Pathogenesis Of Squamous Cell Carcinoma Research Articles

IDENTIFICATION OF MUC1-C AS A TARGET FOR SUPPRESSING PROGRESSION OF HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMAS.

The MUC1-C protein is aberrantly expressed in adenocarcinomas of epithelial barrier tissues and contributes to their progression. Less is known about involvement of MUC1-C in the pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). Here, we report that the MUC1 gene is upregulated in advanced head and neck SCCs (HNSCCs). Studies of HNSCC cell lines demonstrate that the MUC1-C subunit regulates expression of (i) RIG-I and MDA5 pattern recognition receptors, (ii) STAT1 and interferon (IFN) regulatory factors, and (iii) downstream IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). MUC1-C integrates chronic activation of the STAT1 inflammatory pathway with induction of the ∆Np63 and SOX2 genes that are aberrantly expressed in HNSCCs. In extending those dependencies, we demonstrate that MUC1-C is necessary for NOTCH3 expression, self-renewal capacity and tumorigenicity. The findings that MUC1 associates with ∆Np63, SOX2 and NOTCH3 expression by scRNA-seq analysis further indicate that MUC1-C drives the HNSCC stem cell state and is a target for suppressing HNSCC progression.

Implication of Amyloid Precursor-like Protein 2 Expression in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Pathogenesis.

Regulatory functions of amyloid precursor-like protein 2 (APLP2) expression in intracellular trafficking of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) and biological behavior of tumor cells have been reported in various types of malignancies but not in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). This study aimed to investigate the role of APLP2 expression in the pathogenesis of CSCC. The expression of APLP2 and a key modulator of cancer immune escape, MHC-I, were determined in CSCC tissue samples obtained from 141 patients using immunohistochemistry. The regulatory effects of APLP2 expression on the biological behavior and surface expression of MHC-I in CSCC cells were investigated by trypan blue assay, Matrigel invasion assay, and in vivo xenograft analysis. APLP2 immunoreactivity was high in 73 (51.8%) tissue samples from patients with CSCC and was significantly related to subcutaneous fat invasion and poor prognosis in our cohort. Moreover, proliferation of and invasion by CSCC cells were significantly reduced after APLP2 knockdown in CSCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. A significant association was found between APLP2 and membrane MHC-I expression in patients with CSCC. In vivo xenograft analysis showed that APLP2 knockdown increased membrane MHC-I expression in CSCC cells. APLP2 not only acts as an oncogene in CSCC progression but also as a possible modulator of cancer immune escape by influencing MHC-I expression on the cell surface. APLP2 may serve as a novel molecular biomarker and therapeutic target for patients with CSCC.

Role of the Microbiota in Skin Neoplasms: New Therapeutic Horizons.

The skin and the gut are regularly colonized by a variety of microorganisms capable of interacting with the immune system through their metabolites and influencing the balance between immune tolerance and inflammation. Alterations in the composition and diversity of the skin microbiota have been described in various cutaneous diseases, including skin cancer, and the actual function of the human microbiota in skin carcinogenesis, such as in progression and metastasis, is currently an active area of research. The role of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) in the pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinoma is well consolidated, especially in chronically immunosuppressed patients. Furthermore, an imbalance between Staphylococcus spp., such as Staphylococcus epidermidis and aureus, has been found to be strongly related to the progression from actinic keratosis to squamous cell carcinoma and differently associated with various stages of the diseases in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma patients. Also, in melanoma patients, differences in microbiota have been related to dissimilar disease course and prognosis and may affect the effectiveness and tolerability of immune checkpoint inhibitors, which currently represent one of the best chances of a cure. From this point of view, acting on microbiota can be considered a possible therapeutic option for patients with advanced skin cancers, even if several issues are still open.

HPV-Associated Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Eyelid: Diagnostic Utility of p16 Immunohistochemistry and mRNA In Situ Hybridization.

