| 1. |
- Herdenberg, Carl, 1982-
(author)
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Molecular and physiological functions of LRIG proteins and netrin-1 in health and disease
- 2021
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The leucine-rich repeats and immunoglobulin-like domains (LRIG) gene family has three members, LRIG1, LRIG2, and LRIG3, that encode three structurally similar transmembrane proteins. LRIG1 is a receptor tyrosine kinase regulator, tumor suppressor, and stem cell marker in the skin, intestine, and brain. LRIG2 and LRIG3 have been less studied but shown to interact with LRIG1. The different roles and mechanisms of action of LRIG proteins have not yet been fully elucidated. In Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), the LRIG homolog SMA-10 regulates bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling; however, this function has not been demonstrated for mammalian LRIG proteins. In mice, the gene encoding the neurodevelopmental guidance cue netrin-1, Ntn1, interacts with Lrig3 in inner ear development. The physical interactions between LRIG proteins and other proteins are mostly unknown. Here, we describe an LRIG1-centered protein interaction network that regulates growth factor receptor levels. The LRIG1 interactome comprised LRIG2 and LRIG3 as well as many unanticipated proteins. An unbiased pathological examination of female mice with different Lrig3 genotypes (homozygous, heterozygous, or knockout) revealed a reduced incidence of spontaneous fatty liver and lymphocytic hyperplasia of the spleen in Lrig3-null mice. Female Lrig3-null mice also had a lower incidence of microvesicular cytoplasm in the liver after eight weeks on a high-fat diet. To further explore the molecular and physiological functions of LRIG proteins, we generated Lrig-null (Lrig1-/-;Lrig2-/-;Lrig3-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), which displayed a deficiency in adipogenesis caused by impaired BMP signaling. LRIG1 and LRIG3, but not LRIG2, sensitized cells to BMP and rescued the adipogenesis deficiency in Lrig-null MEFs. In C. elegans, the LRIG homolog sma-10 was needed for proper lipid accumulation. By analyzing data from the UK Biobank and GENiAL cohort, we found that certain LRIG1 gene variants were associated with a higher body mass index (BMI) yet protected against type 2 diabetes. This effect was probably mediated by altered adipocyte morphology. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated ablation of Ntn1 revealed that the BMP-promoting function of LRIG1 and LRIG3 was opposed by netrin-1, which functioned as an inhibitor of BMP signaling via its receptor neogenin.In summary, the present thesis describes a novel LRIG protein interaction network, the regulation of BMP signaling by LRIG proteins and netrin-1, and an important function of LRIG proteins in regulating fat metabolism with implications for human metabolic health.
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| 2. |
- Gkekas, Ioannis, 1981-
(author)
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Mismatch repair deficiency in colorectal cancer : prognosis and prediction for basic treatment strategies
- 2021
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a significant healthcare problem worldwide, being the third most common cancer and the fourth most frequent cause of cancer death. Environmental and dietary factors such as alcohol abuse, cigarette smoking, and genetic predisposition seem to constitute the main aetiologies.Two major distinct molecular genetic pathways have been recognised as models of transition from normal epithelium to adenoma and carcinoma. The first involves chromosomal instability (CIN) and the second involves microsatellite instability (MSI). The MSI pathway constitutes 2-4% of CRCs with a hereditary Mismatch Repair (MMR) defect (dMMR) and approximately 15% of sporadic MMR defects due to epigenetic silencing of the MutL homologue 1 (MLH1) promoter. Extracellular factors and spontaneous copy errors necessitate molecular systems to survey and repair human genetic information, and to protect it from chemical disruption. A complicated and entangled network of DNA damage response mechanisms, including multiple DNA repair pathways, damage tolerance processes, and cell cycle checkpoints safeguard genomic integrity. It has recently become apparent that key proteins contributing tocellular survival by taking part in DNA repair become executioners in the face of excess DNA damage. All prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms have major DNA repair pathways. In each of these DNA repair pathways there are key proteins that have dual functions in DNA damage sensing/repair and apoptosis, taking advantage of the fact that DNA is a double helix with the same information present on both strands. Damages that affect one strand can easily be repaired by excision and replacement with newly synthesised DNA using the complementary strand as a template. MMR plays a critical role in the repair of errors that occur spontaneously during DNA replication, such as single base mismatches. dMMR increases the mutation frequency in an affected cell by approximately 1000 times, leading to MSI through the accumulation of short repetitive DNA sequences called microsatellites. Carcinogenesis in dMMR cases can present as hereditary cases (Lynch syndrome) due to germline mutation inin one of the main MMR genes – MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2 or somatic/sporadic cases (epigenetic silencing or somatic inactivation of MLH1promoter. dMMR seems to have a favourable prognosis as these CRCs seems to be less prone to metastasising. This phenomenon is much more obvious for tumour stages II and III, while in advanced disease dMMR seems to lose its positive prognostic effect. Even