Increased serum cholesterol and long-chain fatty acid levels are associated with the efficacy of nivolumab in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lipids have immunomodulatory functions and the potential to affect cancer immunity. METHODS: The associations of pretreatment serum cholesterol and long-chain fatty acids with the objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated in 148 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who received nivolumab. RESULTS: When each lipid was separately evaluated, increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (P < 0.001), high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol (P = 0.014), total cholesterol (P = 0.007), lauric acid (P = 0.015), myristic acid (P = 0.022), myristoleic acid (P = 0.035), stearic acid (P = 0.028), linoleic acid (P = 0.005), arachidic acid (P = 0.027), eicosadienoic acid (P = 0.017), dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (P = 0.036), and behenic acid levels (P = 0.032) were associated with longer PFS independent of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. Meanwhile, increased LDL-cholesterol (P < 0.001), HDL-cholesterol (P = 0.009), total cholesterol (P = 0.036), linoleic acid (P = 0.014), and lignoceric acid levels (P = 0.028) were associated with longer OS independent of PD-L1 expression. When multiple lipids were evaluated simultaneously, LDL-cholesterol (P = 0.003), HDL-cholesterol (P = 0.036), and lauric acid (P = 0.036) were independently predictive of PFS, and LDL-cholesterol (P = 0.008) and HDL-cholesterol (P = 0.031) were predictive of OS. ORR was not associated with any serum lipid. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the association of prolonged survival in patients with increased serum cholesterol and long-chain fatty acid levels, serum lipid levels may be useful for predicting the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

The prognostic significance of pneumothorax in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Pneumothorax is a co-morbidity in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, its incidence, risk factors and prognostic significance in IPF remain unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the incidence and prognostic significance of pneumothorax in patients with IPF, and to further investigate the risk factors for its onset. METHODS: Eighty-four consecutive patients with IPF based on the consensus guideline were included in this study. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records, pulmonary function tests and chest high-resolution computed tomography images, and determined the incidence of pneumothorax. The prognostic significance of pneumothorax was evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model analysis with time-dependent covariates. We also assessed the cumulative incidence and the risk factors for pneumothorax. RESULTS: Of the 84 patients, 17 (20.2%) developed pneumothorax. The cumulative incidence of pneumothorax was 8.5%, 12.5% and 17.7% at 1, 2 and 3 years, respectively. Univariate analysis demonstrated that pneumothorax was significantly related to poor prognosis (hazards ratio, 2.99; P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis, adjusting for sex, age and forced vital capacity (% predicted), revealed that pneumothorax was an independent predictor of poor outcome in IPF (hazards ratio, 2.85; P = 0.006). Lower BMI and the presence of extensive reticular abnormalities were significantly associated with developing pneumothorax. CONCLUSION: These results confirm that patients with IPF often develop pneumothorax during their clinical course and that the onset of pneumothorax predicts a poor outcome.

Distinct prognostic roles and heterogeneity of TTF1 copy number and TTF1 protein expression in non-small cell lung cancer.

Thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF1) located on chromosome band 14q13.3 is an oncogene and a suppressor gene in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The prognostic relevance of TTF1 copy number alterations (CNAs) and their association with TTF1 protein expression are poorly understood. Here, we assessed TTF1 CNAs and protein expression using microarrays in a cohort of 636 NSCLC, including 423 adenocarcinoma (ADC) and 171 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). In addition, fluorescent in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were performed. TTF1 CNAs were detected in 23% of NSCLC (23% of ADC and 20% of SCC). Specifically, TTF1 amplification and polysomy were observed in 5% and 18% of NSCLC, and in 7% and 16% of ADC, respectively. TTF1 expression was detected in 85% of ADC. TTF1 CNAs were significantly associated with advanced tumor stage, EGFR mutations, and TTF1 expression. A multivariate Cox hazards model analysis of overall survival and recurrence-free survival demonstrated that both TTF1 amplification and polysomy were independent indicators of an unfavorable prognosis in patients with NSCLC. Survival was inversely correlated with TTF1 copy number. In contrast, TTF1 protein expression was an independent favorable prognostic factor. Intratumoral and intertumoral heterogeneities of TTF1 CNAs and TTF1 protein expression were assessed using primary cores from 138 pairs of primary tumors and corresponding nodal metastases. The concordance rate for TTF1 CNAs and TTF1 protein expression was high within tumors and between primary and metastatic tumors. Altogether, these results suggest that TTF1 CNAs are correlated with TTF1 protein expression, but have opposing effects on survival.