High-risk (HR) Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been implicated in pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) at several sites with mucocutaneous junctions, including the head and neck. SCC is the second most common eyelid malignancy. However, its association with transcriptionally active HR-HPV has not been adequately studied. Two index cases of eyelid HPV-associated SCC are described in detail. A retrospective cohort of eyelid SCC was examined for p16 immunoexpression. Cases demonstrating p16 positivity or equivocal staining were subjected to high-risk HPV mRNA in situ hybridization (ISH). Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was performed in mRNA ISH-positive cases for HPV genotyping. The two index patients were older adult females, with upper eyelid tumours. On histology, both tumours were non-keratinizing SCC with trabecular and nested architecture reminiscent of oropharyngeal HPV-associated non-keratinizing SCC, prompting p16 immunohistochemistry, which was positive. HR-HPV mRNA ISH was positive, and qPCR detected HPV16 in both cases. Three of 20 (15%) archival cases showed p16 immunopositivity and two (10%) showed equivocal staining. However, mRNA ISH was negative. All cases showing p16 immunostaining and lacking HR-HPV were keratinizing SCCs. Thus, 9% of all eyelid SCC examined demonstrated HR-HPV. The prevalence of HR-HPV in eyelid SCC is low in Indian patients. HPV-associated SCC may mimic commoner eyelid carcinomas as it lacks overt keratinization. In basaloid-appearing eyelid carcinomas, p16 immunopositivity should be followed by reflex HR-HPV mRNA ISH, as p16 immunohistochemistry alone has low specificity. The prognostic role, if any, of HPV association needs further evaluation.

Integrative multiomics and weighted network approach reveals the prognostic role of RPS7 in lung squamous cell carcinoma pathogenesis.

Lung cancer is one of the most commonly occurring malignant cancers with the highest rate of mortality globally. Difference between lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and their treatment strategies according to genetic markers may be helpful in reducing the cancer progression and increasing the overall survival (OS) in patients. LUSC is known for comparatively less typical onco-drivers, target therapy resistance, marked genomic complexity, and a reasonably higher mutation rate. The mRNA-seq data and clinical information of LUAD and LUSC cohorts from UCSC Xena comprising 437 and 379 patient samples were extracted. Differential expression and weighted network analyses revealed 47 and 18 hub differentially expressed genes (DEGs) corresponding to LUAD and LUSC cohorts. These hub DEGs were further subjected to protein-protein interaction network (PPIN) and OS analyses. Lower mRNA expression levels of both RPS15A and RPS7 worsened the OS of LUSC patients. Additionally, both these prognostic biomarkers were validated via external sources such as UALCAN, cBioPortal, TIMER, and HPA. RPS7 had higher mutation frequency compared to RPS15A and showed significant negative correlations with infiltrating levels of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, neutrophils, and macrophages. Our findings provided novel insights into biomarker discovery and the critical role of ribosomal biogenesis especially smaller ribosomal subunit in pathogenesis of LUSC.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the breast: A case report and review of the literature

Breast squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare form of breast cancer and is highly malignant; diagnosis is based on histological examination after eliminating the primary tumor; clinical and radiological examination is not specific; treatment is the same as for invasive ductal carcinoma; prognosis is poor due to tumor size and lymph node involvement. We report a case of breast SCC in a 53-year-old patient who was examined in the obstetrics and gynecology department of the hospital in Casablanca. Through this case, we raise the main characteristics of this rare type of breast cancer. As a conclusion, the etiology and pathogenesis of SCC of the breast is still unclear.

PAK4 kinase as a potential therapeutic target of the transcription factor p63-meditated squamous cell carcinomas of the pancreas.

