A comparative study on nivolumab and axitinib as secondary treatment in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma: A multi-institutional retrospective study in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: When primary treatment has been inadequate, nivolumab and axitinib are often used as a secondary treatments for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). However, there have been few reports comparing the efficacy and safety of these drugs. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 58 patients treated with nivolumab and 57 patients treated with axitinib as secondary treatment between April 2013 and December 2019. We then assessed the clinical efficacy and safety of the treatments in both groups. RESULTS: The most common primary therapy was sunitinib (61.7%). Both nivolumab and axitinib groups showed no significant differences in terms of the objective response rate and disease control rate (p = 0.280 and p = 0.518, respectively). Importantly, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) seemed to be similar in patients treated with nivolumab and axitinib (p = 0.527 and p = 0.266, respectively), irrespective of the objective response to primary therapy. Furthermore, a Cox proportional hazards model showed that pretreatment Karnofsky Performance Status was significantly associated with PFS and OS. Although the incidence of adverse events was significantly higher in the patients treated with axitinib, there was no significant difference in time to treatment failure between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Nivolumab and axitinib showed similar clinical benefits as secondary treatment in patients with mRCC; thus, they should be an option in sequential therapy following treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Future studies and feasible therapeutic biomarkers would help predict the clinical response to TKIs or immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with mRCC.

EphA2 on urinary extracellular vesicles as a novel biomarker for bladder cancer diagnosis and its effect on the invasiveness of bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) secreted from bladder cancer contain cancer-specific proteins that are potential diagnostic biomarkers. We identified and evaluated a uEV-based protein biomarker for bladder cancer diagnosis and analysed its functions. METHODS: Biomarker candidates, selected by shotgun proteomics, were validated using targeted proteomics of uEVs obtained from 49 patients with and 48 individuals without bladder cancer, including patients with non-malignant haematuria. We developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for quantifying the uEV protein biomarker without ultracentrifugation and evaluated urine samples from 36 patients with and 36 patients without bladder cancer. RESULTS: Thirteen membrane proteins were significantly upregulated in the uEVs from patients with bladder cancer in shotgun proteomics. Among them, eight proteins were validated by target proteomics, and Ephrin type-A receptor 2 (EphA2) was the only protein significantly upregulated in the uEVs of patients with bladder cancer, compared with that of patients with non-malignant haematuria. The EV-EphA2-CD9 ELISA demonstrated good diagnostic performance (sensitivity: 61.1%, specificity: 97.2%). We showed that EphA2 promotes proliferation, invasion and migration and EV-EphA2 promotes the invasion and migration of bladder cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS: We established EV-EphA2-CD9 ELISA for uEV-EphA2 detection for the non-invasive early clinical diagnosis of bladder cancer.

Real-world efficacy and safety of nivolumab plus ipilimumab in untreated metastatic renal cell carcinoma, and the impact of previous nephrectomy on clinical outcome: Japanese multi-institutional retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: In metastatic renal-cell carcinoma (mRCC), recent clinical trials have shown efficacy of first-line combination therapy, as evidenced by better clinical outcome over target therapy. However, there are insufficient real-world evidences in mRCC patients in Japan. METHODS: We performed a multicenter retrospective study of 72 mRCC patients who received nivolumab plus ipilimumab as first-line treatment between September 2018 and July 2021. Patient's characteristics, clinical outcomes and safety were retrospectively reviewed. We analyzed overall response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) in patients treated with combination therapy. RESULTS: Of all patients, the median age was 70 years (range, 36-86) and the major type of histology was clear cell RCC (n = 55; 76.4%). Progressive disease (n = 25; 34.8%) and irAEs (n = 22; 30.6%) were the most common causes for discontinuing treatment. Median PFS and OS seemed similar between patients who discontinued treatment because of irAEs and for patients who did not (p = 0.360 and p = 0.069, respectively). Importantly, for patients with synchronous metastatic disease at diagnosis (n = 56), nephrectomy before initiating nivolumab plus ipilimumab had a significantly positive impact on better OS when compared to that in patients without nephrectomy (p = 0.028). CONCLUSION: This study confirms efficacy and safety of nivolumab plus ipilimumab for mRCC patients in real-world settings. Furthermore, nivolumab plus ipilimumab was associated with a better outcome in patients who had undergone nephrectomy at diagnosis for synchronous mRCC.

