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Histopathologic prognostic score in colorectal adenocarcinomas.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the prognostic value of a set of pathological variables after curative resection for large bowel adenocarcinoma and to test a prognostic score derived from factors with independent effect. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study is based on data from 292 consecutive unselected patients (B-C Astler-Coller stages). Histopathological features were evaluated prospectively on the resected primary tumors. Relationship between these factors and risk of recurrence was assessed by a Cox's proportional regression analysis. RESULTS: Four variables retained independent prognostic significance: extent of bowel wall invasion, peritumoral lymphocytic infiltration, number of positive nodes and vascular invasion. A prognostic score based on the regression coefficients attained by such variables was developed. This system revealed four prognostic groups. Group I included 14% of patients, with 94% 5-year disease-free survival. These figures were: 35% and 60% in group II; 43% and 46% in group III; and 7% and 24.4% in group IV. Histopathologic score applied to bearers of Astler-Coller B2 tumors permitted the identification of two populations, one characterized by a low risk of relapse and another with high risk (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: A prognostic score based in the evaluation of four histopathologic parameters concerning the tumor phenotype enables the identification of groups of patients at risk of relapse after curative resection for colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Relevance of heart rate as a prognostic factor in patients with acute myocardial infarction: insights from the GISSI-2 study.

AIMS: It is as yet undefined whether simple indexes of autonomic balance such as heart rate (HR) may play a role in risk stratification in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI). The aim of this study was to quantify the prognostic significance of HR from the surface ECG obtained both at entry and at discharge, in a large population of patients all treated with fibrinolysis during the acute phase and having confirmed acute MI. METHODS AND RESULTS: Surface ECGs obtained at entry and at discharge in patients with confirmed MI enrolled in the GISSI-2 study, a large multicentre trial of different thrombolytic agents, were retrieved. Heart rhythm was evaluated and HR was measured; these data were then added to the main database of GISSI-2 allowing a complete evaluation of the prognostic significance of HR. Patients not in sinus rhythm or with grade 2-3 atrioventricular block were excluded. The prognostic significance of HR (cut-offs predefined at 60, 80, 100 beats.min-1) at entry for in-hospital mortality and at discharge for 6-month mortality was evaluated in the general population and in predefined subgroups. Multivariate analyses were used to assess the independent prognostic value of HR. A total of 8915 patients (more than 70% of the original population) were suitable for the analysis. There was a progressive increase in mortality with increasing HR in the general population (from 7.1% for HR < 60 beats.min-1) to 23.4% for HR > 100 beats.min-1) and in the predefined subgroups. Multivariate analysis showed that HR exerted an independent prognostic significance. Data for analysis of HR at discharge were available for 7831 patients. Consistent with the data observed at entry, a progressive increase of 6-month mortality with increasing HR was present in the general population (from 0.8% for HR < 60 beats.min-1) to 14.3% for HR > 100 beats.min-1) and for the different predefined subgroups. Multivariate analysis confirmed the independent prognostic significance of HR. There was no relation between HR and the incidence of fatal and non-fatal reinfarction. CONCLUSION: The present study indicates that HR values from a standard 12-lead ECG independently predict mortality in patients with acute MI during the in-hospital phase and after discharge. This simple index appears very useful for risk stratification in clinical practice.

Aged↗

Prognostic impact of tumor biological factors on survival in node-negative breast cancer.