if the underlying mechanism is not fully understood, some studies attribute the positive effect of dMMR tumours to their increased immunogenicity leading to a stronger more effective immune response. On the other hand, the predictive value of the dMMR mechanism isless well understood and has only gained attention in recent years. In general, dMMR seems to predict a poor response to 5-FU, the basis of gastrointestinal chemotherapy.The aims of this thesis were: 1. To review the latest publications on the role of MSI status as prognostic factor in stage II colon cancer (CC) patients (Study I); 2. To validate MMR status as a prognostic factor in patients with CC Stage II (Study II); 3. To verify MMR status as a predictive factor in relation to the administration of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage II CC (Study III); 4. To investigate the potential role of MMR status as a risk factor for acute CC surgery (Study IV); and finally 5. To investigate the association between CRC with sporadic dMMR and non-colorectal malignancy (Study V).Study I, a meta-analysis reviewing recently published papers, revealed that MSI status in stage II CC patients does not seem to affect overall survival (OS)and disease-free survival (DFS). This lack of impact could be explained by selection bias and the extremely high proportion of patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy in the studies included. This was the first meta-analysis specifically evaluating patients with colon cancer stage II. The optimal treatment algorithm for these patients remains unclear, and approximately 20% experience relapse and finally die from disseminated disease.Study II verified the prognostic role of MMR status in patients with stage II CC. Patients with a dMMR tumour have a significantly lower risk for cancer recurrence, a finding that is particularly important for CC treatment. This relationship does not correlate to a better OS since these patients are older and often die from other causes. Debate on the best postoperative strategy in stage II CC continues. What this study contributes is the idea that determination of MMR status can have prognostic value in these patients.Study III also verified the predictive role of MMR status in patients with stageII CC, only this time in relation to treatment with adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients with proficient MMR (pMMR) status receiving adjuvant chemotherapy have a significantly better OS than those not receiving adjuvant treatment. This relationship was not seen in patients with a dMMR tumour. Furthermore, patients with a pMMR tumour receiving adjuvant treatment have a significantly longer survival time after the first relapse compared to those not receiving adjuvant treatment.Study IV revealed the higher probability of dMMR tumours to present as a surgical emergency. Stage III and IV tumours were also associated with acute surgery. This association was significant regardless of the potential bias due toretrospective methodology and possible heterogeneity between the differentcohorts. Further research is required before our conclusions can be applied in clinical practice due to the multicomplex relationship and interactions between variables that influence the oncologic outcome of acute CC surgery.Study V revealed that patients with sporadic, non-hereditary dMMR CRC run a greater risk for having non-colorectal cancer prior to or after the diagnosis ofCRC. This implies that patients with a dMMR tumour should be screened for other non-colorectal cancer, more so than in the the general population.Conclusion: CRC continues to be a significant healthcare problem worldwide, and treatment algorithms for patients with different genomic backgrounds can vary significantly. This thesis supports the idea of using MMR status as a prognostic and predictive factor in everyday clinical practice, especially in stage II CC and acute cases.
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| 3. |
- Löwenmark, Thyra, 1995-
(author)
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Gut microbiota in colorectal cancer : The importance of Parvimonas micra
- 2024
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogenous disease consisting of multiple molecular subtypes, each of which has diverse treatment responses and prognoses. The importance of the gut microbiota in CRC development and progression has undergone increasing recognition in recent years, with a structural segregation in terms of microbial composition between CRC patients and healthy controls. However, many questions remain before a full understanding of the impact of the gut microbiota on CRC is reached. The overall aim of this thesis was to explore the role of gut microbes in CRC, including their potential as CRC biomarkers and associations with clinicopathological, immunological, and molecular traits of CRC. A particular focus was the CRC-associated oral pathogen Parvimonas micra.To investigate faecal microbiota as a potential biomarker for CRC, we studied the presence of specific bacteria in faeces from CRC patients and controls using qPCR. We found higher levels of P. micra in faecal samples from CRC patients than from control patients. A test for high levels of P. micra was able to identify CRC with a specificity of 87.3% and a sensitivity of 60.5%. Adding the oral pathogen Fusobacterium nucleatum, colibactin-producing bacteria, and faecal haemoglobin to the test enhanced its sensitivity.We further aimed to explore the associations of P. micra and F. nucleatum with molecular subtypes of CRC and the tumour immune response. The levels of P. micra and F. nucleatum, as analysed by qPCR in both faeces and tumour tissue from CRC patients, were found to be positively correlated. High levels of intratumoural P. micra and F. nucleatum