Prognostic role of SOX2 and STAT3 expression on circulating T lymphocytes and CD44+/CD24neg cells in the locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is associated with a continuous increase in incidence, with high mortality rates in several countries. CD44, STAT3, and SOX2 are related to regulating of somatic cell division, tumorigenesis, and metastasis in BC. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out at the Hospital de Cancer de Pernambuco (HCP) between 2017 and 2018. Fifty-one women with locally advanced (LA) and 14 with metastatic BC were included in the study. RESULTS: High CD44+/CD24neg and CD44+/CD24neg/SOX2+ levels in Luminal B (LB), HER2+, and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) compared with controls (p < 0.05). Low CD44+/CD24negSTAT3+ levels in LB, HER2+, and TNBC compared with controls (p < 0.05). High T lymphocytes, and low STAT3 + T, and SOX2 + T levels in BC patients (p < 0.05). High SOX2 + T levels in patients with axillary lymph node-negative (N0) compared with the axillary lymph node-positives (N1 and N2 groups; p < 0.05). High SOX2 + T levels in N1 compared to N2 (p < 0.05). High T lymphocytes and low SOX2 + T levels in the LA tumor compared to metastatic disease (p = 0.0007 and p = 0.02, respectively). High CD44 + /CD24negSTAT3+, and T lymphocyte levels in TNBC patients with LA tumor compared to metastatic (p < 0.05). Low STAT3 + T levels in TBNC patients with LA tumor compared to metastatic (p = 0.0266). CONCLUSION: SOX2 and STAT3 expression on circulating T lymphocytes and CD44 + /CD24neg cells in peripheral blood have prognostic roles in breast cancer. SOX2 and STAT3 expression are potential predictive biomarkers of disease progression in breast cancer regardless of tumor subtype.

Stem Cell Markers in Neoplasms and their Relationship with Progression-free and Overall Survival in Patients with Recurrence.

BACKGROUND: Gliomas account for 30% of primary brain tumors in adults, and despite the scientific progress in the field, recurrence is prevalent. Glioma Stem Cells (GSCs) can generate tumor cells in vivo and in vitro and they are associated with treatment resistance, tumor progression, and recurrence. Furthermore, the expression of SOX transcription factors (SOX1, SOX2, SOX9) in these cells is responsible for maintaining an oncogenic genotype and is associated with an aggressive tumor phenotype. The relationship between SOX transcription factors and their prognostic role in recurrent gliomas has not been described in detail. Therefore, we set out to describe the relationship between SOX expression and Progression-free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS) in patients with recurrent gliomas. METHODS: In this observational study, we have retrospectively analyzed 69 patients, of which 20 met the inclusion criteria. The clinical, radiological, and histopathological findings have been described, and survival analysis has been performed according to SOX expression for PFS and OS. RESULTS: We found SOX1, SOX2, and SOX9 to show a non-statistically significant trend with increasing histopathological grade, co-expressed with Ki67, a cell proliferation factor. CONCLUSION: There has been found an inversely proportional correlation between the degree of immunopositivity of SOX1 and OS. A higher SOX1 immunopositivity could predict a worse clinical prognosis. There has also been found an interaction between a pluripotent genotype (GSC) and cell proliferation.

Exogenous OCT4 and SOX2 Contribution to In Vitro Reprogramming in Cattle.

Mechanisms of cell reprogramming by pluripotency-related transcription factors or nuclear transfer seem to be mediated by similar pathways, and the study of the contribution of OCT4 and SOX2 in both processes may help elucidate the mechanisms responsible for pluripotency. Bovine fibroblasts expressing exogenous OCT4 or SOX2, or both, were analyzed regarding the expression of pluripotency factors and imprinted genes H19 and IGF2R, and used for in vitro reprogramming. The expression of the H19 gene was increased in the control sorted group, and putative iPSC-like cells were obtained when cells were not submitted to cell sorting. When sorted cells expressing OCT4, SOX2, or none (control) were used as donor cells for somatic cell nuclear transfer, fusion rates were 60.0% vs. 64.95% and 70.53% vs. 67.24% for SOX2 vs. control and OCT4 vs. control groups, respectively; cleavage rates were 66.66% vs. 81.68% and 86.47% vs. 85.18%, respectively; blastocyst rates were 33.05% vs. 44.15% and 52.06% vs. 44.78%, respectively. These results show that the production of embryos by NT resulted in similar rates of in vitro developmental competence compared to control cells regardless of different profiles of pluripotency-related gene expression presented by donor cells; however, induced reprogramming was compromised after cell sorting.

