Abstract
Midkine is overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and plays a role in tumor progression, but less is known about its role in resistance of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) to anoikis which leading to recurrence and metastasis. The aim of the present study was to analyze whether midkine was associated with HCC progression with anoikis resistance. We found that cultured HCC cells were more resistant to anoikis, which paralleled midkine expression, and midkine treatment significantly inhibited anoikis in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, in in vitro and in vivo assays, knockdown of midkine resulted in significant sensitivity to anoikis, decreased cell survival and significantly decreased tumor occurrence rate. Patients with midkine-elevated HCC had higher CTC counts and less apoptotic CTCs, as well as significantly higher recurrence rate and shorter recurrence-free interval. To understand the molecular mechanism underlying the midkine with HCC progression, we performed in vitro and in vivo studies. We found that midkine plays an important role in enhancement of HCC cell resistance to anoikis, thereby promoting subsequent metastasis. Activation of PI3K/Akt/NF-κB/TrkB signaling by midkine-activated anaplastic lymphomakinase (ALK) is responsible for anoikis resistance.
Highlights
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent and lethal malignancies worldwide
We found that midkine plays an important role in enhancement of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell resistance to anoikis, thereby promoting subsequent metastasis
Several circulating cytokines, including hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) [27], TGF-beta [28], CXCL8 [29] and CXCL12 [30], have been implicated as contributors to anoikis signaling in some kinds of tumor cells
Summary
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most prevalent and lethal malignancies worldwide. Most HCC cases occur in the setting of a chronic liver disease, usually caused by infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV). The current modalities of curative treatment for HCC are limited to hepatectomy, local ablation, and liver transplantation. Postoperative recurrence and metastasis are quite common, jeopardize overall survival, and lead to death in almost all patients [1]. Recurrence and metastasis arise through extremely complex molecular and pathological processes that generally require the dissemination of tumor cells from the primary lesion into the peripheral blood. The tumor cells disseminated into and circulating within the peripheral blood are called circulating tumor cells (CTCs)
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