RESUMO
Prostate cancer (PC) is a major global public health concern, imposing a significant burden on men and ranking as the second most prevalent malignancy. This study delves into the intricate world of ubiquitination processes and expression regulation, with a specific focus on understanding the roles of ubiquitin B (UBB), ubiquitin C (UBC), and ß-Catenin in PC development. We thoroughly analyze the expression profiles of UBB, UBC, and ß-Catenin, investigating their interactions and associations with clinical and histopathological data. These findings offer valuable insights into their potential as robust prognostic markers and their significance for patient survival. Our research uncovers the upregulation of UBB and UBC expression in PC tissues, and an even more pronounced expression in lymph node metastases, highlighting their pivotal roles in PC progression. Moreover, we identify a compelling correlation between high UBB and UBC levels and diminished overall survival in PC patients, emphasizing their clinical relevance. Additionally, we observe a significant reduction in membranous ß-Catenin expression in PC tissues. Importantly, abnormal ß-Catenin expression is strongly associated with shorter survival in PC patients and serves as a significant, independent prognostic factor for patient outcomes. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicates that patients with tumors characterized by simultaneous UBB and aberrant ß-Catenin expression exhibit the poorest overall survival. These collective insights underline the clinical importance of evaluating UBB, UBC, and ß-Catenin as combined prognostic markers in PC.
RESUMO
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is one of the most common subtypes of renal cancer, with 30% of patients presenting with systemic disease at diagnosis. This aggressiveness is a consequence of the activation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) caused by many different inducers or regulators, signaling cascades, epigenetic regulation, and the tumor environment. Alterations in EMT-related genes and transcription factors are associated with poor prognosis in ccRCC. EMT-related factors suppress E-cadherin expression and are associated with tumor progression, local invasion, and metastasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression levels and prognostic significance of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), ß-catenin, and E-cadherin in ccRCC patients. We examined these proteins immunohistochemically in tumor areas and adjacent normal tissues resected from patients with ccRCC. Analysis of the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) cohort was performed to verify our results. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that median overall survival (OS) was significantly shorter in patients with tumors exhibiting high MIFn and MIFm-c levels compared to those with low MIFn and MIFm-c levels (p = 0.03 and p = 0.007, respectively). In the TCGA cohort, there was a significant correlation between MIF expression and OS (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, this study provides further evidence for the biological and prognostic value of MIF in the context of EMT as a potential early prognostic marker for advanced-stage ccRCC.
