Whole transcriptome analysis of gestational trophoblastic neoplasms reveals altered PI3K signaling pathway in epithelioid trophoblastic tumor.

OBJECTIVE: Genomic characteristics of gestational trophoblastic neoplasm (GTN) are mostly unknown. This study reveals the molecular features of malignant GTN, including choriocarcinoma (CC), epithelioid trophoblastic tumor (ETT), and placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT), by whole transcriptome sequencing analysis. METHODS: Data obtained from the total RNA sequencing of 2 CC, 4 ETT, and 4 PSTT were evaluated for differential gene expression, pathway alteration, fusion gene, infiltrating immune cell type, PD-L1 and PTEN expression level, and mutation analysis was performed. RESULTS: The transcriptome data were correlated with known biomarkers, including HDS3B1, p63, hCG, and hPL for all tumor types. ETT and PSTT were more closely clustered compared with CC in clustering analysis using gene expression; however, ETT showed various altered signaling pathways, including PI3K-Akt-mTOR, with frequent loss of PTEN protein expression. This finding was both well correlated with PIK3CA c.3140A > G pathogenic mutation, detected in 1 ETT, and further confirmed using the MassARRAY method. PSTT showed an overexpressed gene cluster associated with muscle contraction and G protein-coupled receptor activity. No significant fusion gene was seen in all 10 cases. In tumor-infiltrating immune cell profiles, CD4 memory T cell and macrophage signature were relatively high in ETT and PSTT. PD-L1 mRNA expression level was high in all cases, which was significantly correlated with the PD-L1 level by immunohistochemistry (p = 0.03) with positivity in all 10 cases. CONCLUSIONS: ETT and PSTT were similar at the transcriptome level, with a high level of PD-L1 expression in all tumor types; however, specific pathways, such as PI3K signaling, were altered in ETT.

Activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase is required for migration and invasion of placental site trophoblastic tumor.

Placental site trophoblastic tumor (PSTT) is a gestational neoplasm derived from the extravillous (intermediate) trophoblast of the implantation site. PSTT is characterized by a highly invasive phenotype, but the molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. In this report, we demonstrate that PSTTs expressed the activated (phosphorylated) form of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in 84% of cases, whereas the normal extravillous trophoblastic cells did not. To characterize the role of MAPK activation in PSTT, we established the first PSTT cell culture, IST-2, from a surgically resected PSTT. IST-2 cells expressed HLA-G and Mel-CAM but not E-cadherin, an immunophenotype characteristic of PSTT. IST-2 cells were highly motile and invasive in culture as compared to choriocarcinoma JEG-3 cells and normal extravillous trophoblastic cells. Based on wound assay, time-lapse videomicroscopy for cell tracking, and invasion chamber assays, we found that the motility and invasion of IST-2 cells were significantly reduced (P<0.01) after treatment with the MEK inhibitors CI-1040 and PD 59089, which prevent activation of MAPK. In contrast, neither compound had any effect on normal extravillous trophoblastic cells or JEG-3 cells. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate a functional role of MAPK activation in the motility and invasion of PSTT.