Excision Repair Cross-complementation Group 1 Expression Research Articles

Lung cancer, predictive factor and ERCC1

Introduction: Excision repair cross-complementing group 1 (ERCC1) counteracts the cytotoxic effect of cisplatin through its role in DNA repair, and its expression level is a crucial factor for sensitivity to this drug. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of ERCC1 on tumor response and survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with a platinum-based regimen. Methods: Analysis of survival and tumor response based on the expression level of ERCC1 (detected by immunohistochemistry) in a cohort of NSCLC patients followed in a standard care setting. Results: Among the 77 cases of NSCLC included, ERCC1 expression was low in 64.9% of cases and high in 35.1% of cases. In the 52 patients treated with cisplatin, survival and tumor response were better in the low-expression group compared to the high-expression group: 14.35 months versus 9.49 months, p=0.022; Objective Response: 42.4% versus 0%, p=0.001. No significant difference was found based on protein expression level in patients treated with carboplatin. Conclusion: ERCC1 overexpression in patients treated with cisplatin predicts a poor tumor response and shorter survival.

Prognostic Significance of Excision Repair Cross-Complementation Group 1 on Circulating Tumor Cells for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Liquid biopsy, including the detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), has emerged as a promising tool for cancer diagnosis and monitoring. However, the prognostic value of CTCs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear due to the lack of phenotypic characterization. The expression of Excision Repair Cross-Complementation Group 1 (ERCC1) and CTCs epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) have been associated with treatment efficacy. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of ERCC1 expression on CTCs and their EMT subtypes before treatment in NPC. We retrospectively analyzed 108 newly diagnosed locally advanced NPC patients who underwent CanPatrol™ CTC testing between November 2018 and November 2021. CTCs were counted and classified into epithelial, epithelial-mesenchymal hybrid, and mesenchymal subtypes. ERCC1 expression was divided into negative and positive groups. Clinical features and survival outcomes were analyzed. The positive rate of CTCs was 92.6% (100/108), with an ERCC1 positivity rate of 74% (74/100). Further analysis of the subtypes showed that positive ERCC1 on mesenchymal CTCs was associated with a later N stage (P = .01). Positive ERCC1 expression was associated with poor overall survival (OS; P = .039) and disease-free survival (DFS; P = .035). Further analysis of subtypes showed that the positive ERCC1 on mesenchymal-type CTCs was associated with poor OS (P = .012) and metastasis-free survival (MFS; P = .001). Our findings suggest that ERCC1 expression on CTCs may serve as a new prognostic marker for NPC patients. Evaluating CTCs subtypes may become an auxiliary tool for personalized and precise treatment.

Perspectives of ERCC1 in early-stage and advanced cervical cancer: From experiments to clinical applications.

Cervical cancer is a public health problem of extensive clinical importance. Excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) was found to be a promising biomarker of cervical cancer over the years. At present, there is no relevant review article that summarizes such evidence. In this review, nineteen eligible studies were included for evaluation and data extraction. Based on the data from clinical and experimental studies, ERCC1 plays a key role in the progression of carcinoma of the uterine cervix and the therapeutic response of chemoradiotherapy. The majority of the included studies (13/19, 68%) suggested that ERCC1 played a pro-oncogenic role in both early-stage and advanced cervical cancer. High expression of ERCC1 was found to be associated with the poor survival rates of the patients. ERCC1 polymorphism analyses demonstrated that ERCC1 might be a useful tool for predicting the risk of cervical cancer and the treatment-related toxicities. Experimental studies indicated that the biological effects exerted by ERCC1 in cervical cancer might be mediated by its associated genes and affected signaling pathways (i.e., XPF, TUBB3, and. To move towards clinical applications by targeting ERCC1 in cervical cancer, more clinical, in-vitro, and in-vivo investigations are still warranted in the future.

