Faculty Bibliography

Uroplakins (UP), a group of integral membrane proteins, are major urothelial differentiation products that form 2D crystals of 16-nm particles (urothelial plaques) covering the apical surface of mammalian bladder urothelium. They contribute to the urothelial barrier function and, one of them, UPIa, serves as the receptor for uropathogenic Escherichia coli. It is therefore important to understand the mechanism by which these surface-associated uroplakins are degraded. While it is known that endocytosed uroplakin plaques are targeted to and line the multivesicular bodies (MVBs), it is unclear how these rigid-looking plaques can go to the highly curved membranes of intraluminal vesicles (ILVs). From a cDNA subtraction library, we identified a highly urothelium-specific sorting nexin, SNX31. SNX31 is expressed, like uroplakins, in terminally differentiated urothelial umbrella cells where it is predominantly associated with MVBs. Apical membrane proteins including uroplakins that are surface biotin-tagged are endocytosed and targeted to the SNX31-positive MVBs. EM localization demonstrated that SNX31 and uroplakins are both associated not only with the limiting membranes of MVBs containing uroplakin plaques, but also with ILVs. SNX31 can bind, on one hand, the PtdIns3P-enriched lipids via its N-terminal PX-domain, and, on the other hand, it binds uroplakins as demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation and proximity ligation assay, and by its reduced membrane association in uroplakin II-deficient urothelium. The fact that in urothelial umbrella cells MVBs are the only major intracellular organelles enriched in both PtdIns3P and uroplakins may explain SNX31's MVB-specificity in these cells. However, in MDCK and other cultured cells transfected SNX31 can bind to early endosomes possibly via lipids. These data support a model in which SNX31 mediates the endocytic degradation of uroplakins by disassembling/collapsing the MVB-associated uroplakin plaques, thus enabling the uroplakin-containing (but 'softened') membranes to bud and form the ILVs for lysosomal degradation and/or exosome formation.

BACKGROUND: Racial disparities among breast cancer (BCa) patients are known but not well studied in early-onset BCa. We analyzed molecular subtypes in early-onset BCa across five major races. METHODS: A total of 2120 cases were included from non-Hispanic White (NHW), African American (AA) and Hispanic, Chinese and Indian. Based on ER, PR and HER-2 status, BCa was classified into 4 intrinsic subtypes as Luminal A, Luminal B, HER2/neu overexpression and Triple negative BCa (TNBC) subtypes. Data was stratified according to race and age as younger/early-onset group (40-years and younger) and older group (50-years and older). RESULTS: In early-onset BCa, incidence of TNBC was significantly higher (p = 0.0369) in Indian women followed by AA, Hispanic, NHW and Chinese women. Incidence of Her2 over-expression subtype also was highest in Indian women, followed by Hispanic, Chinese, AA and NHW women. In contrast, Luminal B subtype was most significantly higher in AA women (p = 0.0000) followed by NHW (p = 0.0002), Chinese (p = 0.0003), Hispanic (0.0128) and Indian (p = 0.0468) women. Luminal A subtype was most significantly reduced in Indian women (p = 0.0113) followed by Hispanic, AA, NHW and Chinese women. These results were based on statistical analysis with the mean of older group populations. CONCLUSIONS: These results show significant disparities in receptor subtypes across races. This study will contribute in developing optimal clinical trial protocols and personalized management strategies for early-onset BCa patients.

Localized urinary tract amyloidosis (UTA) is a rare disease that mimics neoplasia clinically, cystoscopically, and radiologically. We report eleven cases of isolated UTA from the urinary bladder (n=7) and upper urinary tract including the ureter (n=2) and renal pelvis (n=2). All cases clinically presented as mass lesions prior to histologic examination and clinically suggested a neoplastic process. The amyloid composition in most cases was mixed Kappa and Lambda light chains. All cases were cured after surgical excision except one case which was diagnosed as plasmacytosis/plasmacytoma six months later. Localized amyloidosis of the urinary tract usually has a benign clinical course and simple resection is recommended after systemic disease is ruled out.

Prostatectomy or irradiation is the most common traditional treatments for localized prostate cancer. In the event of recurrence and/or metastasis, androgen ablation therapy has been the mainstay treatment for many years. Although initially effective, the cancer inevitably recurs as androgen-independent PCa, a disease with limited effective treatments. Enhanced predictive biomarkers are needed at the time of diagnosis to better tailor therapies for patients. MicroRNAs are short nucleotide sequences which can complementary bind to and control gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Recent studies have demonstrated that many miRNAs are variably expressed in cancers vs. normal tissues, including PCa. In this review, we summarize PCa-specific miRNAs that show potential for their utilization as identifiers of aggressive disease and predictors for risk of recurrence. Additionally, we discuss their potential clinical applications as biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

BACKGROUND: Tumors of the kidney are uncommon in children and young adults. Accurate classification is crucial for both prognostication and therapeutic intervention. However, majority of the tumors in this age group have unusual morphology that renders classification challenging. Tubulopapillary architecture is one of the most common morphological patterns observed in renal tumors of children and young adults. METHODS: A patient with epithelial predominant Wilms tumor was reported. Differential diagnosis of renal tumors with tubulopapillary morphology was discussed with an emphasis on the histological and immunohistochemical features, and the literature was reviewed. RESULTS: A 25 year-old female patient presented with bilateral multilocular cystic masses. She underwent right radical nephrectomy and left partial nephrectomy. The pathological examination revealed a tumor with tubulopapillary architecture which was lined with low columnar epithelial cells. During the work-up of this case, several entities were considered and ruled out by careful gross, microscopic examination and prudent use of immunohistochemistry. The tumor cells were positive for WT-1, and variably positive for cytokeratin AE1/3, CD56, CD57, and negative for cytokeratin 7 and EMA. Fluorescent in-situ hybridization revealed no gain of chromosome 7 and 17. A diagnosis of epithelial predominant adult Wilms tumors was rendered for both kidneys. The patient received systemic chemotherapy and radiation to the remnant left kidney and was free of disease three years after the initial surgery. CONCLUSION: The differential diagnosis of renal tumors with tubulopapillary features in children and young adults include papillary renal cell carcinoma, metanephric adenoma, epithelial predominant Wilms tumor, translocation renal cell carcinoma and metastatic adenocarcinoma to the kidney. An accurate classification relies on careful examination of clinical and pathological features and immunohistochemical characteristics.