This study was undertaken to better understand the pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the pancreas and to determine if inhibiting the p21-activated kinase 4 (PAK4) activity could be used for treating pancreatic SCCs. Here are the context of the research and preliminary results: Although significant research has been done on adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, the current understanding of pancreatic SCCs remains limited, and there is no known cure for it. We established a mouse model of pancreatic SCCs by over-expressing the transcription factor p63 in the pancreatic ductal epithelial-specific manner. Our working hypothesis was that dysregulation of p63-mediate transcriptional networks can lead to the development of pancreatic SCCs. As the stability of p63 is regulated at the protein level by phosphorylation, we searched for kinase that stabilizes p63 and identified PAK4 kinase. Although previous studies have shown that PAK4 is frequently overexpressed in ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, the involvement of PAK4 in the pathogenesis of pancreatic SCCs remained unclear. We have demonstrated that suppression of the PAK4 kinase activity by a small molecule inhibitor reduced p63 levels in cellular models of pancreatic SCCs, leading to the complete suppression of their proliferation in vitro. These results indicate that PAK4 kinase can serve as a novel therapeutic target for some pancreatic SCCs and that PAK4-mediated stabilization/upregulation of the transcription factor p63 can be the key molecular event underlying the pathogenesis of pancreatic SCCs. We will use our mouse models in future studies to determine if administration of the PAK4 inhibitor in vivo can be used as an effective therapy for the treatment and prevention of the development of this most dangerous cancer subtype in human cancers.

Adaptive immune response in pathogenesis and treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: the influence of immunosuppression factors and gender

An obvious trend of the last decade in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma pathogenesis evaluation is awareness of the impact of immune response disorders on disease manifestation. The review presents an analysis of the differences in the type and degree of immunosuppression, as well as treatment response in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients in accordance with influencing carcinogenic factor, gender, age of the patient and concomitant diseases. An increase in CD8+ T-lymphocytes and a decrease of memory T-cells has been evaluated in smoking and alcohol abusing patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and a smaller number of CD8+ T-lymphocytes were detected in the tumor microenvironment compared to non-smoking and non-drinking patients. Studies have shown that the improved prognosis of patients with human papillomavirus (Hpv) – associated head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is largely due to the presence of antibodies against Hpv E6 and E7, E7-specific CD8+T lymphocytes in periphe ral blood and a high level of tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes. The issue of gender differences in the type of immune response is widely discussed. It has been shown that the use of immune response checkpoint inhibitors is more effective in improving survival rates in men, and the use of these drugs in combination with chemotherapy is more effective in women. In addition, in elderly cancer patients, numerous age-associated T-lymphocyte’s function changes were revealed, including a decrease in the number of naive T-lymphocytes due to age-related involution of the thymus and an in crease in the relative number of memory cells and effector cells. Thus, it is clear that immunosuppression type, as well as treatment response, differ depending on the influencing factor, gender, age of the patient, as well as comorbidities.

Prodigious presentation of oral squamous cell carcinoma: early diagnosis and treatment – A case report

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common malignant tumor of the oral cavity and one of the most trivial forms of cancer of the head and neck region It arises from dysplastic oral squamous epithelium. By considering the pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinoma, the smooth and intact surface for this lesion is not usual and almost every time it mimics other inflammatory gingival regions. A solitary well defined proliferative growth of normal mucosal color and sessile in nature. Histopathological examination revealed well differentiated oral squamous cell carcinoma. In this paper, we report an unusual clinical presentation of oral squamous cell carcinoma in buccal mucosa which is very rare.

Prognostic Impact of EGFR Amplification and Visceral Pleural Invasion in Early Stage Pulmonary Squamous Cell Carcinomas Patients after Surgical Resection of Primary Tumor.

