1. Cathepsin X in serum from patients with colorectal cancer: relation to prognosisTjaša Vižin, Ib Jarle Christensen, Hans Jørgen Nielsen, Janko Kos, 2012, original scientific article Abstract: Background. Up-regulation of lysosomal cysteine protease cathepsin X (Cat X) is associated with disorders of the immune system and neurodegenerative diseases, while its role in the development and progression of cancer is less understood. Enhanced secretion of pro-Cat X was observed in malignant processes, and therefore, the level of total serum Cat X rather than the active enzyme may better reflect the tumour status. Patients and methods. Seventy-seven patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) were included in a retrospective study. Blood samples were collected prior to therapy. Using ELISA, the values of total Cat X were measured in serum. Groups of healthy persons (n=77), patients with adenomas (n=77) and patients with non-neoplastic findings (n=77) were included. Results. Significant differences between the group of colorectal patients and the groups of healthy persons, adenoma patients and patients with non-malignant findings could not be shown (p=0.89). Within the group of CRC, higher levels of total Cat X significantly correlated to shorter overall survival (HR=2.08, 95% CI:1.07-4.05, p=0.028). Conclusions. Total serum Cat X could be a useful prognostic indicator for determining survival of patients with CRC. Increased serum levels of total CatX may reflect more aggressive tumour cell phenotypes and suggest the involvement of Cat X in processes involved in later stages of tumour progression.
Keywords: cysteine cathepsins, cathepsin X, colorectal cancer, prognosis, serum biomarker
Published in DiRROS: 21.03.2024; Views: 70; Downloads: 42
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2. Carboxypeptidase cathepsin X defines a multifunctional role of gamma-enolase in cancerTjaša Vižin, Anja Pišlar, Ib Jarle Christensen, Hans Jørgen Nielsen, Pika Meško-Brguljan, Janko Kos, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Gamma-enolase enzymatic activity is involved in glycolysis, a prevalent process in cancer cell metabolism. Additionally, gamma-enolase has a pro-survival function, exhibited through the active site at the C-terminal end of the molecule. This activity is regulated by cysteine peptidase cathepsin X, which cleaves two amino acids at C-terminal end of gamma-enolase. In clinical practice, the determination of gamma-enolase as a tumour marker does not differ between total, uncleaved and C-terminally cleaved forms. However, levels of uncleaved gamma-enolase alone may provide additional clinical information. In this study we analysed cathepsin X, C- terminally uncleaved and total gamma-enolase in tumour cell lines and sera from 255 patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) by western blot, immunoprecipitation, enzymatic activity, ELISAs and ECLIA. Results show that uncleaved gamma-enolase, rather than total gamma- enolase, exhibits different levels in cells, being the highest in those, derived from metastatic sites or highly invasive tumours. Gamma-enolase is secreted into the extracellular space predominantly as an uncleaved form and levels were congruent to those within the cells. Furthermore, levels of uncleaved gamma-enolase in cells are inversely related to cathepsin X protein level and its enzymatic activity. Uncleaved gamma-enolase is also predominant form in sera of patients with CRC. Both forms exhibit similar stage dependent distribution, with slightly elevated levels in stage IV patients. Higher levels of total gamma-enolase are significantly related to shorter survival in patients with metastatic CRC. Results support evidence of additional pro-survival function of gamma-enolase in cancer. Future studies should focus on analysis of uncleaved gamma-enolase in tumour samples, which may provide additional relations to clinical indicators of disease progression.
