Xiangyu Wang

STK3 Suppresses Ovarian Cancer Progression by Activating NF‐ κ B Signaling to Recruit CD8 + T‐Cells

Serine/threonine protein kinase‐3 (STK3) is a critical molecule of the Hippo pathway but little is known about its biological functions in the ovarian cancer development. We demonstrated the roles of STK3 in ovarian cancer. Existing databases were used to study the expression profile of STK3. STK3 was significantly downregulated in OC patients, and the low STK3 expression was correlated with a poor prognosis. In vitro cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration assays, and in vivo subcutaneous xenograft tumor models were used to determine the roles of STK3. The overexpression of STK3 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of ovarian cancer cells in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Bisulfite sequencing PCR analysis was performed to validate the methylation of STK3 in ovarian cancer. RNA sequencing and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to compare the transcriptome changes in the STK3 overexpression ovarian cancer and control cells. The signaling pathway was analyzed by western blotting. STK3 promoted the migration of CD8 + T‐cells by activating nuclear transcription factor κ B (NF‐ κ B) signaling. STK3 is a potential predictor of OC. It plays an important role in suppressing tumor growth of ovarian cancer and in chemotaxis of CD8 + T‐cells.

Serum Levels of S100A11 and MMP‐9 in Patients with Epithelial Ovarian Cancer and Their Clinical Significance

Objective. To investigate the serum levels of calgizzarin (S100A11) and matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP9) in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and determine their clinical significance. Methods. Serum levels of S100A11 and MMP9 were detected in patients with EOC, patients with benign ovarian tumor, and healthy women. The correlation between the two markers and clinicopathological characteristics of ovarian cancer was analysed. Results. The serum levels of S100A11 and MMP‐9 in patients with EOC were higher than those in patients with benign ovarian tumor and in healthy women, and the expression levels of S100A11 and MMP‐9 were positively correlated. S100A11 and MMP‐9 were correlated with tumor staging, postoperative residual foci, ascites volume, serum CA125 level, chemotherapy response, and lymph node metastasis, while S100A11 and MMP‐9 were not associated with the bilevel classification, histological type, age, and degree of differentiation. Conclusion. S100A11 and MMP‐9 were both highly expressed in the serum of patients with EOC and were associated with cancer development, invasion, and metastasis. Therefore, they can be used as an important reference maker in the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian cancer.

Clinical analysis of 12 cases of ovarian cystic mature teratoma with malignant transformation into squamous cell carcinoma

Objective This study aimed to examine the clinicopathological characteristics, treatment, and prognostic factors in 12 cases of malignant transformation of mature cystic teratoma of the ovary (MCTO). Methods We performed a retrospective study of 12 patients with malignant transformation of MCTO who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from 2003 to 2019. We examined case records, clinical parameters, and biological assessments. Results The median age of the patients was 56.5 years and seven of them were postmenopausal. The average tumor size was 18.5 cm. All patients had pelvic masses at their first hospital visit. Nine of the patients had discomfort in the lower abdomen, two presented with a lower abdominal palpable mass, and three were complicated by fever. The median follow-up time was 73 months (12‒193 months). Ten patients survived with a disease-free status and two died. Conclusions There is a low incidence of malignant transformation of MCTO, and its most common histological type is squamous cell carcinoma. Age and tumor size are important factors in malignant transformation of teratomas. While there is a lack of treatment guidelines for malignant transformation of MCTO, early diagnosis and treatment may be beneficial for these patients.