Search

Simple Summary: Through the analysis of tissue microarray (TMA) samples from colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and bioinformatical analyses of public databases and our clinical dataset, this study identifies the different expressions of CD163 in various tissues, the presence of the receptor in TME, the interaction with other biological processes and a positive correlation between CD163 dysfunction and worse prognosis. Therefore, CD163 can be used as a new biomarker to predict patient prognosis. (1) Background: CD163, a specific macrophage receptor, affects the progression of malignant tumors. Unfortunately, the regulation and expression of CD163 are poorly understood. In this study, we determined the expressions of CD163 in TMA samples from CRC patients and combined them with patient data from several Swedish hospitals. (2) Methods: The expressions of CD163 in tissue samples from CRC patients were examined. After combining 472 CRC patients' gene expression and 438 CRC patients' clinical data with the TCGA database, 964 cases from the GEO database, and experimental expression data from 1247 Swedish CRC patients, we selected four genes (PCNA, LOX, BCL2, and CD163) and analyzed the tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) and CRC prognosis. (3) Results: Based on histopathological TMA analysis, CD163 was strongly expressed in the stroma of both normal and cancer tissues, and the expressions in normal and cancer cells varied from negative to strong. The results from public databases show decreased expression of CD163 in cancer tissue compared to normal mucosa (|log FC| > 1 and FDR < 0.01), and it is a negative prognostic factor for CRC patients (p-value < 0.05). Through tumor microenvironment (TME) analysis, we found a potential influence of CD163 on immune cell infiltration. Furthermore, the enrichment analysis indicated the possible interaction with other proteins and biological pathways. (4) Conclusions: CD163 is expressed differently in CRC tissue and is a negative prognostic factor. Its expression is associated with the TME and tumor purity of CRC. Considering all results, CD163 has the potential to be a predictive biomarker in the investigation of CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Radiotherapy is a standard adjuvant therapy in patients with progressive rectal cancer, but many patients are resistant to radiotherapy, leading to poor prognosis. Our study identified microRNA-652 (miR-652) value on radiotherapy response and outcome in rectal cancer patients., Methods: miR-652 expression was determined by qPCR in primary rectal cancer from 48 patients with and 53 patients without radiotherapy. The association of miR-652 with biological factors and the prognosis was examined. The biological function of miR-652 was identified through TCGA and GEPIA database searches. Two human colon cancer cell lines (HCT116 p53 +/+ and p53 -/- ) were used for in vitro study. The molecular interactions of miR-652 and tumor suppressor genes were studied through a computational approach., Results: In RT patients, miR-652 expression was significantly decreased in cancers when compared to non-radiotherapy cases ( P = 0.002). High miR-652 expression in non-RT patients was with increased apoptosis marker ( P = 0.036), ATM ( P = 0.010), and DNp73 expression ( P = 0.009). High miR-652 expression was related to worse disease-free survival of non-radiotherapy patients, independent of gender, age, tumor stage, and differentiation ( P = 0.028; HR = 7.398, 95% CI 0.217-3.786). The biological functional analysis further identified the prognostic value and potential relationship of miR-652 with apoptosis in rectal cancer. miR-652 expression in cancers was negatively related to WRAP53 expression ( P = 0.022). After miR-652 inhibition, the estimation of reactive oxygen species, caspase activity, and apoptosis in HCT116 p53 +/+ cells was significantly increased compared with HCT116 p53 -/- cells after radiation. The results of the molecular docking analysis show that the miR652-CTNNBL1 and miR652-TP53 were highly stable., Conclusion: Our findings suggest the potential value of miR-652 expression as a marker for the prediction of radiation response and clinical outcome in rectal cancer patients., (Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.net.)