Tumor biological factors uPA, PAI-1, cathepsin D, S-phase fraction (SPF), MIB1 (Ki-67), p53, and HER-2/neu were assessed in 100 node-negative breast cancer patients. Their prognostic impact on disease-free (DFS) as well as overall survival (OS) was compared to that of traditional factors tumor size, grading, and steroid hormone receptor status. Antigen levels of uPA, its inhibitor PAI-1, and cathepsin D were determined in tumor tissue extracts by immunoenzymatic methods. SPF was determined by flow cytofluorometry, MIB1, p53, and HER-2/neu by immunohistochemistry in adjacent routinely formalin-fixed paraffin sections. Median follow-up in all patients still alive at time of analysis was 76 months. Univariate analysis determined PAI-1 (p = 0.0001), uPA (p = 0.0437), MIB1 (p = 0.0214), and SPF (p = 0.0248) as statistically significant prognostic factors for DFS. In contrast, tumor size, steroid hormone receptor status, grading, p53, HER-2/neu, and cathepsin. D failed to be of prognostic value. In multivariate analysis, including the statistically significant prognostic factors PAI-1, uPA, MIB1, and SPF, only PAI-1 (p = 0.0003, relative risk: 4.7) proved to be of independent statistical significance for DFS. Regarding OS, PAI-1 was the only statistically significant prognostic factor in univariate (p = 0.0001) as well as multivariate analysis (p = 0.0000, relative risk: 7.1). Thus, factors describing the invasive and metastatic capacity of tumor cells (uPA, PAI-1) and factors related to their proliferative activity (SPF, MIB1) provide valuable prognostic information in node-negative breast cancer patients.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Multiple myeloma index: verification of a new prognostic approach with evaluation of treatment response.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Currently adopted prognostic criteria for multiple myeloma (MM) still lack reliable predictive ability to select subsets of patients for different therapies, in particular for intensive treatment protocols. In this work we aimed to test the prognostic value of the MM Prognostic Index (MMPI), developed in 1996 by Grignani et al. from Pavia University as a clinical and investigational tool. DESIGN AND METHODS: Ninety-three MM patients were eligible for the study. All received initial induction therapy based on a standard 6-month melphalan + prednisone (M + P) protocol. Clinical and laboratory parameters, conventional staging and bone marrow infiltration percentage and cytopathology (BMIC) were assessed at diagnosis, while treatment response (TR) was evaluated using criteria after induction therapy. Cox's multivariate survival analysis was applied on prognostic data. RESULTS: In our patients independent prognostic value was confirmed for British Medical Research Council staging, BMIC and TR, the three factors considered in MMPI. Risk classes obtained via MMPI identify patients with different outcomes; moreover, the index discriminates significantly among Stage II patients. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: This new approach to MM prognosis is simple and reliable from the prognostic point of view; it refers not only to neoplastic mass, but also to intrinsic proliferative capacity of the malignant clone and to tumor-host interactions. We recommend its adoption in clinical practice and in the evaluation and design of therapeutic trials.

Adult↗

Prognostic factors in clinical cancer trials.

Differences in nontreatment-related covariates ("prognostic factors") often account for differences between treatments in clinical cancer trials. This is true even in randomized trials in which the number of patients randomized is less than 200. Hence analysis of prognostic factors is crucial in historically controlled and small randomized trials. However, it is known that factors found prognostic in one series are often not prognostic in another. This is a result of the increased type I error inherent in most methods used to identify the optimal cutpoint of a potential prognostic factor. This report describes new graphical methods, based on Martingale residuals, that can be used to better identify the relationship between outcome and a covariate. For example, use of these methods indicated that the effect of antecedent hematological disorder on survival in acute myelogenous leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome is continuous (the longer the length of antecedent hematological disorder, the shorter the survival) rather than dichotomous (antecedent hematological disorder present = unfavorable). This report also discusses the use of graphical methods to test the assumption of proportional hazards crucial to the Cox model and to account for any time-varying effects of a prognostic factor. The graphical methods discussed here provide a better fit of a statistical model to the data and provide more reliable estimates of the effect of a particular variable.

Clinical Protocols↗

Overexpression of epithelial macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1) and CSF-1 receptor: a poor prognostic factor in epithelial ovarian cancer, contrasted with a protective effect of stromal CSF-1.

