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Abstract Inactivation of nuclear retinoic acid receptor β (RARβ) expression is implicated in tumorigenesis. We hypothesized that loss of RARβ in gastric cancer cells may occur as a result of multiple factors, including epigenetic modifications which alter RARβ promoter chromatin structure. We examined hypermethylation of CpG islands present in the RARβ promoter by methylation-specific PCR and the expression of RARβ in gastric cancer cell lines and tissues. Three (MKN-28, -45 and -74) out of eight gastric cancer cell lines had a loss of RAR expression associated with promoter methylation. RARβ expression was retrieved in these cell lines by treatment with 5-azacytidine or by the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A. Promoter hypermethylation was detected in 64 % (7/11) of gastric carcinoma tissues with reduced expression of RARβ, whereas it was detected in 22 % (2/9) of tumors with retained RARβ expression. To investigate the functions of exogenous RARβ in gastric cancer cells, we transfected a retroviral RARβ expression vector (LNSβ) into MKN-28 cells that have hypermethylation of the RARβ promoter. Overexpression of RAR in MKN-28 cells appeared to regulate the expression of DNA methyltransferase and DNA demethylase and the acetylation of hitone H4. These results suggest that the transcriptional inactivation of the RARβ by promoter CpG hypermethylation is frequently associated with gastric carcinoma. Our data also suggests that DNA methylation plays a pivotal role in establishing and maintaining an inactive state of RARβ by rendering the chromatin structure inaccessible to the transcription machinery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormalities in mucosal immunity are involved in the onset and progression of ulcerative colitis (UC), resulting in a high incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC). While high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) is overexpressed during colorectal carcinogenesis, its role in UC-related carcinogenesis remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the role of HMGB1 in UC-related carcinogenesis and sporadic CRC. Both the azoxymethane colon carcinogenesis and dextran sulfate sodium colitis carcinogenesis models demonstrated temporal increases in mucosal HMGB1 levels. Activated CD8+ cells initially increased and then decreased, whereas exhausted CD8+ cells increased. Additionally, we observed increased regulatory CD8+ cells, decreased naïve CD8+ cells, and decreased mucosal epithelial differentiation. In the in vitro study, HMGB1 induced energy reprogramming from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis in CD8+ cells and intestinal epithelial cells. Furthermore, in UC dysplasia, UC-related CRC, and hyperplastic mucosa surrounding human sporadic CRC, we found increased mucosal HMGB1, decreased activated CD8+ cells, and suppressed mucosal epithelial differentiation. However, we observed increased activated CD8+ cells in active UC mucosa. These findings indicate that HMGB1 plays an important role in modulating mucosal immunity and epithelial dedifferentiation in both UC-related carcinogenesis and sporadic CRC.

Introduction: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal types of malignancy, with poor prognosis and rising incidence. IQ motif containing GTPase-activating protein 3 (IQGAP3) is a member of the IQGAPs family of scaffolding proteins that govern multiple cellular activities like cytoskeletal remodeling and cellular signal transduction. This study aimed to analyze the expression and biological function of IQGAP3 in PDAC., Methods: We analyzed IQGAP3 expression in 81 PDAC samples by immunohistochemistry. RNA interference was used to inhibit IQGAP3 expression in PDAC cell lines., Results: Immunohistochemical analysis of IQGAP3 showed that 54.3% of PDACs were positive for cytoplasmic expression of IQGAP3, with no expression found in non-neoplastic tissue. Furthermore, IQGAP3 expression was an independent poor prognostic factor in our immunostaining-based studies and analyses of public databases. Our cohort and the Cancer Genome Atlas database indicated that IQGAP3 is co-localized with kinesin family member C1 (KIFC1), which we previously reported as a cancer stem cell-associated protein. IQGAP3 small interfering RNA treatment decreased PDAC cell proliferation and spheroid colony formation via ERK and AKT pathways., Discussion/conclusion: These results suggest that IQGAP3, a transmembrane protein, is involved in survival and stemness and may be a promising new therapeutic target for PDAC., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Introduction: Gastric cancer (GC) remains a common health concern worldwide and is the third leading cause of death in Japan. It can be broadly classified into gastric and intestinal mucin phenotypes using immunohistochemistry. We previously reported numerous associations of kinesin family member (KIF) genes and mucin phenotypes with GC. However, no previous studies have reported on the importance of KIF18B in GC using immunostaining. Thus, in