Immunogenomic landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma with immune cell stroma and EBV-positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes

2019 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyo Jeong Kang ◽  
Ji-Hye Oh ◽  
Sung-Min Chun ◽  
Deokhoon Kim ◽  
Yeon-Mi Ryu ◽  
...  
2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e15613-e15613
Author(s):  
Huan Chen ◽  
Haibei Xin ◽  
Lihong Wu ◽  
Yanhui Chen ◽  
Hongli Luo ◽  
...  

e15613 Background: Within the tumor microenvironment (TME), infiltrating lymphocytes and myeloid cells including tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) are key players involved in liver cancer progression. The purpose of the study was to explorer whether distinct infiltrated immune cell features differentially affect clinical outcome in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: We obtained respectable stage II HCC specimens, along with adjacent para-tumor tissues from 221 patients who underwent surgical resection at Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, (in Shanghai, China) from 2015 through April 2018. CD8+, CD163+ and CD66B+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in the cancer area (CA) and stroma area (SA), as well paratumor stroma area, were analyzed by multiple immunohistochemistry. Results: Hierarchical clustering analysis of immune cell densities revealed that all HCC samples can be classified into three distinct groups. The three immune oncology types (IO-types) were characterized by a strong CD8 T cell density in CA and SA region (IO-1), an intermediate state of CD8 and CD163+ (IO-2), and a strong CD163+ macrophage density in IO-3. Remarkably increasing risks of mortality and recurrence, as well as elevated AST, ALP, GGT and AFP levels, were identified in IO-3 group, when compared with IO-1 group. We then identified that percentages of CA-CD8+ TILs in the tumor sample and SA-CD163+ macrophages in the para-tumor region showed opposite distribution pattern among the three IO types, suggesting a predictive role for CD8/TAM ratio in HCC cohort. Therefore, we next classified all HCC samples into two subgroups, according to the levels of tumor-CA-CD8/paratumor-SA-CD163 ratio. Expectedly, higher rate of CD8/CD163 represented significantly improved overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS), verses lower rate of CD8/CD163. Further association studies suggested that the two subgroups correlated with HBV DNA, tumor size, and microvascular invasion (MVI). Of note, a prognostic signature combining portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) and CD8/CD163 ratio discriminated HCC patients into four subtypes with increasing risk of mortality and recurrence. Conclusions: The current results indicated that the CD8/CD163 is a novel, independent prognostic factor for a lower rate of disease recurrence and favorable OS in patients with resectable HCC.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Pandolfi ◽  
R. Cianci ◽  
D. Pagliari ◽  
F. Casciano ◽  
C. Bagalà ◽  
...  

Until recently cancer medical therapy was limited to chemotherapy that could not differentiate cancer cells from normal cells. More recently with the remarkable mushroom of immunology, newer tools became available, resulting in the novel possibility to attack cancer with the specificity of the immune system. Herein we will review some of the recent achievement of immunotherapy in such aggressive cancers as melanoma, prostatic cancer, colorectal carcinoma, and hematologic malignancies. Immunotherapy of tumors has developed several techniques: immune cell transfer, vaccines, immunobiological molecules such as monoclonal antibodies that improve the immune responses to tumors. This can be achieved by blocking pathways limiting the immune response, such as CTLA-4 or Tregs. Immunotherapy may also use cytokines especially proinflammatory cytokines to enhance the activity of cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) derived from tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). The role of newly discovered cytokines remains to be investigated. Alternatively, an other mechanism consists in enhancing the expression of TAAs on tumor cells. Finally, monoclonal antibodies may be used to target oncogenes.


Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 425
Author(s):  
Priyakshi Kalita-de Croft ◽  
Haarika Chittoory ◽  
Tam H. Nguyen ◽  
Jodi M. Saunus ◽  
Woo Gyeong Kim ◽  
...  