Characterization of V-set and immunoglobulin domain containing 1 exerting a tumor suppressor function in gastric, lung, and esophageal cancer cells.

V-set and immunoglobulin domain containing 1 (VSIG1) is a newly discovered member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of proteins, expressed in normal stomach and testis. In cancers, however, the clinical and biological roles of VSIG1 remain unknown. Here we investigated VSIG1 expression in 11 cancers and assessed the prognostic roles of VSIG1 in patients with gastric cancer (GC) (n = 362) and non-small-cell lung cancer (n = 650). V-set and immunoglobulin domain containing 1 was downregulated in 60.5% of GC specimens, and high VSIG1 expression was identified as an independent favorable prognostic factor for overall survival in GC patients (hazard ratio, 0.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.35-0.96). Among lung adenocarcinomas (n = 428), VSIG1 was significantly and inversely associated with thyroid transcription factor 1 expression and was frequently expressed in the invasive mucinous subtype (17 of 19, 89.5%). In addition, VSIG1 was expressed in a subset of pancreatic, ovarian, and prostate cancers. The variant 2 VSIG1 transcript was the dominant form in these tissues and cancer cells. Introduction of VSIG1 significantly reduced the proliferative ability of MKN1 and MKN28 GC cells and H1299 lung cancer cells and downregulated cell migration of these cells, as well as of KYSE150, an esophageal cancer cell line. Cell invasion of MKN1, MKN28, and KYSE150 cells was also reduced by VSIG1 introduction. In vitro characterization revealed that VSIG1 forms homodimers through homophilic cis-interactions but not through homophilic trans-interactions. These results suggest that VSIG1 possesses tumor suppressive functions that are translated into favorable prognosis of VSIG1-expressing GC patients.

WDR62 overexpression is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Human WDR62, which is localized in the cytoplasm including the centrosome, is known to be responsible for primary microcephaly; however, the role of WDR62 abnormality in cancers remains largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to reveal the pathological role of WDR62 abnormality in lung adenocarcinoma (LAC). We first examined the WDR62 mRNA expression level of LAC (n = 64) using a QRT-PCR analysis and found that WDR62 mRNA transcripts were significantly overexpressed in LAC (P = 0.0432, Wilcoxon matched pairs test). An immunohistochemical analysis for LAC (n = 237) showed that WDR62 proteins were also significantly overexpressed in LAC (P < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney U test). A Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patients with LAC who exhibit WDR62 overexpression have a short overall survival (P = 0.0378, log-rank test), and a multivariate analysis revealed that WDR62 overexpression was an independent predictor of a poor survival outcome among LAC patients (hazard ratio, 2.032; 95% confidence interval, 1.071-3.777; P = 0.0305). Next, we examined the functional effect of WDR62 overexpression on the lung cancer cell line H1299. WDR62-overexpressing lung cancer cells exhibited an increase in cell growth. Moreover, the concurrent overexpression of WDR62 and TPX2, a WDR62-interacting protein that is also overexpressed in LAC, induced centrosome amplification in the lung cells. Finally, we disclosed that the concurrent overexpression of WDR62 and TPX2 is common in diverse human cancers, using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas. These results suggested that WDR62 overexpression is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with LAC and leads to an increase in the malignant potential of lung cells.

SMARCA4 Mutations in Gastroesophageal Adenocarcinoma: An Observational Study via a Next-Generation Sequencing Panel.