Application of the Yamanaka Transcription Factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc from the Laboratory to the Clinic.

The transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc enable the reprogramming of somatic cells into induced pluripotent cells. Reprogramming generates newly differentiated cells for potential therapies in cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and rejuvenation processes. In cancer therapies, these transcription factors lead to a reduction in the size and aggressiveness of certain tumors, such as sarcomas, and in neurodegenerative diseases, they enable the production of dopaminergic cells in Parkinson's disease, the replacement of affected neuronal cells in olivopontocerebellar atrophy, and the regeneration of the optic nerve. However, there are limitations, such as an increased risk of cancer development when using Klf4 and c-Myc and the occurrence of abnormal dyskinesias in the medium term, possibly generated by the uncontrolled growth of differentiated dopaminergic cells and the impairment of the survival of the new cells. Therefore, the Yamanaka transcription factors have shown therapeutic potential through cell reprogramming for some carcinomas, neurodegenerative diseases, and rejuvenation. However, the limitations found in the studies require further investigation before the use of these transcription factors in humans.

Prognostic utility of SOX2, STAT3, and CD44high/CD24low expression in penile cancer.

PURPOSE: Penile cancer has a high incidence in developing countries. The standard treatment is removal of the primary tumor and, when necessary, inguinal lymphadenectomy. Currently, the most important prognostic factor is lymph node disease, however, the available staging methods are inaccurate, and the high morbidity rate of lymphadenectomy has stimulated the study of predictive biomarkers of lymph node metastasis for selecting the patients who need lymphadenectomy. SOX2, STAT3 and CD44high/CD24low were chosen because they have provided good predictive results in other squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), although there are no studies for penile cancer. Thus, the expression of SOX2, STAT3, CD24+, and CD44+ in the penile cancer tumor microenvironment was investigated for correlation with tumor behavior in SCC. METHODS: This observational, prospective, translational study included 34 men and investigated the expression of SOX2, STAT3, CD24+, and CD44+ in tumor tissue by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The median age of the 38 evaluated patients with penile cancer was 61 (37-80) years. Most patients presented a tumor located on the glans penis (82.3%), with the usual histological type (79.4%) and 61.7% of patients presented stage pT2. No metastasis was found in 85.3% of patients. The expression of SOX2, STAT3 and CD44high/CD24low in the microenvironment of penile SCC treated with lymphadenectomy was significantly associated with aggressive tumor behavior (p < 0.05). STAT3 expression shows discrepant points when evaluated in context of angiolymphatic vascular invasion. CONCLUSION: SOX2, STAT3 and CD44high/CD24low in penile SCC can be indicators of prognosis, allowing for selection of more aggressive treatment when necessary.

Pediatric Astrocytomas and Their Association With Polymorphisms in Embryonic Stem Cell Marker Genes.

BACKGROUND: Embryonic stem cell markers, such as SOX2, NANOG, and OCT4, are transcription factors expressed in pluripotent stem cells, involved in the mediation of pluripotency and self-renewal. Especially after the discovery of cancer stem cells, these proteins have been associated with several types of neoplasia, including astrocytomas. In the pediatric population, astrocytomas are the most common solid neoplasia and present the highest mortality rates. METHODS: Our study evaluated 5 polymorphisms in SOX2, NANOG, and POU5F1 genes in 101 pediatric astrocytoma samples. RESULTS: We describe the associations between wild and polymorphic alleles in astrocytomas. CONCLUSIONS: In our results, the intronic polymorphic G allele in SOX2 rs77677339 [G/A] had a borderline association with low-grade astrocytomas, and the intronic polymorphic T allele in NANOG rs10845877 [C/T] showed a higher frequency in grade 2, compared to grade 1 astrocytomas, thus showing promising results. IMPACT: Our study is relevant because it shows a potential correlation between polymorphic embryonic stem cell marker genes and pediatric astrocytomas.

Biomarkers involved in the proliferation of the odontogenic keratocyst, glandular odontogenic cyst and botryoid odontogenic cyst.