The heterogeneity of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is not well characterized in brain metastasis. To address this, we performed a targeted analysis of immune-cell subsets in brain metastasis tissues to test immunosuppressive routes involved in brain metastasis. We performed multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF), using commercially available validated antibodies on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded whole sections. We quantitated the subsets of immune-cells utilizing a targeted panel of proteins including PanCK, CD8, CD4, VISTA and IBA-1, and analyzed an average of 15,000 cells per sample. Classifying tumors as either high (>30%) or low (<30%) TILs, we found that increased TILs density correlated with survival. Phenotyping these TILs we found tumors with low TILs had significantly higher expression of the immune-checkpoint molecule VISTA in tumor cells (p < 0.01) as well as in their microenvironment (p < 0.001). Contrastingly, the tumors with high TILs displayed higher levels of microglia, as measured by IBA-1 expression. Low TILs-tumors displayed CD8+ T-cells that co-express VISTA (p < 0.01) significantly more compared to high TILs group, where CD8+cells significantly co-express IBA-11 (p < 0.05). These results were supported by RNA analysis of a publicly available, independent cohort. Our work contributes to a growing understanding of the immune surveillance escape routes active in brain metastasis.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Wang ◽  
Linlin Huang ◽  
Xiaojing Zhang ◽  
Pingping Sun ◽  
Yapeng Lu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Recent studies have shown that functional mitochondria are essential for cancer cells. Nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) is a transcription factor that activates mitochondrial biogenesis and the expression of the respiratory chain, but little is known about its prognostic value and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes association. Here, we evaluated the association among expression of NRF1, clinicopathological characteristics, survival and immune infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Methods: We used the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) to analyze the difference of NRF1 mRNA expression in human cancers. Clinical-pathological information and follow-up data were collected from HCC (n = 171) and chronic hepatitis (n = 113) patients. NRF1 expression were scored based on the percentage and intensity of immunohistochemical staining in pathological slides. Correlations between clinical features and the expression of NRF1 were evaluated by Chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier curves, logrank tests and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The correlations between NRF1 expression and gene marker sets of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were analyzed by TIMER and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) databases. Results: NRF1 mRNA expression was significantly higher in HCC than in normal tissue. Compared with chronic hepatitis, more frequency of NRF1 high expression are found in HCC (31.58 % vs 13.27 %, P < 0.001, P < 0.001). In addition, the NRF1 expression was significantly associated with hepatic cirrhosis (P = 0.021) and vascular invasion (P = 0.025). NRF1 expression was also a significant independent predictor of survival in HCC (P = 0.003; HRadj = 0.20; 95% CI = 0.09 – 0.44). NRF1 showed positively correlated with TILs, including B cell (r = 0.384, P = 1.68e-13), CD8+ T cells (r = 0.246, P = 3.99e-06), CD4+ T cells (r = 0.535, P = 6.90e-27), macrophage (r = 0.506, P = 1.52e-23), neutrophils (r = 0.465, P = 6.08e-20) and dendritic cell (r = 0.404, P = 8.61e-15). The marker genes of TILs correlated significantly with NRF1 expression.Conclusions: NRF1 expression was a useful independent prognostic factor and correlated with tumor immune infiltration in HCC.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toru Hanamura ◽  
Shigehisa Kitano ◽  
Hiroshi Kagamu ◽  
Makiko Yamashita ◽  
Mayako Terao ◽  
...  

Abstract Background. A better understanding of tumor immunology can facilitate the development of new treatment strategies for various malignancies. Histologically assessed tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (hTILs) and programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (hPD-L1) have been established as prognostic or predictive biomarkers in certain subsets of breast cancer. However, the complexity of multiple types of immune cells is not fully understood. In this study, the immune cell fractions in breast cancer tissue and blood were evaluated to analyze their association with hTILs and hPD-L1. Methods. In total, 45 tumor and 18 blood samples were collected from breast cancer patients. The total leukocyte counts, proportions of 11 types of immune cells in the samples, and PD-L1 expression in each fraction were evaluated using multicolor flow cytometry for both the tumor and blood samples. The hTILs and hPD-L1 were evaluated with hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry respectively. Results. The immune cell composition of the blood showed a partial correlation with that of the tumor tissue; however, no significant association was found between the blood immune cell compositions and hTIL or hPD-L1 expression. A higher hTIL was associated with increased leukocyte infiltration as well as a higher proportion of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and lower proportion of natural killer cells and natural killer T cells. PD-L1 was highly expressed in the monocyte/macrophage (Mo/Mφ), nonclassical monocyte (CD16+ Mo), myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC), dendritic cell (DC), and myeloid dendritic cell (mDC) fractions in the tumor tissues. hPD-L1 positivity was associated with increased leukocyte infiltration in the tumor tissues and PD-L1 expression in Mo/Mφ, CD16+ Mo, MDSC, DC, and mDC fractions. Conclusion. There was a partial correlation in the composition of immune cells at the tumor site and that in the peripheral blood. A high proportion of hTILs reflects not only higher immune cell infiltration but also differences in the immune responses in the tumor microenvironment. Non-B-cell antigen-presenting cell fractions such as Mo/Mφ, CD16+ Mo, MDSC, DC, and mDC fractions are involved primarily in the PD-L1 pathway in the breast cancer microenvironments.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 4883
Author(s):  
Marcus Schmidt ◽  
Anne-Sophie Heimes

The role of the immune system in breast cancer has been debated for decades. The advent of technologies such as next generation sequencing (NGS) has elucidated the crucial interplay between somatic mutations in tumors leading to neoantigens and immune responses with increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and improved prognosis of breast cancer patients. In particular, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a higher mutational burden compared to other breast cancer subtypes. In addition, higher levels of tumor-associated antigens suggest that immunotherapies are a promising treatment option, specifically for TNBC. Indeed, higher concentrations of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are associated with better prognosis and response to chemotherapy in TNBC. An important target within the cancer immune cell cycle is the “immune checkpoint”. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPis) block the interaction of certain cell surface proteins that act as “brakes” on immune responses. Recent studies have shown that ICPis improve survival in both early and advanced TNBC. However, this comes at the price of increased toxicity, particularly immune-mediated toxicity. As an alternative approach, individualized mRNA vaccination strategies against tumor-associated neoantigens represent another promising approach leading to neoantigen-specific immune responses. These novel strategies should help to improve treatment outcomes, especially for patients with triple negative breast cancer.


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