Long non-coding RNA SNHG6 is upregulated in prostate cancer and predicts poor prognosis.

Certain long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be differentially expressed in various human cancer types, including prostate cancer (PCa). PCa is the most commonly diagnosed cancer type in men and lacks sensitive and accurate biomarkers. Emerging studies have indicated that certain lncRNAs are dysregulated and have crucial roles in PCa progression. The present study reported that the novel lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 6 (SNHG6) is overexpressed in PCa compared with that in normal prostate tissues. In The Cancer Genome Atlas and Taylor datasets, high expression of SNHG6 in PCa tissues was identified to be significantly associated with shorter disease-free survival. In order to reveal the potential mechanisms of the role of SNHG6 in PCa, SNHG6-associated protein-protein interaction networks were constructed. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that these SNHG6-interacting genes were associated with translation, nuclear-transcribed mRNA catabolic process, ribosomal RNA processing and mRNA splicing. Although further functional validation is warranted, the present study suggests that SNHG6 is a potential novel therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker for PCa.

miR-192 Is Overexpressed and Promotes Cell Proliferation in Prostate Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent types of cancer among men worldwide. The incidence of PCa is increasing in China. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify novel diagnostic and prognostic markers for PCa to improve the treatment of the disease. METHODS: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GEO database were used to analyze the expression of miR-192, and the relationship between miR-192 and the clinical features of patients with PCa. Cell cycle and cell proliferation assay were used to detect the functional roles of miR-192 in PCa. Bioinformatic analysis for miR-192-5p was performed using gene ontology and KEGG analysis. RESULTS: By analyzing the dataset of TCGA, we found that miR-192 was overexpressed in PCa samples compared to normal tissues and was upregulated in high-grade PCa compared to low-grade PCa. We also observed that higher miR-192 expression was associated with a shorter biochemical recurrence-free survival time. Our results also demonstrated that miR-192 promoted PCa cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that miR-192 may be considered for use as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target of PCa.

The relationship between serum albumin and prostate-specific antigen: A analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2003-2010.

Background: Previous studies have shown that serum albumin is associated with prostate cancer (PCa), but not with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in populations without PCa history. Therefore, we analyzed secondary data provided by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2003-2010). Methods: In total, 5,469 participants were selected from the NHANES database (2003-2010). Serum albumin and PSA levels were serially considered independent and dependent variables, serially. A number of covariates were included in this study, including demographic, dietary, physical examination, and comorbidity data. Using weighted linear regression model and smooth curve fitting, the linear and non-linear relationship between serum albumin and PSA was investigated. Results: After modulating underlying interference factors, the weighted multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that serum albumin did not independently predict PSA levels (ß = -0.009 95%CI: -0.020, 0.002). Nevertheless, a non-linear relationship was found between serum albumin and PSA, with a point of 41 g/L. Left of the inflection point, the effect size, 95%CI, and P-value were 0.019 (log2 transformation) (-0.006, 0.043) and 0.1335, respectively. We found a negative association between serum albumin and PSA on the right side of the inflection point, with effect size, 95%CI, and a P-value of -0.022 (log2 transformation) (-0.037, -0.007), 0.0036. Conclusion: In summary, serum albumin and PSA levels are not linearly related. When serum albumin levels exceed 41 g, serum albumin levels are negatively associated with PSA levels.

BRCC3 Promotes Tumorigenesis of Bladder Cancer by Activating the NF-κB Signaling Pathway Through Targeting TRAF2.

NF-κB signaling is very important in cancers. However, the role of BRCC3-associated NF-κB signaling activation in bladder cancer remains to be characterized. Western blotting and IHC of tissue microarray were used to confirm the abnormal expression of BRCC3 in bladder cancer. Growth curve, colony formation, soft agar assay and Xenograft model were performed to identify the role of BRCC3 over-expression or knock-out in bladder cancer. Further, RNA-Seq and luciferase reporter assays were used to identify the down-stream signaling pathway. Finally, co-immunoprecipitation and fluorescence confocal assay were performed to verify the precise target of BRCC3. Here, we found that high expression of BRCC3 promoted tumorigenesis through targeting the TRAF2 protein. BRCC3 expression is up-regulated in bladder cancer patients which indicates a negative prognosis. By in vitro and in vivo assays, we found genetic BRCC3 ablation markedly blocks proliferation, viability and migration of bladder cancer cells. Mechanistically, RNA-Seq analysis shows that NF-κB signaling is down-regulated in BRCC3-deficient cells. BRCC3 binds to and synergizes with TRAF2 to activate NF-κB signaling. Our results indicate that high BRCC3 expression activates NF-κB signaling by targeting TRAF2 for activation, which in turn facilitates tumorigenesis in bladder cancer. This finding points to BRCC3 as a potential target in bladder cancer patients.

