To evaluate the impact of urothelial carcinoma with divergent differentiation (UCDD) on the prognosis of patients for primary upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) with pN0/x status treated with radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) and to evaluate the prognostic value of UCDD in different tumor locations (renal pelvis and ureter).Data from a total of 346 patients with UTUC who received RNU between January 2012 and March 2016 in the institution were retrospectively analyzed. Clinicopathological features and prognostic factors age, sex, complaint, height, weight, blood pressure, tumor grade, stage, smoking status, history of adjuvant chemotherapy, tumor location, history of bladder cancer, tumor necrosis, degree of hydronephrosis, tumor size, tumor focality, and preoperative anemia were compared between patients with pure UTUC and patients with UCDD. The endpoints were cancer-specific survival (CSS), overall survival (OS), and intraluminal recurrence-free survival (IRFS).Overall, divergent differentiation was present in 50 patients (14.5%). UCDD was related to different tumor location (P = .01), smoking (P = .04), higher body mass index (P = .02), and advanced tumor grade (P = .01). By Kaplan–Meier analysis, UCDD was found to be significantly correlated with worse IRFS, CSS, and OS (all P < .01). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that UCDD was an independent predictor of IRFS (P < .01), CSS (P = .01), and OS (P = .01). However, 40 patients died for various reasons and the 5-year OS rates were 91.9% in UCDD− group and 68.0% in UCDD+ group, respectively. In patients with ureteral tumors, UCDD was the significant predictor for IRFS, CSS, and OS. However, the prognostic value of UCDD was not observed in pyelocaliceal tumors.The presence of divergent differentiation is associated with inferior survival. UCDD may identify patients at high risks for poor prognosis especially in patients with ureteral tumors. As a result, more attention and follow-up should be given to patients with ureteric urothelial carcinoma.

Background: The long non-coding (lncRNA) RNA MALAT1 (metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1) is known to promote tumorigenesis, whereas microRNA-145 (miR-145) plays an antitumor role in several cancers. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the role of MALAT1 and miR-145 in prostate cancer cells and investigate the effect of MALAT1 downregulation on prostate cancer (PCa) cells in vitro in vivo.Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets were used to carry out the initial bioinformatics analysis; the findings were then tested in LNCaP and CWR22Rv1 cell lines. Western blot and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to evaluate the levels of MALAT1 and miR-145 along with related biomarkers. Furthermore, wound-healing and Transwell assays were performed to test the migratory and invasive abilities of PCa cells. Luciferase reporter assays were used to validate the relationship between MALAT1 and miR-145; their down-stream target genes were also studied. To further substantiate these findings in an animal model, tumor studies including immunofluorescence staining of tissues were carried in nude mice. Results: The expression of MALAT1 was upregulated in both LNCaP cell lines and CWR22Rv1 cell lines (F=2.882, t=13.370, P<0.001; F=2.268, t=15.859, P<0.001). Knockdown of MALAT1 reduced the migratory and invasive capabilities of PCa cells (F=0.017, t=12.212, P<0.001; F=10.723, t=6.016, P=0.002). Using direct binding, MALAT1 suppressed the antitumor function of miR-145, which in turn upregulated transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) via SMAD3 and TGFBR2 (F=2.097, t=5.389, P=0.006; F=1.306, t=4.155, P=0.014). Conclusions:We confirmed that MALAT1 acts as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) of miR-145.The MALAT1 based regulation of MiR-145-5p-SMAD3/TGFBR2 interactions could be an intriguing molecular pathway for the progression of PCa.

Purpose As the mechanism of interaction between circular RNAs (circRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating the development of prostate cancer (PCa) is not clear, this study focuses on investigating these effects. Materials and Methods Sample tissues were collected from the PCa of patients, and microarray analysis of human circRNAs was conducted. The expression of circ_0001686, hsa_miR-411-5p (miR-411-5p) were also detected by qRT-PCR. Circ_0001686 and miR-411-5p mimics were transfected into the PCa cell lines (CWR22RV1and LNCaP) and MTT, colony formation, Transwell, and scratch wound assays were used to analyze the biological behaviors of PCa cells. Si-circ_0001686 and ASO-miR-411-5p were used as negative controls, and dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed to verify the interactions among circ_0001686, miR-411-5p, and SMAD3/TGFBR2. The levels of SMAD3 and TGFBR2 in different treated PCa cells were measured by western blot, and in vivo experiments in a nude mouse model were carried out to strengthen the in vitro findings of miR-411-5p. Results The expression of circ_0001686 was up-regulated, while the expression of miR-411-5p was down-regulated in PCa cells. Moreover, circ_0001686 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Molecular mechanism exploration revealed that circ_0001686 could reduce miR-411-5p, affecting the downstream target genes of SMAD3 and TGFBR2. In vitro and in vivo studies verified that miR-411-5p inhibits PCa progression. Conclusions Circ_0001686 can reduce miR-411-5p to increase the expression of SMAD3/TGFBR2, which consequently promotes the proliferation, invasion, and migration of PCa cells.

