P03.26 Immunoprofiling of oral and oropharyngeal tumors of different etiology

BackgroundHead and neck carcinomas (HNC) are the world’s sixth most common cancer. Most of HNCs are associated with tobacco and other environmental factors but a growing part of oropharyngeal tumors are caused by persistent infection of human papillomavirus (HPV). Patients with HPV positive cancers have a better prognosis with fewer recurrences. This may be caused by different anti-tumor immune response and immune profile of patients. Multispectral fluorescent immunohistochemistry (fIHC) is a powerful tool for a detailed analysis of the tumor microenvironment. This method allows to access the phenotype and calculate cells in tumor parenchyma and stroma of the tumor since in comparison to flow cytometry, an architecture of the tissue remains preserved. fIHC is uniquely suited to study interaction of immune and cancer cells in situ.Materials and MethodsNumber of 97 formalin fixed paraffine-embedded slides of the human HNC tissue with known etiology were examined using 4 different panels of 5 antibodies each. These panels include antibodies suitable for phenotyping of immune cells (CD3e, CD4, CD8, FOXP3) or their functional description (PD1, CTLA4, ICOS, CCR4). Additionally, antibodies against Ki67, VEGF and cell cytokeratin were used. Slides were stained using Opal™ 7-Color Fluorescent IHC Kit (Akoya Biosciences). The quantity of immune cells was evaluated in stroma and tumor compartment using InForm™ 2.4.6. software (Akoya Biosciences). For all patients the demographic and clinical data were available and these patients were followed for up to 18 years.ResultsOur results have shown significantly higher abundance of Th and Tc in both compartments of HPV+ samples. Besides HPV etiology Th and Tc in the tumor microenvironment predict independently better survival of patients. We did not observed difference in number of Tregs (characterized as a CD3+CD4+FOXP3+ cells) in tumors of different etiology, but we detected higher number of ICOS+Tregs in stroma of HPV- tumors. We also quantified the subpopulations of Th and Tc cells expressing regulatory receptors PD1 and CTLA4. PD1 showed significantly higher expression on Th and Tc both in tumor and stroma of HPV+ tumors, but CTLA4 expression was significantly higher only on Th located in stroma of HPV- tumors. Moreover, we detected significantly higher VEGF expression in both compartments and higher proliferating activity of tumor cells in HPV- tumors.ConclusionsDetailed analyses of the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes allows for selection of prognostic markers in HNC of different etiology. Our results may also help to understand the better prognosis of HPV+ patients. More detailed survival analyses with inclusion of other clinical and demographic data will be presented.Disclosure InformationB. Pokrývková: None. M. Grega: None. J. Klozar: None. O. Vencalek: None. J. Nunvar: None. R. Tachezy: None.

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Iron Metabolism in the Tumor Microenvironment—Implications for Anti-Cancer Immune Response

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells10020303 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 303

Author(s):

Alessandro Sacco ◽

Anna Martina Battaglia ◽

Cirino Botta ◽

Ilenia Aversa ◽

Serafina Mancuso ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tumor Microenvironment ◽

Iron Metabolism ◽

Immune Cells ◽

Metabolic Pathways ◽

Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes ◽

Oxygen Species ◽

Iron Availability ◽

Anti Cancer ◽

Immune Exclusion ◽

Infiltrating Lymphocytes

New insights into the field of iron metabolism within the tumor microenvironment have been uncovered in recent years. Iron promotes the production of reactive oxygen species, which may either trigger ferroptosis cell death or contribute to malignant transformation. Once transformed, cancer cells divert tumor-infiltrating immune cells to satisfy their iron demand, thus affecting the tumor immunosurveillance. In this review, we highlight how the bioavailability of this metal shapes complex metabolic pathways within the tumor microenvironment and how this affects both tumor-associated macrophages and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes functions. Furthermore, we discuss the potentials as well as the current clinical controversies surrounding the use of iron metabolism as a target for new anticancer treatments in two opposed conditions: (i) the “hot” tumors, which are usually enriched in immune cells infiltration and are extremely rich in iron availability within the microenvironment, and (ii) the “cold” tumors, which are often very poor in immune cells, mainly due to immune exclusion.

