Several studies have suggested that the intratumoral level of thymidylate synthase (TS) in colorectal tumors correlates with survival. We have studied the correlation between TS expression in primary rectal cancer and locoregional recurrence, distant metastases, and survival. TS enzyme levels were evaluated immunohistochemically using the specific monoclonal antibody TS 106 in paraffin-embedded tumors from 243 patients who had undergone primary surgery for rectal cancer during the years 1980-1993. All patients were included in prospective randomized trials aimed at determining the clinical value of a short preoperative course of local radiation therapy (five doses of 5 Gy each). With a median follow-up of 94 months (range, 43-202 months), it was observed by multivariate analysis that Dukes' stage and TS expression were independent prognostic markers of locoregional recurrence (P < 0.001 and P = 0.038, respectively) distant metastasis (P < 0.001 and P = 0.011, respectively) disease-free survival (P < 0.001 and 0.014, respectively), and overall survival (P < 0.001 and 0.020, respectively). By multivariate analysis, preoperative irradiation therapy showed a borderline improvement in locoregional recurrence (P = 0.051). No other factors, such as age, sex, differentiation of the tumor, or p53 expression, were noted to be independent prognostic factors for clinical outcome in these patients. We concluded that the intratumoral expression of TS in primary rectal cancer is an independent prognostic factor for locoregional recurrence, distant metastases, disease-free survival, and overall survival. Patients with low intratumoral TS expression had a significantly better outcome than those with high TS expression.     

The expression level of BAALC-associated microRNA miR-3151 is an independent prognostic factor in younger patients with cytogenetic intermediate-risk acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease whose prognosis is mainly related to the biological risk conferred by cytogenetics and molecular profiling. In elderly patients (⩾60 years) with normal karyotype AML miR-3151 have been identified as a prognostic factor. However, miR-3151 prognostic value has not been examined in younger AML patients. In the present work, we have studied miR-3151 alone and in combination with BAALC, its host gene, in a cohort of 181 younger intermediate-risk AML (IR-AML) patients. Patients with higher expression of miR-3151 had shorter overall survival (P=0.0025), shorter leukemia-free survival (P=0.026) and higher cumulative incidence of relapse (P=0.082). Moreover, in the multivariate analysis miR-3151 emerged as independent prognostic marker in both the overall series and within the unfavorable molecular prognostic category. Interestingly, the combined determination of both miR-3151 and BAALC improved this prognostic stratification, with patients with low levels of both parameters showing a better outcome compared with those patients harboring increased levels of one or both markers (P=0.003). In addition, we studied the microRNA expression profile associated with miR-3151 identifying a six-microRNA signature. In conclusion, the analysis of miR-3151 and BAALC expression may well contribute to an improved prognostic stratification of younger patients with IR-AML.     

Expression of CXCR4 is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival and progression-free survival in patients with myelodysplastic syndrome

CXCR4 is the receptor of stromal cell?Cderived factor (SDF-1) and is expressed in many types of cancer cells. It also plays an important role in metastasis of malignant disease. In this study, we detected the expression of CXCR4 in 81 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) by flow cytometry. We categorized MDS patients into the high-expression group and low-expression group according to CXCR4 mean florescence intensity ration thresholds. We showed that the high-expression group had a shorter overall survival time and shorter relapse-free survival time compared with those of the low-expression group (21.6 ± 1.9 vs. 46.0 ± 1.6 months, 17.0 ± 1.9 vs. 42.5 ± 2.1 months, respectively, P < 0.05), and Cox regression showed that CXCR4 was an independent prognostic factor. We conclude that the expression of CXCR4 is a useful prognostic factor for patients with MDS.     

Mechanisms of growth factor expression in acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

To investigate possible mechanisms of growth factor expression in acute myeloid leukemia, genes for granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) were analyzed by Southern blots in 20 patients, for M-CSF in 13, for interleukin-6 (IL-6) in 14, for IL-6 receptor in 14 and for G-CSF in five patients. Only in one patient a complex rearrangement of the G-CSF gene with possible amplification was noted indicating rarity of direct alterations of growth factor genes in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Spontaneous m-RNA expression for GM-CSF was found in only one of 20 patients, and for IL-6 in eight of 11 patients. In vitro incubation of AML cells of eight patients with recombinant tumor necrosis factor for 24 hr revealed induction of GM-CSF m-RNA expression in three cases and GM-CSF protein expression in two of them. These data suggest that spontaneous GM-CSF production occurs rarely in AML and that monokines, such as tumor necrosis factor, may induce GM-CSF in AML cells. Therefore, interactions of AML cells with normal or malignant accessory cells may be important for autocrine stimulation in AML. Our data suggest that ectopic growth factor secretion is not the primary cause of generating AML but may contribute to progression of the disease. Alternatively, AML may represent a heterogenous group of leukemias with different etiology but similar phenotype.     

GPX3 hypermethylation serves as an independent prognostic biomarker in non-M3 acute myeloid leukemia

Hypermethylation of GPX3 (glutathione peroxidase 3) promoter has been identified in various solid tumors. However, the pattern of GPX3 promoter methylation in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains poorly known. The current study was intended to investigate the clinical significance of GPX3 promoter methylation in de novo AML patients and further determine its role in regulating GPX3 expression. GPX3 promoter methylation status in 181 de novo AML patients and 44 normal controls was detected by real-time quantitative methylation-specific PCR and bisulfite sequencing PCR. Real-time quantitative PCR was carried out to assess GPX3 expression. GPX3 promoter was significantly methylated in 181 AML patients compared with normal controls (P=0.022). The patients with GPX3 methylation presented significantly older age than those with GPX3 unmethylation (P=0.011). GPX3 methylated patients had significantly lower frequency of C/EBPA mutation and higher incidence of FLT3-ITD mutation (P=0.037 and 0.030). The non-M3 patients with GPX3 methylation had significantly lower overall survival than thoes with GPX3 unmethylation (P=0.036). No significant correlation was observed between GPX3 expression and its promoter methylation (R=0.110, P=0.284). However, GPX3 mRNA level was significantly increased after 5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine treatment in leukemic cell line THP1. GPX3 methylation predicts adverse clinical outcome in non-M3 AML patients. Moreover, GPX3 expression is regulated by its promoter methylation in leukemic cell line THP1.