Lipocalin 2 expression is associated with aggressive features of endometrial cancer

Background: Increased expression of lipocalin 2 (LCN2) has been observed in several cancers. The aim of the present study was to investigate LCN2 in endometrial cancer in relation to clinico-pathologic phenotype, angiogenesis, markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and patient survival. Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was performed using a human LCN2 antibody on a population-based series of endometrial cancer patients collected in Hordaland County (Norway) during 1981-1990 (n = 256). Patients were followed from the time of primary surgery until death or last follow-up in 2007. The median follow-up time for survivors was 17 years. Gene expression data from a prospectively collected endometrial cancer series (n = 76) and a publicly available endometrial cancer series (n = 111) was used for gene correlation studies. Results: Expression of LCN2 protein, found in 49% of the cases, was associated with non-endometrioid histologic type (p = 0.001), nuclear grade 3 (p = 0.001), >50% solid tumor growth (p = 0.001), ER and PR negativity (p = 0.028 and 0.006), and positive EZH2 expression (p < 0.001). LCN2 expression was significantly associated with expression of VEGF-A (p = 0.021), although not with other angiogenesis markers examined (vascular proliferation index, glomeruloid microvascular proliferation, VEGF-C, VEGF-D or bFGF2 expression). Further, LCN2 was not associated with several EMT-related markers (E-cadherin, N-cadherin, P-cadherin, β-catenin), nor with vascular invasion (tumor cells invading lymphatic or blood vessels). Notably, LCN2 was significantly associated with distant tumor recurrences, as well as with the S100A family of metastasis related genes. Patients with tumors showing no LCN2 expression had the best outcome with 81% 5-year survival, compared to 73% for intermediate and 38% for the small subgroup with strong LCN2 staining (p = 0.007). In multivariate analysis, LCN2 expression was an independent prognostic factor in addition to histologic grade and FIGO stage. Conclusion: Increased LCN2 expression is associated with aggressive features and poor prognosis in endometrial cancer

Integrated Genomic Analysis of the 8q24 Amplification in Endometrial Cancers Identifies ATAD2 as Essential to MYC-Dependent Cancers

Chromosome 8q24 is the most commonly amplified region across multiple cancer types, and the typical length of the amplification suggests that it may target additional genes to MYC. To explore the roles of the genes most frequently included in 8q24 amplifications, we analyzed the relation between copy number alterations and gene expression in three sets of endometrial cancers (N = 252); and in glioblastoma, ovarian, and breast cancers profiled by TCGA. Among the genes neighbouring MYC, expression of the bromodomain-containing gene ATAD2 was the most associated with amplification. Bromodomain-containing genes have been implicated as mediators of MYC transcriptional function, and indeed ATAD2 expression was more closely associated with expression of genes known to be upregulated by MYC than was MYC itself. Amplifications of 8q24, expression of genes downstream from MYC, and overexpression of ATAD2 predicted poor outcome and increased from primary to metastatic lesions. Knockdown of ATAD2 and MYC in seven endometrial and 21 breast cancer cell lines demonstrated that cell lines that were dependent on MYC also depended upon ATAD2. These same cell lines were also the most sensitive to the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor Trichostatin-A, consistent with prior studies identifying bromodomain-containing proteins as targets of inhibition by HDAC inhibitors. Our data indicate high ATAD2 expression is a marker of aggressive endometrial cancers, and suggest specific inhibitors of ATAD2 may have therapeutic utility in these and other MYC-dependent cancers

Retrospective evaluation of whole exome and genome mutation calls in 746 cancer samples

Funder: NCI U24CA211006Abstract: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) curated consensus somatic mutation calls using whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS), respectively. Here, as part of the ICGC/TCGA Pan-Cancer Analysis of Whole Genomes (PCAWG) Consortium, which aggregated whole genome sequencing data from 2,658 cancers across 38 tumour types, we compare WES and WGS side-by-side from 746 TCGA samples, finding that ~80% of mutations overlap in covered exonic regions. We estimate that low variant allele fraction (VAF < 15%) and clonal heterogeneity contribute up to 68% of private WGS mutations and 71% of private WES mutations. We observe that ~30% of private WGS mutations trace to mutations identified by a single variant caller in WES consensus efforts. WGS captures both ~50% more variation in exonic regions and un-observed mutations in loci with variable GC-content. Together, our analysis highlights technological divergences between two reproducible somatic variant detection efforts

Integrated Genome-wide DNA Copy Number and Expression Analysis Identifies Distinct Mechanisms of Primary Chemo-

Purpose—A significant number of women with serous ovarian cancer are intrinsically refractory to platinum-taxol based treatment. We analyzed somatic DNA copy number variation (CNV) and gene expression data to identify key mechanisms associated with primary resistance in advanced-stage serous cancers. Experimental Design—Genome-wide CNV was measured in 118 ovarian tumors using high-resolution oligonucleotide microarrays. A well-defined subset of 85 advanced-stage serous tumors was then used to relate CNV to primary resistance to treatment. The discovery-based approach was complemented by quantitative-PCR copy number analysis of twelve candidate genes as independent validation of previously reported associations with clinical outcome. Likely CNV targets and tumo

Correlation between effects of <i>ATAD2</i> and MYC knockdown.

<p>Western blots for (a) ATAD2 and (b) MYC indicate extent of knockdown with six shRNAs against <i>ATAD2</i> and three shRNAs against MYC, respectively. ATAD2 experiments were performed in KLE cells and MYC experiments were performed in TE9 cells infected with GFP control and MYC vectors. Subsequent experiments used <i>ATAD2</i> shRNAs a and e, and MYC shRNAs a and b. Reductions in cell viability among seven endometrial cancer cell lines (c) and 21 breast cancer cell lines (d) were highly correlated after knockdown of ATAD2 or MYC and after knockdown of MYC and treatment with the HDAC inhibitor Trichostatin-A (1.25 µM) (e–f).</p

Amplification of 8q24, <i>ATAD2</i> overexpression and increased <i>MYC</i> signaling are associated with poor prognosis.

<p>FISH probes against 8q24 (red) and the chromosome 8 centromere (green) in a primary tumor and the paired metastasis show amplification only in the latter (a) (b) Among 399 patients assessed by FISH, those with 8q24 amplifications have worse outcome. In the primary investigation series, tumors among the highest quartiles of (c) <i>ATAD2</i> expression and (d) MYC signaling strength also had increased risk of disease-specific death. (e) Estrogen receptor negative (ER−) tumors with <i>ATAD2</i> expression in the top quartile were also associated with a high risk of disease-specific death; the risk was much lower among estrogen receptor positive (ER+) tumors with <i>ATAD2</i> expression in the bottom quartile. (f) <i>ATAD2</i> expression and (g) MYC signaling are both higher among metastases than primary tumors in the internal validation series.</p