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Background It is important to detect novel biomarkers responsible for the progression and spread of colorectal cancer (CRC) to better evaluate the prognosis of the patients, provide better management, and foster the development of therapeutic targets. In humans, pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 2 (PYCR2) is encoded on chromosome 1q42.12, and its metabolic activity has been linked to oncogenesis in many cancers. Zinc finger and broad-complex, tramtrack, and bric-à-brac (BTB) domain-containing protein 18 (ZBTB18), a zinc finger transcriptional repressor, has been found to have a tumor-suppressor role and to be methylated in CRCs. To date, the prognostic roles of PYCR2 and ZBTB18 in CRC patients have not been thoroughly studied. Objective To evaluate the tissue protein expression of PYCR2 and ZBTB18 in CRC and adjacent non-neoplastic intestinal tissues, to detect their roles in CRC carcinogenesis, progression and metastases. Patients and methods After applying the inclusion criteria, 60 CRC patients were included in the study. Tissue samples from the tumor and the adjacent non-neoplastic tissues were stained with PYCR2 and ZBTB18. The patients were followed up for about 30 months (range: 10 to 36 months). We performed a correlation regarding the expression of the markers, and clinicopathological and prognostic parameters. Results Upregulation of PYCR2 and downregulation of ZBTB18 were found to be higher in CRC tissue than in the adjacent non-neoplastic colonic mucosa (p = 0.026 and p Conclusion High expression of PYCR2 and low expression of ZBTB18 were independent predictors of CRC, progression, poor prognosis and unfavorable patient OS and progression-free survival (PFS) rates.

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynaecological neoplasm in females. In ovarian cancer, forkhead box A1 (FOXA1) aids transcription of YAP-associated protein mediated by the cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein. As a result, cellular proliferation and migration increased. The roles of erythropoietin-producing human hepatocellular carcinoma cell (Eph) receptors and ephrin ligands in cell adhesion, migration, cell proliferation regulation in various cancers, and angiogenesis are well characterized. This study included formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from 41 patients with ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma, including both low- and high-grade tumours. For each case, a paraffin block with tumour tissue was chosen for an immunohistochemical procedure using primary antibodies against EphA5 and FOXA1. By the end of 2017, patients finished their chemotherapy and were followed for the next 3 years. Positive FOXA1 and EphA5 results were presented in 68.3% and 39% of patients, respectively. A statistically significant correlation was detected between FOXA1 expression and each of CA-125 level, tumour stage, tumour grade, and the presence of lymph node metastasis. In our work, the overall survival was positively correlated with EphA5 expression and inversely correlated to FOXA1 immunoreactivity. The estimated disease-free survival (DFS) and EphA5 immunoreactivity had a significant positive association, whereas DFS and FOXA1 protein expression had a significant inverse link. FOXA1 and EphA5 expression play a role in ovarian cancer progression and prognosis prediction.