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The Significance of INHBE Expression in the Cancer Cells of Clear-Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Zi-Bin Xu1, Mei-Fu Gan2, Hong-Yuan Yu1
1Department of Urology, Taizhou Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, China.
Background:
Activins and inhibins are structurally related dimeric glycoprotein hormones belonging to the transforming growth factor-β superfamily but whether they are also involved in malignancy is far from clear. No study has reported the expression of INHBE in kidney cancer. The purpose of this study was to examine the expressions of INHBE in the tumor tissue of patients with clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and to explore the pathologic significance.
Methods:
The INHBE mRNA expression in the tumor tissue of ccRCC patients was analyzed by using RNA sequencing data from the TCGA database. To examine the expression of inhibin βE protein, 241 ccRCC patients were recruited and immunohistochemistry was performed on the tumor tissue of these patients along with 39 normal renal samples. The association between the inhibin βE expression level and patient's clinicopathological indices was evaluated.
Results:
In the normal renal tissue, inhibin βE was found to be expressed mainly by renal tubular epithelial cells. In the tumor tissue, inhibin βE was expressed mainly in cancer cells. The expressions of INHBE mRNA and protein in the tumor tissue of ccRCC patients increased significantly compared with those in normal renal samples. There was a significant correlation between the level of inhibin βE in the tumor tissue and tumor grade. Patients with a lower inhibin βE expression in the tumor tissue were found to have a longer overall survival and disease-specific survival.
Conclusions:
INHBE might be involved in the pathogenesis of ccRCC and function as a tumor promoter.
Insights
Inhibin beta E (INHBE) is upregulated in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and may promote tumor growth. Lower INHBE expression correlates with better patient survival in kidney cancer.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Activins and inhibins are TGF-β superfamily members, but their role in malignancy is unclear.
- No prior studies investigated inhibin beta E (INHBE) expression in kidney cancer.
- This study examines INHBE in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the expression of INHBE in ccRCC tumor tissue.
- To explore the clinicopathological significance of INHBE in ccRCC.
- To determine INHBE's potential role in kidney cancer pathogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed INHBE mRNA expression using TCGA RNA sequencing data.
- Performed immunohistochemistry for inhibin beta E protein on 241 ccRCC tissues and 39 normal renal samples.
- Correlated inhibin beta E expression with patient clinicopathological indices.
Main Results:
- Inhibin beta E protein expression was significantly higher in ccRCC tumor tissue compared to normal renal samples.
- Increased INHBE expression correlated with higher tumor grade.
- Lower tumor tissue inhibin beta E expression was associated with longer overall and disease-specific survival.
Conclusions:
- INHBE is upregulated in ccRCC.
- INHBE may function as a tumor promoter in kidney cancer pathogenesis.
- INHBE could be a potential biomarker for ccRCC prognosis.
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