Simple SummaryLung cancer is the most prevalent malignant neoplasm worldwide. Pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a histological subtype of non-small cell lung carcinoma with a high rate of morbimortality. The identification of biomarkers with prognosis value is critical in the follow-up and management of SCC patients. Amplification of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) gen on 7p12 is frequently found in pulmonary SCC. We analyzed this alteration with immunohistochemistry, and fluorescence in situ hybridization, along with clinic-pathological variables such as gender, age, pT-stage, lymph node status, pleural invasion, stage, recurrence, metastasis, and overall survival, in a homogeneous population of 108 patients. We found that EGFR amplification, exclusively in early stage SCC (pT1–pT2), is an independent adverse prognostic factor for overall survival and combined with visceral pleural invasion, allows the identification of three groups of pulmonary SCC patients with significantly different outcome, which could be established at diagnosis.Over the last few decades, an increasing amount of information has been accumulated on biomarkers in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite these advances, most biomarkers have been identified in the adenocarcinoma histological subtype (AC). However, the application of molecular-targeted therapies in the prognosis and treatment of SCC in the clinical setting is very limited, becoming one of the main focus areas in research. Here, we prospectively analyzed the frequency of numerical/structural abnormalities of chromosomes 5, 7, 8, 9, 13 and 22 with FISH in 48 pulmonary SCC patients. From a total of 12 probes, only abnormalities of the 7p12 and 22q12 chromosomal regions were identified as unique genetic variables associated with the prognosis of the disease. The study for these two chromosomal regions was extended to 108 patients with SCC. Overall, chromosome losses were observed more frequently than chromosome gains, i.e., 61% versus 19% of all the chromosome abnormalities detected. The highest levels of genetic amplification were detected for the 5p15.2, 7p12, 8q24 and 22q11 chromosome bands, of which several genes are potentially involved in the pathogenesis of SCC, among others, include the EGFR gene at chromosome 7p12. Patients who displayed EGFR amplification (n = 13; 12%) were mostly older than 65 years (p = 0.07) and exclusively patients in early T-primary tumor stage (pT1–pT2; p = 0.03) with a significantly shortened overall survival (OS) (p ≤ 0.001). Regarding prognosis, the clinical, biological, and histopathologic characteristics of the disease that displayed a significant adverse influence on OS in the univariate analysis included patients older than 65 years (p = 0.02), the presence of lymph node involvement (p = 0.005), metastasis (p = 0.01) and, visceral pleural invasion (VPI) at diagnosis (p = 0.04). EGFR amplification also conferred an adverse impact on patient OS in the whole series (p = 0.02) and especially in patients in early stages (pT1–pT2; p = 0.01). A multivariate analysis of the prognostic factors for OS showed that the most informative combination of independent variables to predict an adverse outcome was the presence of VPI and/or EGFR amplification (p < 0.001). Based on these two variables, a scoring system was built to stratify patients into low- (no adverse features: score 0; n = 69), intermediate- (one adverse feature: score 1; n = 29) and high-risk (two adverse features: score 2; n = 5) groups, with significantly different (p = 0.001) OS rates at 50 months, which were as following: 32%, 28% and 0%, respectively. In the present study, we show that the presence of a high level of 7p12 (EGFR) amplification, exclusively detected in early stage SCC (pT1–pT2), is an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS. The identification of the EGFR gene copy number using FISH techniques may provide a more accurate diagnosis of high-risk populations after the complete resection of the primary tumor. When combined with VPI, three groups of pulmonary SCC were clearly identified that show the extent of the disease. This is of such importance that further prospective studies are necessary in larger series of SCC patients to be classified at the time of diagnosis. This could be achieved with the combined assessment of 7p12 amplification and VPI in primary tumor samples.

Implication of COPB2 Expression on Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Pathogenesis.

Simple SummaryThe present study aimed to evaluate the effect of COPB2 expression on cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) pathogenesis. cSCC, a common category of skin cancer, is marked by a reasonably favorable prognosis. However, there has been a steady rise in the annual incidence of cases; in particular, a subset of cases showed aggressive progression. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of cSCC pathogenesis is largely unknown. In the present study, we found that COPB2 may act as a potential oncogene and modulator of the tumor immune microenvironment in cSCC pathogenesis. Therefore, COPB2 can serve as a novel predictive prognostic biomarker and immunotherapeutic target in cSCC patients.The underlying molecular mechanisms of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) pathogenesis are largely unknown. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of coatomer protein complex subunit beta 2 (COPB2) expression on cSCC pathogenesis. Clinicopathological significance of COPB2 in cSCC was investigated by analyzing the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and through a retrospective cohort study of 95 cSCC patients. The effect of COPB2 expression on the biological behavior of cSCC cells was investigated both in vitro and in vivo. We found that COPB2 expression was significantly higher in cSCC samples than in normal skin samples. In our cohort, a considerable association was found between COPB2 expression and indicators of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), such as histocompatibility complex class (MHC) I, and MHC II, CD4+/ CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Additionally, COPB2 expression had an independent impact on worsened recurrence-free survival in our cohort. Furthermore, decreased proliferation, invasion, tumorigenic activities, and increased apoptosis were observed after COPB2 knockdown in cSCC cells. COPB2 may act as a potential oncogene and candidate modulator of the TIME in cSCC. Therefore, it can serve as a novel predictive prognostic biomarker and candidate immunotherapeutic target in cSCC patients.

