Overexpression of miR-196b and HOXA10 characterize a poor-prognosis gastric cancer subtype

AIM:To identify molecular biologic differences between two gastric adenocarcinoma subgroups presenting different prognoses through the analysis of microRNA and protein expression.METHODS:Array technologies were used to generate1146 microRNAs and 124 proteins expression profiles of samples from 60 patients with gastric cancer.For the integrative analysis,we used established mRNA expression data published in our previous study.Whole mRNA expression levels were acquired from microarray data for 60 identical gastric cancer patients.Two gastric adenocarcinoma subgroups with distinct mRNA expression profiles presented distinctly different prognoses.MicroRNA and protein expression patterns were compared between gastric cancer tissue and normal gastric tissue and between two different prognostic groups.Aberrantly expressed microRNA,associated mRNA,and protein in patients with poor-prognosis gastric cancer were validated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunochemistry in independent patients.RESULTS:We obtained the expression data of 1146microRNAs and 124 cancer-related proteins.Four microRNAs were aberrantly expressed in the two prognostic groups and in cancer vs non-cancer tissues(P<0.05).In the poor-prognosis group,miR-196b,miR-135b,and miR-93 were up-regulated and miR-29c*was down-regulated.miR-196b expression positively correlated with Homeobox A10(HOXA10)expression(r=0.726,P<0.001),which was significantly increased in poor-prognosis patients(P<0.001).Comparing gastric cancer with non-cancer tissues,46/124 proteins showed differential expression(P<0.05);COX2(P<0.001)and cyclin B1(P=0.017)were clearly overexpressed in the poor-prognosis group.CONCLUSION:Co-activation of miR-196b and HOXA10characterized a poor-prognosis subgroup of patients with gastric cancer.Elucidation of the biologic function of miR-196b and HOXA10 is warranted.

Two distinct stem cell-like subtypes of hepatocellular carcinoma with clinical significance and their therapeutic potentials

Dear Editor Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is among the most com-mon cancers worldwide,causing about 600,000 deaths annully[1].In HCC,stem cell-like characteristics,which drive early recurrence and therapy resistance,are major contributors to poor prognosis[2].In this current study,we integrated and analyzed gene expression data from human fetal liver cells and primary HCC tumors(n=1231)and.uncovered two clinically and biologically distinct hepatic stem cell(HS)subtypes,potential biomarkers associated with these subtypes,and a potential new therapeutic inter-vention for these subtypes.