were associated with tumours of the microsatellite instable subtype and BRAF-mutated tumours. For F. nucleatum, an additional association with right-sided tumours was found. Moreover, both P. micra and F. nucleatum in tumour tissue were associated with the immune-activated consensus molecular subtype (CMS) 1 subtype of CRC. In line with this finding, we found novel associations between intratumoural P. micra and specific immune traits, which were evaluated by flow cytometry, indicating an active immune response in CRC. These results were further confirmed using transcriptomics. However, no associations with specific immune traits were found for F. nucleatum.We also investigated associations between faecal and intratumoural levels of P. micra and F. nucleatum and survival in CRC patients. CRC patients with high levels of intratumoural P. micra and F. nucleatum showed reduced five-year cancer-specific survival. This association remained significant for P. micra in multivariable analysis. No associations with cancer-specific survival were found for levels of P. micra and F. nucleatum in faeces.To investigate the faecal microbial landscape of CRC patients on a larger scale, we used 16S rRNA sequencing. Network analysis revealed a cluster of associated bacteria, including P. micra and F. nucleatum, as well as other CRC-related pathogens such as Bacteroides fragilis, Peptostreptococcus stomatitis, and Porphyromonas spp. Furthermore, beta-diversity analysis indicated a significantly different gut microbial composition depending on tumour location and microsatellite instability status. Interestingly, three of the six annotated species most strongly associated with microsatellite instable tumours were also present in the cluster: P. micra, F. nucleatum, and P. stomatis.In conclusion, our results suggest P. micra as a putative candidate for a future non-invasive microbial test panel for detection of CRC. Moreover, our results indicate that intratumoural P. micra and F. nucleatum are associated with immune-active subtypes of CRC, including microsatellite instable tumours and tumours of the CMS1 subtype, as well as decreased patient survival. Furthermore, P. micra and F. nucleatum were found to be associated with a cluster of other CRC-related oral pathogens. An improved understanding of the role of the gut microbiota in tumour progression may lead to the identification of important biomarkers for CRC disease and outcome, as well as potential targets for future therapy.
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| 4. |
- Gylling, Björn, 1978-
(author)
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Biomarkers of one-carbon metabolism in colorectal cancer risk
- 2017
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- One-carbon metabolism, a network of enzymatic reactions involving the transfer of methyl groups, depends on B-vitamins as cofactors, folate as a methyl group carrier, and amino acids, betaine, and choline as methyl group donors. One-carbon metabolism influences many processes in cancer initiation and development such as DNA synthesis, genome stability, and histone and epigenetic methylation. To study markers of one-carbon metabolism and inflammation in relation to colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, we used prediagnostic plasma samples from over 600 case participants and 1200 matched control participants in the population-based Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study cohort.This thesis studies CRC risk with respect to the following metabolites measured in pre-diagnostic plasma samples: 1) folate, vitamin B12, and homocysteine; 2) components of one-carbon metabolism (choline, betaine, dimethylglycine, sarcosine, and methionine); and 3) three markers of different aspects of vitamin B6 status. In addition, this thesis examines three homocysteine ratios as determinants of total B-vitamin status and their relation to CRC risk.In two previous studies, we observed an association between low plasma concentrations of folate and a lower CRC risk, but we found no significant association between plasma concentrations of homocysteine and vitamin B12 with CRC risk. We have replicated these results in a study with a larger sample size and found that low folate can inhibit the growth of established pre-cancerous lesions.Using the full study cohort of over 1800 participants, we found inverse associations between plasma concentrations of the methionine cycle metabolites betaine and methionine and CRC risk. This risk was especially low for participants with the combination of low folate and high methionine versus the combination of low folate and low methionine. Well-functioning methionine cycle lowers risk, while impaired DNA synthesis partly explains the previous results for folate.We used the full study cohort to study associations between CRC risk and the most common marker of vitamin B6 status, pyridoxal' 5-phosphate (PLP), and two metabolite ratios, PAr (4-pyridoxic acid/(PLP + pyridoxal)) estimating vitamin B6 related inflammatory processes and the functional vitamin B6 marker 3-hydroxykynurenine to xanthurenic acid (HK:XA). Increased vitamin B6-related inflammation and vitamin B6 deficiency increase CRC risk. Inflammation was not observed to initiate tumorigenesis.Total B-vitamin status can be estimated by three different recently introduced homocysteine ratios. We used the full study cohort to relate the ratios as determinants of the total B-vitamin score in case and control participants and estimated the CRC risk for each marker. Sufficient B-vitamin status as estimated with homocysteine ratios was associated with a lower CRC risk.These studies provide a deeper biochemical knowledge of the complexities inherent in the relationship between one-carbon metabolism and colorectal tumorigenesis.
