No abstract

Hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) exhibit a diversity of molecular phenotypes, raising major challenges in clinical management. HCCs detected by surveillance programs at an early stage are candidates for potentially curative therapies (local ablation, resection, or transplantation). In the long term, transplantation provides the lowest recurrence rates. Treatment allocation is based on tumor number, size, vascular invasion, performance status, functional liver reserve, and the prediction of early (<2 years) recurrence, which reflects the intrinsic aggressiveness of the tumor. Well‐differentiated, potentially low‐aggressiveness tumors form the heterogeneous molecular class of nonproliferative HCCs, characterized by an approximate 50% β‐catenin mutation rate. To define the clinical, pathological, and molecular features and the outcome of nonproliferative HCCs, we constructed a 1,133‐HCC transcriptomic metadata set and validated findings in a publically available 210‐HCC RNA sequencing set. We show that nonproliferative HCCs preserve the zonation program that distributes metabolic functions along the portocentral axis in normal liver. More precisely, we identified two well‐differentiated, nonproliferation subclasses, namely periportal‐type (wild‐type β‐catenin) and perivenous‐type (mutant β‐catenin), which expressed negatively correlated gene networks. The new periportal‐type subclass represented 29% of all HCCs; expressed a hepatocyte nuclear factor 4A–driven gene network, which was down‐regulated in mouse hepatocyte nuclear factor 4A knockout mice; were early‐stage tumors by Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer, Cancer of the Liver Italian Program, and tumor–node–metastasis staging systems; had no macrovascular invasion; and showed the lowest metastasis‐specific gene expression levels and TP53 mutation rates. Also, we identified an eight‐gene periportal‐type HCC signature, which was independently associated with the highest 2‐year recurrence‐free survival by multivariate analyses in two independent cohorts of 247 and 210 patients. Conclusion: Well‐differentiated HCCs display mutually exclusive periportal or perivenous zonation programs. Among all HCCs, periportal‐type tumors have the lowest intrinsic potential for early recurrence after curative resection. (Hepatology 2017;66:1502–1518).

Propionibacterium freudenreichii, a food-grade bacterium able to kill colon cancer cell lines in vitro by apoptosis, may exert an anticarcinogenic effect in vivo. To assess this hypothesis, we administered daily 2 £ 10 10 colony-forming units (CFU) of P. freudenreichii TL133 to human microbiota-associated (HMA) rats for 18 d. Either saline or 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) was also administered on days 13 and 17 and rats were killed on day 19. The levels of apoptosis and proliferation in the mid and distal colon were assessed by terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labelling (TUNEL) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunolabelling, respectively. The administration of P. freudenreichii TL133 significantly increased the number of apoptotic cells in DMH-treated rats compared to those given DMH only (P,0·01). Furthermore, propionibacteria were able to decrease the proliferation index in the distal colon after treatment with DMH (P, 0·01). Conversely, propionibacteria alone did not exert such an effect on healthy colonic mucosa. P. freudenreichii TL133 thus facilitated the elimination of damaged cells by apoptosis in the rat colon after genotoxic insult and may play a protective role against colon cancer.

No abstract

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) is a deadly liver primary cancer associated with poor prognosis and limited therapeutic opportunities. Active transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling is a hallmark of the iCCA microenvironment. However, the impact of TGFβ on the transcriptome of iCCA tumor cells has been poorly investigated. Here, we have identified a specific TGFβ signature of genes commonly deregulated in iCCA cell lines, namely HuCCT1 and Huh28. Novel coding and noncoding TGFβ targets were identified, including a TGFβ‐induced long noncoding RNA (TLINC), formerly known as cancer susceptibility candidate 15 (CASC15). TLINC is a general target induced by TGFβ in hepatic and nonhepatic cell types. In iCCA cell lines, the expression of a long and short TLINC isoform was associated with an epithelial or mesenchymal phenotype, respectively. Both isoforms were detected in the nucleus and cytoplasm. The long isoform of TLINC was associated with a migratory phenotype in iCCA cell lines and with the induction of proinflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 8, both in vitro and in resected human iCCA. TLINC was also identified as a tumor marker expressed in both epithelial and stroma cells. In nontumor livers, TLINC was only expressed in specific portal areas with signs of ductular reaction and inflammation. Finally, we provide experimental evidence of circular isoforms of TLINC, both in iCCA cells treated with TGFβ and in resected human iCCA. Conclusion: We identify a novel TGFβ‐induced long noncoding RNA up‐regulated in human iCCA and associated with an inflammatory microenvironment. (Hepatology Communications 2018;2:254‐269)

