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Roles of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in human cancer.

ABSTRACT: Cancer remains one of the major cause of death in the Western world. Although, it has been demonstrated that new therapies can improve the outcome of cancer patients, still many patients relapse after treatment. Therefore, there is a need to identify novel factors involved in cancer development and/or progression. Recently, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has been suggested as a key player in different cancer types. Its oncogenic effect may be related to the complex NGAL/MMP-9. In the present study, NGAL was analyzed at both transcript and protein levels in different cancer types by analysing 38 public available microarray datasets and the Human Protein Atlas tool. NGAL transcripts were significantly higher in the majority of solid tumors compared to the relative normal tissues for every dataset analyzed. Furthermore, concordance of NGAL at both mRNA and protein levels was observed for 6 cancer types including bladder, colorectal, liver, lung, ovarian, and pancreatic. All metastatic tumors showed a decrease of NGAL expression when compared to matched primary lesions. According to these results, NGAL is a candidate marker for tumor growth in a fraction of solid tumors. Further investigations are required to elucidate the function of NGAL in tumor development and metastatic processes.

SUBMITTER: Candido S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4039233 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Roles of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in human cancer.

Candido Saverio S Maestro Roberta R Polesel Jerry J Catania Alessia A Maira Francesca F Signorelli Santo S SS McCubrey James A JA Libra Massimo M

Oncotarget 20140301 6

Cancer remains one of the major cause of death in the Western world. Although, it has been demonstrated that new therapies can improve the outcome of cancer patients, still many patients relapse after treatment. Therefore, there is a need to identify novel factors involved in cancer development and/or progression. Recently, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has been suggested as a key player in different cancer types. Its oncogenic effect may be related to the complex NGAL/MMP-9. ...[more]

PMID: 24742531

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Project description:Neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL), also known as oncogene 24p3, uterocalin, siderocalin or lipocalin 2, is a 24kDa secreted glycoprotein originally purified from a culture of mouse kidney cells infected with simian virus 40 (SV-40). Subsequent investigations have revealed that it is a member of the lipocalin family of proteins that transport small, hydrophobic ligands. Since then, NGAL expression has been reported in several normal tissues where it serves to provide protection against bacterial infection and modulate oxidative stress. Its expression is also dysregulated in several benign and malignant diseases. Its small size, secreted nature and relative stability have led to it being investigated as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in numerous diseases including inflammation and cancer. Functional studies, conducted primarily on lipocalin 2 (Lcn2), the mouse homologue of human NGAL have revealed that Lcn2 has a strong affinity for iron complexed to both bacterial siderophores (iron-binding proteins) and certain human proteins like norepinephrine. By sequestering iron-laden siderophores, Lcn2 deprives bacteria of a vital nutrient and thus inhibits their growth (bacteriostatic effect). In malignant cells, its proposed functions range from inhibiting apoptosis (in thyroid cancer cells), invasion and angiogenesis (in pancreatic cancer) to increasing proliferation and metastasis (in breast and colon cancer). Ectopic expression of Lcn2 also promotes BCR-ABL induced chronic myelogenous leukemia in murine models. By transporting iron into and out of the cell, NGAL also regulates iron responsive genes. Further, it stabilizes the proteolytic enzyme matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9) by forming a complex with it, and thereby prevents its autodegradation. The factors regulating NGAL expression are numerous and range from pro-inflammatory cytokines like interleukins, tumor necrosis factor-? and interferons to vitamins like retinoic acid. The purpose of this review article is to examine the expression, structure, regulation and biological role of NGAL and critically assess its potential as a novel diagnostic and prognostic marker in both benign and malignant human diseases.

Project description:BackgroundObstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a well-established risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. More recently, OSA has been implicated as an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease. Urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a well-accepted early biomarker of subclinical kidney tubular injury, preceding an increase in serum creatinine. The goal of this study was to determine if an association exists between OSA and increased urinary NGAL levels.MethodsWe prospectively enrolled adult patients from the sleep clinic of an academic medical center. Each underwent polysomnography and submitted a urine specimen upon enrollment. We measured NGAL and creatinine levels on all urine samples before participants received treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), and, in a subset of OSA patients, after CPAP therapy. We compared the urinary NGAL/creatinine ratio between untreated participants with and without OSA, and within a subset of 11 OSA patients also after CPAP therapy.ResultsA total of 49 subjects were enrolled: 16 controls based on an apnea-hypopnea index (events with at least 4% oxygen desaturation; AHI-4%) <5 events/hour (mean AHI-4% = 0.59 +/- 0.60); 33 OSA patients based on an AHI-4% >5 events/hour (mean AHI-4% = 43.3 +/- 28.1). OSA patients had a higher mean body-mass index than the control group (36.58 +/- 11.02 kg/m2 vs. 26.81 +/- 6.55 kg/m2, respectively; p = 0.0005) and were more likely to be treated for hypertension (54.5% vs. 6.25% of group members, respectively; p = 0.0014). The groups were otherwise similar in demographics, and there was no difference in the number of diabetic subjects or in the mean serum creatinine concentration (control = 0.86 +/- 0.15 mg/dl, OSA = 0.87 +/- 0.19 mg/dl; p = 0.7956). We found no difference between the urinary NGAL-to-creatinine ratios among untreated OSA patients versus control subjects (median NGAL/creatinine = 6.34 ng/mg vs. 6.41 ng/mg, respectively; p = 0.4148). Furthermore, CPAP therapy did not affect the urinary NGAL-to-creatinine ratio (p = 0.7758 for two-tailed, paired t-test).ConclusionsIn this prospective case-control study comparing patients with severe, hypoxic OSA to control subjects, all with normal serum creatinine, we found no difference between urinary levels of NGAL. Furthermore, CPAP therapy did not change these levels pre- and post-treatment.

Project description:The authors previously reported that neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) overexpression significantly blocked invasion and angiogenesis of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). They also demonstrated a loss of NGAL expression in the advanced stages of PDAC. However, little is known regarding the mechanisms of NGAL regulation in PDAC. Because the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-EGF receptor (EGFR) axis is up-regulated significantly in PDAC, they examined EGF-mediated NGAL regulation in these cells.The NGAL-positive cell lines AsPC-1 and BxPC-3 were used as a model system. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence studies were used to investigate EGF-mediated effects on NGAL expression. E-cadherin expression was manipulated using lentiviral overexpression or small hairpin RNA constructs. NGAL promoter activity was assessed by luciferase-reporter assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay.NGAL expression was positively associated with tumor differentiation and was down-regulated significantly after EGF treatment along with a concomitant reduction of E-cadherin expression in PDAC cells. E-cadherin down-regulation was partly through the EGFR-dependent mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) (MEK-ERK) signaling pathway. In addition, E-cadherin down-regulation reduced NGAL expression in PDAC cells, whereas overexpression of E-cadherin led to increased NGAL expression and partly rescued the inhibition of NGAL expression by EGF. Furthermore, EGF, in part through E-cadherin, reduced NGAL promoter activity by blocking nuclear factor ?B (NF-?B) activation.The current study demonstrated for the first time that EGF potently blocked NGAL expression in PDAC cells. This effect was mediated in part through activation of the EGFR-MEK-ERK signaling pathway, which, in turn, down-regulated E-cadherin with a subsequent reduction in NF-?B activation. These findings illustrate a novel mechanism by which EGF regulates NGAL expression in PDAC.

Dataset Information

Roles of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in human cancer.

Publications

Roles of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in human cancer.

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