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In order to explore the expression levels of E2F3, miR-17-5p, miR-20a and find out if they interact with one another in bladder cancer, 50 transitional cell carcinoma tissues, 10 normal mucosa tissues and 5637 cell line were used in this study. miR-17-5p, miR-20a, E2F3 gene and E2F3 proteinum were significantly amplifed and overexpressed in cancer tissues, and with advancing of the tumor grade, E2F3 gene and E2F3 proteinum increased. The 5637 cell showed significantly high expression of E2F3 proteinum and the proteinum could be down-regulated by miR-17-5p and miR-20a, whereas enforced overexpression of E2F3 was shown to activate transcription of miR-17-5p and miR-20a. The miR-17-5p, miR-20a, E2F3 gene and E2F3 proteinum were significantly amplified and overexpressed, and they interacted with one another in bladder cancer.

Background: A single nucleotide polymorphism is identified at CCNE1 and RIP2. We evaluated the relationship between the CCNE1 or RIP2 and the risk, clinic stage and pathologic grade of bladder cancer. Methods: Peripheral venous blood samples were obtained from 176 patients with bladder cancer and 210 controls with no cancers of any kinds. The diagnoses, pathological stage of bladder cancer were all determined according to the pathological reports of transurethral bladder cancer resection and radical cystectomy. The polymorphism was determined by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing methods. Results: (I) The distribution of the CCNE1 and RIP 2 allele frequencies among control subjects was in HardyWeinberg equilibrium; (II) the frequency of CCNE1 (rs8102137) variant allele was significantly higher in the case subjects (40.91%) than in controls (30.95%) (P<0.05, OR=1.54, 95% CI 1.02-2.45). The frequency of CCNE1(rs8102137) variant allele was significantly higher in the case subjects (72.73%) than in controls (62.38%) (P<0.05, OR=1.61, 95% CI, 1.04-2.48); (III) there was no association between the CCNE1 (rs8102137) and RIP2 (rs42490). Polymorphisms and Pathological grade and clinical stage of bladder cancer. Conclusions: The CCNE1 (rs8102137) and RIP2 (rs42490) polymorphism have interaction in occurrence of bladder cancer process, no association with Pathological grade and clinical stage of bladder cancer.

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignancies in men. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are known to be the important regulators in cancer progression. However, the role of circRNAs in PCa is yet to be investigated. Therefore, this study focuses on investigating the effect and the underlying molecular mechanisms of hsa_circ_0001686 (circ_0001686) in PCa. Methods: Sample tissues were collected from the PCa patients to carry out the microarray expression profile of the human circRNAs. In addition, the expression levels of circ_0001686, has_miR-411-5p (miR-411-5p), SMAD3, and TGFBR2 were also detected by qRT-RCR. Next, transfection experiments were employed to measure the effect of circ_0001686 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in the PCa cell lines (CWR22RV1and LNCaP). These effects were analyzed using MTT, colony formation, transwell, and scratch wound assays, respectively. The si-circ_0001686 was used as a negative control. Starbase and TargetScan databases were used to predict the putative binding sites among circ_0001686, miR-411-5p, and SMAD3/TGFBR2. The dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed to verify these interactions. Furthermore, the levels of SMAD3 and TGFBR2 in CWR22RV1 and LNCaP cells were measured by western blot. Finally, in vivo experiments in the nude mouse model were carried out to strengthen the in vitro findings. Results: The expression of circ_0001686 was markedly up-regulated while the expression of miR-411-5p was down-regulated in PCa cells. Moreover, circ_0001686 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Molecular mechanism exploration revealed that circ_0001686 acts as a sponge of miR-411-5p which affects the downstream target gene SMAD3, and TGFBR2. Both the in vitro and in vivo studies verified that miR-411-5p inhibits cancer growth and metastasis in PCa.Conclusions: The circ_0001686 sequesters miR-411-5p to increase the expression of SMAD3/TGFBR2 which consequently promotes the proliferation, invasion, and migration in PCa cells.