BACKGROUND: The clinical impact of SMARCA4 mutations (SMARCA4ms) in gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA) remains underexplored. This study aimed to examine the association of SMARCA4ms with clinical outcomes and co-occurrence with other gene mutations identified through a next-generation sequencing (NGS) panel in GEA patients. METHODS: A total of 256 patients with metastatic or recurrent GEA who underwent NGS panel profiling at the MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2016 and 2022 were included. Comparative analyses were performed to assess clinical outcomes related to SMARCA4ms. The frequency and types of SMARCA4ms and their co-occurrence with other gene mutations were also examined. RESULTS: SMARCA4ms were identified in 19 patients (7.4%). These SMARCA4ms were significantly associated with non-signet ring cell subtype (p = 0.044) and PD-L1 positive expression (p = 0.046). No difference in survival between the SMARCA4m and SMARCA4-normal group was observed (p = 0.84). There were significant associations between SMARCA4ms and FANCA, IGF1R, KRAS, FANCL, and PTEN alterations. Notably, 15 of the 19 SMARCA4m cases involved SNV missense mutations, with frequent co-occurrences noted with TP53, KRAS, ARID1A, and ERBB2 mutations. CONCLUSIONS: These results serve as the first comprehensive examination of the relationship between SMARCA4ms and clinical outcomes in GEA.

Challenges and Prospects of Patient-Derived Xenografts for Cancer Research.

We discuss the importance of the in vivo models in elucidating cancer biology, focusing on the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, which are classic and standard functional in vivo platforms for preclinical evaluation. We provide an overview of the most representative models, including cell-derived xenografts (CDX), tumor and metastatic cell-derived xenografts, and PDX models utilizing humanized mice (HM). The orthotopic models, which could reproduce the cancer environment and its progression, similar to human tumors, are particularly common. The standard procedures and rationales of gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) orthotopic models are addressed. Despite the significant advantages of the PDX models, such as recapitulating key features of human tumors and enabling drug testing in the in vivo context, some challenges must be acknowledged, including loss of heterogeneity, selection bias, clonal evolution, stroma replacement, tumor micro-environment (TME) changes, host cell carryover and contaminations, human-to-host cell oncogenic transformation, human and host viral infections, as well as limitations for immunologic research. To compensate for these limitations, other mouse models, such as syngeneic and humanized mouse models, are currently utilized. Overall, the PDX models represent a powerful tool in cancer research, providing critical insights into tumor biology and potential therapeutic targets, but their limitations and challenges must be carefully considered for their effective use. Lastly, we present an intronic quantitative PCR (qPCR) method to authenticate, detect, and quantify human/murine cells in cell lines and PDX samples.

High Expression of Fas-Associated Factor 1 Indicates a Poor Prognosis in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Fas-associated factor 1 (FAF1) is a death-promoting protein identified as an interaction partner of the death receptor Fas. The downregulation and mutation of FAF1 have been reported in a variety of human tumors, but there have been few studies on lung cancer. Here, we investigated the prognostic significance of FAF1 expression in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and whether aberrant FAF1 expression may be involved in the pathogenesis and prognosis of NSCLC. FAF1 expression was examined in NSCLC specimens as well as human lung cancer cell lines. In addition, changes in cell viability and apoptosis upon regulating FAF1 expression were investigated in lung cancer cell lines. As a result, high FAF1 expression was significantly associated with a poor prognosis in NSCLC. In lung cancer cell lines, FAF1 downregulation hindered cell viability and tended to promote early apoptosis. In conclusion, this is the first study of the clinical significance of FAF1 in NSCLC, showing that FAF1 overexpression is associated with a poor prognosis in NSCLC and that FAF1 acts as a dangerous factor rather than an apoptosis promoter in NSCLC.

A new intronic quantitative PCR method led to the discovery of transformation from human ascites to murine malignancy in a mouse model.

Purpose: To establish a fast and accurate detection method for interspecies contaminations in the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models and cell lines, and to elucidate possible mechanisms if interspecies oncogenic transformation is detected. Methods: A fast and highly sensitive intronic qPCR method detecting Gapdh intronic genomic copies was developed to quantify if cells were human or murine or a mixture. By this method, we documented that murine stromal cells were abundant in the PDXs; we also authenticated our cell lines to be human or murine. Results: In one mouse model, GA0825-PDX transformed murine stromal cells into a malignant tumorigenic murine P0825 cell line. We traced the timeline of this transformation and discovered three subpopulations descended from the same GA0825-PDX model: epithelium-like human H0825, fibroblast-like murine M0825, and main passaged murine P0825 displayed differences in tumorigenic capability in vivo. P0825 was the most aggressive and H0825 was weakly tumorigenic. Immunofluorescence (IF) staining revealed that P0825 cells highly expressed several oncogenic and cancer stem cell markers. Whole exosome sequencing (WES) analysis revealed that TP53 mutation in the human ascites IP116-generated GA0825-PDX may have played a role in the human-to-murine oncogenic transformation. Conclusion: This intronic qPCR is able to quantify human/mouse genomic copies with high sensitivity and within a time frame of a few hours. We are the first to use intronic genomic qPCR for authentication and quantification of biosamples. Human ascites transformed murine stroma into malignancy in a PDX model.

