Ovarian cancer-derived copy number alterations signatures are prognostic in chemoradiotherapy-treated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

DNA copy number alterations (CNAs) are frequent in cancer, and recently developed CNA signatures revealed their value in molecular tumor stratification for patient prognosis and platinum resistance prediction in ovarian cancer. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is also characterized by high CNAs. In this study, we determined CNA in 173 human papilloma virus-negative HNSCC from a Dutch multicenter cohort by low-coverage whole genome sequencing and tested the prognostic value of seven cancer-derived CNA signatures for these cisplatin- and radiotherapy-treated patients. We find that a high CNA signature 1 (s1) score is associated with low values for all other signatures and better patient outcomes in the Dutch cohorts and The Cancer Genome Atlas HNSCC data set. High s5 and s7 scores are associated with increased distant metastasis rates and high s6 scores with poor overall survival. High cumulative cisplatin doses result in improved outcomes in chemoradiotherapy-treated HNSCC patients. Here we find that tumors high in s1 or low in s6 are most responsive to a change in cisplatin dose. High s5 values, however, significantly increase the risk for metastasis in patients with low cumulative cisplatin doses. Together this suggests that the processes causing these CNA signatures affect cisplatin response in HNSCC. In conclusion, CNA signatures derived from a different cancer type were prognostic and associated with cisplatin response in HNSCC, suggesting they represent underlying molecular processes that define patient outcome.     

Upregulation of COL6A1 is predictive of poor prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients

Background: The extracellular matrix (ECM) is reported to play an important role in tumorigenesis and progression. Collagen VI is an important ECM protein. In this study, we investigated the potential role of the COL6A1 gene, which encodes the α1 polypeptide of collagen VI, in the biological functions involved in the progression and outcome of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).Materials and methods: A total of 288 ccRCC patients who underwent radical nephrectomy (RN) or nephron sparing nephrectomy (NSS) at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC) were enrolled. Total RNA was extracted from frozen samples obtained from the tissue bank of FUSCC and expression of COL6A1 was determined by qRT-PCR. The clinical relationship between COL6A1 expression and ccRCC prognosis was analyzed. These data were then validated in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. We also investigated the effect of COL6A1 overexpression in a xenografted tumor model in nude mice in vivo.Results: In multivariate analysis of TCGA cohorts, COL6A1 high expression was predictive of poor prognosis in ccRCC patients’ overall survival (OS) (HR: 2.588 95%CI 1.616–4.146) and disease free survival(DFS) (HR: 3.106 95%CI 1.534–6.288). In FUSCC cohorts, after adjusted for relevant factors, the COL6A1 expression indicates poor prognosis in ccRCC patients’s OS (HR 2.211; 95% CI, 1.360–8.060) and DFS (HR 3.052; 95%CI, 1.500–6.210). COL6A1 overexpression promoted tumor growth in xenografted nude mice.Conclusion: Increased COL6A1 expression correlates with poor prognosis in ccRCC patients. Moreover, COL6A1 stimulates tumor growth in vivo.     

Estimating the prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) of m6A methylation-associated genes

BackgroundN6-methyladenosine (m6A) mRNA modification is the most prevalent in certain tumors. However, its expression profile and prognostic value in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unknown.MethodsHerein, we performed an extensive investigation of the m6A-associated gene expression profile and determined its significance in the prognosis of ESCC. We received the RNA expression profiles of 81 ESCC tissues and one normal esophageal tissue from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival analysis was used to assess the predictability of m6A methylation-associated gene expression in ESCC prognosis. In addition, univariate and multivariate Cox regression, as well as least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression models were employed for the establishment of prognostic signatures. Lastly, KM survival analysis, proportional hazard models, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to verify the prognostic value. Moreover, we also investigated the associations among the m6A prognostic signature, immune cell infiltration, and programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression.ResultsWe demonstrated that YTHDF3 [hazard ratio (HR): 0.910; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.832–0.995; P=0.038], RBM15 (HR: 0.721; 95% CI: 0.549–0.948; P=0.019), KIAA1429 (HR: 0.801; 95% CI: 0.664–0.967; P=0.021), and ALKBH5 (HR: 0.948; 95% CI: 0.895–1.003; P=0.0.064) overexpression predicted better overall survival (OS) of ESCC patients. Furthermore, based on prognostic factors, the high-risk (H-R) cohort was found to have worse survival than the low-risk (L-R) cohort (P<0.001).ConclusionsWe revealed three m6A methylation-associated genes that were closely correlated with enhanced survival in ESCC patients. In addition, we generated an independent prognostic signature based on the expression of YTHDF3, RBM15, KIAA1429, and ALKBH5 genes. The results revealed significantly higher proportions of CD8⁺ T cells and higher expression of PD-L1 in the H-R group.     

