Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a group of heterogenous malignancies arising from bile duct epithelium with distinct pathological features. Adaptor proteins have implicated in cell proliferation, ...migration, and invasion of different cancer cells. The objective of this study was to assess whether the adaptor protein XB130 (AFAP1L2) is a critical biological determinant of CCA outcome. XB130 expression levels were investigated in four CCA cell lines compared to an immortalized cholangiocyte cell line by Western blotting. Small interfering (si) RNA-mediated XB130 gene silencing was conducted to evaluate the effects of reduced XB130 expression on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by MTT, transwell migration and cell invasion assay. The immunohistochemical quantification of XB130 levels were performed in surgically resected formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens obtained from 151 CCA patients. The relationship between XB130 expression and the clinicopathological parameters of CCA patients were analyzed. Our results showed that XB130 was highly expressed in KKU-213A cell line. Knockdown of XB130 using siRNA significantly decreased the proliferation, migration, and invasion properties of KKU-213A cells through the inhibition of PI3K/Akt pathway, suggesting that XB130 plays an important role in CCA progression. Moreover, elevated XB130 expression levels were positive relationship with lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), intrahepatic type of CCA, high TNM staging (stage III, IV), high T classification (T3, T4), and lymph node metastasis. We provide the first evidence that the overexpression of XB130 is associated with tumorigenic properties of CCA cells, leading to CCA progression with aggressive clinical outcomes.
Background
This study aimed to investigate the miR‐192 levels in patients' sera of liver fluke‐associated cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) for a prospective prognostic indicator.
Methods
MicroRNA polymerase ...chain reaction (PCR) array was performed using pooled serum samples from 11 CCA patients and nine healthy subjects. Selected miRNAs were verified for the differential levels in both sera and tumor tissues (of patients and Opisthorchis viverrini (Ov)‐induced CCA model) using TaqMan miRNA expression assay.
Results
Our results demonstrated that miR‐192 was significantly higher in the serum of CCA patients than that in healthy subjects giving a sensitivity of 74% and specificity of 72% (area under the curve AUC = 0.803; 95% confidence interval CI, 0.708–0.897, P < 0.0001). Serum miR‐192 examined in Ov infected subjects and subjects with periductal fibrosis were increased but not statistically significantly when compared with healthy subjects. High levels of serum miR‐192 were significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.047) and shorter survival compared with individuals with low levels of serum miR‐192 (hazard ratio HR 2.076, 95% CI 1.004–4.291, P = 0.049). We also found that the expression levels of miR‐192 appeared to be elevated in both CCA tissues of patients and in Ov‐induced CCA tissues of a hamster model.
Conclusions
This finding indicates that elevated levels of miR‐192 may be involved in CCA genesis and have a potential utility as a noninvasive prognostic indicator for CCA patients.
Opisthorchis viverrini (O. viverrini, Ov) infection and consumption of high-fat and high-fructose (HFF) diet exacerbate liver and kidney disease. Here, we investigated the effects of a combination of ...O. viverrini infection and HFF diet on kidney pathology via changes in the gut microbiome and host proteome in hamsters.
Twenty animals were divided into four groups; 1) fed a normal diet not infected with O. viverrini (normal group), 2) fed an HFF diet and not infected with O. viverrini (HFF), 3) fed a normal diet and infected with O. viverrini (Ov), and 4) fed an HFF diet and infected with O. viverrini (HFFOv). DNA was extracted from fecal samples and the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform. In addition, LC/MS-MS analysis was done. Histopathological studies and biochemical assays were also conducted. The results indicated that the HFFOv group exhibited the most severe kidney injury, manifested as elevated KIM-1 expression and accumulation of fibrosis in kidney tissue. The microbiome of the HFFOv group was more diverse than in the HFF group: there were increased numbers of Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Desulfovibrionaceae and Akkermansiaceae, but fewer Eggerthellaceae. In total, 243 host proteins were identified across all groups. Analysis using STITCH predicted that host proteome changes may lead to leaking of the gut, allowing molecules such as soluble CD14 and p-cresol to pass through to promote kidney disease. In addition, differential expression of TGF-beta-activated kinase 1 and MAP3K7-binding protein 2 (Tab2, involving renal inflammation and injury) are predicted to be associated with kidney disease.
The combination of HFF diet and O. viverrini infection may promote kidney injury through alterations in the gut microbiome and host proteome. This knowledge may suggest an effective strategy to prevent kidney disease beyond the early stages.
