| Literature DB >> 29520156 |
Bo Wang1,2,3, XueBin Zhang2,3,4, Wei Wang1,2,3, ZhiZhong Zhu5, Fan Tang2,3,4, Dong Wang6,7,8, Xi Liu9, Hao Zhuang10, XiaoLing Yan2,3,4.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Forkhead box K2 (FOXK2) is a member of the forkhead box family of transcription factors. Recently, researchers discovered that overexpression of FOXK2 inhibits the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and colorectal cancer, and is related to the clinical prognosis. However, in hepatocellular carcinoma, FOXK2 results in the opposite phenotypes. Currently, the contribution of FOXK2 to glioma pathogenesis is not clear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated the expression of FOXK2 in 151 glioma patients using immunohistochemistry assays. The associations among the expression of FOXK2, clinicopathological parameters, and the prognosis of glioma patients were statistically analyzed. We downregulated and upregulated the level of FOXK2 in glioma cells by transfections with small interfering RNA and plasmids. Then, we investigated the effects on tumor cell behavior in vitro by Cell Counting Kit-8 assays, colony-formation assay, transwell assay, and the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarker levels.Entities:
Keywords: FOXK2; Forkhead box K2; glioma; oncology
Year: 2018 PMID: 29520156 PMCID: PMC5833792 DOI: 10.2147/OTT.S157126
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Onco Targets Ther ISSN: 1178-6930 Impact factor: 4.147
Figure 1Expression of FOXK2 in different WHO grade gliomas. (A) Immunohistochemistry staining of FOXK2 in different WHO grade gliomas (original magnification ×200). The histogram shows that the expression score of FOXK2 in high-grade glioma (WHO grade III and IV gliomas) was significantly lower compared to the low-grade glioma (WHO grade I and II gliomas). The staining intensity was scored as follows: 0 (no staining), 1 (weak staining), 2 (moderate staining), and 3 (strong staining) (see Figure S1). The percentage of FOXK2-positive cells was scored as follows: 0 (0%), 1 (1%–25%), 2 (26%–50%), 3 (51%–75%), and 4 (76%–100%). (B) A total of 23 low-grade glioma tissues and 23 high-grade glioma tissues were subjected to quantitative reverse transcription PCR. The results showed that the FOXK2 mRNA level in the high-grade glioma tissues was significantly lower than in the low-grade glioma tissues. ***p<0.001. (C) Kaplan–Meier analysis for the PFS and OS based on the FOXK2 expression in the glioma patients (log-rank test, p<0.01). Blue indicates low FOXK2 expression group; green indicates high FOXK2 expression group.
Abbreviations: FOXK2, Forkhead box K2; HGG, high-grade glioma; LGG, low-grade glioma; OS, overall survival; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; PFS, progression-free survival; WHO, World Health Organization.
Relationship between FOXK2 expression and clinico-pathological features
| Clinicopathological features | Patients | FOXK2
| ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (n) | High (n) | |||
| Sex | 0.974 | |||
| Male | 76 | 46 | 30 | |
| Female | 75 | 45 | 30 | |
| Age | 0.082 | |||
| <50 years | 86 | 57 | 29 | |
| ≥50 years | 65 | 34 | 31 | |
| WHO grade | <0.01 | |||
| Low (WHO grade I and II) | 57 | 20 | 37 | |
| High (WHO grade III and IV) | 94 | 71 | 23 | |
| Tumor size | 0.796 | |||
| <5 cm | 5 | 30 | 21 | |
| ≥5 cm | 100 | 61 | 39 | |
| Karnofsky Performance Status | 0.152 | |||
| <70 | 114 | 65 | 49 | |
| ≥70 | 37 | 26 | 11 | |
| Ki67 | <0.01 | |||
| <10% | 68 | 33 | 35 | |
| ≥10% | 83 | 58 | 25 | |
| MGMT | 0.385 | |||
| − | 72 | 46 | 26 | |
| + | 79 | 45 | 34 | |
| GST-pi | 0.940 | |||
| − | 85 | 51 | 34 | |
| + | 66 | 40 | 26 | |
Abbreviations: FOXK2, Forkhead box K2; GST-pi, glutathione S-transferase pi; MGMT, O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase; WHO, World Health Organization.
Univariate and multivariate analyses of prognostic parameters in patients with glioma
| Parameter | Univariate log-rank test | Cox multivariable analysis | Relative risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (<50 years vs ≥50 years) | 0.274 | – | – |
| Sex (male vs female) | 0.286 | – | – |
| WHO grade (low vs high) | <0.01 | <0.01 | 112.772 |
| Karnofsky Performance Status (<70 vs ≥70) | 0.998 | – | – |
| Tumor size (<5 cm vs ≥5 cm) | 0.165 | – | – |
| Ki67 (<10% vs ≥10%) | <0.01 | 0.266 | 1.467 |
| MGMT (− vs +) | 0.122 | – | – |
| GST-pi (− vs +) | 0.234 | – | – |
| FOXK2 (low vs high) | <0.01 | 0.023 | 1.794 |
Abbreviations: FOXK2, Forkhead box K2; GST-pi, glutathione S-transferase pi; MGMT, O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase; WHO, World Health Organization.
Figure 2FOXK2 inhibits glioma cell proliferation. (A) The transfection efficiency of siRNA was validated by Western blot analysis and real-time PCR analysis. (B) The CCK-8 assays revealed that downregulated FOXK2 expression promoted proliferation of LN229 cells. (C) A colony-formation assay confirmed that the proliferation rate was increased by FOXK2 knockdown. (D) The transfection efficiency of the plasmid encoding the FOXK2 protein was validated by Western blot analysis and real-time PCR analysis in LN229 cells. (E) The CCK-8 assays revealed that increased FOXF2 expression inhibited proliferation of LN229 cells. (F) A colony-formation assay confirmed that the proliferation rate of LN229 cells was inhibited by FOXK2 knockdown. (G) The transfection efficiency of the plasmid encoding the FOXK2 protein was validated by Western blot analysis and real-time PCR analysis in U373 cells. (H) The CCK-8 assays revealed that increased FOXF2 expression inhibited the proliferation of U383 cells. (I) A colony-formation assay confirmed that the proliferation rate of U373 cells was inhibited by FOXK2 knockdown. *p<0.05; **p<0.01; and ***p<0.001.
Abbreviations: CCK-8, Cell Counting Kit-8; FOXK2, Forkhead box K2; NC, negative control; PCR, polymerase chain reaction; si, small interfering.
Figure 3FOXK2 inhibits glioma cell migration and invasion. (A) Downregulation of FOXK2 efficiently increased the cell migration and invasion of LN229 cells compared to the control cells (original magnification ×40). (B) Expression of E-cadherin was decreased by FOXK2 knockdown in LN229 cells, and conversely, expression of vimentin and N-cadherin increased. (C) Upregulation of FOXK2 efficiently reduced the cell migration and invasion of LN229 cells compared to the control cells (original magnification ×40). (D) Expression of E-cadherin was increased by upregulation of FOXK2 in LN229 cells, and conversely, expression of vimentin and N-cadherin decreased. (E) Upregulation of FOXK2 efficiently reduced the cell migration and invasion of U373 cells compared to the control cells (original magnification ×40). (F) Expression of E-cadherin was increased by upregulation of FOXK2 in U373 cells, and conversely, expression of vimentin and N-cadherin decreased. **p<0.01 and ***p<0.001.
Abbreviations: FOXK2, Forkhead box K2; NC, negative control; si, small interfering.