Markedly elevated levels of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF-1) in the serum and ascites of epithelial ovarian cancer patients have been previously associated with a poor prognosis. However, measurements of circulating CSF-1 cannot separate CSF-1 originating in the cancer cell from that originating in stromal macrophage or fibroblast. To study the prognosis related to expression of CSF-1 and its receptor in primary and metastatic ovarian cancers and to compare the significance of epithelial versus stromal CSF-1 expression, an immunohistochemical study of 130 ovarian carcinomas was performed. Twenty-two stage I and II and 108 stage III and IV primary tumors were studied. Metastatic lesions were also studied in 96 of these 130 cases, 90 of which came from those cases with advanced-stage disease. The intensity and extent of staining for CSF-1 in epithelium and stroma and for epithelial CSF-1 receptor was scored. Kaplan-Meier curves of survival were compared with the log-rank test. The Cox regression model was used for multivariate analysis. In the primary tumors, there was strong expression of CSF-1 receptor in 65%, epithelial CSF-1 in 36%, and stromal CSF-1 in 22%. In the metastases, there was strong staining for CSF-1 receptor in 65%, epithelial CSF-1 in 41%, and stromal CSF-1 in 15%; strong staining for both CSF-1 receptor and epithelial CSF-1 was noted in 26% of the cases. When the metastases expressed both CSF-1 receptor and epithelial CSF-1 strongly, a significant decrease in disease-free survival in stage III invasive ovarian cancers was observe (P = 0.043), which was found to be an independent prognostic factor (P = 0.007), with an increased relative risk of recurrence of 2.3-fold. Although strong staining for stromal CSF-1 in the primary tumor was not found to have prognostic value, for all stages and for the subsets of stages III and IV and for stage III alone, the finding of any degree of stromal CSF-1 expression in the ovary was a favorable prognostic factor for disease-free (P = 0.046) and overall (P = 0.015) survival. This finding was associated with younger patients (P = 0.007) and low-grade tumors (P = 0.033) and was not an independent prognostic factor on multivariate analysis. Among the primary tumors, there was a significant association (P = 0.022) between stromal CSF-1 staining and lack of strong coexpression of CSF-1 receptor and epithelial CSF-1; 67 of 94 cases shared these features in the primary tumors. In the metastases of invasive stage III cases, strong staining for stromal CSF-1 was a favorable prognostic factor for overall survival in the absence of strong CSF-1 receptor staining (P = 0.033) and was associated with low-grade tumors (P = 0.0002). We report that strong expression of epithelial CSF-1 along with its receptor in the metastases of ovarian cancer patients appears to be a strong independent poor prognostic factor for outcome. We find that expression of the same cytokine (CSF-1) in the stroma of the primary tumors is associated with low-grade tumors and lack of strong coexpression of CSF-1 receptor and epithelial CSF-1, leading to an improved long-term outcome. This study may help explain the previous observations that elevated levels of CSF-1 in serum and ascites are associated with a worse prognosis in advanced ovarian cancer patients; the results suggest that the source of secreted CSF-1 may largely be the epithelium. The results of this study suggest that paracrine effects of stromal CSF-1 on tumor behavior contrast with those demonstrated when the tumor cell is capable of autocrine intracellular or extracellular interactions between CSF-1 and its receptor.

Age Factors↗

Prognostic index models in stage I and II endometrial carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: In most studies, authors recommend the use of independent variables in clinical decision-making, but no guidelines are given about how to use all the extracted information. MATERIALS AND METHODS: By combining two or three prognostically independent variables and using their relative prognostic impact (results from Cox analyses), a novel way of identifying high- and low-risk groups was developed. A total of 336 women with stage I-II endometrial carcinoma of medium or high risk were included. Twenty-one clinico- pathological variables, were initially studied in univariate analyses and significant variables were used for the construction of prognostic indices. Six prognostic indices were constructed, which then were used to calculate individual index values for each patient. RESULTS: The index values were highly prognostic and used for the identification of a limited high-risk group (10% of the patients) and a large low-risk group (90% of the patients). Indices 1-3 were constructed for pre-treatment situations and included age, degree of differentiation, nuclear grade and S-phase fraction in various combinations. They identified a high- and a low-risk group with a 5-year disease-specific survival of 31-37% and 74.79%, respectively. Indices 4 and 5 were constructed using variables available after treatment and index 6 for patients with no evidence of disease (NED) after treatment completion. The 5-year survival for the latter indices were 30-52% and 75-85%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The use of prognostic indices in different clinical situations was generally superior to the use of single variables for the identification of well-defined high- and low-risk groups.