INTRODUCTION: Odontogenic cysts are a heterogeneous group of lesions with varied clinical behavior. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Cyclin D1, and transcription factor SOX2 in the odontogenic epithelium evaluating the cell cycle control and cystic expansion. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study including 40 cases, 20 odontogenic keratocysts (OKC), 10 botryoid odontogenic cysts (BOC), and 10 glandular odontogenic cysts (GOC). RESULTS: All cases of OKC, BOC, and GOC were positive for EGFR in all layers of the cyst lining. The highest expression of nuclear Cyclin D1 was observed in the suprabasal layer of OKCs and in the basal and suprabasal layers of GOC and BOC (p < 0.001). In addition, SOX2 was only expressed in the suprabasal layer of OKCs. CONCLUSION: The high expression of EGFR in the cyst membrane suggests that EGF stimulates epithelial proliferation in BOCs, and the high expression of SOX2 in OKCs may be related to the presence of stem cells in the lesion. Cyclin D1 is related to cell cycle disruption in G1-S contributing to stimulates epithelial proliferation of OKCs and GOCs and BOCs.

Quantitative analysis of KLF4 and SOX2 expression in oral carcinomas reveals independent association with oral tongue subsite location and histological grade.

BACKGROUND: Stemness factors associated with tumorigenesis in different types of cancers have not been specifically studied in oral tongue SCC (OTSSC). Here, we aimed to quantify expression levels and distribution of KLF4 and SOX2, two relevant stemness factors, in oral SCC including OTSCC samples from different subsites. METHODS AND RESULTS: We determined KLF4 and SOX2 expression levels by immunostaining 35 biopsies of OSCC. Stained wholeslide images were digitized and subjected to automatic cell detection and unbiased quantification using Qupath software. We found statistically significant reduction in KLF4 positive cells density (p= 0.024), and fraction (p= 0.022) in OTSCC from tongue borders compared with other tongue subsites. Instead, quantitative SOX2 analysis did not show differences in expression levels between OTSCC from the borders versus OTSCC developed in others subsites. Notably SOX2 expression was revealed increased in moderately and poorly differentiated OSCC compared with well differentiated ones (positive cells density p= 0.025, fraction p= 0.006). No significant correlation between KLF4 and SOX2 expression was observed, neither in OSCC nor in OTSCC. CONCLUSIONS: KLF4 and SOX2 exhibit opposite expression profiles regarding subsite localization and differentiation level in OSCC. Our study prompts future OTSCC prospective studies looking for clinical prognosis to incorporate detailed subsite information in the analysis.

Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (Gnrh) Triggers Neurogenesis in the Hypothalamus of Adult Zebrafish.

Recently, it has been shown in adult mammals that the hypothalamus can generate new cells in response to metabolic changes, and tanycytes, putative descendants of radial glia, can give rise to neurons. Previously we have shown in vitro that neurospheres generated from the hypothalamus of adult zebrafish show increased neurogenesis in response to exogenously applied hormones. To determine whether adult zebrafish have a hormone-responsive tanycyte-like population in the hypothalamus, we characterized proliferative domains within this region. Here we show that the parvocellular nucleus of the preoptic region (POA) labels with neurogenic/tanycyte markers vimentin, GFAP/Zrf1, and Sox2, but these cells are generally non-proliferative. In contrast, Sox2+ proliferative cells in the ventral POA did not express vimentin and GFAP/Zrf1. A subset of the Sox2+ cells co-localized with Fezf2:GFP, a transcription factor important for neuroendocrine cell specification. Exogenous treatments of GnRH and testosterone were assayed in vivo. While the testosterone-treated animals showed no significant changes in proliferation, the GnRH-treated animals showed significant increases in the number of BrdU-labeled cells and Sox2+ cells. Thus, cells in the proliferative domains of the zebrafish POA do not express radial glia (tanycyte) markers vimentin and GFAP/Zrf1, and yet, are responsive to exogenously applied GnRH treatment.

Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma as a model to understand paracrine and senescence-induced tumourigenesis.

Cellular senescence is a process that can prevent tumour development in a cell autonomous manner by imposing a stable cell cycle arrest after oncogene activation. Paradoxically, senescence can also promote tumour growth cell non-autonomously by creating a permissive tumour microenvironment that fuels tumour initiation, progression to malignancy and metastasis. In a pituitary tumour known as adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP), cells that carry oncogenic ß-catenin mutations and overactivate the WNT signalling pathway form cell clusters that become senescent and activate a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Research in mouse models of ACP has provided insights into the function of the senescent cell clusters and revealed a critical role for SASP-mediated activities in paracrine tumour initiation. In this review, we first discuss this research on ACP and subsequently explore the theme of paracrine tumourigenesis in other tumour models available in the literature. Evidence is accumulating supporting the notion that paracrine signalling brought about by senescent cells may underlie tumourigenesis across different tumours and cancer models.

CDK1 promotes the stemness of lung cancer cells through interacting with Sox2.

