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A valuable pair - candidate biomarkers RBM3 and PODXL in urothelial bladder cancer

Granfelt Boman, Karolina LU (2017)
Abstract
Abstract: Bladder cancer is a heterogenous disease, ranging from minimally invasive, low-grade tumours with low
recurrence rates and mortality on one end of the spectrum, and muscle invasive, high-grade disease prone to
recurrence, progression and death at the other end.
The aim of this thesis was to investigate the expression, clinicopathological correlates and prognostic significance
of the candidate biomarkers podocalyxin-like protein (PODXL, papers II and III) and RNA-binding motif protein 3
(RBM3, papers I, III and IV) in urothelial bladder cancer (UBC). In paper IV, the potential predictive significance of
RBM3 was also examined. The candidate biomarkers were examined alongside established clinical risk... (More)
Abstract: Bladder cancer is a heterogenous disease, ranging from minimally invasive, low-grade tumours with low
recurrence rates and mortality on one end of the spectrum, and muscle invasive, high-grade disease prone to
recurrence, progression and death at the other end.
The aim of this thesis was to investigate the expression, clinicopathological correlates and prognostic significance
of the candidate biomarkers podocalyxin-like protein (PODXL, papers II and III) and RNA-binding motif protein 3
(RBM3, papers I, III and IV) in urothelial bladder cancer (UBC). In paper IV, the potential predictive significance of
RBM3 was also examined. The candidate biomarkers were examined alongside established clinical risk factors.
RBM3 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in tissue microarrays (TMA) from three different
patient cohorts (n=343 in paper I, n=272 in paper III and n=151 in paper IV). In paper I, negative RBM3 expression
was significantly associated with unfavourable tumour characteristics and was an independent predictor of shorter
disease-specific survival (DSS) as well as 5-year overall survial (OS). Patients with Ta/T1 tumours displaying
negative RBM3 expression had a significantly reduced 24 month progression-free survival (PFS) and 5-year OS.
No association was seen between RBM3 expression and recurrence. In paper 3, these associations were
validated, although with a somewhat different cut-off. Low RBM3 expression was significantly associated with
unfavourable tumour characteristics and was an independent predictor of a shorter OS in both the full cohort and
in T1 disease.
In paper IV, the expression of RBM3 was evaluated in tumours from 151 patients treated with cystectomy due to
muscle-invasive UBC, 45.7% of which had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). RBM3 expression was not
prognostic in the full cohort. However, when accounting for NAC, there was a significantly reduced RFS in in the
group of patients with high RBM3 expression who had not been treated compared to those that had received NAC
(p=0.044). The association between high RBM3 expression and response to chemotherapy was strengthened by
the silencing of RBM3 in UBC cell lines, rendering them less sensitive to cisplatin and gemcitabine.
PODXL expressed in the cell membrane was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in TMA from three different
patient cohorts (n=100 and n=343 in paper II and n=272 in paper III). Membranous expression of PODXL was
strongly and significantly associated with unfavourable tumour characteristics in all three cohorts. In paper II,
PODXL independently predicted a shorter DSS and OS in the full cohort, and a shorter PFS and DSS in patients
with Ta/T1 tumours. In paper III, membranous PODXL expression was significantly associated with a shorter OS
in both the full cohort and T1 tumours, but not independent of other prognostic factors.
The conclusions drawn from these studies are that both RBM3 and PODXL are potentially clinically useful
biomarkers in UBC. RBM3 may have clinical implications in NMIBC for decision making in the pre-cystectomy
setting and for its predictive value in patients under consideration for NAC. PODXL is associated with an adverse
prognosis, making it a potentially useful prognostic biomarker. Both candidate biomarkers show great promise,
although their value should be further examined in a prospective setting. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • docent Mirtti, Tuomas, Helsingfors
organization
alternative title
A valuable pair - candidate biomarkers RBM3 and PODXL in urothelial bladder cancer
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
urothelial bladder cancer, RBM3, PODXL, Prognostic biomarker, Predictive biomarker, immunohistochemistry, tissue microarray (TMA)
pages
74 pages
publisher
Lund University: Faculty of Medicine
defense location
Lecture Hall of the Radiotherapy Building, 3rd floor, Department of Oncology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund.