Association between TOP2A, RRM1, HER2, ERCC1 expression and response to chemotherapy in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

PurposeThis study aimed to detect the expression levels of topoisomerase IIα (TOP2A), ribonucleotide reductase catalytic subunit M1 (RRM1),c-erbB-2 (HER2) and excision repair cross complementing group 1 (ERCC1) in non-muscular invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and explore the correlation between the expression of these genes and NMBIC sensitivity to pirarubicin or gemcitabine treatment. Materials and methodsNMIBC patient tissues and the bladder cancer cell lines BIU-87 and KK47 were selected for the exploration of drug sensitivity in vitro. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine protein expression in tissues. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and a Western blot assay were used to detect the mRNA and protein levels in cells. The cell IC50 value was evaluated by an MTT assay. Flow cytometry was used to sort the cell subpopulations. ResultsIn the pirarubicin-treated group, the patients with high TOP2A expression experienced lower recurrence rates than those with low TOP2A expression, whereas TOP2A and HER2 co-expression resulted in higher recurrence rates. The patients with low RRM1 expression, especially those with low ERCC1 expression, experienced lower recurrence rates than the patients with high RRM1 expression in the gemcitabine-treated group. Tumour cells with high TOP2A expression were highly sensitive to pirarubicin, and TOP2A+ HER2- cells were more sensitive to pirarubicin than TOP2A+ HER2+ cells. Cells with low RRM1 expression levels were sensitive to gemcitabine, and RRM1−ERCC1- cells were more sensitive to gemcitabine than RRM1−ERCC1+ cells. ConclusionHigh TOP2A expression or low RRM1 expression could predict the sensitivity of NMIBC to pirarubicin or gemcitabine treatment. HER2 and ERCC1 expression may affect the effect of TOP2A and RRM1, thus affecting the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs.

Expression of astrocyte-elevated gene-1 indicates prognostic value of fluoropyrimidine-based adjuvant chemotherapy in resectable stage III colorectal cancer.

It is unclear which prognostic factor such as pathological features and gene mutation are majorly relevant for stage III disease and whether they aid in determining patients who will be benefit from postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. The expression of astrocyte-elevated gene-1 (AEG-1), thymidylate synthase (TS), excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was examined to investigate their role in adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with resectable stage III colorectal cancer (CRC). A significant positive correlation was observed between AEG-1, TS, ERCC1, EGFR, and VEGF gene expression levels in CRC cell lines, and low AEG-1 and TS expression were highly sensitive to 5-fluorouracil treatment. Our results showed that AEG-1 expression was high in T4 and caused CRC recurrence or metastasis. Patients with T4, high AEG-1, TS and VEGF expression had a significantly short disease-free survival and overall survival. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, high AEG-1 expression could be an independent prognostic factor indicating poor survival in patients with resectable stage III CRC treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. In conclusion, AEG-1 expression and tumor grade are potential prognostic factors for recurrence and survival in patients with stage III CRC receiving adjuvant fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy.

A newly established monoclonal antibody against ERCC1 detects major isoforms of ERCC1 in gastric cancer.

Identifying patients resistant to cisplatin treatment is expected to improve cisplatin-based chemotherapy for various types of cancers. Excision repair cross-complementing group 1 (ERCC1) is involved in several repair processes of cisplatin-induced DNA crosslinks. ERCC1 overexpression is reported as a candidate prognostic factor and considered to cause cisplatin resistance in major solid cancers. However, anti-ERCC1 antibodies capable of evaluating expression levels of ERCC1 in clinical specimens were not fully optimized. A mouse monoclonal antibody against human ERCC1 was generated in this study. The developed antibody 9D11 specifically detected isoforms of 201, 202, 203 but not 204, which lacks the exon 3 coding region. To evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of this antibody, we have focused on gastric cancer because it is one of the major cancers in Japan. When ERCC1 expression was analyzed in seventeen kinds of human gastric cancer cell lines, all the cell lines were found to express either 201, 202, and/or 203 as major isoforms of ERCC1, but not 204 by Western blotting analysis. Immunohistochemical staining showed that ERCC1 protein was exclusively detected in nuclei of the cells and a moderate level of constant positivity was observed in nuclei of vascular endothelial cells. It showed a clear staining pattern in clinical specimens of gastric cancers. Antibody 9D11 may thus be useful for estimating expression levels of ERCC1 in clinical specimens.