The involvement of chronic inflammation in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) progression is well established. Cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47) is mutually expressed in various cancers and serves as a ...protective signal for phagocytic elimination. CD47 signaling blockage is a recent treatment strategy; however, little is known regarding CD47 in CCA. Therefore, the potential use of CD47 targeting in CCA was focused. CD47 was highly expressed in CCA compared to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Disturbance of CD47-signal regulatory protein-α (SIRPα) interaction by blocking antibodies promoted the macrophage phagocytosis. The therapeutic potential of anti-CD47 therapy was demonstrated in liver metastatic model; alleviation of cancer colonization together with dense macrophage infiltrations was observed. The usefulness of anti-CD47 was emphasized by its universal facilitating macrophage activities. Moreover, increased production of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and IL-10, in macrophage exposed to CCA-conditioned media suggested that CCA alters macrophages toward cancer promotion. Taken together, interfering of CD47-SIRPα interaction promotes macrophage phagocytosis in all macrophage subtypes and consequently suppresses CCA growth and metastasis. The unique overexpression of CD47 in CCA but not HCC offers an exceptional opportunity for a targeted therapy. CD47 is therefore a novel target for CCA treatment.
Early B cell factor 1 (EBF1) is a transcription factor involved in the differentiation of several stem cell lineages and it is a negative regulator of estrogen receptors. EBF1 is down-regulated in ...many tumors, and is believed to play suppressive roles in cancer promotion and progression. However, the functional roles of EBF1 in carcinogenesis are unclear. Liver fluke-infection-associated cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an oxidative stress-driven cancer of bile duct epithelium. In this study, we investigated EBF1 expression in tissues from CCA patients, CCA cell lines (KKU-213, KKU-214 and KKU-156), cholangiocyte (MMNK1) and its oxidative stress-resistant (ox-MMNK1-L) cell lines. The formation of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) was used as an oxidative stress marker. Our results revealed that EBF1 expression was suppressed in cancer cells compared with the individual normal bile duct cells at tumor adjacent areas of CCA tissues. CCA patients with low EBF1 expression and high formation of 8-oxodG were shown to correlate with poor survival. Moreover, EBF1 was suppressed in the oxidative stress-resistant cell line and all of CCA cell lines compared to the cholangiocyte cell line. This suggests that prolonged oxidative stress suppressed EBF1 expression and the reduced EBF1 level may facilitate CCA genesis. To elucidate the significance of EBF1 suppression in CCA genesis, EBF1 expression of the MMNK1 cell line was down-regulated by siRNA technique, and its effects on stem cell properties (CD133 and Oct3/4 expressions), tumorigenic properties (cell proliferation, wound healing and cell migration), estrogen responsive gene (TFF1), estrogen-stimulated wound healing, and cell migration were examined. The results showed that CD133, Oct3/4 and TFF1 expression levels, wound healing, and cell migration of EBF1 knockdown-MMNK1 cells were significantly increased. Also, cell migration of EBF1-knockdown cells was significantly enhanced after 17β-estradiol treatment. Our findings suggest that EBF1 down-regulation via oxidative stress induces stem cell properties, tumorigenic properties and estrogen responses of cholangiocytes leading to CCA genesis with aggressive clinical outcomes.
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•EBF1 was down-regulated in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) tissues and cell lines.•CCA patients with low EBF1 and high 8-oxodG levels were related with poor survival.•Oxidative stress inhibits EBF1 expression which may play roles in CCA development.•EBF1 silencing increases stem cell and tumorigenic properties in cholangiocyte cells.•EBF1 silencing increases oxidative stress resistance in cholangiocyte cells.
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was performed to be a route for peroral cholangioscopy, but the procedure was unable to be performed due to a failure of cannulation into the common ...bile duct. Since the possibility of bile duct tumor was not fully eliminated, the patient therefore opted for a surgical resection rather than observation or re-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Statement of Ethics This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board, Office of Human Research Ethics, Khon Kaen University (HE641665). Author Contributions Arada Wongwattanachai: project development, data collection, diagram illustration, and manuscript drafting.