Galectin-3 Cooperates with CD47 to Suppress Phagocytosis and T-cell Immunity in Gastric Cancer Peritoneal Metastases.

The peritoneal cavity is a common site of gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) metastasis. Peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is resistant to current therapies and confers poor prognosis, highlighting the need to identify new therapeutic targets. CD47 conveys a "don't eat me" signal to myeloid cells upon binding its receptor signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα), which helps tumor cells circumvent macrophage phagocytosis and evade innate immune responses. Previous studies demonstrated that the blockade of CD47 alone results in limited clinical benefits, suggesting that other target(s) might need to be inhibited simultaneously with CD47 to elicit a strong antitumor response. Here, we found that CD47 was highly expressed on malignant PC cells, and elevated CD47 was associated with poor prognosis. Galectin-3 (Gal3) expression correlated with CD47 expression, and coexpression of Gal3 and CD47 was significantly associated with diffuse type, poor differentiation, and tumor relapse. Depletion of Gal3 reduced expression of CD47 through inhibition of c-Myc binding to the CD47 promoter. Furthermore, injection of Gal3-deficient tumor cells into either wild-type and Lgals3-/- mice led to a reduction in M2 macrophages and increased T-cell responses compared with Gal3 wild-type tumor cells, indicating that tumor cell-derived Gal3 plays a more important role in GAC progression and phagocytosis than host-derived Gal3. Dual blockade of Gal3 and CD47 collaboratively suppressed tumor growth, increased phagocytosis, repolarized macrophages, and boosted T-cell immune responses. These data uncovered that Gal3 functions together with CD47 to suppress phagocytosis and orchestrate immunosuppression in GAC with PC, which supports exploring a novel combination therapy targeting Gal3 and CD47. SIGNIFICANCE: Dual inhibition of CD47 and Gal3 enhances tumor cell phagocytosis and reprograms macrophages to overcome the immunosuppressive microenvironment and suppress tumor growth in peritoneal metastasis of gastric adenocarcinoma.

Evolution of immune and stromal cell states and ecotypes during gastric adenocarcinoma progression.

Understanding tumor microenvironment (TME) reprogramming in gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) progression may uncover novel therapeutic targets. Here, we performed single-cell profiling of precancerous lesions, localized and metastatic GACs, identifying alterations in TME cell states and compositions as GAC progresses. Abundant IgA+ plasma cells exist in the premalignant microenvironment, whereas immunosuppressive myeloid and stromal subsets dominate late-stage GACs. We identified six TME ecotypes (EC1-6). EC1 is exclusive to blood, while EC4, EC5, and EC2 are highly enriched in uninvolved tissues, premalignant lesions, and metastases, respectively. EC3 and EC6, two distinct ecotypes in primary GACs, associate with histopathological and genomic characteristics, and survival outcomes. Extensive stromal remodeling occurs in GAC progression. High SDC2 expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) is linked to aggressive phenotypes and poor survival, and SDC2 overexpression in CAFs contributes to tumor growth. Our study provides a high-resolution GAC TME atlas and underscores potential targets for further investigation.

Role of cytokines in lavage or drainage fluid after hemithyroidectomy in wound healing: involvement of histamine in the acceleration and delay of wound healing.