this study, we investigated the expression and functions of KIF18B, which is highly expressed in gastric mucin phenotype GC., Methods: We performed RNA-seq of gastric and intestinal mucin type GCs, and clinicopathological studies of the KIF18B we found were performed using 96 GC cases. We also performed functional analysis using GC-derived cell lines., Result: RNA-seq showed the upregulation of matrisome-associated genes in gastric mucin phenotype GC and a high expression of KIF18B. KIF18B was detected in 52 of the 96 GC cases (54%) through immunohistochemistry. Low KIF18B expression was significantly associated with poor overall survival (p < 0.01). Other molecules that were significantly associated with KIF18B were MUC5AC and claudin 18; these were also significantly associated with the gastric mucin phenotype. KIF18B small interfering RNA (siRNA)-transfected GC cells showed greater growth and spheroid colony formation than the negative control siRNA-transfected cells. Furthermore, expression of snail family transcriptional repressor 1 and cadherin 2 was significantly increased and that of cadherin 1 was significantly decreased in KIF18B siRNA-transfected GC cells., Conclusion: These findings not only suggest that KIF18B may be a useful prognostic marker, but also provide insight into the pathogenesis of the GC phenotype., (© 2023 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Background: Non-Helicobacter pylori Helicobacter (NHPH) has recently been linked to various gastric diseases. However, the relationship between NHPH infection and gastric cancer remains controversial. This study aimed to identify the effect of NHPH infection on gastritis and gastric cancer development., Materials and Methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues were obtained from 73 patients with gastric cancer, of whom 21 cases were Helicobacter pylori (Hp) current infection, 37 cases were Hp previous infection, and 15 cases were Hp naïve infection, and were screened for NPHPs using polymerase chain reaction. The results were compared with NHPH infection rates in the patients with gastritis-related diseases reported in the previous study. We evaluated the association of NHPH infection with gastritis and clinicopathological features of gastric cancer., Results: NHPH infection rates were 4/21 (19%) in "Hp current" patients, 4/37 (11%) in "Hp previous" infection patients, and 1/15 (7%) in "Hp naïve" patients, showing no significant difference in infection rates based on Hp infection status. NHPH infection rates in gastric cancer patients were similar to those in the patients with gastritis-related diseases reported in the previous study. A comparison of NHPH-positive and negative patients showed no significant differences in atrophic gastritis status, serum gastritis markers, or clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancer, such as localization, size, gross type, differentiation, or depth., Conclusions: The association between gastric cancer and NHPH infection would have important implications for gastric cancer prevention, diagnostics, and treatment, however, no significant association was found in this particular population., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There are no conflicts of interest to be declared for any of the authors., (Copyright © 2023 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: We previously reported Minichromosome maintenance 4 (MCM4) overexpression in gastric cancer. However, the clinicopathological significance of MCM4 in urothelial carcinoma (UC) has not been investigated. To clarify the clinicopathological significance of MCM4 in UC, we investigated MCM4 expression with immunohistochemistry (IHC)., Methods: We analyzed the expression and distribution of MCM4 in 124 upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) samples by IHC. Additionally, using 108 urine samples, we analyzed MCM4 Immunocytochemistry (ICC) expression in urine cytology., Results: In normal urothelium, MCM4 expression was weak or absent. Meanwhile, the strong nuclear expression of MCM4 was observed in UTUC tissues, and it was detected in 77 (62%) of a total of 124 UTUC cases. MCM4-positive UTUC cases were associated with nodular/flat morphology, high grade, high T stage, and poor prognosis. Moreover, MCM4 expression was significantly higher in the invasive front than in the tumor surface. Similar results were also obtained in TCGA bladder cancer cohort. Additionally, MCM4 expression was associated with high expression of Ki-67, HER2, EGFR, and p53 in UTUC. Among representative cancer-related molecules, MCM4 had an independent predictive value for progression-free survival and high-grade UC. ICC for MCM4 was also performed on urine cytology slides and showed that the nuclear expression of MCM4 was more frequently found in UC cells than in non-neoplastic cells. The diagnostic accuracy of urine cytology was improved by combining MCM4 immunostaining with cytology., Conclusion: These results suggest that MCM4 might be a useful predictive biomarker for high-grade histology, tumor progression and poor prognosis in UC. Moreover, ICC for MCM4 might be helpful for UC detection as additional markers in the cytomorphology-based diagnosis., (© 2023. BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