Astragalus polysaccharide protects formaldehyde-induced toxicity by promoting NER pathway in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

In our previous study, it has been confirmed that formaldehyde (FA) not only inhibits the proliferative activity, but also causes DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs) formation in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). The purpose of this study was to detect the protective effect of astragalus polysaccharide (APS) against the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of BMSCs exposed to FA, and to explore potential molecular mechanisms of APS activity. Human BMSCs were cultured in vitro and randomly divided into control cells (Ctrl group), FA-treated cells (FA group, 120 μmol/L), and cells incubated with FA and increasing concentrations (40, 100, or 400 μg/mL) of APS (FA + APS groups). Cytotoxicity was measured by MTT assay. DNA strand breakage, DNA-protein crosslinks (DPCs), and micronucleus formation were respectively detected by comet assay, KCl-SDS precipitation assay, and micronucleus assay. The mRNA and protein expression level of xeroderma pigmentosum group A (XPA), xeroderma pigmentosum group C (XPC), excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1), replication protein A1 (RPA1), and replication protein A2 (RPA2) were all detected by qRT-PCR and Western Blot. Compared with the FA group, the cytotoxicity, DNA strand breakage, DPCs, and micronucleus levels were decreased significantly in FA + APS groups (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, the mRNA and protein expression of XPA, XPC, ERCC1, RPA1, and RPA2 were up regulated significantly in the FA + APS groups (P < 0.05) with the most prominent effect of the 100 μg/mL APS. Our results suggest that APS can protect the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of human BMSCs induced by FA. The mechanism may be associated with up-regulated expression of XPA, XPC, ERCC1, RPA1, and RPA2 in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway which promotes DNA damage repair.

Sclareol ameliorated ERCC1-mediated cisplatin resistance in A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells and a murine xenograft tumor model by suppressing AKT-GSK3β-AP1/Snail and JNK-AP1 pathways

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is a common first-line regimen for treating non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, drug resistance is still a major problem. The purposes of this study were to evaluate whether sclareol can reverse cisplatin resistance and to investigate its possible mechanisms. A549 cells, the human NSCLC cells with inherent cisplatin resistance, were used to investigate synergistic effect of sclareol with cisplatin in cell proliferation and migration as well as its regulatory mechanisms in expression of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1), a cisplatin resistance-associated molecule. Nude mice bearing subcutaneous A549 tumors were applied to investigate synergistic activity of sclareol in anti-tumor. As comparing to the cisplatin alone group, the treatment of cisplatin combined with sclareol significantly suppressed survival rate and cell migration of A549 cells. Besides, sclareol also exhibited suppression in ERCC1 expression by inhibiting AKT-GSK3β-AP1/Snail and JNK-AP1 pathways. Furthermore, the experimental data from in vivo study also demonstrated that the combination group of cisplatin and sclareol showed the greatest anti-tumor activity, whose effect could be partially attributed to sclareol-mediated decrease in intratumoral level of ERCC1 protein. Accordingly, sclareol has potential as an adjuvant for the treatment in NSCLC patients with cisplatin resistance.

Expression and Genetic Polymorphisms of ERCC1 in Chinese Han Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of the excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and the possible association of ERCC1 polymorphisms with susceptibility and response to chemotherapy of OSCC in a Chinese Han population. The expression of ERCC1 was determined by real-time PCR in eight patients. Four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs11615, rs3212948, rs3212961, and rs735482 of ERCC1 were genotyped in 113 OSCC patients and 184 healthy controls using a PCR restriction matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) assay. We found that a higher gene expression of ERCC1 was observed in tumor tissue as compared to pericarcinomatous tissue in OSCC patients. All genotypic and allelic frequencies of the tested ERCC1 polymorphisms were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The genotypic and allelic frequencies of rs11615, rs3212948, rs3212961, and rs735482 of ERCC1 were not different between OSCC patients and controls. No correlation was observed between ERCC1 polymorphisms and the response to chemotherapy. Our results show that ERCC1 is increased in the tumor tissue of OSCC patients. The investigated ERCC1 gene polymorphisms (rs11615, rs3212948, rs3212961, and rs735482) are not associated with the susceptibility and response to chemotherapy of OSCC in our investigated Chinese Han population.