Wound healing is a sophisticated biologic process. In the case of hemithyroidectomy, the operation time is relatively short with small tissue damage and without skin excision, and bacterial contamination before, during, and after the operation is uncommon. Here, we explored which cytokine(s) affected the rates of healing of skin wounds after hemithyroidectomy of 29 patients. We assessed the amounts of cytokines (e.g., interleukin-6, platelet-derived growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, and tumor necrosis factor-α) in either the preoperative or postoperative lavage fluids, or in the drainage fluids on postoperative days (PODs) 1-8. All of these cytokines showed a similar pattern; after reaching a peak on POD1, the production fell sharply on POD2-8, revealing that wound healing commenced on POD1. The rates of wound healing were inversely related to the levels of histamine in six patients (i.e., those with the three largest and those with the three smallest total volumes of drainage fluid on POD1): high (or low) levels of histamine in the postoperative lavage fluids with low (or high) levels in the drainage fluids on POD1 caused earlier (or the delay of) wound healing, suggesting involvement of histamine in the acceleration and delay of wound healing.

[Review of 300 cases of parotidectomy for benign parotid tumors].

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to analyze the diagnosis and postoperative complications of benign parotid tumors for a series of 300 patients who underwent the same diagnostic methods and operation procedure in a single institute. MATERIALS & METHODS: A series of 300 patients who underwent primary parotidectomy for benign parotid tumors over a 12-year period was reviewed. RESULTS: There were 145 female and 155 male paitents. The site of the tumors was divided into three groups, superficial, deep, and lower pole tumor. The number of each type of the tumor was 152, 45, 103 cases, respectively. The most common pathology of the parotid tumor was a pleomorphic adenoma (147 cases) followed by a Warthin tumor (111 cases). Pleomorphic adenomas and Warthin tumors accounted for 86% of all benign tumors. The accuracy rate of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) for all benign tumors was 66%, 80% for pleomorphic adenoma and 67% for Warthin tumor. Transient facial nerve dysfunction was observed in 63 patients (20.3%) in all benign parotid tumors, and no patients developed a permanent weakness. The incidence of transient facial nerve dysfunction was 16.4% in superficial tumors, 55.3% in deep tumors, and 10.7% in lower pole tumors. Significant risk factors for development of a transient facial palsy were the site of tumors, operation time, and bleeding volume. Transient facial nerve dysfunction recovered with 1.7 months and 2.8 months in superficial and deep tumors, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The accuracy rate of FNAC for benign parotid benign tumors was 66%. The incidence of transient facial nerve dysfunction in deep tumors was significantly higher compared to that in superficial and lower pole tumors. According to the rate of facial palsy, operation time, and bleeding volume, benign parotid tumor should be divided into three groups, superficial, deep, and lower pole tumors.

Association of the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index With the Survival of Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer After Nivolumab Therapy.

The nutritional status has the potential to affect cancer immunity. We evaluated the relationship between the nutritional status and the efficacy of nivolumab in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study was a post hoc analysis of a prospective, multicenter cohort study conducted at 14 institutions in Japan between July 2016 and December 2018. The Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), calculated from body weight and serum albumin, was evaluated in 158 patients with NSCLC who received nivolumab. GNRI was graded as low, moderate, and high. Low GNRI was associated with significantly shorter progression-free survival [median, 1.9 mo; 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.6-3.3 mo] than moderate (median, 4.0 mo; 95% CI=2.3-5.8 mo; P=0.017) and high GNRI (median, 3.0 mo; 95% CI=1.9-7.2 mo; P=0.014). Low GNRI was also linked to significantly shorter overall survival (OS) (median, 7.8 mo; 95% CI=2.6-12.0 mo) than moderate (median, 13.0 mo; 95% CI=9.6-15.2 mo; P=0.006) and high GNRI (median, 20.6 mo; 95% CI=15.6 mo-not reached; P<0.001). High GNRI was associated with significantly longer OS than moderate GNRI (P=0.015). In multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses, increased GNRI was predictive of longer progression-free survival and OS, similarly as tumor programmed cell death-ligand 1 expression. In patients with NSCLC receiving nivolumab. GNRI was predictive of survival and may be useful for predicting the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.

m6A demethylase ALKBH5 promotes tumor cell proliferation by destabilizing IGF2BPs target genes and worsens the prognosis of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