βIII-Tubulin, encoded by the TUBB3 gene, is a microtubule protein. We previously reported that TUBB3 is overexpressed in renal cell carcinoma. We investigated the clinicopathological significance of TUBB3 in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) by immunohistochemistry. In normal tissue, TUBB3 expression was weak or absent. In contrast, TUBB3 overexpression was observed in urothelial carcinoma (UC) tissues in 51 (49%) of 103 UTUC cases. TUBB3 overexpression was associated with nodular/flat morphology, high-grade disease, high T stage, and a poor prognosis. Similar results were obtained in The Cancer Genome Atlas bladder cancer cohort. TUBB3 expression was also associated with high Ki-67 labeling index, CD44v9, HER2, EGFR, and p53 expression in UTUC. Among representative cancer-related molecules, TUBB3 was an independent predictor of progression-free survival and high-grade UC. Finally, using urine cytology samples, we analyzed TUBB3 expression by immunocytochemistry. TUBB3 expression was more frequently found in UC cells than in nonneoplastic cells. The diagnostic accuracy of urine cytology was improved when combined with TUBB3 immunostaining. The findings suggest the importance of TUBB3 in tumor progression and its potential application as a biomarker for high-grade disease and the prognosis of UC. Moreover, combination with TUBB3 immunostaining might improve the diagnostic accuracy of urine cytology., (© 2023 Japanese Society of Pathology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Background: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is a common type of human cancer and, although urine cytology is a useful method for identifying high-grade UC (HGUC), its ability to diagnose low-grade UC (LGUC) is limited. The authors previously reported that annexin A10 (ANXA10) expression was strongly linked to both papillary and early stage LGUC and was inversely correlated with p53 expression in upper tract UC (UTUC) and bladder UC. However, it remains largely unknown whether ANXA10 is useful as a diagnostic marker for urine cytology., Methods: In this study, the authors used 104 biopsy and 314 urine cytology samples to investigate the efficacy of ANXA10 and p53 expression by immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry., Results: In immunohistochemistry analysis, expression levels of ANXA10 and p53 were either weak or absent in noncancerous tissues, whereas ANXA10 overexpression was observed patients with LGUC, and strong expression of p53 was identified in patients with HGUC. In immunocytochemistry analysis, sensitivity was not good for the detection of UC, especially UTUC, by cytology alone, but it was improved by combining cytology with ANXA10 and p53 to detect both bladder UC and UTUC. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis also confirmed the diagnostic superiority of cytology combining ANXA10 and p53 for the detection of all UCs, including both HGUC and LGUC (area under the curve, 0.84)., Conclusions: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report that the combination of ANXA10 and p53 has potential application as a diagnostic immunomarker for improving the diagnostic accuracy of urine cytology., (© 2023 American Cancer Society.)

Purpose: Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) can be divided into renal pelvis tumor (RPT) and ureteral tumor (UT) based on the tumor origin. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with gemcitabine and cisplatin (NAC-GC) in terms of the pathological outcomes and oncological prognoses in patients with UTUC. We also compared its efficacy between RPT and UT., Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent radical nephroureterectomy for clinical T (cT)3N0M0 UTUC between 1999 and 2021 were included. Patients who underwent NAC-GC and those who did not were included in the NAC-GC and non-NAC-GC groups, respectively. Based on the tumor origin, we divided patients with UTUC into RPT and UT groups. Oncological prognosis was assessed using progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival., Results: Of 44 patients, 20 (45.5%) and 24 (54.5%) patients were in the NAC-GC and non-NAC-GC groups, respectively. The NAC-GC group had significantly lower pathological T stage and negative lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and a better PFS (p < .05) compared to those in the non-NAC-GC group. Among patients with RPT, the NAC-GC group had significantly negative LVI and better PFS than the non-NAC-GC group (p < .05). In contrast, in patients with UT, the NAC-GC group had no significant difference in pathological outcomes, and no significant difference in oncological prognosis was observed between the NAC-GC and non-NAC-GC groups., Conclusion: NAC-GC improves both pathological outcomes and oncological prognosis in patients with cT3N0M0 UTUC. With regard to tumor location, RPT has better pathological outcomes and oncological prognoses than UT.