Double-staining Immunohistochemistry Reveals in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma the Coexpression of ERCC1 and RRM1 as a Frequent Biological Event Related to Poorer Survival.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare cancer with a poor prognosis. To date, standard MPM therapy is still limited to surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, including pemetrexed and platinum compounds. The main mechanisms of platinum resistance are associated with DNA repair pathways. Excision repair cross-complementing group 1 (ERCC1) and ribonucleotide reductase subunit M1 (RRM1) are important components of the DNA repair, considered as prognostic and predictive biomarkers in various cancer types. The main goal of the present study was to investigate the ERCC1 and RRM1 expression and their potential impact on outcome in this tumor. A series of 73 MPM, mainly treated with a platin-based regimen, was collected and the immunohistochemistry tests were performed to assess ERCC1 and RRM1 expression. In addition, a multiplex immunohistochemistry has been validated to detect simultaneously the 2 proteins on the same slide. In our series, 36 of 73 cases showed ERCC1 expression and 55 of 73 showed RRM1 expression. The double immunohistochemical staining showed the coexpression of ERCC1/RRM1 in 34 of 73 cases. A significant association between ERCC1 and RRM1 expression was observed in our series (P<0.05). Patients with ERCC1/RRM1 coexpression experienced shorter median overall survival (6.6 vs. 13.8 mo, log-rank=7688; P=0.006). Our results suggest that the coexpression of ERCC1/RRM1 could define a group of MPM patients with the worst prognosis who should need likely alternative treatment. In conclusion, we propose the putative usefulness of ERCC1/RRM1 coexpression as prognostic biomarkers for overall survival in MPM.

Abstract 353: Expression of astrocyte-elevated gene-1 is associated with prognostic value of adjuvant chemotherapy in resectable stage III colorectal cancer

Abstract Background: Administration of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy has reduced the risk of tumor recurrence and improved survival for patients with resected colorectal cancer (CRC). Regarding the prognostic factors, including pathologic features and gene mutation have major relevance for stage III disease, it is not well known whether they might help select patients who would fare favorably when received adjuvant chemotherapy. OBJECTIVE: Expression of astrocyte-elevated gene-1 (AEG-1), thymidylate synthase (TS), excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were needed to investigate the role involved in adjuvant combination therapy for patients with resectable stage III colon cancer. Methods: AEG-1, TS, ERCC1, EGFR and VEGF were investigated by CRC cell lines and intra-tumor immunohistochemistry stain. Furthermore, this study collected 29 patients with stage III colorectal cancer who underwent surgical resection from 2011 to 2016 and received postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. The culmination of clinical data registration included surgical procedures, tumor size, number of lymph node metastases, and types of chemotherapy drugs. Result: A significant positive correlation between AEG-1, TS, ERCC1, EGFR, and VEGF gene expression levels were revealed in CRC cell lines. Cell lines with lower AEG-1 and TS expression had higher sensitivity to 5-FU treatment. In clinical studies, we found that higher AEG-1 expression was noted in T4 and also caused CRC recurrence or metastasis. Patients with T4 and stage IIIC CRC had a significantly shorter DFS (T4 v.s. T1-3, DFS, months, median: 4.1 ± 1.2 v.s. non-reach [NR], p &amp;lt; 0.001; IIIC v.s. IIIA or IIIB, DFS, months, median: 10.6 ± 5.3 v.s. NR, p = 0.037; respectively). Patients with higher AEG-1 and TS expression had a shorter DFS (AEG-1, high v.s. low, months, median: 12.8 ± 2.4 v.s. NR, p = 0.003; TS, high v.s. low, months, median: 13.8 ± 2.3 v.s. NR, p = 0.012; respectively). In multivariate Cox Regression analysis, advanced tumor invasion (T4) and high AEG-1 expression could be an independent prognostic factor to cause poor survival in resectable stage III CRC patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Conclusion: Expressions of AEG-1 and tumor grade as a candidate prognostic factor of recurrence in stage III colorectal cancer patients receiving adjuvant fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy. A prospective cohort study should be guaranteed to validate these factors to be predictive markers of adjuvant chemotherapy benefit for stage III CRC. Citation Format: Chung-Yu Chen, Peng-Sheng Lai, Ying-Yin Chen, Long-Wei Lin. Expression of astrocyte-elevated gene-1 is associated with prognostic value of adjuvant chemotherapy in resectable stage III colorectal cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 353.

Clinicopathological correlation of the expression of excision repair cross complementation group1 (ERCC1) in oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas: an immunohistochemical study.