Keywords: cancer, cathepsin X, cell survival, gamma-enolase, prognosis
Published in DiRROS: 06.04.2022; Views: 788; Downloads: 453
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3. Automated analysis of proliferating cells spatial organisation predicts prognosis in lung neuroendocrine neoplasmsMatteo Bulloni, Giada Sandrini, Irene Stacchiotti, M. Barberis, Fiorella Calabrese, Lina Carvalho, Gabriella Fontanini, Greta Alì, Francesco Fortarezza, Paul Hofman, Izidor Kern, 2021, original scientific article Keywords: neuroendocrine tumors, lung neoplasms, carcinoma, prognosis, pathology, histology, Ki-67 antigen, machine learning, image enhancement, lung cancer, neuroendocrine neoplasms
Published in DiRROS: 09.11.2021; Views: 800; Downloads: 342
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4. Gene expression levels of the prolyl hydroxylase domain proteins PHD1 and PHD2 but not PHD3 are decreased in primary tumours and correlate with poor prognosis of patients with surgically resected non-small-cell lung cancerAna Koren, Matija Rijavec, Tomaž Krumpestar, Izidor Kern, Aleksander Sadikov, Tanja Čufer, Peter Korošec, 2021, original scientific article Abstract: Background: Hypoxia correlates with poor prognosis in several cancer types, including lung cancer. Prolyl hydroxylase domain proteins (PHDs) play a role in cell oxygen sensing, negatively regulating the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway. Our study aim was to evaluate PHD1, PHD2 and PHD3 mRNA expression levels in primary tumours and normal lungs of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and to correlate it with selected regulators of HIF signalling, with clinicopathological characteristics and overall survival (OS). Methods: Tumour tissue samples were obtained from 60 patients with surgically resected NSCLC who were treated with radical surgery. In 22 out of 60 cases, matching morphologically normal lung tissue was obtained. PHD1, PHD2 and PHD3 mRNA expressions were measured using RT-qPCR. Results: The PHD1 and PHD2 mRNA levels in primary tumours were significantly decreased compared to those in normal lungs (both p < 0.0001). PHD1 and PHD2 expression in tumours was positively correlated (rs = 0.82; p < 0.0001) and correlated well with HIF pathway downstream genes HIF1A, PKM2 and PDK1. Decreased PHD1 and PHD2 were associated with larger tumour size, higher tumour stage (PHD1 only) and squamous cell carcinoma. Patients with low PHD1 and patients with low PHD2 expression had shorter OS than patients with high PHD1 (p = 0.02) and PHD2 expression (p = 0.01). PHD1 showed borderline independent prognostic values in multivariate analysis (p = 0.06). In contrast, we found no associations between PHD3 expression and any of the observed parameters. Conclusions: Our results show that reduced expression of PHD1 and PHD2 is associated with the development and progression of NSCLC. PHD1 could be further assessed as a prognostic marker in NSCLC.
Keywords: non-small-cell lung carcinoma, prognosis, non-small cell lung cancer, mRNA expression, prolyl hydroxylase domain proteins
Published in DiRROS: 21.05.2021; Views: 1200; Downloads: 868
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5. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of malignant pleural mesothelioma : a comparative study of pharmacokinetic models and correlation with mRECIST criteriaMartina Vivoda Tomšič, Sotirios Bisdas, Viljem Kovač, Igor Serša, Katarina Šurlan Popović, 2019, original scientific article Abstract: BACKGROUND: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare and aggressive thoracic malignancy that is difficult to cure. Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI is a functional imaging technique used to analyze tumor microvascular properties and to monitor therapy response. Purpose of this study was to compare two tracer kinetic models, the extended Tofts (ET) and the adiabatic approximation tissue homogeneity model (AATH) for analysis of DCE-MRI and examine the value of the DCE parameters to predict response to chemotherapy in patients with MPM. METHOD: This prospective, longitudinal, single tertiary radiology center study was conducted between October 2013 and July 2015. Patient underwent DCE-MRI studies at three time points: prior to therapy, during and after cisplatin-based chemotherapy. The images were analyzed using ET and AATH models. In short-term follow-up, the patients were classified as having disease control or progressive disease according to modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors (mRECIST) criteria. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to examine specificity and sensitivity of DCE parameters for predicting response to therapy. Comparison tests were used to analyze whether derived parameters are interchangeable between the two models. RESULTS: Nineteen patients form the study population. The results indicate that the derived parameters are not interchangeable between the models. Significant correlation with response to therapy was found for AATH-calculated median pre-treatment efflux rate (kep) showing sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 100% (AUC 0.9). ET-calculated maximal pre-treatment kep showed 100% sensitivity and specificity for predicting treatment response during the early phase of the therapy and reached a favorable trend to significant prognostic value post-therapy. CONCLUSION: Both models show potential in predicting response to therapy in MPM. High pre-treatment kep values suggest MPM disease control post-chemotherapy.
Keywords: biomarker, magnetic resonance imaging, mesothelioma, perfusion, response evaluation criteria in solid
tumors, prognosis
Published in DiRROS: 23.09.2020; Views: 1291; Downloads: 948
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