About 20% hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) display wild-type β-catenin, enhanced Wnt signaling, hepatocyte dedifferentiation and bad outcome, suggesting a specific impact of Wnt signals on HCC stem/progenitor cells. To study Wnt-specific molecular pathways, cell fates and clinical outcome, we fine-tuned Wnt/β-catenin signaling in liver progenitor cells, using the prototypical Wnt ligand Wnt3a. Cell biology assays and transcriptomic profiling were performed in HepaRG hepatic progenitors exposed to Wnt3a after β-catenin knockdown or Wnt inhibition with FZD8_CRD. Gene expression network, molecular pathology and survival analyses were performed on HCCs and matching non-tumor livers from 70 patients by real-time PCR and tissue micro-array-based immunohistochemistry. Wnt3a reprogrammed liver progenitors to replicating fibrogenic myofibroblast-like cells displaying stem and invasive features. Invasion was inhibited by 30 nM FZD7 and FZD8 CRDs. Translation of these data to human HCCs revealed two tight gene networks associating cell surface Wnt signaling, stem/progenitor markers and mesenchymal commitment. Both networks were linked by Hyaluronan And Proteoglycan Link Protein 1 (HAPLN1), that appeared de novo in aggressive HCCs expressing cytoplasmic β-catenin and stem cell markers. HAPLN1 was independently associated with bad overall and disease-free outcome. In vitro, HAPLN1 was expressed de novo in EPCAM−/NCAM+ mesoderm-committed progenitors, upon spontaneous epithelial-mesenchymal transition and de-differentiation of hepatocyte-like cells to liver progenitors. In these cells, HAPLN1 knockdown downregulated key markers of mesenchymal cells, such as Snail, LGR5, collagen IV and α-SMA. In conclusion, HAPLN1 reflects a signaling network leading to stemness, mesenchymal commitment and HCC progression.

No abstract

BackgroundRecent studies have highlighted the heterogeneity of gliomas and demonstrated that molecular and genetic analysis could help in their classification and in the design of treatment protocols. In a previous study we have identified a 4-gene signature highly correlated with survival of glioma patients. The aim of this study is to confirm and extend these findings by investigating the expression of these genes at the protein level and their association with outcome of patients with high grade gliomas.Methodology/Principal FindingsImmunohistochemical staining for EDN/RB, HJURP, p60/CAF-1 and PDLI4 was studied on archive materials from 96 patients (64 glioblastomas and 32 grade III gliomas). The levels of all four proteins differed significantly between grade III and grade IV tumours. The levels of the EDN/RB, HJURP and p60/CAF-1 proteins were strongly associated with overall survival (p<0.001, p<0.001 and p=0.002, respectively), whereas the one of PDLI4 was not (P=0.11). A risk criterion defined as high levels of at least two of the EDN/RB, HJURP and p60/CAF-1 proteins accurately predicted the prognosis of patients. Multivariate analysis confirmed that this criterion was an independent negative prognostic marker (hazard ratio = 2.225; 95% CI, 1.248 to 3.966, p=0.007).ConclusionsThe expression of the EDN/RB, HJURP, p60/CAF-1 and PDLI4 proteins is disrupted in high grade gliomas and increases in the levels of these proteins are closely linked to tumour aggressiveness and poor outcome.