OBJECTIVES: The promoting roles of cyclin dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) have been revealed in various tumors, however, its effects in the progression of cancer stem cells are still confusing. This work aims to explore the roles of CDK1 in regulating the stemness of lung cancer cells. METHODS: Online dataset analysis was performed to evaluate the correlation between CDK1 exression and the survival of lung cancer patients. RT-qPCR, western blot, cell viability, sphere-formation analysis and ALDH activity detection were used to investigate the roles of CDK1 on lung cancer cell stemness, viability and chemotherapeutic sensitivity. Immunocoprecipitation (Co-IP) analysis and rescuing experiments were performed to reveal the underlying mechanisms contributing to CDK1-mediated effects on lung cancer cell stemness. RESULTS: CDK1 mRNA expression was negatively correlated with the overall survival of lung cancer patients and remarkably increased in tumor spheres formed by lung cancer cells compared to the parental cells. Additionally, CDK1 positively regulated the stemness of lung cancer cells. Mechanistically, CDK1 could interact with Sox2 protein, but not other stemness markers (Oct4, Nanog and CD133). Furthermore, CDK1 increased the phosphorylation, cytoplasm-nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity of Sox2 protein in lung cancer cells. Moreover, CDK1 positively regulated the stemness of lung cancer cells in a Sox2-dependent manner. Finally, we revealed that inhibition of CDK1 enhanced the chemotherapeutic sensitivity, which was also rescued by Sox2 overexpression. CONCLUSIONS: This work reveals a novel CDK1/Sox2 axis responsible for maintaining the stemness of lung cancer cells.

Cellular response to spinal cord injury in regenerative and non-regenerative stages in Xenopus laevis.

BACKGROUND: The efficient regenerative abilities at larvae stages followed by a non-regenerative response after metamorphosis in froglets makes Xenopus an ideal model organism to understand the cellular responses leading to spinal cord regeneration. METHODS: We compared the cellular response to spinal cord injury between the regenerative and non-regenerative stages of Xenopus laevis. For this analysis, we used electron microscopy, immunofluorescence and histological staining of the extracellular matrix. We generated two transgenic lines: i) the reporter line with the zebrafish GFAP regulatory regions driving the expression of EGFP, and ii) a cell specific inducible ablation line with the same GFAP regulatory regions. In addition, we used FACS to isolate EGFP+ cells for RNAseq analysis. RESULTS: In regenerative stage animals, spinal cord regeneration triggers a rapid sealing of the injured stumps, followed by proliferation of cells lining the central canal, and formation of rosette-like structures in the ablation gap. In addition, the central canal is filled by cells with similar morphology to the cells lining the central canal, neurons, axons, and even synaptic structures. Regeneration is almost completed after 20 days post injury. In non-regenerative stage animals, mostly damaged tissue was observed, without clear closure of the stumps. The ablation gap was filled with fibroblast-like cells, and deposition of extracellular matrix components. No reconstruction of the spinal cord was observed even after 40 days post injury. Cellular markers analysis confirmed these histological differences, a transient increase of vimentin, fibronectin and collagen was detected in regenerative stages, contrary to a sustained accumulation of most of these markers, including chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans in the NR-stage. The zebrafish GFAP transgenic line was validated, and we have demonstrated that is a very reliable and new tool to study the role of neural stem progenitor cells (NSPCs). RNASeq of GFAP::EGFP cells has allowed us to clearly demonstrate that indeed these cells are NSPCs. On the contrary, the GFAP::EGFP transgene is mainly expressed in astrocytes in non-regenerative stages. During regenerative stages, spinal cord injury activates proliferation of NSPCs, and we found that are mainly differentiated into neurons and glial cells. Specific ablation of these cells abolished proper regeneration, confirming that NSPCs cells are necessary for functional regeneration of the spinal cord. CONCLUSIONS: The cellular response to spinal cord injury in regenerative and non-regenerative stages is profoundly different between both stages. A key hallmark of the regenerative response is the activation of NSPCs, which massively proliferate, and are differentiated into neurons to reconstruct the spinal cord. Also very notably, no glial scar formation is observed in regenerative stages, but a transient, glial scar-like structure is formed in non-regenerative stage animals.

LncRNA SOX2-OT regulates AKT/ERK and SOX2/GLI-1 expression, hinders therapy, and worsens clinical prognosis in malignant lung diseases.