A novel large neutral amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1)-specific inhibitor, JPH203, is expected to cause cancer-specific starvation and possess anti-tumor effects; however, its anti-tumor mechanism for colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. We analyzed LAT family gene expressions in public databases using UCSC Xena and evaluated LAT1 protein expression using immunohistochemistry in 154 cases of surgically resected CRC. We also evaluated mRNA expression using polymerase chain reaction in 10 CRC cell lines. Furthermore, JPH203 treatment experiments were conducted in vitro and in vivo using an allogeneic immune-responsive mouse model with abundant stroma created via the orthotopic transplantation of the mouse-derived CRC cell line CT26 and mesenchymal stem cells. The treatment experiments were followed by comprehensive gene expression analyses with RNA sequencing. Database analyses and immunohistochemistry research on clinical specimens revealed that LAT1 expression was cancer-dominant, and its increase was accompanied by tumor progression. In vitro, JPH203 was effective in an LAT1 expression-dependent manner. In vivo, JPH203 treatment considerably reduced tumor size and metastasis, and RNA sequencing-based pathway analysis showed that not only tumor growth and amino acid metabolism pathways, but also stromal activation-related pathways were suppressed. The results of the RNA sequencing were validated in the clinical specimens, as well as both in vitro and in vivo. LAT1 expression in CRC plays an important role in tumor progression. JPH203 may inhibit the progression of CRC and tumor stromal activity.

Although radiotherapy is the standard treatment for Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-negative gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, eradication therapy using antibiotics and an acid secretion suppressor can sometimes induce complete remission. We explored predictive markers for the response to eradication therapy for gastric MALT lymphoma that were negative for both API2-MALT1 and Hp infection using comprehensive RNA sequence analysis. Among 164 gastric MALT lymphoma patients who underwent eradication therapy as primary treatment, 36 were negative for both the API2-MALT1 fusion gene and Hp infection. Based on eradication therapy efficacy, two groups were established: complete response (CR) and no change (NC). The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis showed that cancer-related genes and infection-related genes were highly expressed in the NC and CR groups, respectively. Based on this finding and transcription factor, gene ontology enrichment, and protein-protein interaction analyses, we selected 16 candidate genes for predicting eradication therapy efficacy. Real-time PCR validation in 36 Hp-negative patients showed significantly higher expression of olfactomedin-4 ( OLFM4 ) and the Nanog homeobox ( NANOG ) in the CR and NC groups, respectively. OLFM4 and NANOG could be positive and negative predictive markers, respectively, for eradication therapy efficacy against gastric MALT lymphoma that is negative for both API2-MALT1 and Hp infection.

Introduction: Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. This study focused on minichromosome maintenance 4 (MCM4), a DNA helicase component that functions in DNA replication. Using spheroid colony formation, having a colony rich in cancer stem cells, this study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological importance of MCM4., Methods: We examined MCM4 expression using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis in 10 and 113 GC cases, respectively. MCM4 function in GC was also investigated by RNA interference in GC cell lines., Results: In qRT-PCR and IHC analysis, high MCM4 expression was found in 60% and 83% of GC cases, respectively. MCM4-positive GC cases were significantly associated with higher T grade and tumor stage. Additionally, high MCM4 expression was significantly associated with poor prognosis and was an independent prognostic factor in multivariate analysis. MCM4 was significantly coexpressed with CD133, matrix metalloproteinase 7 (MMP7), epidermal growth factor (EGFR), and mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (cMET). In GC cell lines, MCM4 knockdown affected cell growth and protein kinase B (Akt), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and EGFR pathways., Conclusion: These results indicate that MCM4 expression could be a key regulator in GC progression and is pivotal in treating GC., (© 2022 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Introduction: Tryptophan metabolism has been shown to be involved in tumor development. Two main tryptophan-degrading enzymes, tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO2) and indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1), may potently promote cancer cell survival and distant metastasis in diverse types of cancer, such as lung and breast cancer. IDO1 overexpression is an independent prognosticator in gastric cancer (GC). This work aimed to uncover the expression of TDO2 and its clinicopathologic significance in GC., Methods: TDO2 expression was evaluated in public data of The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort STAD and in two different GC cohorts. Correlation between TDO2 and immune cell infiltrates as well as PD-L1 tumor staining was investigated. The biofunction of TDO2 was examined with MTT, colony formation, and spheroid formation assays by RNA interference., Results: TDO2 expression was correlated with both progressive disease and clinical outcome, and its expression was an independent predictor of prognosis in GC. TDO2 expression was correlated with infiltration