The nucleotide excision repair pathway is a sophisticated DNA repair mechanism that reduces DNA damage caused by exogenous factors. Excision repair cross complementation group 1 (ERCC1) is a prominent member of this pathway that maintains the genomic stability. The aim of this study is to determine the association between the immunohistochemical expression of ERCC1and the clinical and pathological features of oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas. The sections of formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue blocks of oral squamous cell carcinomas (n=60) were immunohistochemically stained with anti-ERCC1antibody. Theassociation between the nuclear expression of ERCC1and the clinicopathological parameters of the tumors and the patient outcomes was evaluated using the chi-square test. ERCC1expression was evident in all studied cases of the oral squamous cell carcinomas. A high ERCC1expression was associated with smaller tumors, tumors without lymph node involvement and well-differentiated tumors (p<0.001). Better outcomes were associated with higher expression of ERCC1 (p=0.028). ERCC1seems to be an efficient biomarker for prognostication of oral squamous cell carcinomas. High expression of ERCC1indicates more favorable course of the disease.

Evaluation of nuclear NF-κB, transglutaminase2, and ERCC1 as predictors of platinum resistance in testicular tumors.

ABSTRACTPurpose:Testicular germ cells tumor (TGCT) are associated with a high cure rate and are treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. However, a group of testicular cancer patients may have a very unfavorable evolution and insensitivity to the main therapeutic agent chemotherapy (CT) cisplatin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of recurrence and overall survival related to the expression of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), transglutaminase 2 (TG2) and excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) in patients with TGCT treated with platinum combinations.Patients and Methods:A retrospective study was performed with TGCT patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed and the expression was correlated with clinical and laboratory data.Results:Fifty patients were included, the mean age was 28.4 years (18 to 45), and 76% were non-seminoma. All patients were treated with standard cisplatin, etoposide and bleomycin or cisplatin, and etoposide. Patient’s analyzed immunodetection for NF-κB, TG2, and ERCC1 were positive in 76%, 54% and 42%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified that positive expressions to ERCC1 and NF-κB are independent risk factors for higher recurrence TGCT after chemotherapy (RR 2.96 and 3.16, respectively). Patients with positive expression of ERCC1 presented a poor overall survival rate for 10-year follow (p=0.001).Conclusions:The expression of ERCC1 and NF-κB give a worse prognosis for relapse, and only ERCC1 had an influence on the overall survival of TGCT patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. These may represent markers that predict poor clinical outcome and response to cisplatin.

Osteopontin enhances cisplatin resistance of human A549 lung cancer cells via stimulating the PI3K signaling pathway and upregulating ERCC1 expression.

BackgroundTo investigate the regulatory role of osteopontin (OPN) in cisplatin (DDP) resistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).MethodsOPN over-expression and interference vectors were constructed. Human NSCLC A549 cells were divided into normal control, shRNA-NC, shRNA-OPN, OPN, negative control (NC), control+DDP, shRNA-NC+DDP, shRNA-OPN+DDP, OPN+DDP, and NC+DDP groups. Cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase), p-ERK1/2 (phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinases) and ERCC1 (excision repair cross-complementation group 1) mRNA and protein expression was determined by real-time PCR and Western blot.ResultsOPN overexpression and interference vectors were successfully constructed. When compared with control group, OPN group had significantly stimulated cell viability, reduced cell apoptosis, and increased expression of PI3K, p-ERK1/2 and ERCC1 (all P<0.05), whereas all other groups had lower cell viability, higher cell apoptosis, and inhibited protein expression. Moreover, OPN+DDP group had significantly higher proliferation, lower cell apoptosis, and enhanced PI3K, p-ERK1/2 and ERCC1 mRNA and protein expression compared with shRNA-OPN+DDP (all P<0.05).ConclusionsOPN can promote tumor cell growth and reduce cell apoptosis by activating PI3K pathway, which may induce the resistance of NSCLC to cisplatin. Moreover, the stimulation of ERCC1 expression may also increase the cisplatin resistance of NSCLCs.

Predictive Value of ERCC1 Expression on Treatment Response to Cisplatin-Based Regimens in Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis

TWe aimed to determine whether the excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) expression predicts response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). This was a retrospective study, in which hospital files of 31 patients (29 males, 2 females; mean age, 62.26±7.71 years) were reviewed. All patients were treated with etoposide+cisplatin. The lung biopsy and mediastinal lymph node samples were applied anti-human monoclonal antibodies against ERCC1: immunohistochemical staining was considered positive if 25-100% of the cells showed nuclear staining, and negative if less than 25% of the cells showed negative or slight staining. Response to treatment was evaluated as regression (complete or partial response), progressive disease, or stable disease.