The involvement of LncRNA SOX2-overlapping transcript (SOX2-OT), SOX2, and GLI-1 transcription factors in cancer has been well documented. Nonetheless, it is still unknown whether co-expressed SOX2-OT/SOX2 or SOX2-OT/SOX2/GLI-1 axes are epigenetically/transcriptionally involved in terms of resistance to oncology therapy and in poorer clinical outcomes for patients with lung cancer. We evaluated the role of SOX2-OT/SOX2 and SOX2-OT/SOX2/GLI-1 axes using RT-qPCR, western blot, immunofluorescence analyses, gene silencing, cellular cytotoxic, and ChIP-qPCR assays on human cell lines, solid lung malignant tumors, and normal lung tissue. We detected that the SOX2-OT/SOX2/GLI-1 axis promotes resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI)-erlotinib and cisplatin-based therapy. Evidence from this study show that SOX2-OT modulates the expression/activation of EGFR-pathway members AKT/ERK. Further, both SOX2-OT and GLI-1 genes are epigenetically regulated at their promoter sequences, in an LncRNA SOX2-OT-dependent manner, mainly through modifying the enrichment of the activation histone mark H3K4me3/H3K27Ac, versus the repressive histone mark H3K9me3/H3K27me3. In addition, we identified that inhibition of SOX2-OT and reduced expression of SOX2/GLI-1 sensitizes lung cancer cells to EGFR/TKI-erlotinib or cisplatin-based treatment. Finally, we show that high co-expression of SOX2-OT/SOX2 transcripts and SOX2/GLI-1 proteins appears to correlate with a poor clinical prognosis and lung malignant phenotype. Collectively, these results present evidence that LncRNA SOX2-OT modulates an orchestrated resistance mechanism, promoting poor prognosis and human lung malignancy through genetic, epigenetic, and post-translational mechanisms.

Ultrasensitive microfluidic electrochemical immunosensor based on electrodeposited nanoporous gold for SOX-2 determination.

An ultrasensitive and portable microfluidic electrochemical immunosensor for SOX-2 cancer biomarker determination was developed. The selectivity and sensitivity of the sensor were improved by modifying the microfluidic channel. This was accomplished through a physical-chemical treatment to produce a hydrophilic surface, with an increased surface to volume/ratio, where the anti-SOX-2 antibodies can be covalently immobilized. A sputtered gold electrode was used as detector and its surface was activated by using a dynamic hydrogen bubble template method. As a result, a gold nanoporous structure (NPAu) with outstanding properties, like high specific surface area, large pore volume, uniform nanostructure, good conductivity, and excellent electrochemical activity was obtained. SOX-2 present in the sample was bound to the anti-SOX-2 immobilized in the microfluidic channel, and then was labeled with a second antibody marked with horseradish peroxidase (HRP-anti-SOX-2) like a sandwich immunoassay. Finally, an H2O2 + catechol solution was added, and the enzymatic product (quinone) was reduced on the NPAu electrode at +0.1 V (vs. Ag). The current obtained was directly proportional to the SOX-2 concentration in the sample. The detection limit achieved was 30 pg mL-1, and the coefficient of variation was less than 4.75%. Therefore, the microfluidic electrochemical immunosensor is a suitable clinical device for in situ SOX-2 determination in real samples.

Newborn transient patterned hyperpigmentation and anophthalmia.

Background: Transient pigmentary lines of the newborn are uncommon cutaneous lesions of unknown etiology. To date, only a few cases have been described. Case report: A patient with a combination of transient pigmentary lines and ocular malformation is described. Molecular analysis of the SRY-box 2 (SOX2) and MIFT genes was conducted to rule out any monogenetic etiology. Conclusions: Worldwide, this is the eighth case of transient pigmentary lines of the newborn reported, and the first associated with anophthalmia. No mutations in the analyzed genes (SOX2 and MIFT) were identified. Therefore, somatic mutations could be responsible for this anomaly.

Introducción: Las líneas transitorias pigmentarias del recién nacido son lesiones cutáneas poco comunes. A la fecha, pocos casos se han descrito. Caso clínico: Paciente neonato con la combinación de líneas transitorias hiperpigmentadas y una malformación ocular. Se realizó secuenciación molecular de los genes SOX2 y MIFT para descartar una etiología monogénica. Conclusiones: En todo el mundo, este es el octavo caso reportado de líneas transitorias hiperpigmentadas del recién nacido, y el primero asociado con anoftalmia. No se identificaron mutaciones en los genes estudiados (SOX2 y MIFT). Por lo tanto, las mutaciones somáticas pueden ser la causa de la afección.