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| 5. |
- Ling, Agnes, 1976-
(author)
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Immune cell infiltration and prognosis in colorectal cancer
- 2018
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is globally the second most common form of cancer among women, and third in men. It is also one of the most common causes of cancer-related death in high-income countries. Surgical resection is the basis for curative therapy but still almost half of the patients die from metastatic disease. It is therefore imperative to strive on in the search for more efficient strategies to improve patient survival. The success scores for accurate prediction of patient prognosis remain discouraging and novel markers to identify high-risk patients are called for.The tumour immune response has proven critical to prognosis in CRC. A high amount of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes have in studies been found to significantly improve patient outcome. The opposite has been seen in patients with sparsely infiltrated tumours. Findings in this area have driven forth the design of the Immunoscore® system, which may be implemented in clinic as a complement to the TNM staging system. Ongoing research is also focusing on which immune evading mechanisms CRC might deploy in order to progress and metastasize.Aim: To study immune cell infiltration in relation to prognosis in CRC. More specifically the aim has been to investigate the prognostic importance of different subsets of immune cells infiltrating the tumour, not only according to quantity but also to intratumoural subsite (tumour invasive front, tumour centre and within the tumour epithelium). The tumour immune response was also evaluated in different molecular subgroups of CRC. Another part of this thesis concerns possible molecular mechanisms involved in tumour immune escape in CRC.Methods: CRC cases in the Colorectal Cancer in Umeå Study (CRUMS) were evaluated using immunohistochemistry, gene expression analyses as well as methylation analyses. Cytokine and chemokine expression was evaluated in CRC tumour tissues and one CRC cell line (Caco2) and derivatives using semi-quantitative real-time PCR. Methylation was analysed using methylation-specific pyrosequencing.Results: We found high quantities of both cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) as well as of regulatory T cells (Tregs) to associate with a better patient outcome. The infiltration of CTLs within the tumour epithelium provided the strongest prognostic information, whilst Tregs withheld the strongest association to prognosis at the tumour invasive front and tumour centre. We could further show that a high Th1 lymphocyte infiltration was strongly associated with a better prognosis in patients with CRC, independently of intratumoural subsite. Another finding was that the extent of Th1 infiltration and patient outcome differed in different molecular subgroups of CRC. We also found down-regulation of TAP1, a protein involved in antigen presentation by MHC class I, to be significantly associated with low infiltration of various subtypes of immune cells. Down-regulation of TAP1 was also correlated to poor prognosis in patients with early stages of CRC. Furthermore, we found TAP1 expression to be inversely correlated with methylation at sites close to the TAP1 promoter region.Conclusion: Tumour infiltrating T lymphocytes have a significant positive impact on prognosis in CRC patients. Different subsets of T lymphocytes vary in their dependency on intratumoural subsite, in to what extent they exert their prognostic influence. We moreover found varying Th1 lymphocyte infiltration rates as well as prognostic impact thereof, in different molecular subgroups of CRC. Our results also show down-regulation of TAP1 to be a mechanism of tumour immune escape in CRC. Further findings suggest methylation of the TAP1 gene to be a putative mechanism for TAP1 down-regulation.
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| 6. |
- Lundberg, Ida, 1987-
(author)
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Molecular understanding of KRAS- and BRAF-mutated colorectal cancers
- 2017
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed malignancy in both men and women, and one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. One frequently mutated pathway involved in oncogenesis in CRC is the RAS/RAF/MAP kinase pathway. Oncogenic activation of KRAS and BRAF occur in 30‒40% and 5‒15% of all CRCs, respectively, and the mutations are mutually exclusive. Even though KRAS and BRAF are known to act in the same pathway, KRAS- and BRAF-mutated CRCs have different clinical and histopathological features. For example, BRAF mutation in CRC is tightly linked to microsatellite instability (MSI) and a CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP), which is not seen in KRAS-mutated tumours. BRAF-mutated CRCs are also more often found in right-sided tumours. However, the underlying molecular reasons for these differences have not yet been defined.The overall aim of this thesis was to investigate molecular differences between KRAS- and BRAF-mutated CRCs to understand how KRAS and BRAF mutations differentially affect tumour progression. We used an in vitro cell culture system to explore molecular differences between KRAS- and BRAF-mutated CRCs and verified our findings using CRC tissue specimens from the Colorectal Cancer in Umeå Study (CRUMS).We found that BRAF mutation, but not KRAS mutation, was associated with expression of the stem cell factor SOX2. Furthermore, SOX2 was found to be correlated to a poor patient prognosis, especially in BRAF-mutated cancers. We further investigated the role of BRAF in regulation of SOX2 expression and found that SOX2 is at least partly regulated by BRAF in vitro. We continued by investigating the functional role of SOX2 in CRC and found that SOX2-expressing cells shared several characteristics with cancer stem cells, and also had down-regulated expression of the intestinal epithelial marker CDX2. There was a strong correlation between loss of CDX2 expression and poor patient prognosis, and patients with SOX2 expression were found to have a particularly poor prognosis when CDX2 levels were down-regulated. In conclusion, in these studies we identified a subgroup of BRAF-mutated CRCs with a particularly poor prognosis, and having a cancer stem cell-like appearance with increased expression of SOX2 and decreased expression of CDX2.Tumour progression is regulated by interactions with cells of the immune system. We found that BRAF-mutated CRCs were more highly infiltrated by Th1 lymphocytes than BRAF wild-type tumours, while the opposite was true for KRAS-mutated CRCs. Interestingly, we found that part of this difference is probably caused by differences in secreted chemokines and cytokines between KRAS- and BRAF-mutated CRCs, stimulating different arms of the immune response.Altered levels of expression of miRNAs have been seen in several malignancies, including CRC. We found that BRAF- and KRAS-mutated CRCs showed miRNA signatures different from those of wild-type CRCs, but the expression of miRNAs did not distinguish KRAS-mutated tumours from BRAF-mutated tumours.In summary, our findings have revealed possible molecular differences between KRAS- and BRAF-mutated CRCs that may explain some of the differences in their clinical and histopathological behaviour.