The modification of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) in RNA and its eraser ALKBH5, an m6A demethylase, play an important role across various steps of human carcinogenesis. However, the involvement of ALKBH5 in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) development remains to be completely elucidated. The current study revealed that the expression of ALKBH5 was increased in NSCLC and increased expression of ALKBH5 worsened the prognosis of patients with NSCLC. In vitro study revealed that ALKBH5 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation ability of PC9 and A549 cells and promoted G1 arrest and increased the number of apoptotic cells. Furthermore, ALKBH5 overexpression increased the cell proliferation ability of the immortalized cell lines. Microarray analysis and western blotting revealed that the expression of CDKN1A (p21) or TIMP3 was increased by ALKBH5 knockdown. These alterations were offset by a double knockdown of both ALKBH5 and one of the IGF2BPs. The decline of mRNAs was, at least partly, owing to the destabilization of these mRNAs by one of the IGF2BPs. In conclusions, the ALKBH5-IGF2BPs axis promotes cell proliferation and tumorigenicity, which in turn causes the unfavorable prognosis of NSCLC.

Distinct Immune Gene Programs Associated with Host Tumor Immunity, Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy, and Chemoimmunotherapy in Resectable NSCLC.

PURPOSE: Our understanding of the immunopathology of resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still limited. Here, we explore immune programs that inform of tumor immunity and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoimmunotherapy in localized NSCLC. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Targeted immune gene sequencing using the HTG Precision Immuno-Oncology panel was performed in localized NSCLCs from three cohorts based on treatment: naïve (n = 190), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n = 38), and neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (n = 21). Tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) phenotypes were based on the location of CD8+ T cells (inflamed, cold, excluded), tumoral PD-L1 expression (<1% and ≥1%), and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL). Immune programs and signatures were statistically analyzed on the basis of tumoral PD-L1 expression, immune phenotypes, and pathologic response and were cross-compared across the three cohorts. RESULTS: PD-L1-positive tumors exhibited increased signature scores for various lymphoid and myeloid cell subsets (P < 0.05). TIME phenotypes exhibited disparate frequencies by stage, PD-L1 expression, and mutational burden. Inflamed and PD-L1+/TILs+ NSCLCs displayed overall significantly heightened levels of immune signatures, with the excluded group representing an intermediate state. A cytotoxic T-cell signature was associated with favorable survival in neoadjuvant chemotherapy-treated NSCLCs (P < 0.05). Pathologic response to chemoimmunotherapy was positively associated with higher expression of genes involved in immune activation, chemotaxis, as well as T and natural killer cells (P < 0.05 for all). Among the three cohorts, chemoimmunotherapy-treated NSCLCs exhibited the highest scores for various immune cell subsets including T effector and B cells (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight immune gene programs that may underlie host tumor immunity and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoimmunotherapy in resectable NSCLC.

Clinical epidemiological study of 553 patients with chronic rhinosinusitis in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and asthma has been known for a long time. However, no large studies on the relationship between CRS and lower airway diseases have been reported to date in Japan. Additionally, eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (ECRS) in Japan is considered to be a subgroup of CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) characterized by eosinophil-dominant inflammation. However, the diagnostic criteria of ECRS have not been established. METHODS: To investigate clinical and epidemiological features of patients with CRS from the aspect of their associations with lower airway diseases, 553 patients with CRS who visited one of six local university hospitals were examined and interviewed. Local eosinophilic infiltration was evaluated pathologically by examining NPs. RESULTS: The prevalences of olfactory dysfunction (OD) in the patients with nasal polyps (NPs) and those without NPs were 57.0% and 13.7%, respectively (p < 0.0001). The prevalence of asthma in all patients was 23.1%. Furthermore, the prevalences of NPs and OD in the patients with asthma and those without asthma were 81.0% and 50.1% (p < 0.0001) and 64.2% and 35.7% (p < 0.0001), respectively. 97.4% of the patients with asthma had ≥ 15% mucosal eosinophils, and 87.9% of the patients without asthma had <15% mucosal eosinophils. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to the relationship between nasal allergy and asthma, CRSwNP may be applicable to the concept of "one airway, one disease".

MET Amplification and Efficacy of Nivolumab in Patients With NSCLC.