Newborn transient patterned hyperpigmentation and anophthalmia / Patrón de hiperpigmentación transitoria del recién nacido y anoftalmia

Abstract Background: Transient pigmentary lines of the newborn are uncommon cutaneous lesions of unknown etiology. To date, only a few cases have been described. Case report: A patient with a combination of transient pigmentary lines and ocular malformation is described. Molecular analysis of the SRY-box 2 (SOX2) and MIFT genes was conducted to rule out any monogenetic etiology. Conclusions: Worldwide, this is the eighth case of transient pigmentary lines of the newborn reported, and the first associated with anophthalmia. No mutations in the analyzed genes (SOX2 and MIFT) were identified. Therefore, somatic mutations could be responsible for this anomaly.

Resumen Introducción: Las líneas transitorias pigmentarias del recién nacido son lesiones cutáneas poco comunes. A la fecha, pocos casos se han descrito. Caso clínico: Paciente neonato con la combinación de líneas transitorias hiperpigmentadas y una malformación ocular. Se realizó secuenciación molecular de los genes SOX2 y MIFT para descartar una etiología monogénica. Conclusiones: En todo el mundo, este es el octavo caso reportado de líneas transitorias hiperpigmentadas del recién nacido, y el primero asociado con anoftalmia. No se identificaron mutaciones en los genes estudiados (SOX2 y MIFT). Por lo tanto, las mutaciones somáticas pueden ser la causa de la afección.

From Pituitary Stem Cell Differentiation to Regenerative Medicine.

The anterior pituitary gland is comprised of specialized cell-types that produce and secrete polypeptide hormones in response to hypothalamic input and feedback from target organs. These specialized cells arise during embryonic development, from stem cells that express SOX2 and the pituitary transcription factor PROP1, which is necessary to establish the stem cell pool and promote an epithelial to mesenchymal-like transition, releasing progenitors from the niche. Human and mouse embryonic stem cells can differentiate into all major hormone-producing cell types of the anterior lobe in a highly plastic and dynamic manner. More recently human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) emerged as a viable alternative due to their plasticity and high proliferative capacity. This mini-review gives an overview of the major advances that have been achieved to develop protocols to generate pituitary hormone-producing cell types from stem cells and how these mechanisms are regulated. We also discuss their application in pituitary diseases, such as pituitary hormone deficiencies.

Avaliação morfológica e imuno-histoquímica do potencial proliferativo epitelial das lesões císticas odontogênicas agressivas / Morphological and immunohistochemical evaluation of the epithelial proliferative potential of aggressive odontogenic cystic lesions

INTRODUÇÃO: Os cistos odontogênicos são conhecidos pelo seu potencial de crescimento e reabsorção óssea dos ossos gnáticos, que variam de indolentes a agressivas, independente de sua histogênese, vinculada aos remanescentes epiteliais, ectomesenquimais e/ou mesenquimais da odontogênese. Estas lesões em sua maioria, apresentam patogênese controversa, motivo pelo qual estimulam numerosas investigações sobre a possível relação entre o epitélio odontogênico e o desenvolvimento destas lesões. OBJETIVO: Analisar os diferentes padrões de proliferação do epitélio odontogênico das lesões císticas odontogênicas de comportamento mais agressivo, através da analise da imunoexpessão do fator de crescimento epidérmico (EGFR) e da via de transcrição SOX 2 no controle das fases do ciclo celular (ciclina D1) em lesões odontogênicas de caráter agressivo. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Estudo seccional com amostra não probabilística por conveniência composta por 31 casos, sendo 10 casos de ceratocistos odontogênicos recidivantes, 10 casos de ceratocistos odontogênicos (COs) isolados, 7 casos de cistos odontogênicos botrióides (COB) e 4 casos de cistos odontogênicos glandulares (COG). RESULTADOS: Ao analisar estatisticamente com os testes de Mann-Whitney e Kruskal-Wallis; P <0,05 foi considerado significativo. A maior expressão de células positivas para ciclina D1 foi observada na camada suprabasal de ceratocistos odontogênicos (P <0,001) e nas camadas basal e suprabasal dos COGs (P <0,001), e porções dos COBs (P>0,001). Não houve diferença estatística entre os COs recorrente e não recorrentes. Além disso, todos os casos de COs, COBs e COGs foram positivos para EGFR em todas as camadas do revestimento epitelial cístico. Os COBs e COGs apresentaram negatividade para o SOX 2 enquanto que nos COs foram encontrados alta expressão de SOX 2 na camada suprabasal. CONCLUSÕES: A ciclina D1 implica nos distúrbios do ciclo celular nas fases G1-S refletindo na agressividade dos COs e COGs. A superexpressão do EGFR demonstrada nos COs, COBs e COGs sugere que a combinação citoplasmática e citoplasmática membranosa é indicativo do potencial de proliferação do revestimento epitelial. O alto padrão da expressão do SOX 2 no CO também pode explicar a natureza agressiva da lesão e são responsáveis pela presença de numerosos cistos-filhos responsáveis por sua alta taxa de recorrência. A subpopulação de CSC se apresenta como motivo de recorrência aos COs, pela propriedade de auto-renovação e pluripotência destas células (AU).