Comprehensive Characterization of Common and Cancer-Specific Differently Expressed lncRNAs in Urologic Cancers.

Urologic cancers, comprising prostate carcinoma (PCa), renal cell carcinoma (RCC), and bladder carcinoma (BCa), were the commonly occurred carcinoma amid males. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) with the length of more than 200 nt functioned importantly in physiological and pathological advancement. Nevertheless, further investigation regarding lncRNA expression feature and function in urologic cancers should be essential. This study is aimed at uncovering the roles of the differently expressed lncRNAs in urologic cancers. The data of gene expression levels was downloaded from lncRNAtor datasets. The lncRNA expression pattern existing in different urologic cancers was assessed by hierarchical clustering analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and KEGG pathway analysis were separately applied to evaluate the biological function and process and the biological pathways involving differently expressed lncRNAs. Our results indicated that 18 lncRNA expressions were increased, and 16 lncRNA expressions were reduced in urologic cancers after comparison with that in normal tissues. Moreover, our results demonstrated 61, 422, 137, and 281 lncRNAs were specifically dysregulated in bladder cancer (BLCA), kidney renal clear cell cancer (KIRC), kidney renal papillary cell cancer (KIRP), and prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD), respectively. Bioinformatics analysis showed that differently expressed lncRNAs displayed crucially in urologic cancers. The prognostic value of common and cancer-specific differently expressed lncRNAs, such as PVT1, in cancer outcomes, was emphasized here. Our research has deeply unearthed the mechanism of differently expressed lncRNAs in urologic cancers development.

Comparison of tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy and standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy for kidney stones: A meta-analysis of randomized trials.

This systematic review was designed to evaluate the efficacy of tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) versus standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) for kidney stones. Computerized search was performed for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) from PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews databases. The included studies were randomized trials investigating tubeless PCNL versus standard PCNL in patients with kidney stones. Outcomes measured included postoperative pain, postoperative analgesia, hospital stay, drop in hemoglobin, stone free, urine leakage, blood transfusion, or pyrexia per randomized patients. In all, 15 RCTs involving 947 subjects were included. With regard to postoperative pain, analgesia, hospital stay and urine leakage, it was significantly reduced in tubeless PCNL group. In respect of drop in hemoglobin, stone free, blood transfusion and pyrexia, tubeless PCNL group appeared to be equivalent with standard PCNL group. Tubeless PCNL technology is associated with shorter hospitalization time, lower incidence of postoperative pain and less analgesia requirement after nephrolithotony. Tubeless PCNL can be used as a substitute for traditional standard PCNL of the first-line treatment. Nevertheless, further research in this field is urgently needed to confirm it.

TUSC3 as a potential biomarker for prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

The aim of the present study was to explore the expression levels of tumor suppressor candidate 3 (TUSC3) in human clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and its clinical value. Immunohistochemical staining, western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to detect TUSC3 expression in paracancerous normal tissues and ccRCC tissues. The tissues were derived from the pathological specimens of 54 patients with ccRCC. Additionally, associations among TUSC3 expression and histological grade and clinicopathological staging of ccRCC were investigated. The results of these comparisons revealed that TUSC3 expression in ccRCC tissues was significantly lower than that in paracancerous tissues (P<0.05). TUSC3 expression in the high differentiation group was higher than that in the median and low differentiation groups (P<0.05). Expression levels of TUSC3 in stage I and II tissues were higher than those in stage III and IV tissues (P<0.05). The expression levels of TUSC3 in the lymph node metastasis group were lower than those in the non-lymph node metastasis group (P<0.05). In conclusion, the expression levels of TUSC3 in human ccRCC tissues were downregulated compared with those found in normal human renal tissue, and TUSC3 may inhibit the progression of ccRCC. Furthermore, the TUSC3 gene may be used as a promising tumor marker for the early diagnosis and prognosis of ccRCC.