Infection by High-Risk Human Papillomaviruses, Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Squamous Pre-Malignant or Malignant Lesions of the Uterine Cervix: A Series of Chained Events?

Wound healing requires static epithelial cells to gradually assume a mobile phenotype through a multi-step process termed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Although it is inherently transient and reversible, EMT perdures and is abnormally activated when the epithelium is chronically exposed to pathogens: this event deeply alters the tissue and eventually contributes to the development of diseases. Among the many of them is uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the most frequent malignancy of the female genital system. SCC, whose onset is associated with the persistent infection of the uterine cervix by high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs), often relapses and/or metastasizes, being resistant to conventional chemo- or radiotherapy. Given that these fearsome clinical features may stem, at least in part, from the exacerbated and long-lasting EMT occurring in the HPV-infected cervix; here we have reviewed published studies concerning the impact that HPV oncoproteins, cellular tumor suppressors, regulators of gene expression, inflammatory cytokines or growth factors, and the interactions among these effectors have on EMT induction and cervical carcinogenesis. It is predictable and desirable that a broader comprehension of the role that EMT inducers play in SCC pathogenesis will provide indications to flourish new strategies directed against this aggressive tumor.

A case of Epstein Barr virus-associated primary squamous cell carcinoma of stomach

BackgroundPrimary squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of stomach is extremely rare. The pathogenesis of SCC of stomach remains unclear. There is only one report that Epstein Barr virus (EBV) infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of SCC arising in the stomach ever before. Here, we report a case of Epstein Barr virus infection-associated primary SCC of stomach in a 70-year-old woman. She was presented to the referring hospital with hematemesis. Initial endoscopy revealed a bleeding gastric ulcer in the upper part of gastric corpus and the coagulation therapy was followed. After a 3-month follow-up, endoscopy revealed a submucosal tumor-like protrusion instead of an ulcer. Computed tomography revealed a mass in the upper part of stomach and swollen lymph nodes along with the lesser curvature and para-aortic lymph node. Biopsy could not confirm the definitive diagnosis. We performed total gastrectomy with para-aortic lymph node sampling. Histological analysis revealed squamous cell carcinoma with EBV infection with lymph node metastases. Tumor cells were positive for EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER) by in situ hybridization. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged on day 11 after the operation. CapeOX was started as adjuvant chemotherapy, and the patient remains alive without recurrence 7 months after surgery.ConclusionThis is the first case report of EBV infection-associated primary SCC of the stomach diagnosed by in situ hybridization of EBER. EBV infection may be related to the pathogenesis of primary SCC. Further evidence and studies are required to establish optimal strategy for this rare disease.

Sex-dependent development of Kras-induced anal squamous cell carcinoma in mice.

Anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) will be diagnosed in an estimated 9,080 adults in the United States this year, and rates have been rising over the last several decades. Most people that develop anal SCC have associated human papillomavirus (HPV) infection (~85–95%), with approximately 5–15% of anal SCC cases occurring in HPV-negative patients from unknown etiology. This study identified and characterized the Kras-driven, female sex hormone-dependent development of anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the LSL-KrasG12D; Pdx1-Cre (KC) mouse model that is not dependent on papillomavirus infection. One hundred percent of female KC mice develop anal SCC, while no male KC mice develop tumors. Both male and female KC anal tissue express Pdx1 and Cre-recombinase mRNA, and the activated mutant KrasG12D gene. Although the driver gene mutation KrasG12D is present in anus of both sexes, only female KC mice develop Kras-mutant induced anal SCC. To understand the sex-dependent differences, KC male mice were castrated and KC female mice were ovariectomized. Castrated KC males displayed an unchanged phenotype with no anal tumor formation. In contrast, ovariectomized KC females demonstrated a marked reduction in anal SCC development, with only 15% developing anal SCC. Finally, exogenous administration of estrogen rescued the tumor development in ovariectomized KC female mice and induced tumor development in castrated KC males. These results confirm that the anal SCC is estrogen mediated. The delineation of the role of female sex hormones in mediating mutant Kras to drive anal SCC pathogenesis highlights a subtype of anal SCC that is independent of papillomavirus infection. These findings may have clinical applicability for the papillomavirus-negative subset of anal SCC patients that typically respond poorly to standard of care chemoradiation.