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is one of the oxidative stress-driven carcinogenesis through chronic inflammation. Insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1), an adaptor protein of insulin signaling pathways, is ...associated with the progression of many inflammation-related cancers. This study hypothesized that oxidative stress regulates IRS1 expression and that up-regulation of IRS1 induces CCA progression. The localizations of IRS1 and an oxidative stress marker (8-oxodG) were detected in CCA tissues using immunohistochemistry (IHC). The presence of IRS1 in CCA tissues was confirmed using immortal cholangiocyte cells (MMNK1), a long-term oxidative-stress-induced cell line (ox-MMNK1-L), and five CCA cell lines as cell culture models. IRS1 was overexpressed in tumor cells and this was associated with a shorter patient survival time and an increase in 8-oxodG. IRS1 expression was higher in ox-MMNK1-L cells than in MMNK1 cells. Knockdown of IRS1 by siRNA in two CCA cell lines led to inhibition of proliferation, cell cycle progression, migration, invasion, stemness, and oxidative stress resistance properties. Moreover, a transcriptomics study demonstrated that suppressing IRS1 in the KKU-213B CCA cell line reduced the expression levels of several genes and pathways involved in the cellular functions. The findings indicate that IRS1 is a key molecule in the connection between oxidative stress and CCA progression. Therefore, IRS1 and its related genes can be used as prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for CCA therapy.
Intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct has been identified as a distinct tumor, with various presentations. One of the rarest presentation is ascites. Even though there have been several ...reports biliary ruptures either spontaneously or increasing of intraluminal pressure from obstructing cholelithiasis, biliary ruptures from intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct causing ascites has not been reported. We, herein, present the first case of this rare phenomenon of the rare presentation of intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct.
The microRNA miR-205-5p has diverse effects in different malignancies, including cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), but its effects on CCA progression is unclear. Here we investigated the role and function of ...miR-205-5p in CCA. Three CCA cell lines and human serum samples were found to have much higher expression levels of miR-205-5p than seen in typical cholangiocyte cell lines and healthy controls. Inhibition of miR-205-5p suppressed CCA cell motility, invasion and proliferation of KKU-213B whereby overexpression of miR-205-5p promoted cell proliferation and motility of KKU-100 cells. Bioinformatics tools (miRDB, TargetScan, miRWalk, and GEPIA) all predicted various miR-205-5p targets. Experiments using miR-205-5p inhibitor and mimic indicated that homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 3 (HIPK3) was a potential direct target of miR-205-5p. Overexpression of HIPK3 using HIPK3 plasmid cloning DNA suppressed migration and proliferation of KKU-100 cells. Notably, HIPK3 expression was lower in human CCA tissues than in normal adjacent tissues. High HIPK3 expression was significantly associated with longer survival time of CCA patients. Multivariate regression analysis indicated tissue HIPK3 levels as an independent prognostic factor for CCA patients. These findings indicate that overexpression of miR-205-5p promotes CCA cells proliferation and migration partly via HIPK3-dependent way. Therefore, targeting miR-205-5p may be a potential treatment approach for CCA.
Background Comorbidity of Opisthorchis viverrini (OV) infection and nonalcoholic fatty-liver disease (NAFLD) enhances NAFLD progression to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) by promoting severe ...liver inflammation and fibrosis. Here, we investigated the effect of supplementation with curcumin-loaded nanocomplexes (CNCs) on the severity of NASH in hamsters. Methodology Hamsters were placed in experimental groups as follows: fed standard chow diet (normal control, NC); fed only high-fat and high-fructose (HFF) diet; O. viverrini-infected and fed HFF diet (HFFOV); group fed with blank nanocomplexes (HFFOV+BNCs); groups fed different doses of CNCs (25, 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight: HFFOV+CNCs25; HFFOV+CNCs50; HFFOV+CNCs100, respectively) and a group given native curcumin (HFFOV+CUR). All treatment were for three months. Results The HFF group revealed NAFLD as evidenced by hepatic fat accumulation, ballooning, mild inflammation and little or no fibrosis. These changes were more obvious in the HFFOV group, indicating development of NASH. In contrast, in the HFFOV+CNCs50 group, histopathological features indicated that hepatic fat accumulation, cell ballooning, cell inflammation and fibrosis were lower than in other treatment groups. Relevantly, the expression of lipid-uptake genes, including fatty-acid uptake (cluster of differentiation 36), was reduced, which was associated with the lowering of alanine aminotransferase, total cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) levels. Reduced expression of an inflammation marker (high-mobility group box protein 1) and a fibrosis marker (alpha smooth-muscle actin) were also observed in the HFFOV+CNCs50 group. Conclusion CNCs treatment attenuates the severity of NASH by decreasing hepatic steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis as well as TG synthesis. CNCs mitigate the severity of NASH in this preclinical study, which indicates promise for future use in patients.