Role of miRNA in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common malignancy worldwide. Evidence suggests that miRNAs play an important role in progression, recurrence, metastasis and postoperative survival of HNSCC. Studies have investigated the utility of miRNAs as diagnostic/prognostic tools and as potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers that may improve the management and outcomes of HNSCC. The aim of this article is to review the current literature on aberrant expression profiles of miRNAs in biopsy samples of HNSCC and their role in cancer development, metastasis, prognosis and survival of these patients. This review gives an overview that miRNAs deregulation play major role in the development of HNSCC. They offer the potential to be used as biomarkers or novel therapeutic targets. Future research is required to test their use in both of these fields.     

Overexpression of TWIST2 correlates with poor prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are a heterogeneous group of tumors with variable presentation and clinical behavior. Despite improvements in surgical and radiation therapy techniques, the 5-year survival rate has not improved significantly over the past decades. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify novel markers that may allow for the development of personalized therapeutic approaches. In the present study we evaluated the prognostic role of the expression of genes related to the induction of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). To this aim, a consecutive series of 69 HNSCC were analyzed for the expression of TWIST1, TWIST2, SNAI1, SNAI2, E-Cadherin, N-Cadherin and Vimentin.TWIST1, TWIST2, SNAI1 and SNAI2 were significantly overexpressed in HNSCC, with TWIST2, SNAI1 and SNAI2 being more markedly increased in tumors compared to normal mucosae. The expression of TWIST1 and SNAI2 was associated with upregulation of mesenchymal markers, but failed to correlate with pathological parameters or clinical behaviour. In contrast, we found that upregulation of TWIST2, which was independent of the activation of a mesenchymal differentiation program, correlated with poor differentiation grade (p=0.016) and shorter survival (p=0.025), and identifies a subset of node-positive oral cavity/pharynx cancer patients with very poor prognosis (p less than 0.001). Overall our study suggests that the assessment of TWIST2 expression might help to stratify HNSCC patients for risk of disease progression, pointing to TWIST2 as a potential prognostic marker.     

调节性T细胞在头颈部鳞状细胞癌中的研究进展

头颈部鳞状细胞癌(head and neck squamous cell carcinoma,HNSCC)是一种侵袭性恶性肿瘤,患有该病的患者大多存在严重的免疫缺陷,现有的研究对于HNSCC与宿主免疫系统之间的复杂相互作用,以及T细胞的调节机制有了更加深入的认识。本综述中,我们梳理了Treg细胞与免疫抑制的关系,Treg细胞在HNSCC肿瘤疾病中发生发展的作用,同时也介绍了Treg免疫疗法的潜力。     

Novel markers for poor prognosis in head and neck cancer

Head and neck cancer (HNSCC) is one of the most distressing human cancers, causing pain and affecting the basic survival functions of breathing and swallowing. Mortality rates have not changed despite recent advances in radiotherapy and surgical treatment. We have compared the expression of over 13,000 unique genes in 7 cases of matched HNSCC and normal oral mucosa. Of the 1,260 genes that showed statistically significant differences in expression between normal and tumor tissue at the mRNA level, the three top ranking of the top 5% were selected for further analysis by immunohistochemistry on paraffin sections, along with the tumor suppressor genes p16 and p53, in a total of 62 patients including 55 for whom >4-year clinical data was available. Using univariate and multivariate survival analysis, we identified SPARC/osteonectin as a powerful independent prognostic marker for short disease-free interval (DFI) (p < 0.002) and poor overall survival (OS) (p = 0.018) of HNSCC patients. In combination with other ECM proteins found in our analysis, PAI-1 and uPA, the association with DFI and OS became even more significant (p < 0.001). Our study represents the first instance of SPARC as an independent prognostic marker in HNSCC.     

Genomic instabilities in squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck from the Indian population

Intrinsic genomic instability of an incipient tumor cell drives the development of cancer. In colorectal cancer, an inverse relationship between microsatellite instability (MIN) and chromosomal instability (CIN) has been reported. The relationship between MIN and CIN in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is uncertain. In the present study, we examined these two types of instabilities in HNSCC using microsatellite markers and arbitrary primed PCR (APPCR) technique. HNSCC tumors showed high frequency of MIN and loss of heterozygosity (LOH). We observed that, in contrast to colorectal tumors, the frequency of LOH increased with the increase in MIN. There was no significant difference between MIN- and MIN+ groups of HNSCC tumors in the extent of overall genomic alterations; rather higher MIN+ tumors exhibited higher incidence of deletion. Thus, in sporadic HNSCC, both MIN and CIN pathways operate simultaneously to drive tumor formation.     

