The serum biomarker chemerin promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Clin Sci (Lond). 2019 Mar 5;133(5):681-695. doi: 10.1042/CS20181023. Print 2019 Mar 15.

Abstract

Chemerin, which is encoded by retinoic acid receptor responder 2 (RARRES2), has been found to be related to malignant tumours, but its role in the development of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is largely unexplored. In the present study, a higher serum level of chemerin was evident in patients with OSCC than in healthy individuals, and this high level of chemerin significantly decreased after tumour resection. In addition, high chemerin levels were positively associated with advanced tumour stage and lymph node metastasis. The expression levels of chemerin and Chemerin Receptor 23 (ChemR23) were positively correlated with the migration and invasion of OSCC cell lines. Recombinant chemerin (R-chemerin) enhanced the in vitro migration, invasion and proliferation of OSCC cells in a concentration-dependent manner, and short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) targeting RARRES2 decreased chemerin expression and inhibited OSCC cell metastasis and proliferation both in vitro and in vivo Additionally, R-chemerin activated manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2) and increased the amount of intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), leading to a significant decrease in E-cadherin expression and dramatic increase in the expression of phosphorylated ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2), Slug, Vimentin and N-cadherin, but shRNAs targeting RARRES2 reversed these effects. Moreover, knockdown of ChemR23 with small interfering RNAs (siRNA) significantly inhibited chemerin-induced OSCC cell migration/invasion and SOD2 activity. Our results revealed that chemerin is a novel biomarker for OSCC. Chemerin/ChemR23 promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis in OSCC and may be a new therapeutic target for OSCC.

Keywords: Chemerin; SOD2; metastasis; oncogenesis; oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD / metabolism
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / blood
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism*
  • Cadherins / metabolism
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement*
  • Cell Proliferation*
  • Chemokines / blood
  • Chemokines / genetics
  • Chemokines / metabolism*
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / metabolism
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Middle Aged
  • Mouth Neoplasms / blood
  • Mouth Neoplasms / genetics
  • Mouth Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Mouth Neoplasms / pathology
  • Phosphorylation
  • Receptors, Chemokine / genetics
  • Receptors, Chemokine / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Snail Family Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / blood
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / genetics
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / metabolism*
  • Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / secondary
  • Superoxide Dismutase / metabolism
  • Up-Regulation
  • Vimentin / metabolism
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antigens, CD
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • CDH1 protein, human
  • CDH2 protein, human
  • CMKLR1 protein, human
  • Cadherins
  • Chemokines
  • RARRES2 protein, human
  • Receptors, Chemokine
  • SNAI1 protein, human
  • Snail Family Transcription Factors
  • VIM protein, human
  • Vimentin
  • Superoxide Dismutase
  • superoxide dismutase 2
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases