Cancer Cell International (Nov 2024)

Cooperative participation of CagA and NFATc1 in the pathogenesis of antibiotics-responsive gastric MALT lymphoma

  • Hui-Jen Tsai,
  • Kun-Huei Yeh,
  • Chung-Wu Lin,
  • Ming-Shiang Wu,
  • Jyh-Ming Liou,
  • Ping-Ning Hsu,
  • Yi-Shin Zeng,
  • Ming-Feng Wei,
  • Chia-Tung Shun,
  • Hsiu-Po Wang,
  • Li-Tzong Chen,
  • Ann-Lii Cheng,
  • Sung-Hsin Kuo

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12935-024-03552-6
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 24, no. 1
pp. 1 – 16

Abstract

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Abstract Background This study aimed to explore whether cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) can inhibit cell cycle progression by activating nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) in lymphoma B cells and contribute to Helicobacter pylori eradication (HPE) responsiveness (complete remission [CR] after HPE) in gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. Materials and Methods We co-cultured three B-lymphoma cell lines (MA-1, OCI-Ly3, and OCI-Ly7) with HP strains (derived from HPE-responsive gastric MALT lymphoma) and evaluated the expression patterns of CagA, phosphorylated (p)-CagA (CagAP−Tyr), and CagA-signaling molecules, cell-cycle inhibitors, p-NFATc1 (Ser172), and NFATc1 using western blotting. Furthermore, we evaluated the association between nuclear NFATc1 expression in the tumor cells of 91 patients who received first-line HPE (59 patients with HPE responsiveness and 32 without HPE responsiveness) and HPE responsiveness and CagA expression in tumor cells. Results In HP strains co-cultured with B cell lymphoma cell lines, CagA was translocated to the nucleus through tyrosine phosphorylation (CagAP−Tyr) and simultaneously dephosphorylated NFATc1, subsequently causing nuclear NFATc1 translocation and stimulating the expression of p-SHP-2/p-ERK/Bcl-xL. Activated NFATc1 causes G1 cell cycle retardation in both MA-1 and OCI-Ly3 cells by triggering p21 and p27 production. Nuclear NFATc1 localization was significantly associated with the presence of CagA in gastric MALT lymphomas (80% [41/51] vs. 33% [13/40]; p < 0.001) and with HPE responsiveness (73% [43/59] vs. 25% [8/32]; p < 0.001). Patients exhibiting both the presence of CagA and nuclear NFATc1 localization responded more rapidly to HPE than those without (median interval to CR, 4.00 vs. 6.00 months, p = 0.003). Conclusions Our findings indicated that CagA and NFATc1 cooperatively participate in the lymphomagenesis of HPE-responsive gastric MALT lymphoma.

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