Osteosarcoma of the bladder: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma arising from the bladder is extremely rare, with only 38 cases reported to our knowledge. It is often detected owing to hematuria, and is treated by surgery (for example, total cystectomy), radiation therapy, and chemotherapy; however, the prognosis is extremely poor. CASE PRESENTATION: An 83-year-old Japanese man underwent cystoscopy for postoperative follow-up of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder, which revealed a 2-cm nodular tumor on the right wall. He had a history of abdominal aortic aneurysm and hypertension, and had been smoking 15 cigarettes per day for 45 years. Seven years previously, the patient underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumor for a 5-cm tumor on the right wall of the bladder. The histopathological diagnosis was urothelial carcinoma. No recurrence had been detected since then. Transurethral resection of bladder tumor was performed, and the histopathological diagnosis was cystosarcoma. Because of his advanced age, we decided that it would be difficult to perform total cystectomy. We therefore performed a second transurethral resection of bladder tumor and found no residual tumor. At 29 months after surgery, the patient remains alive without recurrence. CONCLUSION: Bladder osteosarcoma has a poor prognosis. However, our case was detected early, and treatment with transurethral resection of bladder tumor alone resulted in long-term survival without recurrence.

[A Long-Term Survival Case of Paraganglioma Treated with Repeated Surgical Resection].

We report a case of long-term survival in paraganglioma treated with repetitive surgery. A 32-year-old man was seen at the hospital because of hypertension and headache. On biochemical tests, elevated serum and urinary levels of noradrenaline were noted. Abdominal computed tomographic (CT) scan revealed a tumor 50 mm in diameter on the dorsal region of the inferior vena cava, superior to the renal artery. Our diagnosis was paraganglioma and we performed open resection of the tumor. Six years later, hypertension and headache appeared and abdominal computed tomography revealed tumors located in right renal hilus and para-aortic regions superior to aortic bifurcation, and ¹²³I-MIBG scintigraphy revealed uptake at the same sites. Therefore, we diagnosed the patient with recurrent pheochromocytoma and performed laparoscopic resection of the tumor. Surgical treatment was repeatedly performed for recurrence, and the symptoms due to hypersecretion of catecholamines could be controlled over a long period.

Real-world Outcomes of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Immediately After Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Renal Cell Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated a survival benefit for patients with cancer. However, the clinical outcomes of subsequent tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) after ICI failure in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) remain unclear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively examined 38 patients with mRCC who started TKIs immediately after nivolumab with (combination group) or without ipilimumab (nivolumab group) between September 2016 and July 2019. RESULTS: Of the 38 patients, 16 and 11 achieved partial response and stable disease, respectively, resulting in a 42.1% objective response rate and 71.1% disease control rate. The median progression-free survival (PFS) from TKI initiation was 8.8 and 12.9 months in the nivolumab and combination groups, respectively. PFS and overall survival were significantly longer in patients with long-term responses to previous ICI treatment (p=0.0152 and p=0.0155, respectively). CONCLUSION: TKIs demonstrate adequate anti-tumour activity after treatment with ICIs in real-world settings.

MiR-30b-3p and miR-126-3p of urinary extracellular vesicles could be new biomarkers for prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) including exosomes are present in blood, urine, and saliva and contain proteins, microRNAs, and messenger RNAs. We investigated microRNAs in urinary EVs to discover new biomarkers of prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: We isolated EVs from urine obtained following digital rectal examination (DRE) of 14 men with elevated levels of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) [negative biopsy (n=4) and PCa with Gleason scores of 6 (n=3), 7 (n=3), and 8-9 (n=4)]. MicroRNAs extracted from EVs were analyzed by microRNA microarray. RESULTS: MicroRNAs miR-30b-3p and miR-126-3p were identified as being overexpressed in urinary EVs of the PCa patients versus the biopsy-negative men, but no microRNAs were associated with the Gleason score. In the independent cohort as well, these two microRNAs were overexpressed in urinary EVs from the PCa patients versus the negative-biopsy men. Logistic regression analysis adjusted by age and PSA showed that these two microRNAs were significantly associated with the prediction of PCa in biopsy specimens. Sensitivity and specificity of miR-30b-3p and miR-126-3p for the prediction of PCa were 46.4% and 88.0% and 60.7% and 80.0%, respectively, which were better than those of serum PSA (53.5% and 64.0%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: MiR-30b-3p and miR-126-3p in urinary EVs could be potential biomarkers of PCa.

Proteomic analysis of urinary and tissue-exudative extracellular vesicles to discover novel bladder cancer biomarkers.

Proteomic analysis of urinary extracellular vesicles (EVs) is a powerful approach to discover potential bladder cancer (BCa) biomarkers, however urine contains numerous EVs derived from the kidney and normal urothelial epithelium, which can obfuscate information related to BCa cell-derived EVs. In this study, we combined proteomic analysis of urinary EVs and tissue-exudative EVs (Te-EVs), which were isolated from culture medium of freshly resected viable BCa tissues. Urinary EVs were isolated from urine samples of 11 individuals (7 BCa patients and 4 healthy individuals), and Te-EVs were isolated from 7 BCa tissues. We performed tandem mass tag (TMT)-labeling liquid chromatography (LC-MS/MS) analysis for both urinary EVs and Te-EVs and identified 1960 proteins in urinary EVs and 1538 proteins in Te-EVs. Most of the proteins identified in Te-EVs were also present in urinary EVs (82.4%), with 55 of these proteins showing upregulated levels in the urine of BCa patients (fold change > 2.0; P < .1). Among them, we selected 22 membrane proteins as BCa biomarker candidates for validation using selected reaction monitoring/multiple reaction monitoring (SRM/MRM) analysis on urine samples from 70 individuals (40 BCa patients and 30 healthy individuals). Six urinary EV proteins (heat-shock protein 90, syndecan-1, myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate (MARCKS), MARCKS-related protein, tight junction protein ZO-2, and complement decay-accelerating factor) were quantified using SRM/MRM analysis and validated as significantly upregulated in BCa patients (P < .05). In conclusion, the novel strategy that combined proteomic analysis of urinary EVs and Te-EVs enabled selective detection of urinary BCa biomarkers.

The prognostic impact of immune-related adverse events in metastatic renal cell carcinoma patients treated with nivolumab: a real-world multi-institutional retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have shown that immune-related adverse events (irAEs) caused by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) were correlated with favorable clinical outcome in patients with melanoma. However, in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) patients, there have been few reports about the correlation between irAEs and clinical efficacy of anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) therapy. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 160 mRCC patients who started nivolumab monotherapy between September 2016 and July 2019. IrAEs were defined as patients' AEs having a potential immunological basis that required close follow-up, or immunosuppressive therapy. We compared the data of patients who received nivolumab into two groups based on the occurrence of irAEs and assessed clinical efficacy in both groups. RESULTS: Of all mRCC patients, 47 patients (29.4%) developed irAEs. In patients who developed irAEs, the objective response rate and disease control rate were 38.8% and 77.6%, which were significantly higher when compared to that in patients without irAEs (p = 0.012 and p < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, the incidence of irAEs was significantly associated with an increase in progression-free survival (PFS) [Hazard ratio (HR) = 0.4867; p = 0.0006] and overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.526; p = 0.0252). Importantly, PFS and OS seemed to be similar in patients who discontinued treatment because of irAEs and in those who did not discontinue because of irAEs (p = 0.36 and p = 0.35, respectively). CONCLUSION: Development of irAEs strongly correlates with clinical benefit for mRCC patients receiving nivolumab monotherapy in real-world settings.