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| 7. |
- Myte, Robin, 1989-
(author)
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Metabolic Risk Factors and Molecular Subtypes of Colorectal Cancer
- 2018
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease developing from distinct pathways, resulting in tumor subtypes with large differences in clinical and molecular characteristics. Molecular characteristics are increasingly being used clinically to guide therapy. However, whether molecular subtypes of CRC differ in etiology or risk factors is not clear. Clarifying such potential differences may lead to an improved understanding of CRC etiology, with implications for CRC prevention and screening.Aim: The aim of this thesis was to investigate whether risk factors related to energy metabolism, such as body fatness, and one-carbon metabolism, such as circulating B-vitamin status, were associated with specific subtypes of CRC defined by molecular characteristics of the tumor. Methods: These prospective studies are based on data and blood samples from cohorts within the population-based Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study (NSHDS). Prospective CRC cases with available archived tumor tissue were analyzed for key molecular features (KRAS and BRAF mutation status, Microsatellite instability (MSI) status, and CpG Island Methylator Phenotype (CIMP) status). Paper I was a cohort study of metabolic factors related to the metabolic syndrome (117 687 participants). Paper II was a nested-case control study on circulating insulin resistance-markers and adipokines (1010 cases and 1010 matched controls). Papers III and IV were nested case-control studies of one-carbon metabolism biomarkers and genetic variants (613 cases and 1190 matched controls).Results: In paper I, we observed associations between metabolic factors, such as BMI, blood pressure, and blood lipids, and CRC risk consistent with previous studies. These associations were similar regardless of tumor KRAS and BRAF mutation status. In paper II, circulating biomarkers of insulin resistance and adipokines were not associated with the risk of CRC or specific molecular subtypes of CRC defined by KRAS and BRAF mutation or MSI status. In paper III, higher circulating levels of metabolites involved in the methionine cycle (namely, betaine and methionine) were associated with a lower CRC risk. In paper IV, we found no support for clear subtype-specific roles of any circulating one-carbon metabolism biomarker or genetic variants in CRC development.Conclusions: The result of these prospective studies suggests that metabolic factors related to energy metabolism and one-carbon metabolism are generally associated with the risk of CRC, regardless of major subtypes defined by key molecular tumor features. If causal, metabolic risk factors likely influence the risk of colorectal cancer through more than one carcinogenic pathway.
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| 8. |
- Shamoun, Levar, 1979-
(author)
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Investigation of immune cell-derived factors as potential biomarkers in patients with colorectal cancer
- 2022
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer related death. It is a heterogeneous disease involving multiple molecular pathways that result in differing phenotypes. Individual variability in CRC susceptibility is influenced by genetic variation, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Changes in genetics and epigenetics can disrupt intact signalling pathways involved in metabolism, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Inflammatory factors such as cytokines and chemokines, as well as their receptors, play important roles in immune regulation.In Papers I, II and III, selected SNPs in the genes of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-13, IL-2 or chemokine C-C motif ligand (CCL) 4 in patients with CRC were investigated to determine their prognostic significance by identifying associations with various clinicopathological parameters and long-term survival. The investigated IL-13 and IL-4 SNPs were found to be risk factors for CRC and could be useful potential prognostic markers in CRC patient follow-up and clinical management. The investigated IL-2 SNPs were significantly associated with an increased risk of CRC and worse cancer-specific survival in patients with stage II or stage III CRC.In Paper III, levels of CCL4 protein were measured in CRC patients to investigate their prognostic significance for CRC. The data showed that CRC tissue had a higher protein expression than normal paired tissue, and plasma CCL4 levels were higher in patients than in controls, being positively correlated with CRC tissue levels. Further, higher levels of tissue CCL4 protein were linked to a lower disease stage and a better prognosis.Paper IV was an investigation of the expression of zinc finger MYND-type containing 15 (zmynd15) and its roles in CRC. In CRC tissue, protein expression was found primarily in cluster of differentiation (CD) 68 positive cells. Zmynd15 messenger ribonucleic acid expression was lower in CRC tissue than in non-cancerous tissue. When zmynd15 was silenced in CRC cell lines, it caused alteration in genes known to be important in CRC, indicating that zmynd15-regulated genes are involved in CRC. Furthermore, tumour development in the colon was higher in zmynd15 knockout mice than in wild-type mice.In conclusion, the work presented in this thesis contributes to an understanding of the association of inflammatory markers in CRC with risk and survival, and their potential use as tools for monitoring CRC patients. In addition, it showed that zmynd15, a transcriptional suppressor, plays an important role in the development of CRC.