Human Papillomavirus‒Positive and ‒Negative Vulvar Squamous Cell Carcinoma Are Biologically but Not Clinically Distinct

Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma pathogenesis is traditionally defined by the presence or absence of human papillomavirus (HPV), but the definition of these groups and their molecular characteristics remain ambiguous across studies. In this study, we present a retrospective cohort analysis of 36 patients with invasive vulvar squamous cell carcinoma where HPV status was determined using RNA in situ hybridization and PCR. Clinical annotation, p16 immunohistochemistry, PD-L1 immunohistochemistry, HPV16 circular E7 RNA detection, and RNA sequencing of the cases were performed. A combination of in situ hybridization and PCR identified 20 cases (55.6%) as HPV positive. HPV status did not impact overall survival (hazard ratio: 1.36, 95% confidence interval= 0.307-6.037, P= 0.6857) or progression-free survival (hazard ratio: 1.12, 95% confidence interval= 0.388-3.22, P= 0.8367), and no significant clinical differences were found between the groups. PD-L1 expression did not correlate with HPV status, but increased expression of PD-L1 correlated with worse overall survival. Transcriptomic analyses (n= 23) revealed distinct groups, defined by HPV status, with multiple differentially expressed genes previously implicated in HPV-induced cancers. HPV-positive tumors showed higher global expression of endogenous circular RNAs, including several circular RNAs that have previously been implicated in the pathogenesis of other cancers.

HOPX Exhibits Oncogenic Activity during Squamous Skin Carcinogenesis

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) are frequent heterogeneous tumors arising from sun-exposed regions of the skin and characterized by complex pathogenesis. HOPX is a member of the homeodomain-containing superfamily of proteins holding an atypical homeodomain unable to bind to DNA. First discovered in the heart as a regulator of cardiac development, in the skin, HOPX modulates the terminal differentiation of keratinocytes. There is a particular interest in studying HOPX in squamous skin carcinogenesis because it has the atypical structure and the functional duality as an oncogene and a tumor suppressor gene, reported in different malignancies. In this study, we analyzed the effects of HOPX knockdown and overexpression on SCC tumorigenicity invitro and invivo. Our data show that HOPX knockdown in SCC cells inhibits their proliferative and invasive activity through the acceleration of apoptosis. We established that methylation of two alternative HOPX promoters leads to differential expression of HOPX transcripts in normal keratinocytes and SCC cells. Importantly, we report that HOPX acts as an oncogene in the pathogenesis of SCC probably through the activation of the second alternative promoter and the modulation of apoptosis.

Association between cervical dysplasia and female genital schistosomiasis diagnosed by genital PCR in Zambian women

