Oxidative stress and ERK1 2 phosphorylation as predictors of outcome in hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with sorafenib plus octreotide LAR

• Published in: Cell death & disease 2011-04, Vol.2 (4), p.e150-e150
• Main Authors: Caraglia, M, Giuberti, G, Marra, M, Addeo, R, Montella, L, Murolo, M, Sperlongano, P, Vincenzi, B, Naviglio, S, Prete, S Del, Abbruzzese, A, Stiuso, P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/699/67/1504/1610; 692/700/565/1436/1437; Antibodies; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Benzenesulfonates - administration & dosage; Biochemistry; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - metabolism; Cell Biology; Cell Culture; Delayed-Action Preparations - administration & dosage; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Female; Humans; Immunology; Leukocytes, Mononuclear - metabolism; Life Sciences; Liver Neoplasms - drug therapy; Liver Neoplasms - metabolism; Male; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 - blood; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 - blood; Niacinamide - analogs & derivatives; Nitric Oxide - blood; Octreotide - administration & dosage; Original; original-article; Oxidative Stress; Phenylurea Compounds; Phosphorylation; Pyridines - administration & dosage; Reactive Oxygen Species - blood; Superoxide Dismutase - blood; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 2041-4889; 2041-4889
• DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2011.34

We reported a relevant activity of the combination between sorafenib and octreotide long-acting release (LAR) in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. In this work, we have studied if oxidative stress in both serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and pERK activation status in PBMC could be predictive of response. In the 20 responsive patients, the decrease of reactive oxygen species levels was already detectable after 10 days (T10) from the beginning of sorafenib administration, and this effect was enhanced by the combined treatment with sorafenib+octreotide LAR (T21). This effect correlated with the modulation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (physiological scavenger of O 2− ) and of serum nitric oxide (NO) levels. Sorafenib alone induced an increase of about 40% of NO levels and of about two-fold of SOD activity in responsive patients, and both effects were significantly potentiated by the combined treatment. We found a gradual reduction of Erk1/2 activity, as evaluated by cytofluorimetric analysis, in 15 responsive patients reaching about 50% maximal decrease at T21. On the other hand, in 17 resistant patients, Erk1/2 activity was about 80% increased at T21. The determination of both the oxidative stress status and pERK activity in PBMC has high value in the prediction of response to sorafenib+octreotide therapy in HCC patients.