defense date
2017-03-31 09:15:00
ISBN
978-91-7619-419-5
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
ISSN: 1652-8220 Lund University, Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series 2017:38
id
17fa0086-961d-426a-9cc4-9f3c5e2a01f9
date added to LUP
2017-03-10 13:07:30
date last changed
2021-03-22 15:52:04
@phdthesis{17fa0086-961d-426a-9cc4-9f3c5e2a01f9,
  abstract     = {{Abstract: Bladder cancer is a heterogenous disease, ranging from minimally invasive, low-grade tumours with low<br/>recurrence rates and mortality on one end of the spectrum, and muscle invasive, high-grade disease prone to<br/>recurrence, progression and death at the other end.<br/>The aim of this thesis was to investigate the expression, clinicopathological correlates and prognostic significance<br/>of the candidate biomarkers podocalyxin-like protein (PODXL, papers II and III) and RNA-binding motif protein 3<br/>(RBM3, papers I, III and IV) in urothelial bladder cancer (UBC). In paper IV, the potential predictive significance of<br/>RBM3 was also examined. The candidate biomarkers were examined alongside established clinical risk factors.<br/>RBM3 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in tissue microarrays (TMA) from three different<br/>patient cohorts (n=343 in paper I, n=272 in paper III and n=151 in paper IV). In paper I, negative RBM3 expression<br/>was significantly associated with unfavourable tumour characteristics and was an independent predictor of shorter<br/>disease-specific survival (DSS) as well as 5-year overall survial (OS). Patients with Ta/T1 tumours displaying<br/>negative RBM3 expression had a significantly reduced 24 month progression-free survival (PFS) and 5-year OS.<br/>No association was seen between RBM3 expression and recurrence. In paper 3, these associations were<br/>validated, although with a somewhat different cut-off. Low RBM3 expression was significantly associated with<br/>unfavourable tumour characteristics and was an independent predictor of a shorter OS in both the full cohort and<br/>in T1 disease.<br/>In paper IV, the expression of RBM3 was evaluated in tumours from 151 patients treated with cystectomy due to<br/>muscle-invasive UBC, 45.7% of which had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). RBM3 expression was not<br/>prognostic in the full cohort. However, when accounting for NAC, there was a significantly reduced RFS in in the<br/>group of patients with high RBM3 expression who had not been treated compared to those that had received NAC<br/>(p=0.044). The association between high RBM3 expression and response to chemotherapy was strengthened by<br/>the silencing of RBM3 in UBC cell lines, rendering them less sensitive to cisplatin and gemcitabine.<br/>PODXL expressed in the cell membrane was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in TMA from three different<br/>patient cohorts (n=100 and n=343 in paper II and n=272 in paper III). Membranous expression of PODXL was<br/>strongly and significantly associated with unfavourable tumour characteristics in all three cohorts. In paper II,<br/>PODXL independently predicted a shorter DSS and OS in the full cohort, and a shorter PFS and DSS in patients<br/>with Ta/T1 tumours. In paper III, membranous PODXL expression was significantly associated with a shorter OS<br/>in both the full cohort and T1 tumours, but not independent of other prognostic factors.<br/>The conclusions drawn from these studies are that both RBM3 and PODXL are potentially clinically useful<br/>biomarkers in UBC. RBM3 may have clinical implications in NMIBC for decision making in the pre-cystectomy<br/>setting and for its predictive value in patients under consideration for NAC. PODXL is associated with an adverse<br/>prognosis, making it a potentially useful prognostic biomarker. Both candidate biomarkers show great promise,<br/>although their value should be further examined in a prospective setting.}},
  author       = {{Granfelt Boman, Karolina}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-7619-419-5}},
  keywords     = {{urothelial bladder cancer; RBM3; PODXL; Prognostic biomarker; Predictive biomarker; immunohistochemistry; tissue microarray (TMA)}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Lund University: Faculty of Medicine}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{A valuable pair - candidate biomarkers RBM3 and PODXL in urothelial bladder cancer}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/22427492/Karolina_Boman_webbvers.pdf}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}