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Biomarkers for Immunotherapy: Current Developments and Challenges

American Society of Clinical Oncology Educational Book ◽

10.1200/edbk_160766 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. e493-e503 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Kristen R. Spencer ◽

Jianfeng Wang ◽

Ann W. Silk ◽

Shridar Ganesan ◽

Howard L. Kaufman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tumor Microenvironment ◽

Serum Proteins ◽

Checkpoint Inhibitors ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes ◽

Receptor Expression ◽

The Status ◽

Immune Response To Cancer ◽

Infiltrating Lymphocytes ◽

Selection Of

Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer therapy and has been named the cancer advance of the year for 2016. Checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated unprecedented rates of durable responses in some of the most difficult-to-treat cancers; however, many treated patients do not respond, and the potential for serious side effects exists. There is a growing need to identify biomarkers that will improve the selection of patients who will best respond to therapy, further elucidate drug mechanisms of action, and help tailor therapy regimens. Biomarkers are being explored at the soluble, cellular, and genomic levels, and examples in immunotherapy include serum proteins, tumor-specific receptor expression patterns, factors in the tumor microenvironment, circulating immune and tumor cells, and host genomic factors. The search for reliable biomarkers is limited by our incomplete understanding of how immunotherapies modify the already complex immune response to cancer, as well as the contribution of immuno-editing to a dynamic and inducible tumor microenvironment and immune milieu. Furthermore, there has been little extension of any candidate assay into large, prospective studies, and the lack of standardization in measurement and interpretation restricts their validity. Both tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and PD-L1 expression within the tumor microenvironment have been recognized as having both prognostic and predictive value for patients treated with immunotherapy. Alternately, a larger panel of gene signatures, chemokines, and other factors that correlate with response has been proposed. In this article, we will explore the status of current biomarker candidates.

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C4b-binding protein α-chain enhances antitumor immunity by facilitating the accumulation of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in the tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer

Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research ◽

10.1186/s13046-021-02019-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kosuke Sasaki ◽

Shigetsugu Takano ◽

Satoshi Tomizawa ◽

Yoji Miyahara ◽

Katsunori Furukawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

T Cell ◽

Tumor Microenvironment ◽

Binding Protein ◽

Combined Treatment ◽

Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes ◽

Pdac Cell ◽

Α Chain ◽

Infiltrating Lymphocytes

Abstract Background Recent studies indicate that complement plays pivotal roles in promoting or suppressing cancer progression. We have previously identified C4b-binding protein α-chain (C4BPA) as a serum biomarker for the early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, its mechanism of action remains unclear. Here, we elucidated the functional roles of C4BPA in PDAC cells and the tumor microenvironment. Methods We assessed stromal C4BPA, the C4BPA binding partner CD40, and the number of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in resected human PDAC tissues via immunohistochemical staining. The biological functions of C4BPA were investigated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and human PDAC cell lines. Mouse C4BPA (mC4BPA) peptide, which is composed of 30 amino acids from the C-terminus and binds to CD40, was designed for further in vitro and in vivo experiments. In a preclinical experiment, we assessed the efficacy of gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel (GnP), dual immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs), and mC4BPA peptide in a mouse orthotopic transplantation model. Results Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that high stromal C4BPA and CD40 was associated with favorable PDAC prognosis (P=0.0005). Stromal C4BPA strongly correlated with the number of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (P=0.001). In in vitro experiments, flow cytometry revealed that recombinant human C4BPA (rhC4BPA) stimulation increased CD4+ and CD8+ T cell numbers in PBMCs. rhC4BPA also promoted the proliferation of CD40-expressing PDAC cells. By contrast, combined treatment with gemcitabine and rhC4BPA increased PDAC cell apoptosis rate. mC4BPA peptide increased the number of murine T lymphocytes in vitro and the number of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes surrounding PDAC tumors in vivo. In a preclinical study, GnP/ICBs/mC4BPA peptide treatment, but not GnP treatment, led to the accumulation of a greater number of CD8+ T cells in the periphery of PDAC tumors and to greater tumor regression than did control treatment. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that the combination of GnP therapy with C4BPA inhibits PDAC progression by promoting antitumor T cell accumulation in the tumor microenvironment.