of immune cells and tumor expression of PD-L1. Inhibition of TDO2 expression suppressed cell proliferation, colony formation, and cell invasion of GC cells. Additionally, suppression of TDO2 expression inhibited spheroid body-formation and viability of GC organoids., Conclusion: Our data show that TDO2 might be a crucial marker for predicting prognosis and targeted therapy in GC., (© 2022 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Introduction: Esophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. However, molecular targeted therapy and novel therapeutic targets are needed for esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC). In a previous study, we reported that protocadherin (PCDH) B9 plays an important role in several cancers. Therefore, in this study, we examined the clinical significance of PCDHB9 expression in ESCC., Methods: PCDHB9 expression was examined using immunohistochemistry in 128 cases and using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in 16 cases of ESCC. PCDHB9 function in ESCC cells was examined using RNA interference., Results: High PCDHB9 expression was identified in 5 of 16 (31.3%). In total, 51 (40%) ESCC cases showed strong PCDHB9 expression, whereas nonneoplastic mucosa rarely showed its expression. High PCDHB9 expression was significantly associated with T classification, N grade, and stage in ESCC. In ESCC cell lines, PCDHB9 knockdown affected cell growth, migration, and adhesion. Further, the expression of integrin (ITG) A3, ITGA4, ITGA5, ITGB1, ITGB6, vimentin, snail family transcriptional repressor 1, and cadherin 2 (NCAD) was significantly reduced and cadherin 1 was significantly increased in PCDHB9 knockdown ESCC cells., Conclusion: These results suggest that PCDHB9 plays a tumor-promoting role and is a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in ESCC., (© 2022 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Introduction: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is a common type of malignant disease, but little is known about the diagnostic and prognostic markers of upper urinary tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) because of its rarity. To clarify the significance of ANXA10 in UTUC, we studied ANXA10 expression with immunohistochemistry (IHC)., Methods: The expression of ANXA10 was analyzed in the upper and lower urinary tract of UC by IHC in combination with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data analysis. The association between ANXA10 expression and representative cancer-related molecules was also evaluated., Results: ANXA10 expression was weak in normal upper tract urothelium but was positive in 39/117 (33%) UTUCs. ANXA10 was more frequently positive in tumors with pure UC (36%, p < 0.05), papillary morphology (50%, p < 0.01), low grade (G1/2: 57%, p < 0.01), and pTa/is/1 stage (55%, p < 0.01) than in those with histological variants (0%), nodular morphology (9%), G3 (16%), and pT2/3/4 (13%), respectively. ANXA10-positive patients showed better cancer-specific survival and progression-free survival than ANXA10-negative patients (p < 0.05). IHC showed that ANXA10 positivity was detected more in cases with the low expression of TP53 (p < 0.01) and Ki-67 labeling index <20% (p < 0.01). In TCGA dataset of muscle-invasive bladder cancer, higher ANXA10 expression correlated with papillary morphology, lower grade/stage, luminal papillary subtype, wild-type TP53, and FGFR3 gene mutation., Conclusion: We revealed that ANXA10 expression was increased during carcinogenesis and was observed more frequently in papillary UC of lower grade and stage. However, its expression decreased as cancer progressed. Therefore, the ANXA10 expression in UTUC might be clinically useful for decision-making., (© 2022 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a novel molecular target for the treatment of PDAC. Kinesin family member C1 (KIFC1) belongs to the kinesin superfamily proteins and has been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of carcinomas. However, the role of KIFC1 in PDAC remains unknown. This study aimed to analyze the expression and biological function of KIFC1 in PDAC. Immunohistochemically, KIFC1 was found in 37 of 81 PDAC cases (46%). A high expression of KIFC1 was significantly related to tumor size (p = 0.023) and poor overall survival (p = 0.011). Univariate and multivariate analysis indicated that KIFC1 expression was a prognostic factor in PDAC cases. As for cancer stem cell markers, KIFC1 expression tended to co-express significantly with CD44 (p < 0.01). The growth and spheroid colony formation of KIFC1 small interfering RNA (siRNA)-transfected PDAC cells were significantly lower than those of negative control siRNA-transfected cells. Therefore, our findings suggest that KIFC1 is an independent prognostic factor in PDAC and may represent a new promising therapeutic target in PDAC., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier GmbH.. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Patients with histological variants (HV) of bladder cancer have more advanced disease and poorer survival rates than those with pure urothelial carcinoma (UC). Moreover, lymphovascular invasion (LVI) is an important biomarker after RNU in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Thus, here we investigated the clinical and prognostic impact of HV and LVI in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU)., Methods: Data from 223 UTUC patients treated with RNU without neoadjuvant chemotherapy were retrospectively evaluated. We analyzed differences in clinicopathological features and survival rates between patients with pure UC and those with HV. Conditional survival (CS) analysis was performed to obtain prognostic information over time., Results: A total of 32 patients (14.3%) had HV, with the most common variant being squamous differentiation, followed by glandular differentiation. UTUC with HV was significantly associated with advanced pathological T stage (pT ≥ 3), higher tumor grade (G3), and LVI, compared to pure UC (all P < 0.01). Progression-free survival (PFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and overall survival (OS), were all significantly worse in the HV group compared to the pure UC group (all, P < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, HV and LVI were independent predictors of CSS and OS. We classified the patients into three groups using these two predictors: low-risk (neither HV nor LVI), intermediate-risk (either HV or LVI), and high-risk (both HV and LVI). Significant differences in PFS, CSS, and OS rates were found among the 3 groups. In CS analysis, the conditional PFS, CSS, and OS rates at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years improved with increased duration of event-free survival. CS analysis revealed that most progression events occurred within 2 years after RNU, and patients with risk factors had worse PFS at all time points., Conclusions: A risk model using HV and LVI can stratify PFS, CSS, and OS of patients treated with RNU. In addition, CS analysis revealed that HV and LVI were poor prognostic factors over time after RNU., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background/aim: SEC11A gene encodes the SPC18 protein, which has been implicated in tumour progression by inducing the secretion of various growth factors. We investigated the clinical significance of SEC11A expression in gastric cancer (GC) tissues in patients with locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) after curative resection., Patients and Methods: We estimated SEC11A expression in cancer tissues from 253 pStage II/III GC patients who underwent curative resection using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and investigated the relationship of SEC11A expression with clinicopathological factors and survival., Results: SEC11A expression was significantly related to serosal invasion, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, and pathological stage. The high-SEC11A expression group had a significantly lower survival rate than the low group (5-year survival 52.3% vs. 75.9%; p<0.005). Furthermore, in multivariate analysis, high-SEC11A expression was an independent factor of poor survival (hazard ratio, 2.010; 95% confidence interval=1.303-3.100; p=0.002)., Conclusion: SEC11A expression in cancer tissue may be a useful prognostic marker in patients with LAGC after curative resection., (Copyright © 2022 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Mucin 1 (MUC1) overexpression has been reported in many malignancies and is associated with a poor prognosis. However, the clinicopathological significance of MUC1 in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) has not been investigated. We analyzed the expression and distribution of MUC1 in UTUC by immunohistochemistry. In normal urothelium, MUC1 expression was observed on the surface of umbrella cells. Meanwhile, the strong expression of MUC1 was observed in cell membranes and cytoplasm in UTUC tissues, and it was detected in 64 (58%) of a total of 110 UTUC cases. MUC1-positive UTUC cases were associated with nodular/flat morphology, high grade, high T stage, and lymphatic and venous invasion and poor prognosis. Additionally, MUC1 expression was associated with high expression of Ki-67, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), CD44 variant 9 (CD44v9), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and p53 in UTUC. Furthermore, immunocytochemistry for MUC1 on urine cytology slides demonstrated that the strong staining of MUC1 was more frequently found in tumor cells than in nonneoplastic cells. The diagnostic accuracy of urine cytology was improved by combining MUC1 immunostaining with cytology. These results suggest that MUC1 may be a prognostic biomarker in UTUC, and MUC1 exression has a potential application as a diagnostic immunomarker for urine cytology., (© 2022 Japanese Society of Pathology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Background: We sought to identify an optimal combination of survival risk stratification markers in patients with pathological (p) stage II/III gastric cancer (GC) after curative resection., Methods: We measured the expression levels of 127 genes in pStage II/III GC tissues of two patient cohorts by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and the expression of 1756 proteins between two prognosis (good and poor) groups by proteomic analysis to identify candidate survival stratification markers. Further, immunohistochemistry (IHC) using tumor microarrays (TMAs) in another cohort of patients was performed to identify an optimal biomarker combination for survival stratification in GC patients., Results: secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (ERBB2), inhibin subunit beta A (INHBA), matrix metallopeptidase-11 (MMP11), tumor protein p53 (TP53), and platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta (PDGFRB) were identified as candidate biomarkers from qPCR analysis, and SPARC and galectin-10 were obtained from the proteomic analysis. The combination of PDGFRB, INHBA, MMP11, and galectin-10 was identified as the optimal combination of survival risk stratification markers., Conclusions: A combination of four proteins in GC tissues may serve as useful survival risk stratification markers in patients with pStage II/III GC following curative resection. Our results may facilitate future multicenter prospective clinical trials.