Key result
High expression of periostin in hepatoblastoma patients was significantly associated with worse 3-year overall survival (P = 0.010) and increased lymph node metastasis.
Why the study?
To analyze prognostic factors in patients with hepatoblastoma (HB) in a single center, evaluate periostin expression and its association with clinicopathological variables, and examine the mechanism by which periostin promotes HB progression.
Observational (n=47)
No
p-value: p=0.010
Periostin promotes hepatoblastoma progression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the MAPK/ERK pathway, suggesting its potential as a prognostic and therapeutic biomarker.
Objective The aim of the present study was to analyze the prognostic factors in patients with hepatoblastoma (HB) in our single center and to evaluate periostin (POSTN) expression in HB and its association with clinicopathological variables. In addition, the underlying mechanism of how POSTN promotes HB progression was discussed. Methods POSTN expression was investigated in HB tumors by immunohistochemistry (IHC), immunofluorescence (IF) and Western blot (WB). The association among POSTN expression, clinicopathological features and overall survival (OS) was also evaluated. The migration and adhesion ability of HB cells were measured using chemotaxis and cell-matrix adhesion assays, respectively. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated markers and activation of the ERK pathway were detected by WB. Results HB patients had poor prognosis which displayed lymph node metastasis, vascular invasion, POSTN and vimentin expression. POSTN expression was also associated with lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, overexpressed POSTN promoted migration and the adhesive ability of HB cells in vitro. In addition, we demonstrated that POSTN activated the MAPK/ERK pathway, upregulated the expression of Snail and decreased the expression of OVOL2. Finally, POSTN promoted the expression of EMT-associated markers. Conclusions POSTN might modulate EMT via the ERK signaling pathway, thereby promoting cellular migration and invasion. Our study also suggests that POSTN may serve as a therapeutic biomarker in HB patients.
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Chen et al. (2019) conducted an observational in Hepatoblastoma (n=47). High periostin (POSTN) expression vs. Low periostin (POSTN) expression was evaluated on 3-year overall survival (p=0.010). High expression of periostin in hepatoblastoma patients was significantly associated with worse 3-year overall survival (P = 0.010) and increased lymph node metastasis.
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