[Primary Pulmonary Cryptococcosis Mimicking Lung Metastases of Bladder Cancer : A Case Report].

A 70-year-old woman was diagnosed with bladder cancer (muscle invasive adenocarcinoma) via transurethral resection of bladder tumor in 2013. A month after the procedure, she underwent total cystectomy and ileal conduit diversion. Histopathological diagnosis was adenocarcinoma pTis pN0. In 2019, a computed tomography showed multiple nodules, each up to 1 cm in diameter, mainly in the right lower lobe. Metastatic lung cancer was suspected. She underwent thorascopic partial resection of the right lung, and was diagnosed with primary pulmonary cryptococcosis.

Clinical Significance of Hotspot Mutation Analysis of Urinary Cell-Free DNA in Urothelial Bladder Cancer.

Recent studies showed the clinical utility of next-generation sequencing of urinary cell-free DNA (cfDNA) from patients with urothelial bladder cancer (UBC). In this study, we aimed to develop urinary cfDNA analysis by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) as a high-throughput and rapid assay for UBC detection and prognosis. We analyzed urinary cfDNA of 202 samples from 2 cohorts. Test cohort was designed for investigating clinical utility of urinary cfDNA, and was composed of 74 samples from patients with UBC, and 52 samples of benign hematuria patients. Validation cohort was designed for validation and assessment of clinical utility comparing urinary cfDNA with UroVysion (Abbott, Illinois, USA), and was composed of 40 samples from patients with UBC, and 36 prospectively collected samples from patients under surveillance after surgery for urothelial carcinoma. We performed ddPCR analysis of hotspot gene mutations (TERT promoter and FGFR3). In the test cohort, the sensitivity of urinary cfDNA diagnosis was 68.9% (51/74) and the specificity was 100% in patients with UBC. The sensitivity increased to 85.9% when used in conjunction with urine cytology. In addition, patients with high TERT C228T allele frequency (≥14%) had significantly worse prognosis in bladder tumor recurrence than patients with low TERT C228T allele frequency or negative TERT C228T (p = 0.0322). In the validation cohort, the sensitivity of urinary cfDNA was 57.5% (23/40) and the specificity was 100% in UBC patients. The sensitivity of the combination of urine cytology with our hotspot analysis (77.5%) was higher than that of urine cytology with UroVysion (68.9%). In the post-surgical surveillance group, patients positive for the TERT C228T mutation had significantly worse prognosis for bladder tumor recurrence than mutation negative patients (p < 0.001). In conclusion, ddPCR analysis of urinary cfDNA is a simple and promising assay for the clinical setting, surpassing UroVysion for detection and prognosis determination in UBC.

Diagnostic potential of TERT promoter and FGFR3 mutations in urinary cell-free DNA in upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Most upper tract urothelial carcinomas (UTUC) are muscle invasive at the time of diagnosis. Current standard methods for the diagnosis of UTUC are invasive. Urine cytology is the only non-invasive test for detecting UTUC, but its sensitivity is low. A novel non-invasive assay for UTUC detection would improve patient outcome. This study aimed to investigate the mutation of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in urine supernatant to develop a reliable diagnostic biomarker for UTUC patients. We studied urinary cfDNA from 153 individuals, including 56 patients with localized UTUC, and carried out droplet digital PCR assay for TERT promoter and FGFR3 hotspot mutations. We could detect mutations of TERT C228T in 22/56 (39.3%), TERT C250T in 4/56 (7.1%), and FGFR3 S249C in 9/56 (16.1%) patients. FGFR3 mutation was detected only in ≤pT1 tumors (positive predictive value: 100.0%). In combination with cytology results, the sensitivity was 78.6%, and the specificity was 96.0%. Although these data need to be validated in a larger-scale cohort, mutation analysis of TERT promoter and FGFR3 in urinary cfDNA has the potential to be a non-invasive diagnostic marker and reliable factor for tumor staging.