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Prognostic and predictive significance of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes for ductal carcinoma in situ

OncoImmunology ◽

10.1080/2162402x.2021.1875637 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 1875637

Author(s):

Fei-Fei Xu ◽

Sai-Fang Zheng ◽

Cheng Xu ◽

Gang Cai ◽

Shu-Bei Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ductal Carcinoma In Situ ◽

Carcinoma In Situ ◽

Ductal Carcinoma ◽

Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes ◽

Infiltrating Lymphocytes

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Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in the Tumor Microenvironment of Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Biomedicines ◽

10.3390/biomedicines9050486 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 486

Author(s):

Juan P. Rodrigo ◽

Mario Sánchez-Canteli ◽

Fernando López ◽

Gregory T. Wolf ◽

Juan C. Hernández-Prera ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Tumor Microenvironment ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Squamous Cell ◽

Prognostic Value ◽

Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes ◽

Infiltrating Lymphocytes

The presence of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in the tumor microenvironment has been demonstrated to be of prognostic value in various cancers. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we investigated the prognostic value of TIL in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). We performed a systematic search in PubMed for publications that investigated the prognostic value of TIL in LSCC. A meta-analysis was performed including all studies assessing the association between TIL counts in hematoxylin-eosin (HE)-stained sections, for CD8+ and/or CD3+/CD4+ TIL and overall survival (OS) or disease-free survival (DFS). The pooled meta-analysis showed a favorable prognostic role for stromal TIL in HE sections for OS (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.36–0.91, p = 0.02), and for DFS (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.34–0.94, p = 0.03). High CD8+ TIL were associated with a prolonged OS (HR 0.62, 95% CI 0.4–0.97, p = 0.04) and DFS (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.34–0.94, p = 0.002). High CD3+/CD4+ TIL demonstrated improved OS (HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.16–0.9, p = 0.03) and DFS (HR 0.23, 95% CI 0.10–0.53, p = 0.0005). This meta-analysis confirmed the favorable prognostic significance of TIL in LSCC. High stromal TIL evaluated in HE sections and intra-tumoral and stromal CD3+, CD4+ and/or CD8+ TIL might predict a better clinical outcome.

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Tumor microenvironment in triple-negative breast cancer: the correlation of tumor-associated macrophages and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes

Clinical & Translational Oncology ◽

10.1007/s12094-021-02652-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

H. Kuroda ◽

T. Jamiyan ◽

R. Yamaguchi ◽

A. Kakumoto ◽

A. Abe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

T Cells ◽

Tumor Microenvironment ◽

Triple Negative Breast Cancer ◽

Triple Negative ◽

Cytotoxic T Cells ◽

Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes ◽

Tumor Associated Macrophages ◽

Free Survival ◽

Infiltrating Lymphocytes

Abstract Purpose Immune cells such as cytotoxic T cells, helper T cells, B cells or tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) contribute to the anti-tumor response or pro-tumorigenic effect in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). The interrelation of TAMs, T and B tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in TNBC has not been fully elucidated. Methods We evaluated the association of tumor-associated macrophages, T and B TILs in TNBC. Results TNBCs with a high CD68+, CD163+ TAMs and low CD4+, CD8+, CD20+ TILs had a significantly shorter relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) than those with low CD68+, CD163+ TAMs and high CD4+, CD8+, CD20+ TILs. TNBCs with high CD68+ TAMs/low CD8+ TILs showed a significantly shorter RFS and OS and a significantly poorer prognosis than those with high CD68+ TAMs/high CD8+ TILs, low CD68+ TAMs/high CD8+ TILs, and low CD68+/low CD8+. TNBCs with high CD163+ TAMs/low CD8+, low CD20 + TILs showed a significantly shorter RFS and OS and a significantly poorer prognosis than those with high CD163+ TAMs/high CD8+ TILs and high CD163+ TAMs /high CD20+ TILs. Conclusions Our study suggests that TAMs further create an optimal tumor microenvironment (TME) for growth and invasion of cancer cells when evasion of immunoreactions due to T and B TILs occurs. In TNBCs, all these events combine to affect prognosis. The process of TME is highly complex in TNBCs and for an improved understanding, larger validation studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