Dietary folate is associated with p16(INK4A) methylation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Inactivation of the p16(INK4A) (CDKN2A) gene in the Rb pathway is among the most common somatic alterations observed in tobacco-related solid tumors, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In addition, a low folate diet is an important risk factor for HNSCC. Decreased dietary folate in an animal model of hepatocellular carcinoma has been associated with the induction of epigenetic silencing of the p16(INK4A) gene. In an ongoing population-based study of HNSCC, we sought to extend this observation to human disease testing the hypothesis that p16(INK4A) methylation is associated with decreased dietary folate. We also investigated the association of methylation silencing with functional polymorphisms in the folate metabolism enzyme methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). In 169 HNSCCs, the odds ratio for p16(INK4A) methylation among those with low dietary folate intake was 2.3 (95% CI = 1.1-4.8) when compared with those with high folate intake. Furthermore, this increased risk for epigenetic silencing at p16(INK4A) was modified by the MTHFR alleles previously associated with diminished serum folate levels. Hence, in HNSCC low dietary intake of folate is associated with p16(INK4A) methylation, and this relationship is modified by the MTHFR genotype. Our data provides important evidence for a mechanism of action of folate deficiency in cancer.     

DKK1 在头颈部鳞状细胞癌中的临床价值及其调控因子分析

目的：探讨Dickkopf-1（DKK1）在头颈部鳞状细胞癌（head and neck squamous cell carcinoma,HNSCC）组织中的表达及其调控机制。方法：基于TCGA数据库分析DKK1 在HNSCC组织中的表达水平及其甲基化位点与预后的关系。用GO和KEGG基因富集法分析DKK1 富集基因的信号通路。用STRING 分析DKK1 蛋白与其他蛋白质之间的相互作用。利用TargetScan 分析调控DKK1 表达的miRNA,并通过TRRUST网站分析DKK1 的转录因子。结果：DKK1 基因在HNSCC组织中高表达（P<0.01）,其表达水平与患者HPV状态、年龄、病理分级、临床分期显著相关（均P<0.05）;DKK1 高表达HNSCC患者的预后较低表达者差（P<0.01）。DKK1 存在19 个甲基化位点,其中12 个在癌组织与正常组织间表达差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）,11 个与HNSCC的预后显著关联（P<0.05）。此外,miRNA、circRNA、lincRNA、转录因子等也参与DKK1 的调控,共获取5 个DKK1 相关的PPI 网络可能参与HNSCC的发生、发展、侵袭和转移。结论：DKK1 在HNSCC组织中高表达,并且是HNSCC患者预后差的危险因素,DKK1在HNSCC发病过程中起重要作用,有望成为HNSCC治疗的潜在靶标。     

Role of cytokines in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most frequent cancers and standard treatment has only marginally improved the 5-year survival rate of patients with this disease in the last few decades. It is supposed that cytokine alterations in immune, inflammatory and angiogenetic regulatory routes within the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma microenvironment play a critical role in tumor aggressiveness, its response to chemo- and radiation therapies, as well as the development of immune escape mechanisms.     

Genomic alterations in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma determined by cancer gene-targeted sequencing

BackgroundTo determine genomic alterations in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumors obtained through routine clinical practice, selected cancer-related genes were evaluated and compared with alterations seen in frozen tumors obtained through research studies.Patients and methodsDNA samples obtained from 252 FFPE HNSCC were analyzed using next-generation sequencing-based (NGS) clinical assay to determine sequence and copy number variations in 236 cancer-related genes plus 47 introns from 19 genes frequently rearranged in cancer. Human papillomavirus (HPV) status was determined by presence of the HPV DNA sequence in all samples and corroborated with high-risk HPV in situ hybridization (ISH) and p16 immunohistochemical (IHC) staining in a subset of tumors. Sequencing data from 399 frozen tumors in The Cancer Genome Atlas and University of Chicago public datasets were analyzed for comparison.ResultsAmong 252 FFPE HNSCC, 84 (33%) were HPV positive and 168 (67%) were HPV negative by sequencing. A subset of 40 tumors with HPV ISH and p16 IHC results showed complete concordance with NGS-derived HPV status. The most common genes with genomic alterations were PIK3CA and PTEN in HPV-positive tumors and TP53 and CDKN2A/B in HPV-negative tumors. In the pathway analysis, the PI3K pathway in HPV-positive tumors and DNA repair-p53 and cell cycle pathways in HPV-negative tumors were frequently altered. The HPV-positive oropharynx and HPV-positive nasal cavity/paranasal sinus carcinoma shared similar mutational profiles.ConclusionThe genomic profile of FFPE HNSCC tumors obtained through routine clinical practice is comparable with frozen tumors studied in research setting, demonstrating the feasibility of comprehensive genomic profiling in a clinical setting. However, the clinical significance of these genomic alterations requires further investigation through application of these genomic profiles as integral biomarkers in clinical trials.     

