Rong Weiqi, Yang Lei, Yin Liyuan, Gao Yanning, Xiao Ting, Cheng Shujun
Department of Abdominal Surgery, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Beijing Key Laboratory for Carcinogenesis and Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Center/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China.
Sci China Life Sci. 2017 May;60(5):528-535. doi: 10.1007/s11427-016-0226-7. Epub 2017 Jan 4.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant solid tumor characterized by rich vascularization. Pregnancy-specific glycoprotein 9 (PSG9) is a member of the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)/PSG family and is produced at high levels during pregnancy. We previously identified PSG9 as an HCC-related protein. However, the expression of PSG9 and its regulation during HCC carcinogenesis remain poorly explored. In the present study, we first found that the levels of PSG9 protein were significantly increased in the plasma of HCC patients. PSG9 overexpression also increased the proliferation ability of an HCC cell line. High expression of PSG9 was associated with angiogenesis by accelerating VEGFA expression. In addition, Cox's proportional hazards model analysis revealed that the plasma level of PSG9 was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival. We propose that PSG9 is a novel indicator of prognosis in patients with HCC and could serve as a novel therapeutic target for HCC. Furthermore, our results indicate that PSG9 protein may facilitate the development of HCC by fostering angiogenesis via promoting VEGFA production in cancer cells.
肝细胞癌（HCC）是一种常见的恶性实体肿瘤，其特征是血管丰富。妊娠特异性糖蛋白9（PSG9）是癌胚抗原（CEA）/PSG家族的成员，在怀孕期间高水平产生。我们之前将PSG9鉴定为一种与HCC相关的蛋白质。然而，PSG9在HCC致癌过程中的表达及其调控仍未得到充分研究。在本研究中，我们首先发现HCC患者血浆中PSG9蛋白水平显著升高。PSG9的过表达也增加了HCC细胞系的增殖能力。PSG9的高表达通过加速VEGFA表达与血管生成相关。此外，Cox比例风险模型分析显示，PSG9的血浆水平是总生存的独立预后因素。我们提出PSG9是HCC患者预后的一个新指标，并且可以作为HCC的一个新治疗靶点。此外，我们的结果表明，PSG9蛋白可能通过促进癌细胞中VEGFA的产生来促进血管生成，从而促进HCC的发展。