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| 9. |
- Sjöström, Olle, 1973-
(author)
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Risk and survival for colorectal cancer in northern Sweden : sociodemographic factors and surveillance programs
- 2019
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- BackgroundColorectal cancer (CRC) – i.e., cancer in the colon or rectum – is one of the most common cancers both globally and in Sweden. The risk for CRC is mainly related to age, heredity, and life-style risk factors. Previous studies have also demonstrated that individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES), living alone, or far from care facilities may have a higher risk for CRC or a worse outcome. In contrast to life-style or sociodemographic-associated risks, an inherited risk for CRC is difficult to modify. However, colonoscopic surveillance programs can be help prevent CRC in families with a known hereditary risk.The Northern Health Care Region (northern Sweden) is the most sparsely populated region in Sweden, and travel distances to care can be long. The population in Northern Sweden is on average older and has lower SES compared with the rest of the country. The impact of these sociodemographic differences on CRC in northern Sweden is not well known. AimThis thesis analyses CRC in a northern Sweden setting with regards to incidence, survival, and associated sociodemographic risk factors, including prevention for individuals with increased hereditary risk.MethodsPapers I and II, cohort studies from the Risk North database, link individual data from health care registers to other sociodemographic registers. In Paper I, the incidence, mortality, and survival for all CRC cases in northern Sweden were compared with the rest of Sweden for the period 2007-2013. Uni- and multivariable Cox regression analysis were used to assess the impact of sociodemographic factors and tumour stage on survival by calculating hazard ratios (HR). In Paper II, we analysed any association between travel time to care and CRC survival in northern Sweden during 2007-2013 using the same type of Cox regression analysis. Papers III and IV are based on a cohort of individuals with a family history of CRC, prospectively recorded from 1995 to 2012 in the colonoscopic surveillance register at the Cancer Prevention Clinic at Umeå University Hospital. In Paper III, we evaluated the cancer preventive effect of the performed colonoscopic surveillance. Observed cases of CRC were compared to a cohort estimate of cases without surveillance. Compliance with surveillance and colonoscopic quality was also analysed. In Paper IV, we examined the cost-effectiveness of the colonoscopic surveillance program in Paper III. A cost-utility analysis with a societal perspective was used and the stability of the results was tested in a sensitivity analysis. ResultsThe age-adjusted incidence in colon cancer was 12.7% lower in northern compared to southern Sweden or 35.9/100 000 vs. 41.1/100 000 person years (p < 0.01). For rectal cancer, the incidence was 10.5% lower in the north (17.6 vs. 19.7 p <0.01). In subgroup analysis, the largest difference in incidence between northern and southern Sweden was found among individuals > 79 years age (colon - 190 vs. 237 ≈ 19.6%, rectal 72.4 vs. 88.0 ≈ 17.7%). For all of Sweden, the incidence in colorectal cancer was higher in males, individuals with lower SES, or individuals living alone. In univariable analyses of survival (all-cause and cause-specific) for colon and rectal cancer patients in all of Sweden, patients with high SES or co-habiting had a significantly better outcome compared to patients with low SES or living alone. HR for death ranged from 0.60 to 0.85 in the better-favoured risk group. No differences in colon or rectal cancer survival between northern and southern Sweden were demonstrated in the univariable analysis. However, in multivariable survival analysis, all-cause survival for colon cancer patients was better in southern Sweden (HR 0.92; 95% CI 0.86 – 0.97). For cause-specific survival for colon cancer or in any analysis for rectal cancer, no differences between northern and southern Sweden were demonstrated. In analysis of travel time, no association between travel time and survival was found. In the evaluation of the colonoscopic surveillance programme, one case of CRC was observed, compared to 9.5-10.5 expected cases. Standardised Incidence Ratio (SIR) between observed and expected cases of CRC was 0.10 (CI 95% 0.0012–0.53) to 0.11 (CI 95% 0.0014–0.59. The compliance to the surveillance program was 90%. The adenoma detection rate was 14%, and 10% of the examinations were incomplete. In the cost-utility analysis, the net cost for surveillance was 233 038 €, while saving 64.8 Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs) compared to non-surveillance. The resulting Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER) was 3596 €/QALY, ranging from -4620 €/QALY in the best-case scenario to 33 779 € /QALY in the worst-case scenario.ConclusionThe incidence of CRC was lower in northern Sweden and most evident in the elderly, raising questions on differences in life-style between northern and southern Sweden in the past. There were considerable sociodemographic disparities in CRC survival in Sweden, including a lower all-cause survival for colon cancer patients in the north. In this study, travel time to care in northern Sweden did not affect survival and the lower all-cause survival in northern Sweden cannot be fully explained. The colonoscopic surveillance of families in northern Sweden with inherited risk for CRC had a good cancer preventive effect, including a high cost-effectiveness. The reasons for the good effect may be high compliance, since the quality of the colonoscopies was moderate.