Adult↗

Exploration and experimental verification of triaptosis-related prognostic genes and cells in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Triaptosis is a recently characterized form of programmed cell death with unclear implications in cancer. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance and biological relevance of triaptosis in gastric cancer (GC). METHODS: Transcriptomic and clinical data from TCGA-STAD and GSE62254, and single-cell RNA sequencing data from GSE183904 were analyzed. Triaptosis-related gene (TRG) scores were calculated using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis. Differentially expressed genes identified in TRG-score and GC-versus-normal comparisons underwent functional enrichment, Cox regression, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression to develop an externally validated signature. Immune profiles, pathway activity, somatic mutations, tumor mutational burden (TMB), predicted drug sensitivity, and clinical features were compared by risk group. Single-cell analyses assessed TRG activity, prognostic gene expression, cell-cell communication, and pseudotime. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and Western blotting assessed mRNA expression and protein levels, respectively. RESULTS: A TRG-based prognostic model comprising ASPN, GRB14, and VTN was developed and externally validated, effectively distinguishing patients into two distinct risk groups with notably different survival outcomes. mRNA expression of all three genes and their protein levels were significantly higher in SGC-7901 cells than in GES-1 cells. High-risk patients had higher stromal scores and distinct immune profiles; 15 immune cell types differed between groups. Single-cell analysis revealed fibroblasts and pericytes among high-TRG-active cell types. Prognostic genes were significantly overexpressed in fibroblasts, which also showed high TRG activity. Fibroblasts demonstrated enhanced communication with pericytes, whereas tumor-derived fibroblasts showed weaker communication with macrophages, indicating immune microenvironment remodeling. CONCLUSION: The three-gene prognostic signature predicted GC prognosis and was associated with distinct immune and genomic features, suggesting potential value for risk stratification and personalized treatment.

Humans↗

Prognostic role of thymidine kinase 1 activity in hormone receptor positive metastatic breast cancer. A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Circulating thymidine kinase 1 activity (TKa) is a potential prognostic biomarker in patients with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) metastatic breast cancer (MBC); however, results are heterogeneous. In this study we aimed to summarize the current evidence on the prognostic role of circulating TKa in women with HR+&#xa0;MBC. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases and abstracts from main international oncology meetings. Phase II-IV clinical trials and prospective observational studies in patients with MBC assessing circulating TK1 levels or TKa and reporting hazard ratios (HRs) for progression-free survival (PFS) and/or overall survival (OS) were included. HRs were pooled using random-effects models (restricted maximum likelihood with Hartung-Knapp adjustment), with heterogeneity quantified by I2 and prediction intervals. The primary study outcome was the association of baseline and on-treatment TKa with PFS and OS. Secondary analyses aimed at exploring the source of heterogeneity. RESULTS: Eighteen studies, reporting data from nearly 3000 women, were included in the systematic review and 15 studies were meta-analyzed. Patients with HR+&#xa0;MBC and high baseline TKa showed a significantly higher risk of progression (PFS: HR 1.90; 95% CI 1.57-2.30; p&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.001) and death (OS: HR 2.48; 95% CI 1.94-3.17; p&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.001) than those with low TKa. TKa at 2 and 4 weeks on-treatment was also prognostic (2 weeks, PFS: HR 2.76; 95% CI 2.34-3.26; p&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.001; 4 weeks, HR 2.26; 95% CI 1.93-2.66; p&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.001). Similar pooled effects were obtained when accounting for different cut-offs, TKa assessment, and sample-type. CONCLUSION: Pre-treatment high TKa is an adverse prognostic factor in women with HR+&#xa0;MBC. High on-treatment TKa is also associated with worse outcome, potentially serving as an early signal of treatment resistance. We provide a comprehensive summary of the currently available evidence on the prognostic value of circulating TKa.