Prognostic and Predictive Role of Excision Repair Cross-complementation Group 1 and Thymidylate Synthase in Colorectal Carcinoma Patients Received FOLFOX Chemotherapy: An Immunohistochemical Study.

We aim to determine the frequency of thymidylate synthase (TS) and excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC-1) immunohistochemical (IHC) expression and its relationship with clinicopathologic variables in colorectal carcinoma (CRC) patients. In addition, we aim to assess the correlation between TS and ERCC-1 expression and the response of these cases to oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy (FOLFOX). Fifty-one CRC patients were prepared for IHC analysis of ERCC-1 and TS protein expression. All patients received oxaliplatin and 5-fluorouracil combined chemotherapy (FOLFOX) and were followed up for 24 months. The data analysis showed that high ERCC-1 and TS expression was significantly associated with early treatment failure (P=0.020 and 0.000). In contrast, TS immunoexpression affects the disease-free survival rate (P=0.010). The presence of deep tumor invasion, distant metastasis, lymph node metastasis, and high Dukes' classification were significantly statistically associated with early treatment failure (P=0.001, 0.000, 0.041, and 0.015, respectively). Our results showed that both ERCC-1 and TS are predictive factors for early treatment failure in CRC patients. TS protein is a prognostic factor for disease-free survival rates. This supports the theory that both ERCC-1 and TS can be used to improve chemotherapeutic outcomes in CRC patients. High expression of TS and ERCC-1 helps in the identification of cases that will get fewer benefits from FOLFOX chemotherapy. As an innovative strategy, in these cases, we can use alternative chemotherapeutic regimens or add an extra agent. In addition, Dukes' classification and lymph node metastasis are predictive factors for early treatment failure. Thus, all those values can be used to predict CRC patients with bad prognosis and those who will get fewer benefits from FOLFOX.

Predictive Value of Excision Repair Cross-Complementation Group 1 in the Response to Platinum-Based Chemotherapy in Esophageal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Platinum is widely used in the treatment of esophageal cancer. In clinical practice, it is significant to distinguish patients who respond to platinum from those who do not. Excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) is thought to be the key in the resistance to platinum. However, whether it is related to the platinum-based chemotherapy response on real esophageal cancer patients is controversial. We conducted this meta-analysis to explore the association between ERCC1 polymorphisms, its expression levels and platinum-based chemotherapy response, and identify the most sensitive genotypes. Methods: The study was carried out according to the Cochrane handbook for systemic reviews of intervention. The study protocol has been registered on PROSPERO. Results: Three studies were included in the analysis of C8092A polymorphisms, 5 in the C118T, and another 6 in ERCC1 expression levels. In C118T polymorphisms, compared to wild genotype, patients with mutant genotypes had a significantly higher response rate. As for C8092A polymorphisms, the mutant genotypes also presented a better response than the wild genotype. The pooled analysis indicated a significantly higher response rate in patients with a low expression of ERCC1. Conclusions: ERCC1 is a valuable biomarker for platinum-based chemotherapy in esophageal cancer. Patients with ERCC1 mutations or low-level ERCC1 expression are more sensitive to platinum-based chemotherapy.

The prognostic value of excision repair cross-complementing Group 1 expression in nasopharyngeal cancer patients.

Background:Overexpression of excision repair cross-complementing Group 1 (ERCC-1) is related to cisplatin resistance and defective repair of radiation damage. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of excision (ERCC-1) expression in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC).Materials and Methods:We conducted a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with NPC between 2000 and 2013. The archived tissues were analyzed using immunohistochemistry to determine ERCC-1 expression. The ERCC-1 expression level along with other clinical factors and overall survival (OS) were analyzed. Hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% confidence interval was calculated to assess the risk.Results:The analysis of ERCC-1 expression was available in 262 NPC patients who had medical records at our hospital. Among those patients, 221 (84%) were treated with curative radiotherapy (RT)/concurrent chemoradiotherapy, 22 (7%) were treated with palliative RT alone, and 19 (9%) were given best supportive care. There was no correlation between ERCC-1 expression and stage of cancer or OS. No difference in 5-year OS was found between patients with low ERCC-1 expression and high ERCC-1 expression (38% vs. 36%; P = 0.981). The adjusted HR (aHR) of cancer death increased with cancer stage (aHR = 2.93 for advanced Stages III–IV; P = 0.001) and age (aHR = 2.11 for age >55; P ≤ 0.001). ERCC-1 expression exhibited no prognostic significance in our study (aHR = 1).Conclusion:In this study, ERCC-1 expression has no statistical significance to be considered a prognostic factor for OS among NPC patients. On the other hand, cancer stage, age, and types of treatment can be prognostic factors in NPC patients.