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| 10. |
- Berglund, Eva Caroline, et al.
(author)
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A Study Protocol for Validation and Implementation of Whole-Genome and -Transcriptome Sequencing as a Comprehensive Precision Diagnostic Test in Acute Leukemias
- 2022
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In: Frontiers in Medicine. - Lausanne, Switzerland : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-858X. ; 9, s. 1-9
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and whole-transcriptome sequencing (WTS), with the ability to provide comprehensive genomic information, have become the focal point of research interest as novel techniques that can support precision diagnostics in routine clinical care of patients with various cancer types, including hematological malignancies. This national multi-center study, led by Genomic Medicine Sweden, aims to evaluate whether combined application of WGS and WTS (WGTS) is technically feasible and can be implemented as an efficient diagnostic tool in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In addition to clinical impact assessment, a health-economic evaluation of such strategy will be performed. Methods and Analysis: The study comprises four phases (i.e., retrospective, prospective, real-time validation, and follow-up) including approximately 700 adult and pediatric Swedish AML and ALL patients. Results of WGS for tumor (90×) and normal/germline (30×) samples as well as WTS for tumors only will be compared to current standard of care diagnostics. Primary study endpoints are diagnostic efficiency and improved diagnostic yield. Secondary endpoints are technical and clinical feasibility for routine implementation, clinical utility, and health-economic impact. Discussion: Data from this national multi-center study will be used to evaluate clinical performance of the integrated WGTS diagnostic workflow compared with standard of care. The study will also elucidate clinical and health-economic impacts of a combined WGTS strategy when implemented in routine clinical care. Clinical Trial Registration: [https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN66987142], identifier [ISRCTN66987142].
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| 11. |
- Dahlin, Anna, 1979-
(author)
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The CpG island methylator phenotype in colorectal cancer : studies on risk and prognosis
- 2011
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common malignancy in developed countries. The mortality is high, with nearly half of patients dying from the disease. The primary treatment of CRC is surgery, and decisions about additional treatment with chemotherapy are based mainly on tumor stage. Novel prognostic markers that identify patients at high risk of recurrence and cancer-related death are needed. The development of CRC has been described in terms of two different pathways; the microsatellite instability (MSI) and chromosomal instability (microsatellite stable, MSS) pathway. More recently, the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP), characterized by frequent DNA hypermethylation, has been described as an alternative pathway of tumorigenesis. The event of DNA methylation is dependent on one-carbon metabolism, in which folate and vitamin B12 have essential functions. The purpose of this thesis was to study CIMP in CRC. The specific aims were to investigate the potential role of components of one-carbon metabolism as risk factors for this subgroup of tumors, and the prognostic importance of CIMP status, taking into consideration important confounding factors, such as MSI and tumor-infiltrating T cells. Methods CRC cases and referents included in the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study (NSHDS, 226 cases and 437 referents) and CRC cases in the Colorectal Cancer in Umeå Study (CRUMS, n=490) were studied. Prediagnostic plasma concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 were analyzed in NSHDS. In both study groups, CIMP status was determined in archival tumor tissue by real-time quantitative PCR using an eight-gene panel (CDKN2A, MLH1, CACNA1G, NEUROG1, RUNX3, SOCS1, IGF2 and CRABP1). MSI screening status and the density of tumor-infiltrating T cells were determined by immunohistochemistry. Results An inverse association was found between plasma concentrations of vitamin B12 and rectal, but not colon, cancer risk. We also found a reduced risk of CIMP-high and CIMP-low CRC in study subjects with the lowest levels of plasma folate. We found that patients with CIMP-low tumors in both NSHDS and CRUMS had a poorer prognosis compared with CIMP-negative, regardless of MSI screening status. We also found that MSS CIMP-high patients had a poorer prognosis compared with MSS CIMP-negative. The density of tumor-infiltrating T cells and CIMP status were both found to be independent predictors of CRC patient prognosis. A particularly poor prognosis was found in patients with CIMP-low tumors poorly infiltrated by T cells. In addition, the density of T cells appeared to be more important than MSI screening status for predicting CRC patient prognosis. Conclusion Rather than being one disease, CRC is a heterogeneous set of diseases with respect to clinico-pathological and molecular characteristics. We found that the association between risk and plasma concentration of vitamin B12 and folate depends on tumor site and CIMP status, respectively. Patient prognosis was found to be different depending on CIMP and MSI screening status, and the density of tumor-infiltrating T cells.
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| 12. |
- Renman, David, et al.