Leukocyte­associated immunoglobulin­like receptor 1 promotes tumorigenesis in RCC.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer in adults, responsible for approximately 90­95% of cases. We previously reported a novel method that enables direct extraction of extracellular vesicles (EVs) from surgically resected viable tissues, yielding what we term tissue­exudative extracellular vesicles (Te­EVs). Quantitative LC/MS analysis identified 3,871 proteins in Te­EVs, among which leukocyte­associated immunoglobulin­like receptor 1 (LAIR1) was highly enriched in tumor Te­EVs. In the present study, we found that LAIR1 was significantly upregulated in clinical specimens of human RCC tumor tissues compared to that noted in adjacent non­cancerous renal tissues as determined by quantitative PCR analysis. LAIR1 overexpression resulted in accelerated cell proliferation and tumor growth in RCC cells. Moreover, knockdown of LAIR1 using siRNA significantly inhibited cell proliferation in RCC cells. Mechanistically, LAIR1 upregulated the phosphorylation status of Akt, which in turn increased cell proliferation in RCC cells. In clinical RCC specimens, RCC patients with high LAIR1 mRNA expression showed poor progression­free survival compared to those with low LAIR1 expression. These findings indicate that LAIR1 promotes tumorigenesis in RCC.

Clinical significance of the mutational landscape and fragmentation of circulating tumor DNA in renal cell carcinoma.

Reliable biomarkers for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have yet to be determined. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) is an emerging resource to detect and monitor molecular characteristics of various tumors. The present study aims to clarify the clinical utility of ctDNA for RCC. Fifty-three patients histologically diagnosed with clear cell RCC were enrolled. Targeted sequencing was carried out using plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and tumor DNA. We applied droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to validate detected mutations. cfDNA fragment size was also evaluated using a microfluidics-based platform and sequencing. Proportion of cfDNA fragments was defined as the ratio of small (50-166 bp) to large (167-250 bp) cfDNA fragments. Association of mutant allele frequency of ctDNA with clinical course was analyzed. Prognostic potential was evaluated using log-rank test. A total of 38 mutations across 16 (30%) patients were identified from cfDNA, including mutations in TP53 (n = 6) and VHL (n = 5), and median mutant allele frequency of ctDNA was 10%. We designed specific ddPCR probes for 11 mutations and detected the same mutations in both cfDNA and tumor DNA. Positive ctDNA was significantly associated with a higher proportion of cfDNA fragments (P = .033), indicating RCC patients with ctDNA had shorter fragment sizes of cfDNA. Interestingly, the changes of mutant allele frequency in ctDNA concurrently correlated with clinical course. Positive ctDNA and fragmentation of cfDNA were significantly associated with poor cancer-specific survival (P < .001, P = .011). In conclusion, our study shows the clinical utility of ctDNA status and cfDNA fragment size as biomarkers for prognosis and disease monitoring in RCC.

STAT3 expression is a prognostic marker in upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) plays a prominent role in the growth and invasion of several types of solid tumors. In this study, to assess the expression status and prognostic significance of the STAT3 pathway in upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), we immunohistochemically stained for STAT3 and STAT3 pathway proteins, sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), in a tissue microarray containing 99 UTUC specimens. There were no significant associations between STAT3, S1PR1, or IL-6 expression pattern and tumor grade or pT stage. However, the patients with high STAT3 tumor had a significantly higher risk of both disease progression (p = 0.009) and cancer-specific mortality (p = 0.009), but not with tumors expressing S1PR1 or IL-6. High STAT3 expression in the nucleus was also associated with a significantly higher risk of both disease progression (p = 0.003) and cancer-specific mortality (p = 0.034). Multivariate analysis revealed that high STAT3 expression in the nucleus was significantly associated with cancer-specific survival after adjustment for pathological stage, lymph node involvement, lymphovascular invasion, and tumor grade (HR = 2.136, 95% CI = 1.009-4.767, p = 0.047). Our findings indicated that STAT3 could be a cancer-promoting factor and potentially a significant prognostic factor in UTUC.