EGFR exon 19-deletion aberrantly regulate ERCC1 expression that may partly impaired DNA damage repair ability in non-small cell lung cancer.

BackgroundEpidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activating mutations are usually associated with DNA damage repair (DDR) deficiency. However, the precise mechanism has remained elusive. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether EGFR exon 19 deletion mutation downstream signals contributed to DDR deficiency by downregulation of excision repair cross‐complementation group‐1 (ERCC1), a key factor in DDR, expression and function.MethodsWe first measured cell survival, DNA damage (γ‐H2AX foci formation) and damage repair (ERCC1 and RAD51 foci formation) ability in response to DNA cross‐linking drug in EGFR exon 19 deletion and EGFR wild‐type cells separately. We then investigated the involvement of EGFR downstream signals in regulating ERCC1 expression and function in EGFR exon 19 deletion cells as compared with EGFR wild‐type ones.ResultsWe observed increased γ‐H2AX, but impaired ERCC1 and RAD51 nuclear foci formation in EGFR exon 19 deletion cells as compared with EGFR wild‐type ones treated with DNA cross‐linker. In addition, we identified that inhibition of EGFR exon 19 deletion signals increased ERCC1 expression, whereas blocked wild‐type EGFR signals decreased ERCC1 expression, on both mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, EGFR exon 19 deletion downstream signals not only inhibited ERCC1 expression but also influenced ERCC1 foci formation in response to DNA cross‐linker.ConclusionOur findings indicated that the aberrant EGFR exon 19 deletion signals were not only associated with decreased expression of ERCC1 but were also involved in impaired ERCC1 recruitment in response to DNA cross‐link damage, thereby providing us with more evidence for exploring the mechanism of DDR deficiency in EGFR mutant NSCLC.

Association of expression of p53, livin, ERCC1, BRCA1 and PARP1 in epithelial ovarian cancer tissue with drug resistance and prognosis

ObjectiveTo evaluate the correlation between expression of p53, Livin, Excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1), BRCA1 and Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP 1) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) tissues with platinum-based chemotherapy and prognosis in patients who received either comprehensive surgical staging or cytoreductive surgery. MethodsThe protein expressions level of five potential regulators involved in chemo-resistance, including p53, Livin, ERCC1, BRCA1 and PARP1 in EOC tissues from 66 patients were evaluated using immunohistochemistry method. We also measured preoperative CA125 level measured by an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay (ECLIA) in all patients. Cox proportional hazard regression model was established to identify whether these proteins are associated with overall survival. ResultsChemo-resistance and poor overall survival were shown to be significantly related with positive expressions of p53, Livin, ERCC1, BRCA1 and PARP1. The evaluation of risk factors on the chemo-resistance showed that ERCC1 and BRCA1 are strong risk factors (OR: 21.12 and 21.61, all P < 0.01), while the positive expression of ERCC1, BRCA1 and PARP1 was significantly highly associated with the overall survival (HR: 3.9, 3.7 and 2.6, all P < 0.05, respectively). CA125 levels were significantly higher in patients with positive expression of P53, BRCA1, ERCC1 or Livin compared with those with negative expression (471:146, 667:260, 494:261 and 4589:89 U/ml, respectively, all P < 0.05). ConclusionsThe elevated expression levels of ERCC1 and BRCA1 were identified as significant risk factors for chemo-resistance in EOC. Reduced expression levels of ERCC1, BRCA1 and PARP1 were significantly associated with better overall survival. The CA125 levels were significantly higher in patients with EOC specimens that were positive of p53, BRCA1, ERCC1 and Livin.