Breast cancer↗

Validation of the lung immune prognostic index in extensive-stage small cell lung cancer: Post hoc analysis of the caspian and IMpower133 phase 3 trials.

BACKGROUND: The Lung Immune Prognostic Index (LIPI) is an inflammation-based biomarker associated with outcomes to immunotherapy across several tumor types. Its prognostic value in extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC), however, remains insufficiently validated. We aimed to validate the prognostic impact of LIPI in ES-SCLC using data from two phase III trials. METHODS: Patients enrolled in the CASPIAN (NCT03043872) and IMpower133 (NCT02763579) trials were included. LIPI groups were defined as good (dNLR<3 and LDH<ULN), intermediate (dNLR&#x2265;3 or LDH&#x2265;ULN) and poor (dNLR&#x2265;3 and LDH&#x2265;ULN). Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed across LIPI categories and treatment arms. RESULTS: LIPI was available for 1140 patients (Good: 34%, Intermediate: 49%, Poor: 17%), including 708 treated with chemotherapy-immunotherapy and 432 with chemotherapy alone. Poor LIPI was associated with unfavorable characteristics, including lower albumin levels and higher rate of liver metastases. Median OS was 14.6 months (95%CI: 12.4-15.9) for LIPI Good, 10.9 (10.1-11.5) for Intermediate, and 8.4 (7.1-9.3) for Poor (p&#x202f;<&#x202f;0.0001). In multivariate models adjusted on gender, age, ECOG, treatment arm and metastatic sites, LIPI remained an independent prognostic factor for OS (HR Poor vs. Good: 1.76, 95%CI: 1.45-2.15, p&#x202f;<&#x202f;0.001) and PFS (HR: 1.59, 95%CI: 1.33-1.90, p&#x202f;<&#x202f;0.001). Although patients with poor LIPI derived limited benefit from immunotherapy, no significant treatment-LIPI interaction was observed. CONCLUSION: This large post hoc analysis confirms LIPI as a robust and clinically applicable prognostic biomarker in ES-SCLC. Patients with poor LIPI have substantially worse outcomes and limited benefit from immunotherapy, highlighting the need for novel therapeutic strategies in this subgroup.

Humans↗

Discovery and validation of a prognostic SPP1/PLAU signature in HPV-negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify and validate robust prognostic biomarkers for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), with a specific focus on the high-risk HPV-negative subtype. METHODS: Integrated bioinformatics analysis was performed on transcriptomic data from four GEO datasets (n&#x2009;=&#x2009;418 samples). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed for the most dysregulated genes. Key modules were analyzed via survival analysis and multivariate Cox regression. The top candidate genes were validated at the protein level using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in an independent cohort of 304 OPSCC patients. RESULTS: A 33-gene module related to extracellular matrix organization showed significant prognostic association. It stratified patients into high- and low-risk groups with markedly different overall survival (HR&#x2009;=&#x2009;2.71, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001). From this module, SPP1 and PLAU were identified as independent prognostic factors through multi-step screening. Both genes were significantly overexpressed in tumors (approximately 20-fold and 10-fold, respectively, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001), with high expression strongly correlated with advanced tumor stage (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.01) and, notably, the HPV-negative subtype (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001). In survival analysis, high expression of either SPP1 or PLAU was associated with poorer overall survival (SPP1: p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001; PLAU: p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001) and progression-free survival (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001). IHC validation confirmed high protein expression in 69.7% (SPP1) and 54.8% (PLAU) of cancer tissues. A prognostic nomogram integrating the SPP1/PLAU signature with clinical variables was constructed with strong predictive accuracy (C-index&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.75). CONCLUSION: The SPP1/PLAU dual-gene signature is a robust and independent prognostic biomarker for OPSCC, with particular clinical utility for stratifying high-risk HPV-negative patients.