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Touching Tumor‐Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Low Risk Ductal Carcinoma in Situ Correlates with Upgrade to High Grade DCIS

Histopathology ◽

10.1111/his.14539 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Thaer Khoury ◽

Marie Quinn ◽

Wanqing Tian ◽

Li Yan ◽

Haiying Zhan

Keyword(s):

Ductal Carcinoma In Situ ◽

Carcinoma In Situ ◽

Ductal Carcinoma ◽

Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes ◽

Low Risk ◽

High Grade ◽

Infiltrating Lymphocytes

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Novel Pathological Predictive Factors for Extranodal Extension in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: a Retrospective Cohort Study Based on Tumor Budding, Desmoplastic Reaction, and Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1021920/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yuri Noda ◽

Mitsuaki Ishida ◽

Yasuhiro Ueno ◽

Takuo Fujisawa ◽

Hiroshi Iwai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Tumor Microenvironment ◽

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma ◽

Cell Carcinoma ◽

Squamous Cell ◽

Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes ◽

Desmoplastic Reaction ◽

Extranodal Extension ◽

Biopsy Specimens ◽

Infiltrating Lymphocytes

Abstract Background: Extranodal extension (ENE) is a poor prognostic factor for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Identifying ENE by clinical and/or radiological examination is difficult, thereby leading to unnecessary neck dissections. Currently, no definitive predictors are available for ENE. Thus, we aimed to determine the histological predictors of ENE by routine histopathological examination using biopsy and surgically resected specimens.Methods: This retrospective study included 186 surgically resected OSCC and 83 matched biopsy specimens. Clinical features associated with the tumor microenvironment, including desmoplastic reaction (DR), tumor budding (TB), and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin-stained primary OSCC and neck dissection specimens. These histological features were divided into two groups: DR-immature (DR-I) and DR-mature (DR-M); TB-high (TB-H) and TB-low (TB-L); and TILs-low (TILs-L) and TILs-high (TILs-H). Clinical depth of invasion (cDOI) and pathological DOI (pDOI) were adapted for biopsies and resections, respectively; DOI was evaluated as DOI >10 mm and DOI ≤10 mm. The clinicopathological relationships between these histopathological features and ENE and the independent risk factors for ENE were analyzed. The histological predictors of ENE were evaluated.Results:The histological status of DR, TILs, and TB present in biopsy and resection specimens showed high accuracy with that of ENE. DR-I, TILs-L, and TB-H were significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, cDOI, and pDOI. Bivariate and multivariate analyses revealed that TB-H and pDOI >10 mm in resections were independent factors for the presence of ENE (ENE+). The combination of TB-H/pDOI >10 mm in resection specimens showed high specificity (91%) and accuracy (83%) regarding ENE+. Although there proved to be no independent factors in biopsies, DR-I and TILs-L were significantly associated with ENE+ (p<0.001). The combination of DR-I/TILs-L/cDOI >10 mm in biopsies exhibited high sensitivity and specificity with ENE+ (70% and 77%, respectively, p<0.001). These histological predictors could detect even minor ENE (<2 mm).Conclusions:The tumor microenvironment status in primary OSCC was significantly associated with that of ENE, and TB-H was an independent risk factor for ENE. The histological status of DR-I/TILs-L/cDOI >10 mm in biopsy specimens and TB-H/pDOI >10 mm in resection specimens is a useful predictor of ENE.

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