INTRODUCTION: MET amplification is an important genetic alteration in NSCLC. Unlike in patients with EGFR and ALK alterations, the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in patients with MET-amplified NSCLC remains unknown. METHODS: An exploratory analysis of a prospective, multi-institutional cohort comprising 200 patients with advanced or recurrent NSCLC treated with nivolumab monotherapy was performed, and MET amplification was defined as a MET-to-CEP7 ratio of greater than or equal to 2 using fluorescent in situ hybridization. High-level and low-level MET gains were also defined as MET signals ≥10/nuclei and 10> MET signals ≥5/nuclei, respectively. Overall response rates (ORRs) and survival outcomes were evaluated on the basis of the MET gene copy number status. RESULTS: Among 175 patients eligible for analysis, MET amplification was detected in 13 tumors (7.4%). Four (2.3%) high-level and 14 (8.0%) low-level MET gains were also detected. There were no considerable differences in ORRs in accordance with the MET gene copy number status. Similarly, no significant differences in both progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were observed between patients with and without MET-amplified NSCLC (log-rank, p = 0.813 for PFS, and p = 0.855 for OS). Among 101 adenocarcinomas, ORRs in patients with high-level and low-level MET gains (50.0% for both, p = 0.049) were significantly higher than those without MET gains (17.6%), yet survival outcomes for both PFS and OS did not improve. CONCLUSIONS: MET amplification was not associated with greater benefit of nivolumab treatment in patients with NSCLC. Further studies are warranted to prioritize immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment regimen for patients with MET amplification.

YTHDF1 and YTHDF2 are associated with better patient survival and an inflamed tumor-immune microenvironment in non-small-cell lung cancer.

The human YTH domain family (YTHDF) proteins are RNA-binding proteins that recognize N6-methyladenosine (m6A), facilitating various biological processes via m6A RNA modification. How these molecules associate with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) molecular mechanisms remain unclear. The protein expression levels of YTHDF1 and YTHDF2 in 603 cases of resected NSCLC were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. We analyzed the associations of these attributes with patient characteristics and survival. We also assessed four subsets of lymphocytes (PD-1+, CD8+, Foxp3+, and CD45RO+) as tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in the tumor nest and in the surrounding stroma separately. In addition, we investigated differentially expressed genes and the expression of PD-L1 in YTHDF1- and YTHDF2-deprived lung cancer cells. The expressions of both YTHDF1 and YTHDF2 were less in the advanced-stage tumors than in the early-stage tumors. The expressions of both YTHDF1 and YTHDF2 were also independent favorable prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival (HR, 0.745; 95% CI, 0.562-0.984 for YTHDF1; HR, 0.683; 95% CI, 0.503-0.928 for YTHDF2). The TIL densities of almost all four lymphocyte subsets in the stroma were significantly higher in the tumors with high YTHDF1 and YTHDF2 expression. In vitro, YTHDF1 and YTHDF2 knockdown in cells upregulated tumor PD-L1 expression and altered multiple immune-related genes. High expressions of both YTHDF1 and YTHDF2 are associated with a favorable prognostic outcome of NSCLC patients, a greater amount of TILs, and downregulation of PD-L1. YTHDF1 and YTHDF2 could be novel prognostic and druggable targets related to the tumor-immune microenvironment in lung cancers.

Prognostic significance of peripheral blood monocyte and neutrophil counts in rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease.

OBJECTIVES: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common pulmonary manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) associated with clinical heterogeneity and high mortality. This study aimed to determine whether non-invasive biomarkers, especially monocyte count in peripheral blood, would be useful for predicting outcomes in patients with RA-associated ILD (RA-ILD). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 72 patients with RA-ILD. We assessed clinical characteristics, laboratory findings at the time of diagnosis. We used Cox proportional hazard analyses to determine significant variables associated with outcomes. Cumulative survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: The median age was 68.6 years (58% male). The 5-year survival rate was 78.4%. Cox proportional hazard analyses adjusted by age and sex showed that increased monocyte count and neutrophil count were significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients with RA-ILD. According to optimal cutoff levels, patients with high monocyte counts (≥458/µl) had significantly lower survival rates than those with low monocyte counts (<458/µl). Similarly, patients with high neutrophil counts (≥9394/µl) had significantly lower survival rates than those with low neutrophil counts (<9394/µl). Combinatorial assessments with peripheral monocyte and neutrophil counts revealed that the patients with both high monocyte and neutrophil counts had the lowest survival. CONCLUSIONS: Increased monocyte and neutrophil counts might be potential cellular biomarkers to predict poor outcomes in patients with RA-ILD.