Jinxia Liu1, Wenkai Ni1, Lishuai Qu1, Xiaopeng Cui2, Zhipeng Lin3, Qingqing Liu3, Huiling Zhou3, Runzhou Ni4. 1. Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 20# Xisi Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. 2. Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. 3. Grade 14, Clinical Medicine, Medical College, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. 4. Department of Gastroenterology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 20# Xisi Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China. Nirunzhou@yeah.net.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Metastasis remains the most common cause of lethal outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative resection. Understanding molecular mechanisms that regulate metastasis process is crucial for improving treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. AIMS: In this article, we examined whether Eps15 homology domain-containing 2 (EHD2) played a critical role in hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis and explored the possible mechanism. METHODS: EHD2 and E-cadherin expression levels in hepatocellular carcinoma patients were examined using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The cell migration and invasion were evaluated by wound-healing assay and trans-well assay. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition was analyzed by immunofluorescence, and the vital markers were detected by Western blotting. The correlation of EHD2 and E-cadherin was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. RESULTS: EHD2 expression, along with the epithelial marker E-cadherin, was markedly reduced in tumor tissues than in adjacent noncancerous tissues. Moreover, EHD2 was positively correlated with E-cadherin, histological grade, tumor metastasis, and microvascular invasion. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that hepatocellular carcinoma patients with decreased EHD2 expression had shorter overall survival times than those with higher EHD2 expression. Knockdown of EHD2 induced an increase in cell invasion and changes characteristic of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, while overexpression of EHD2 inhibited these processes. CONCLUSIONS: Molecular data indicated that EHD2 inhibited migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma probably by interacting with E-cadherin and it might be an independent, significant risk factor for survival after curative resection.
BACKGROUND: Metastasis remains the most common cause of lethal outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative resection. Understanding molecular mechanisms that regulate metastasis process is crucial for improving treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. AIMS: In this article, we examined whether Eps15 homology domain-containing 2 (EHD2) played a critical role in hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis and explored the possible mechanism. METHODS:EHD2 and E-cadherin expression levels in hepatocellular carcinomapatients were examined using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The cell migration and invasion were evaluated by wound-healing assay and trans-well assay. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition was analyzed by immunofluorescence, and the vital markers were detected by Western blotting. The correlation of EHD2 and E-cadherin was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation. RESULTS:EHD2 expression, along with the epithelial marker E-cadherin, was markedly reduced in tumor tissues than in adjacent noncancerous tissues. Moreover, EHD2 was positively correlated with E-cadherin, histological grade, tumor metastasis, and microvascular invasion. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that hepatocellular carcinomapatients with decreased EHD2 expression had shorter overall survival times than those with higher EHD2 expression. Knockdown of EHD2 induced an increase in cell invasion and changes characteristic of epithelial-mesenchymal transition, while overexpression of EHD2 inhibited these processes. CONCLUSIONS: Molecular data indicated that EHD2 inhibited migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma probably by interacting with E-cadherin and it might be an independent, significant risk factor for survival after curative resection.
Authors: Quanlong Lu; Christine Insinna; Carolyn Ott; Jimmy Stauffer; Petra A Pintado; Juliati Rahajeng; Ulrich Baxa; Vijay Walia; Adrian Cuenca; Yoo-Seok Hwang; Ira O Daar; Susana Lopes; Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz; Peter K Jackson; Steve Caplan; Christopher J Westlake Journal: Nat Cell Biol Date: 2015-02-16 Impact factor: 28.824