INTRODUCTION: Odontogenic cysts are known for their growth potential and bone resorption of gnathic bones, ranging from indolent to aggressive, regardless of their histogenesis, linked to the epithelial, ectomesenchymal and / or mesenchymal remnants of odontogenesis. Most of these lesions have controversial pathogenesis, which is why they stimulate numerous investigations on the possible relationship between the odontogenic epithelium and the development of these lesions. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the different patterns of proliferation of odontogenic epithelium in odontogenic cystic lesions with more aggressive behavior, through the analysis of the epidermal growth factor (EGFR) immunoexpression and the SOX 2 transcription pathway in the control of the cell cycle phases (cyclin D1 ) in aggressive odontogenic lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sectional study with a non-probabilistic sample for convenience consisting of 31 cases, 10 cases of recurrent odontogenic keratocysts (COs) isolated, 10 cases of botryoid odontogenic cysts (BOC) and 4 cases of odontogenic cysts glandular (COG). RESULTS: When analyzing statistically with the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests; P <0.05 was considered significant. The highest expression of positive cells for cyclin D1 was observed in the suprabasal layer of odontogenic keratocysts (P <0.001) and in the basal and suprabasal layers of COGs (P <0.001), and portions of COBs (P> 0.001). There was no statistical difference between recurrent and non-recurring COs. In addition, all cases of COs, COBs and COGs were positive for EGFR in all layers of the cystic epithelial lining. COBs and COGs showed negativity for SOX 2 while COs found high expression of SOX 2 in the suprabasal layer. CONCLUSIONS: Cyclin D1 implies cell cycle disorders in G1-S phases, reflecting the aggressiveness of COs and COGs. The overexpression of EGFR demonstrated in COs, COBs and COGs suggests that the combination of cytoplasmic and membranous cytoplasmic is indicative of the proliferation potential of the epithelial lining. The high standard of SOX 2 expression in CO can also explain the aggressive nature of the lesion and are responsible for the presence of numerous child cysts responsible for its high rate of recurrence. The CSC subpopulation presents itself as a reason for recurrence to COs, due to the self-renewal and pluripotency properties of these cells (AU).

Folate deficiency prevents neural crest fate by disturbing the epigenetic Sox2 repression on the dorsal neural tube.

Folate deficiency has been known to contribute to neural tube and neural crest defects, but why these tissues are particularly affected, and which are the molecular mechanisms involved in those abnormalities are important human health questions that remain unanswered. Here we study the function of two of the main folate transporters, FolR1 and Rfc1, which are robustly expressed in these tissues. Folate is the precursor of S-adenosylmethionine, which is the main donor for DNA, protein and RNA methylation. Our results show that knockdown of FolR1 and/or Rfc1 reduced the abundance of histone H3 lysine and DNA methylation, two epigenetic modifications that play an important role during neural and neural crest development. Additionally, by knocking down folate transporter or pharmacologically inhibiting folate transport and metabolism, we observed ectopic Sox2 expression at the expense of neural crest markers in the dorsal neural tube. This is correlated with neural crest associated defects, with particular impact on orofacial formation. By using bisulfite sequencing, we show that this phenotype is consequence of reduced DNA methylation on the Sox2 locus at the dorsal neural tube, which can be rescued by the addition of folinic acid. Taken together, our in vivo results reveal the importance of folate as a source of the methyl groups necessary for the establishment of the correct epigenetic marks during neural and neural crest fate-restriction.