头颈部鳞状细胞癌中与p53突变相关基因的鉴定

目的:探讨在头颈部鳞状细胞癌（HNSCC）中与p53突变相关的潜在关键基因。方法:从GEO数据库中下载芯片数据GSE107591,用R语言加权重基因共表达网络分析(weighted gene co-expression network analysis,WGCNA)包构建基因共表达网络并划分模块。选择与p53变异相关的基因模块进行GO分析和KEGG通路分析,并结合cytoscape筛选中枢基因。结果:基因共表达网络包括7个模块。其中蓝色（blue）模块与p53变异呈正相关,GO富集分析结果为细胞外基质组织等,KEGG通路为ECM受体相互作用等。蓝色模块的中枢基因为TPX2,CCNB2和DLGAP5。绿松石（turquoise）模块与p53变异呈负相关,GO富集分析结果为转录、DNA模板化等,KEGG通路为细胞黏附分子等。绿松石模块的中枢基因包括VWA3A,ARMC4,CFAP46和C11orf88（并列第三）。结论:通过WGCNA的方法能够从转录组数据中挖掘到头颈部鳞状细胞癌中与p53变异相关的重要基因,为疾病研究提供新的候选基因和分子机制。     

Downregulation of SERPINB13 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas associates with poor clinical outcome

Tumorigenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) is associated with various genetic changes such as loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on human chromosome 18q21. This chromosomal region maps a gene cluster coding for a family of intracellular serine protease inhibitors (serpins), including SERPINB13. As SERPINB13 expression in HNSCC has recently been shown to be downregulated both at the mRNA and protein levels, here we investigated if such a low SERPINB13 expression is associated with histopathological and clinical parameters of HNSCC tumors and patient survival. By generating specific antibodies followed by immunohistochemistry on a well‐defined cohort of 99 HNSCC of the oral cavity and oropharynx, SERPINB13 expression was found to be partially or totally downregulated in 75% of the HNSCC as compared with endogenous expression in non‐neoplastic epithelial cells. Downregulation of SERPINB13 protein expression in HNSCC was significantly associated with the presence of LOH at the SERPINB13 gene in the tumors (p = 0.006), a poor differentiation grade of the tumors (p = 0.001), the presence of a lymph node metastasis (p = 0.012), and a decreased disease‐free (p = 0.033) as well as overall (p = 0.018) survival of the patients. This is the first report demonstrating that downregulation of SERPINB13 protein expression in HNSCC is positively associated with poor clinical outcome. Therefore, SERPINB13 seems to act as an important protease inhibitor involved in the progression of HNSCC. © 2009 UICC     

The response of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to cetuximab treatment depends on Aurora kinase A polymorphism

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of cetuximab-based anti-EGFR treatment and Aurora kinase A / B knockdown as a function of Aurora kinase polymorphism in HNSCC cell lines.

Materials and methods

First, protein expression of Aurora kinase A / B and EGFR and Aurora kinase A polymorphism were studied in tumour samples.The survival and proliferation of Aurora kinase A homo- (Cal27) and heterozygous (HN) HNSCC cell lines was evaluated using a colony formation assay and a flow cytometric assay. Also, aneuploidy was determined. EGFR signalling pathway were visualised by western blotting.

Results

Immunohistochemistry revealed the overexpression of Aurora kinase A / B in HNSCC. The knockdown of each kinase caused a significant decrease in clonogenic survival, independent of Aurora kinase A polymorphism. In contrast, cetuximab treatment impaired clonogenic survival only in the Aurora kinase A-homozygous cell line (Cal27).

Conclusion

This study provides in vitro evidence for the predictive value of Aurora kinase A polymorphism in the efficiency of cetuximab treatment. Resistance to cetuximab treatment can be overcome by simultaneous Aurora kinase A/B knockdown.     

头颈部鳞状细胞癌靶向治疗进展

每年全世界大约有65万例新的头颈癌病例出现,其中绝大多数是头颈部鳞状细胞癌.晚期头颈部鳞状细胞癌的治疗需要综合治疗,尽管放化疗及手术治疗手段在不断发展,但是预后仍不理想且具有一定的毒副反应.靶向治疗是目前治疗研究头颈部鳞癌的热点,其在针对头颈部鳞癌的治疗特别是对局部晚期或复发/转移性头颈部鳞癌治疗中展现出了希望.本文综...     

头颈部鳞癌相关生物标志物与免疫治疗预后的关系

头颈部鳞癌(HNSCC)是世界上第六大常见的恶性肿瘤,每年发病超过55万,死亡超过30万人,吸烟和饮酒是其主要危险因素.HNSCC的治疗方案主要是基于TNM分期、以外科手术为主的综合疗法(放疗、化疗及生物治疗).对于HNSCC的治疗,其5年生存率近年来一直没有改善,因此,需要新的治疗方法提高患者生存率,改善患者生活质量...