Diagnostic panel of serum miR-125b-5p, miR-182-5p, and miR-200c-3p as non-invasive biomarkers for urothelial bladder cancer.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify a diagnostic panel of serum microRNAs (miRNAs) for the early detection of bladder cancer (BC). METHODS: Serum samples were collected from 112 BC patients and 112 normal controls (NCs). A three-stage selection was conducted to identify differentially expressed miRNAs as candidates to construct the diagnostic panel. Further, to explore their potential roles in urothelial BC, bioinformatics analyses, including target genes prediction and functional annotation, were used. RESULTS: Six downregulated miRNAs (miR-1-3p, miR-30a-5p, miR-100-5p, miR-125b-5p, miR-143-3p, and miR-200c-3p) and one upregulated, miR-182-5p, in BC patients' serum were detected compared to NCs and were selected to establish the diagnostic panel. Based on a backward stepwise logistic regression analysis, miR-125b-5p, miR-182-5p, and miR-200c-3p comprehended the diagnostic panel [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.959, sensitivity = 91.67%, specificity = 92.5%]. CONCLUSION: The panel of three miRNAs had an excellent diagnostic capability, representing a potential non-invasive method for early BC detection.

Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) using the expansin 10 (CsEXP10) gene.

The cucumber expansin 10 (CsEXP10) gene was previously cloned from young cucumber fruits but its role has not been defined. To determine the role of this gene in plant growth and development, a CsEXP10 gene transformation system was established. The open reading frame of the gene was inserted behind the CaMV35S promoter of vector pCAMBIA1301, and the construct was introduced into tomato plants by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. In total, 19 kanamycin-positive lines were produced and nine independent transgenic lines were identified by ß-glucuronidase and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that levels of the CsEXP10 transcript were higher in transgenic lines than in a non-transgenic line.

Hypoxia induces dysregulation of local renin-angiotensin system in mouse Lewis lung carcinoma cells.

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) influences cancer biology and is frequently dysregulated in malignancy. However, regulation of tumor local RAS remains poorly understood. Hypoxia is a hallmark of solid tumors and affects nearly every major aspect of cancer biology. Previous studies have shown that hypoxia can regulate RAS expression in somatic tissues and cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of hypoxia on local RAS expression in mouse Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells. For hypoxia treatment, LLC cells were cultured in a hypoxia incubator or treated with hypoxia-mimetic cobalt chloride. Hypoxia up-regulated angiotensin II, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), and angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R), and down-regulated ACE2 and angiotensin II type 2 receptor in LLC cells. Captopril, an ACE inhibitor, and losartan, an AT1R blocker, decreased expression of ACE and AT1R, but increased expression of ACE2 and angiotensin II type 2 receptor in LLC cells under hypoxia. Captopril and losartan also suppressed vascular endothelial growth factor-A expression in LLC cells under hypoxia. These findings suggest that hypoxia induces dysregulation of local RAS in LLC cells. The pathophysiological importance of hypoxia-induced RAS dysregulation and potentially therapeutic effects of RAS inhibitors on hypoxic tumor cells should be further examined.

Analysis of HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-DRB1 alleles in Chinese patients with lung cancer.

The primary function of the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system is to regulate the immune response. Because of its important role in the immune response and its high degree of polymorphism, the HLA system is associated with many diseases. We examined the polymorphisms of HLA-A, B and DRB1 alleles in 100 unrelated patients with lung carcinoma and in 438 unrelated normal controls of Han nationality from North China, using sequence-based typing and PCR with sequence-specific primers. We found that the frequencies of HLA-A*0201, A*2601, B*1518, B*3802, DRB1*0401, DRB1*0402, and DRB1*1201 were higher in the lung carcinoma group than in the normal control group. The P values were 0.035, 0.040, 0.001, 0.017, 0.014, 0.004, and 0.019, respectively, and the odds ratio values were 1.052, 3.513, 4.047, 3.054, 4.237, 19.397, and 2.128, respectively. The frequency of HLA-DRB1*1302 was lower in the lung carcinoma group than in the normal control group (P = 0.046, odds ratio = 0.168). We concluded that patients with lung cancer and healthy controls of Han nationality from North China differ in the frequencies of various HLA alleles.