Estudo da expressão imunohistoquímica de SO2, FGF-10 e WNT-1 em lesões odontogênicas epiteliais benignas / Study of the immunohistochemical expression of SO2, FGF-10 and WNT-1 in benign epithelial odontogenic lesions

Os dentes desenvolvem-se a partir de interações sequenciais entre o epitélio e o mesênquima derivado da crista neural em diferentes estágios de histodiferenciação e morfodiferenciação. Ao final da odontogênese, espera-se que as estruturas que participaram da formação destes tecidos desapareçam ou permaneçam quiescentes. Não é incomum que os remanescentes epiteliais da odontogênese originem lesões, como cistos e tumores odontogênicos. No desenvolvimento dentário precoce, a manutenção das células-tronco é regulada por uma série de fatores de transcrição específicos, que inclui OCT-4, SOX-2, Nanog, Stat-3 e c-Myc e diversos outros genes Homeobox e vias de transcrição (SHH, Wnt/ß-catenina, FGF, BMP) contribuem para o destino e diferenciação celular. No entanto, há a participação destes genes e vias na patogênese de vários tipos de tumores. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a imunoexpressão de SOX2, FGF-10 e Wnt-1 em uma série de casos de lesões odontogênicas e alguns espécimes de germes dentários. A amostra consistiu de 20 Ceratocistos Odontogênicos (CO), 20 Ameloblastomas sólidos (AM), 20 Tumores odontogênicos adenomatoides (TOA), 10 Tumores odontogênico epitelial calcificante (TOEC) e 05 casos de germes dentários usados comparativamente. A imunoexpressão foi avaliada de acordo com o percentual de células epiteliais imunomarcadas e intensidade de células positivas resultando na pontuação de imunomarcação total (PIT) que variou de 0 a 7. A análise da imunoexpressão da SOX2 revelou positividade na maioria dos casos das lesões estudadas. A pontuação de imunomarcação para SOX2 revelou haver diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os grupos de lesões estudadas, com maior frequência em CO e TOEC (p <0,001). Após o pareamento, observou-se diferença significativa entre AM e CO, AM e TOEC, CO e TOA, CO e TOEC e, TOA e TOEC (p <0,05). A análise da imunoexpressão da FGF-10 e Wnt-1 revelou positividade em todos os casos das lesões estudadas, mas sem diferença estatisticamente significativa entre os grupos de lesões estudadas (p = 0,628). Houve diferença significativa em relação aos escores de positividade para Wnt-1 (p <0,001) com maior frequência em CO e TOA. Após o pareamento, observou-se existir diferença estatisticamente significativa entre AM e CO, AM e TOEC, CO e TOEC e, TOA e TOEC (p <0,05). O padrão de expressão de SOX2, FGF-10 e Wnt-1, em germes dentários e nas lesões odontogênicas aqui avaliadas, confirma a participação destas vias na odontogênese e também no desenvolvimento das lesões odontogênicas (AU).

Dental development occurs from sequential interactions between the epithelium and the mesenchyme derived from the neural crest at different stages of histodifferentiation and morphodifferentiation. At the end of tooth development, the structures that participated in the formation of these tissues are expected to disappear or remain quiescent. It is not uncommon that the epithelial remnants of the tooth development originate lesions such as odontogenic cysts and tumors. In early tooth development, stem cell maintenance is regulated by specific transcription factors, which includes OCT-4, SOX-2, Nanog, Stat-3 and c-Myc and several other Homeobox genes and transcription pathways (SHH, Wnt/ß-catenin, FGF, BMP) contribute to cell fate and differentiation. However, there is involvement of these genes and pathways in the pathogenesis of several types of tumors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the immunoexpression of SOX2, FGF-10 and Wnt-1 in a case series of odontogenic lesions and some specimens of dental germs. The sample consisted of 20 Odontogenic Keratocysts (OK), 20 solid ameloblastomas (AM), 20 adenomatoid odontogenic tumors (AOT), 10 calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumors (CEOT) and 5 dental gerns for comparison. Immunoexpression was evaluated according to the percentage of immunostained epithelial cells and intensity of the positive cells resulting in total immunostaining score (PIT) ranging from 0 to 7. The analysis of SOX2 immunoexpression revealed positivity in most cases of the lesions studied. The immunostaining score for SOX2 revealed a statistically significant difference between the groups of lesions studied, with a higher frequency in OK and CEOT (p < 0.001). After pairing, we observed a significant difference between AM and OK, AM and CEOT, OK and AOT, OK and CEOT, and AOT and CEOT (p <0.05). Analysis of the FGF-10 and Wnt-1 immunoexpression revealed positivity in all cases of the lesions studied, with no statistically significant difference between the groups of lesions studied (p = 0.628). There was a significant difference in relation to the positivity scores for Wnt-1 (p <0.001) with higher frequency in OK and AOT. After pairing, there was a statistically significant difference between AM and OK, AM and CEOT, OK and CEOT and, AOT and CEOT (p <0.05). The expression pattern of SOX2, FGF-10 and Wnt-1 in dental germs and odontogenic lesions evaluated here confirms the participation of these pathways in the tooth development as well as in the development of odontogenic lesions (AU).