(author)
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Association of pre-diagnostic physical exercise and peri-diagnostic body composition with mortality in non-metastatic colorectal cancer
- 2023
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In: International Journal of Colorectal Disease. - : Springer Nature. - 0179-1958 .- 1432-1262. ; 38:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: Sarcopenia and myosteatosis, quantified via computed tomography (CT), are associated with poor colorectal cancer outcomes. These body composition estimates can be influenced by physical exercise. We explored the correlation between pre-diagnostic physical exercise, body composition close to diagnosis, and the combined prognosis impact of these factors.Methods: We studied 519 stage I–III colorectal cancer (CRC) cases diagnosed 2000–2016 with pre-diagnostic self-reported recreational physical exercise data collected in the prospective, population-based Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study, and CT-estimated skeletal muscle index (SMI) or skeletal muscle density (SMD). Risk estimates were calculated by multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards models.Results: No association was seen between low pre-diagnostic physical exercise and sarcopenia/myosteatosis in the multivariable model adjusted for age, sex, educational level, tumor stage, and tumor location. In multivariable Cox regression models, the combination of low pre-diagnostic physical exercise and either sarcopenia or myosteatosis at the time of diagnosis was associated with cancer-specific mortality compared to the reference group of high physical exercise combined with no sarcopenia/myosteatosis (adjusted HR 1.94 95% CI 1.00–3.76 for sarcopenia and adjusted HR 2.39 95% CI 1.16–4.94 for myosteatosis).Conclusions: The combined presence of low pre-diagnostic physical exercise and sarcopenia or myosteatosis was associated with increased CRC-specific mortality. Despite the positive effect on prognosis, physical exercise did not alter body composition estimates at diagnosis, which could indicate attenuation from other factors.
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| 13. |
- Rutegård, Miriam, et al.
(author)
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Rectal cancer : a methodological approach to matching PET/MRI to histopathology
- 2020
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In: Cancer Imaging. - : BioMed Central (BMC). - 1740-5025 .- 1470-7330. ; 20:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Purpose: To enable the evaluation of locoregional disease in the on-going RECTOPET (REctal Cancer Trial on PET/MRI/CT) study; a methodology to match mesorectal imaging findings to histopathology is presented, along with initial observations.Methods: FDG-PET/MRI examinations were performed in twenty-four consecutively included patients with rectal adenocarcinoma. In nine patients, of whom five received neoadjuvant treatment, a postoperative MRI of the surgical specimen was performed. The pathological cut-out was performed according to clinical routine with the addition of photo documentation of each slice of the surgical specimen, meticulously marking the location, size, and type of pathology of each mesorectal finding. This allowed matching individual nodal structures from preoperative MRI, via the specimen MRI, to histopathology.Results: Preoperative MRI identified 197 mesorectal nodal structures, of which 92 (47%) could be anatomically matched to histopathology. Of the matched nodal structures identified in both MRI and histopathology, 25% were found to be malignant. These malignant structures consisted of lymph nodes (43%), tumour deposits (48%), and extramural venous invasion (9%). One hundred eleven nodal structures (55%) could not be matched anatomically. Of these, 97 (87%) were benign lymph nodes, and 14 (13%) were malignant nodal structures. Five were malignant lymph nodes, and nine were tumour deposits, all of which had a short axis diameter < 5 mm.Conclusions: We designed a method able to anatomically match and study the characteristics of individual mesorectal nodal structures, enabling further research on the impact of each imaging modality. Initial observations suggest that small malignant nodal structures assessed as lymph nodes in MRI often comprise other forms of mesorectal tumour spread.Trial registration: Clinical Trials Identifier: NCT03846882.
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| 14. |
- Shirdel, Mona, et al.
(author)
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Body composition measured by computed tomography is associated with colorectal cancer survival, also in early-stage disease
- 2020
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In: Acta Oncologica. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0284-186X .- 1651-226X. ; 59:7, s. 799-808
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Cachexia and sarcopenia are associated with poor survival after colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis. Computed tomography (CT) can be used to measure aspects of cachexia including sarcopenia, myosteatosis and the amount of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue. The aim of this study was to relate CT-based body composition variables with survival outcomes in CRC.Material and methods: In this population-based, retrospective cohort study, CT scans of 974 patients with pathological stages I-IV CRCs, collected at or very near diagnosis (years 2000-2016), were used to measure cross-sectional fat and muscle tissue areas. Body composition variables based on these measurements were assessed in relation to tumor stage and site and cancer-specific survival in stages I-III CRC (n = 728) using Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan-Meier estimators.Results: Sarcopenia was associated with decreased cancer-specific survival, especially in patients with stages I-II tumors. The hazard ratio (HR) for the lowest versus highest tertile of skeletal muscle index (SMI) was 1.67; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08-2.58 for all stages, and HR 2.22; 95% CI 1.06-4.68, for stages I-II. Myosteatosis was also associated with decreased cancer-specific survival [(HR 2.03; 95% CI 1.20-3.34 for the lowest versus the highest tertile of skeletal muscle radiodensity (SMR)]. SMI and SMR were lower in patients with right-sided CRC, independent of age and sex. No adipose tissue measurement was significantly associated with cancer-specific survival.Conclusion: In concordance with previous studies, sarcopenia and myosteatosis were associated with decreased cancer-specific survival. The strong association between sarcopenia and poor cancer-specific survival in early-stage disease could have clinical implications for personalizing therapy decisions, including nutritional support.
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