Humans↗

An anti-androgen resistance-related gene signature acts as a prognostic marker and increases enzalutamide efficacy via PLK1 inhibition in prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Anti-androgen resistance remains a major clinical challenge in the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa), leading to disease progression and treatment failure. Despite extensive research on resistance mechanisms, a reliable prognostic model for predicting patient outcomes and guiding therapeutic strategies is still lacking. This study aimed to develop a novel gene signature related to anti-androgen resistance and evaluate its prognostic and therapeutic implications. METHODS: Anti-androgen resistance-related differentially expressed&#xa0;genes (ARRDEGs) were identified through transcriptomic analysis of enzalutamide- and dual enzalutamide abiraterone-resistant PCa cell lines from the GEO database. Functional enrichment analysis was performed to determine the biological roles of these genes. A prognostic gene signature was developed using univariate Cox regression, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression models. The model was validated in independent PCa cohorts from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Additionally, we assessed the correlation between the signature, immune infiltration, immune checkpoint expression, and drug sensitivity. The efficacy of PLK1 inhibition combined with enzalutamide was further explored using in vitro and in vivo experiments. RESULTS: We identified 304 ARRDEGs, from which three key genes (LMNB1, SSPO, and PLK1) were selected to construct a prognostic signature. This gene signature effectively stratified PCa patients into high- and low-risk groups, with the high-risk group exhibiting shorter recurrence-free survival and distinct immune characteristics. High-risk patients demonstrated elevated immune checkpoint expression (B7H3, CTLA-4, B7-1, and TIGIT), increased M2 macrophage infiltration, and enhanced sensitivity to chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Mechanistically, PLK1 inhibition potentiated the antitumor effect of enzalutamide by downregulating SLC7A11 and inducing ferroptosis, providing a potential therapeutic strategy to overcome anti-androgen resistance. CONCLUSION: We established a novel ARRDEGs-based prognostic signature that predicts PCa progression and response to chemotherapy&#xa0;and targeted therapy. The integration of this signature with immune profiling and drug sensitivity analysis provides a valuable tool for precision oncology in PCa. Our findings highlight the potential of PLK1 inhibition as a therapeutic strategy to enhance enzalutamide efficacy and overcome resistance.

Humans↗

Kynurenine metabolism-related gene signature for prognostic stratification in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major global health burden with high mortality rates and limited therapeutic options. The identification of reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis prediction is urgently needed. Kynurenine metabolism, a critical pathway in immune regulation and tumor progression, has been implicated in various cancers. However, its prognostic value in HCC has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to develop a prognostic risk model based on kynurenine metabolism-related genes (KMRGs) for HCC patients. METHODS: Transcriptomic and clinical data of HCC patients were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) databases. A prognostic risk model was established using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Cox regression analyses. Survival analysis and functional enrichment analysis were conducted to validate the predictive performance of the model and to investigate the underlying mechanisms. ALDH8A1 was ultimately identified as a target gene based on survival analysis, and its impact on tumor cell migration was assessed using the HCC cell line. RESULTS: A prognostic model based on seven KMRGs was established. The high-risk group exhibited significantly worse overall survival compared to the low-risk group. Functional enrichment analysis in high-risk patients highlighted significant enrichment in core biological processes, including spliceosome assembly and ribonucleoprotein complex biogenesis. Furthermore, a nomogram integrating the risk score and clinical pathological features was developed, demonstrating moderate predictive performance for HCC prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: This study successfully constructed a prognostic risk model based on seven KMRGs, providing a valuable tool for predicting clinical outcomes in HCC patients. These findings highlight the potential role of kynurenine metabolism in HCC progression and offer new insights for future therapeutic strategies.