Increased level and fragmentation of plasma circulating cell-free DNA are diagnostic and prognostic markers for renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Reliable biomarkers for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) have yet to be found. Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is an emerging resource for the diagnosis and prognosis of various cancers. This study aims to identify novel blood biomarkers for RCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Plasma cfDNA was extracted from RCC patients (n = 92) and healthy controls (n = 41). Levels of cfDNA were determined using quantitative real-time PCR of ACTB as the target gene, and cfDNA fragment size was measured using a microfluidics-based platform. Diagnostic potential was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and logistic regression analysis, and prognostic potential was evaluated using log-rank test. RESULTS: Median levels of cfDNA from RCC patients were significantly higher than those from healthy controls (3803 vs 2242 copies/ml, p < 0.001). Median fragment sizes of cfDNA in RCC patients were shorter than those in healthy controls (170 vs 171 bp, p = 0.052). To evaluate level of cfDNA as a diagnostic tool for RCC, ROC curve analysis revealed a sensitivity of 63.0% and a specificity of 78.1%. Multivariate analysis indicated that age, gender and the level of cfDNA were significantly associated with the presence of RCC (p < 0.001, p = 0.013, p < 0.001, respectively). Additionally, shorter cfDNA fragment size was negatively associated with progression-free survival (p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates the diagnostic and prognostic potential of plasma cfDNA as a biomarker for RCC.

High-Fat Diet-Induced Inflammation Accelerates Prostate Cancer Growth via IL6 Signaling.

Purpose: High-fat diet (HFD) could induce prostate cancer progression. The aim of this study is to identify mechanisms of HFD-induced prostate cancer progression, focusing on inflammation.Experimental Design: We administered HFD and celecoxib to autochthonous immunocompetent Pb-Cre+;Pten(fl/fl) model mice for prostate cancer. Tumor growth was evaluated by tumor weight and Ki67 stain, and local immune cells were assessed by flow cytometry at 22 weeks of age. Cytokines which correlated with tumor growth were identified, and the changes of tumor growth and local immune cells after inhibition of the cytokine signals were evaluated in the mice. IHC analyses using prostatectomy specimens of obese patients were performed.Results: HFD accelerated tumor growth and increased the myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) fraction and M2/M1 macrophage ratio in the model mice. Celecoxib-suppressed tumor growth, and decreased both local MDSCs and M2/M1 macrophage ratio in HFD-fed mice. HFD-induced tumor growth was associated with IL6 secreted by prostatic macrophages, as were phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3)-positive tumor cells. Anti-IL6 receptor antibody administration suppressed tumor growth, and decreased local MDSCs and pSTAT3-positive cell fractions in HFD-fed mice. The tumor-infiltrating CD11b-positive cell count was significantly higher in prostatectomy specimens of obese than those of nonobese patients with prostate cancer.Conclusions: HFD increased MDSCs and accelerated prostate cancer tumor growth via IL6/pSTAT3 signaling in the mice. This mechanism could exist in obese patients with prostate cancer. IL6-mediated inflammation could be a therapeutic target for prostate cancer. Clin Cancer Res; 24(17); 4309-18. ©2018 AACR.

Expression level of CXCL7 in peripheral blood cells is a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma.

There are no blood biomarkers for the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in routine clinical use. We focused on the gene expression profile of peripheral blood cells obtained from RCC patients to discover novel biomarkers for RCC diagnosis. Using microarray analysis and quantitative verification, CXCL7 was shown to be significantly upregulated in the peripheral blood cells of RCC patients. Importantly, aberrant CXCL7 expression was confirmed even in peripheral blood cells obtained from early stage (pT1a) RCC patients, and the expression level of CXCL7 in peripheral blood cells was a potential independent biomarker for the diagnosis of RCC by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (sensitivity, 70.0%; specificity, 64.0%; area under the curve = 0.722; multiple logistic regression analysis: odds ratio, 1.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.11; P = 0.0004). Moreover, CXCL7 expression in peripheral blood cells significantly decreased after resection of the primary tumor. CXCL7 is more highly expressed in PBMCs than in neutrophils from both healthy controls and RCC patients. Interestingly, CXCL7 expression in PBMCs from healthy volunteers was significantly elevated following coculture with RCC cells compared to those cocultured with normal cells as a control. These results suggest that aberrant CXCL7 expression in peripheral blood cells is induced by RCC cells and may serve as a novel biomarker in the diagnosis of RCC.