BackgroundFemale genital schistosomiasis (FGS) is a neglected tropical gynaecological disease that affects millions of women in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). FGS is caused by Schistosoma haematobium, a parasitic carcinogen involved in the pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinoma of the bladder. Cervical cancer incidence and mortality are highest in SSA, where pre-cancerous cervical dysplasia is often detected on screening with visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA). There are no studies evaluating the association between VIA positivity and FGS diagnosed by genital PCR.MethodsWomen were recruited from the Bilharzia and HIV (BILHIV) study in Zambia a community-based study comparing genital self-sampling to provider obtained cervicovaginal-lavage for the diagnosis of FGS in women aged 18–31. FGS was defined as positive Schistosoma DNA from any genital PCR. Urogenital schistosomiasis diagnostics included urine circulating anodic antigen, urine microscopy and portable colposcopy. Participants were offered cervical cancer screening using VIA at Livingstone Central Hospital. Associations of PCR confirmed FGS and other diagnostics with VIA positivity were assessed using multivariable logistic regression.ResultsVIA results were available from 237 BILHIV participants. A positive Schistosoma PCR in any genital specimen was detected in 14 women (5.9%), 28.6% (4/14) of these women had positive VIA compared to 9.0% without PCR evidence of schistosome infection (20/223). Schistosoma PCR positivity in any genital specimen was strongly associated with VIA positivity (OR: 6.08, 95% CI: 1.58–23.37, P = 0.02).ConclusionsThis is the first study to find an association between FGS and positive VIA, a relationship that may be causal. Further longitudinal studies are needed.

Associations of high-resolution-typing-defined MICA and MICB polymorphisms, and the levels of soluble MICA and MICB with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Bulgarian patients.

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is a malignancy characterized by an aggressive tumor growth and significant mortality. Clarifying mechanisms responsible for immunomodulation are among the main challenges for the development of personalized approaches for the management of patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. The aim of the present study was to analyze the relevance of MICA and MICB to Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma pathogenesis focusing on allele polymorphisms and the levels of soluble MICA and MICB molecules. 73 patients diagnosed with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and 149 healthy controls from the Bulgarian population were included in the study. MICA and MICB polymorphism was analyzed at high-resolution level using Next-Generation Sequencing. Serum levels of soluble MICA and MICB molecules were measured by ELISA. Our results show significant protective association with MICB*002:01, while relatively rare alleles MICB*018, *019, and *020 were observed with statistically significant increased frequency in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma patients compared to controls. Additionally, a predisposing association was observed for MICA*008:01-MICB*019 haplotype. A correlation analysis between functionally relevant MICA polymorphisms and sMICA showed that homozygosity for MICA-A5.1 or 129Val in OSCC patients was associated with significantly higher serum levels of sMICA. This is the first study showing significant associations between MICB alleles and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and suggesting the possible role of MICB in immunosurveillance in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma development. Observed correlations between the levels of soluble MICA molecules and functionally relevant polymorphisms might represent a further step toward a better understanding of molecular mechanisms of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and developing strategies for therapeutic targeting harnessing effective immunosurveillance.

Integrated analysis and identification of nine-gene signature associated to oral squamous cell carcinoma pathogenesis.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-021-02737-4.

Application of Lipidomics for Assessing Tissue Lipid Profiles of Patients With Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background: Lipid metabolism disorders play a key role in the pathogenesis of squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC). Herein we used lipidomics to study the tissue lipid profiles of 40 patients with SqCC. Methods: Lipidomics, based on ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-Q Exactive hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap high-resolution accurate mass spectrometry, was applied to identify altered lipid metabolites between tumor and adjacent noninvolved tissues (ANIT), and partial least squares-discriminant analysis model facilitated the identification of differentially abundant lipids. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve and variable importance in projection scores of the aforementioned model were calculated to select lipid profiles. Metabolic pathway analyses were completed using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and MetaboAnalyst. Results: Differences in lipid profiles were found between tumor and ANIT, early- and advanced-stage SqCC, and positive and negative lymph node metastases. The lipid profile panel was composed of five lipids—PC(44:4), diacylglycerol(36:5), sphingomyelin(d18:1/20:0), phosphatidylinositol(46:7), and HexCer-AP(t8:0/32:2 + O)—and could effectively differentiate between tumor and ANIT. Further, pathway analyses revealed alterations in several lipid metabolism pathways, including glycerophospholipid metabolism, glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor biosynthesis, linoleic acid metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism, and sphingolipid metabolism. Conclusion: Our data revealed several changes in the tissue lipid profiles of patients with SqCC; moreover, we identified a lipid profile panel that could effectually distinguish tumor tissues from ANIT. We believe that our results provide new insights into the biological behavior of lung SqCC.