ALDH1A3, the major aldehyde dehydrogenase isoform in human cholangiocarcinoma cells, affects prognosis and gemcitabine resistance in cholangiocarcinoma patients

Purpose: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is a fatal primary liver cancer resulting from diagnosis at an advanced stage. Understanding the mechanisms of drug resistance and metastasis of cholangiocarcinoma may improve the disease prognosis. Enhanced aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity is suggested to be associated with increased drug resistance and the metastasis. This study aims to investigate the roles of the ALDH isoforms in cholangiocarcinoma. Experimental Design: Aldefluor assays, RT-PCR, and Western blot analysis were used to identify the major ALDH isoforms contributing to Aldefluor activity in human cholangiocarcinoma cell lines. We manipulated isoform expression in HuCCT1 cells to elucidate the role of ALDH1A3 in the malignant progression of these cells. Finally, we used immunohistochemical staining to evaluate the clinical significance of ALDH1A3 in 77 hepatectomized cholangiocarcinoma patients and an additional 31 patients with advanced cholangiocarcinoma who received gemcitabinebased therapy. Results: ALDH ig cholangiocarcinoma cells not only migrated faster but were more resistant to gemcitabine. Among the 19 ALDH isoforms studied, ALDH1A3 was found to be the main contributor to Aldefluor activity. In addition, we also found that knockdown of ALDH1A3 expression in HuCCT1 cells markedly reduced not only their sensitivity to gemcitabine, which might be attributed to a decreased expression of ribonucleotide reductase M1, but also their migration. Most importantly, this enzyme was also identified as an independent poor prognostic factor for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, as well as a prognostic biomarker of gemcitabine-treated patients. Conclusions: ALDH1A3 plays an important role in enhancing malignant behavior of cholangiocarcinoma and serves as a new therapeutic target.