ALDH8A1↗

GCH1, identified by a ferroptosis-related prognostic model, contributes to progression and drug resistance of esophageal cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Esophageal cancer has a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent cell death pathway, is a promising therapeutic target; however, its significance in esophageal cancer remains largely unexplored. Here, we investigated the prognostic significance of ferroptosis-related genes in esophageal cancer and identified a key functional regulator that may serve as a therapeutic target. METHODS: We analyzed ferroptosis-related gene expression profiles with The Cancer Genome Atlas-Esophageal Carcinoma (TCGA-ESCA) cohort and constructed a prognostic risk model using LASSO Cox regression analysis. Among the genes in this model, GTP cyclohydrolase 1 (GCH1) was selected for functional investigation, based on its established role in antioxidant defense. Subsequently, in vitro experiments were performed to assess the effects of GCH1 knockdown on cell proliferation, migration, clonogenicity, and ferroptosis-related biochemical indicators. The role of GCH1 in antitumor immunity was evaluated through co-culture of esophageal cancer cells with activated T cells, and drug sensitivity was assessed using cytotoxicity assays. RESULTS: A prognostic model consisting of nine ferroptosis-related genes (STC2, TRIB3, HMGB3, CXCL8, GCH1, PARP10, APOE, MTIM, and GPER1) with reliable risk stratification was constructed. The prognostic model could reflect the differences in drug responses and immune cell infiltration. GCH1 knockdown suppressed esophageal cancer cell proliferation, migration, and clonogenicity. Furthermore, GCH1 knockdown increased the intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and ferrous iron (Fe2+). Co-culture assays demonstrated that GCH1 knockdown in tumor cells increased the production of granzyme B and interferon-&#x3b3; by CD8+ T cells. Moreover, GCH1 silencing sensitized esophageal cancer cells to both sorafenib and cisplatin. CONCLUSIONS: This study established a ferroptosis-related prognostic model for esophageal cancer and identified GCH1 as a critical regulator that contributes to esophageal cancer progression and drug resistance. These findings suggest that targeting GCH1 may be a promising strategy to improve drug sensitivity and clinical outcomes in esophageal cancer.

Esophageal cancer↗

Machine learning prognostic model and drug survival analysis for lung adenocarcinoma in the context of radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) receiving radiotherapy represent an important but underexplored clinical subgroup. These patients often undergo concomitant pharmacologic treatments, yet the prognostic impact and underlying determinants of such combined regimens remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: This retrospective observational study aimed to develop and validate a radiotherapy-specific machine learning prognostic model for LUAD and to compare survival across concomitant pharmacologic regimens. METHODS: In this retrospective observational study, using genomic and clinical data from TCGA, a radiotherapy-specific prognostic model for LUAD was developed and validated through ten machine learning algorithms. Survival analyses were conducted across distinct concomitant pharmacologic strategies, followed by functional enrichment to elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying differential outcomes. RESULTS: Demonstrating robust prognostic abilities, the model efficiently sorted patients into high- and low-risk categories. Both treatment type and risk score independently predicted overall survival, with significant interaction effects. Low-risk patients receiving targeted or combination therapy-mainly erlotinib, gefitinib, or bevacizumab-exhibited substantially improved survival compared with those receiving conventional chemotherapy. Enrichment of "Exogenous peptide presentation," "MHC class II assembly," "Peptide-MHC II assembly," and "Symbiotic interaction" pathways indicated immune modulation and host-tumor crosstalk as key mediators of treatment efficacy. CONCLUSION: This study establishes a radiotherapy-specific prognostic model for lung adenocarcinoma, demonstrating distinct molecular and therapeutic heterogeneity and highlighting the superior survival benefit of targeted combination therapy in low-risk patients.

