Identification of the prognostic value of elevated ANGPTL4 expression in gallbladder cancer-associated fibroblasts

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) with different gene profiles from normal fibroblasts (NFs) have been implicated in tumor progression. Angiopoietin-like protein 4 (ANGPTL4) has been shown to regulate tumor angiogenesis and metastasis, and predict poor prognosis. However, the ANGPTL4 expression in CAFs, especially in gallbladder CAFs (GCAFs) and its relationship with patient prognosis is unclear.

Affymetrix gene profile chip analysis in vitro was performed to detect the different gene expression profiles between GCAFs and NFs. RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry, and western blotting were performed to investigate the different expression levels of ANGPTL4 in GCAFs/NFs in vitro and in an in vivo nude mouse model of xenograft tumors. Finally, the ANGPTL4 expression was investigated in the stroma of different lesion tissues of the human gallbladder by immunohistochemistry, especially the expression in GCAFs in vivo by co-immunofluorescence, and their prognostic significance in patients with gallbladder cancer (GBC) was assessed.

ANGPTL4 was upregulated in both GCAFs in vitro and in the xenograft stroma of nude mice in vivo, and its expression was also significantly upregulated in human GBC stroma co-localized with the interstitial markers fibroblast secreted protein-1 and α-smooth muscle actin. In addition, the elevated ANGPTL4 expression in GCAFs was correlated with tumor differentiation, liver metastasis, venous invasion and Nevin staging, and GBC patients with an elevated ANGPTL4 expression in GACFs were found to have a lower survival rate.

Increased ANGPTL4 expression in GCAFs correlates with poor patient prognosis, which indicates a potential therapeutic target for human GBCs.