Peripheral blood monocyte count reflecting tumor-infiltrating macrophages is a predictive factor of adverse pathology in radical prostatectomy specimens.

BACKGROUND: Tumor-infiltrating macrophages, which are thought to be derived from blood monocytes, interact with tumor cells to promote cancer progression. The aim of this study was to assess the association of peripheral blood monocyte count with pathological findings and local tumor-infiltrating macrophages in prostatectomy specimens. METHODS: Preoperative peripheral blood monocyte counts were retrospectively assessed for their associations with pathological findings (pathological T stage, Gleason Score, extraprostatic extension, seminal vesicle invasion, and surgical margin) and biochemical recurrence of 248 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy. Local tumor-infiltrating macrophages were also evaluated immunohistochemically for their association with peripheral monocyte counts. RESULTS: The peripheral monocyte counts of the patients with extraprostatic extension, seminal vesicle invasion, or primary Gleason ≥4 were significantly higher than those of the patients without each of these pathological findings (P < 0.001, P = 0.034, and P = 0.004, respectively). Peripheral monocyte count was a significant predictor of adverse pathology and postoperative biochemical recurrence in localized prostate cancer by multivariate analysis (P = 0.001 and P = 0.041, respectively). Both the density and the count of tumor-infiltrating macrophages correlated significantly with the peripheral blood monocyte count (Spearman rank correlation coefficients were 0.463 and 0.649, respectively, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral blood monocyte count reflecting local tumor-infiltrating macrophages was a predictive factor for tumor progression and prognosis in patients with localized prostate cancer. Elucidating the mechanism of the interaction of peripheral monocytes with tumor-infiltrating macrophages is necessary.

MiR-21-5p in urinary extracellular vesicles is a novel biomarker of urothelial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Extracellular vesicles are lipid bilayer vesicles containing protein, messengerRNA and microRNA. Cancer cell-derived extracellular vesicles may be diagnostic and therapeutic targets. We extracted extracellular vesicles from urine of urothelial carcinoma patients and the control group to identify cancer-specific microRNAs in urinary extracellular vesicles as new biomarkers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: microRNA from urinary extracellular vesicles extracted from 6 urothelial carcinoma patients and 3 healthy volunteers was analyzed. We verified candidate microRNAs in an independent cohort of 60 urinary extracellular vesicles samples. To normalize the microRNA expression level in extracellular vesicles, we examined the following in extracellular vesicles: protein concentration, CD9 intensity, amounts of whole miRNAs, RNA U6B small nuclear expression and the creatinine concentration of original urine correlating with the counts of extracted extracellular vesicles measured by the NanoSight™ system. RESULTS: From the microarray results 5 microRNAs overexpressed in urinary extracellular vesicles of urothelial carcinoma patients were identified. Creatinine concentration of original urine correlated most with particle counts of extracellular vesicles, indicating that creatinine could be a new tool for normalizing microRNA expression. MiR-21-5p was the most potent biomarker in urinary extracellular vesicles (sensitivity, 75.0%; specificity, 95.8%) and was also overexpressed in urinary extracellular vesicles from urothelial carcinoma patients with negative urine cytology. For the subgroup with negative urine cytology, the sensitivity was 75.0% and specificity was 95.8%. CONCLUSION: MiR-21-5p in urinary extracellular vesicles could be a new biomarker of urothelial carcinoma, especially for urothelial carcinoma patients with negative urine cytology.