Humans↗

Prognostic value of the disodium phosphate 32P uptake test in uveal melanoma: a long-term study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether nuclear activity as measured by the disodium phosphate 32P (32P) uptake test for uveal melanoma is of prognostic value and corresponds to known prognostic factors. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 121 patients with choroidal and/or ciliary body melanoma, tested with the 32P uptake test before enucleation between January 1, 1973, and December 31, 1976, at the Leiden University Medical Center. We obtained the 25-year follow-up information of this group of patients and compared the 32P test results and histopathological variables with the long-term survival rates. RESULTS: The cumulative 5-, 10-, and 20-year survival for melanoma-related death was 81.4%, 73.3%, and 63.9%, respectively. The results of the 32P uptake test were not significantly correlated with survival (P =.35). Of all prognostic factors under study, tumor diameter, cell type, and mitotic count were identified as the most important prognostic markers for uveal melanoma in this group. CONCLUSIONS: The 32P isotope uptake test has no prognostic value for uveal melanoma. Moreover, the results of this study indicate that it is unlikely that cell activity as determined by 32P uptake involves mitotic activity of the tumor.

Adolescent↗

Prognostic significance of the S-phase fraction of light-chain-restricted cytoplasmic immunoglobulin (cIg) positive plasma cells in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma enrolled on Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group treatment trial E9486.

The bone marrow plasma cell labeling index (PCLI) as measured by bromodeoxyuridine uptake is a well-established independent prognostic factor for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma, but the test is not easily done in most laboratories. The purpose of this study was to determine if the proliferative activity (% S-phase) as determined by two-color flow cytometry for cytoplasmic immunoglobulin (cIg) light chain and DNA content also had prognostic significance. As part of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group clinical trial E9486, 500 patients had successful performance of the bone marrow PCLI. Of 349 patients who had flow cIg and DNA content cytometry, 210 had adequate data to reliably calculate S-phase %. Patients with low % S-phase fraction (<2%) had a significant overall survival advantage over patients high % S-phase fraction (>/=2%), median survivals 4.1 vs. 2.9 years (P = 0.032). Measurement of the S-phase % by flow cytometry gives significant prognostic information in patients with newly diagnosed myeloma. However, in multivariate analysis, S-phase % did not add prognostic information when PCLI was in the model. S-phase % added prognostic information only when all cases with flow measurement of S-phase % were included, and when PCLI was excluded from the model. Discriminating a population of only cIg positive cells proved difficult in patients with a low percentage of bone marrow plasma cells. Methodology to measure S-phase % in patients with a low percent plasma cells is needed before this technique can be used for diagnosis and prognosis in myeloma.

Aged↗

The significance of the bone marrow biopsy pattern in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a prognostic dilemma.

Although bone marrow biopsy pattern (BMBP) has long been suggested to be an independent prognostic factor in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), conflicting reports continue to appear in the literature. To investigate this issue we retrospectively reviewed 70 CLL patients who had undergone bone marrow biopsy at the time of diagnosis in a multivariate Cox regression analysis together with other prognostic factors. There were 51 (72.8%) males and 19 (27.2%) females with a median age of 60 years (range, 38-77). The median follow-up time was 24 months (range, 1-76), and median survival was 44 months. Thirtyfour patients (48.6%) had diffuse and 36 patients (51.4%) had nondiffuse BMBP (14 nodular, 11 interstitial, and 11 mixed). The median survival for diffuse and nondiffuse BMBP groups were 17 and 53 months, respectively (P= 0.05). Sixteen patients (22. 9%) had stage A, 28 (40.0%) stage B, and 26 (37.1%) stage C disease according to the Binet system, and four patients (5.7%) had low-risk, 39 (55.7%) intermediate-risk, and 27 (38.6%) high-risk disease according to the modified Rai staging system. The difference between the median survivals of patients in different stages was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). The BMBP and staging systems that are thought to be significant predictors of prognosis were used to build a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model. BMBP was not found to add additional information to the prognostic value of the staging systems. Our results underline two points: first, the significance of BMBP must be investigated in multivariate analysis including the stage, and second, BMBP is not a dynamic prognostic parameter, it is an index of tumor burden and does not add any prognostic information beyond that provided by clinical stage.

Adult↗