RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Immune-contexture of tumour microenvironment (TME) influences prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and can be altered by cytotoxic and targeted agents. Limited data are available regarding the immune-TME of CRC after treatment. METHODS: An extensive immunohistochemistry evaluation of immunological parameters on tumour cells and TME of colorectal liver metastases from 106 patients who underwent secondary resection, after receiving triplets FOLFOXIRI (5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin and irinotecan) or COI (capecitabine, oxaliplatin and irinotecan) plus bevacizumab (N = 59) or cetuximab (N = 47) in five first-line no-profit clinical trials was performed. RESULTS: No substantial differences were reported in immunological parameters according to administered targeted agent, RAS/BRAF mutational status and histopathological or Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours response. Stromal expression of Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) (p = 0.002), Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) (p = 0.003) and Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) (p = 0.002) were independent prognostic factors for longer relapse-free survival (RFS) at multivariate analysis with a positive trend for post-resection overall survival (OS). Patients whose metastases expressed stromal COX-2, HLA and PD1 (inflamed-score positive) reported longer RFS (25.5 versus 9.8 months; p < 0.001) and post-resection OS (64.3 versus 37.7 months; p = 0.003) as compared with others. In addition, patients with higher expression of CD4 and CD8 T-cells in tumour core and invasive margin (CD4/CD8-score) showed a better post-resection OS (not-reached versus 41.6 months; p = 0.032). A combined score of inflamed-score and CD4/CD8-score (combo-score) showed a clear prognostic role. CONCLUSIONS: The present study emphasises the role of immune-TME as independent predictor of survival in patients resected after triplets plus biologic. Inflamed-, CD4/C8- and combo-scores should be confirmed as prognostic factors in further studies.
Assuntos
Antineoplásicos Imunológicos/administração & dosagem , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapêutico , Quimioterapia Adjuvante , Neoplasias Colorretais/patologia , Hepatectomia , Neoplasias Hepáticas/terapia , Linfócitos do Interstício Tumoral/imunologia , Terapia Neoadjuvante , Microambiente Tumoral/imunologia , Idoso , Antineoplásicos Imunológicos/efeitos adversos , Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/efeitos adversos , Bevacizumab/administração & dosagem , Camptotecina/administração & dosagem , Camptotecina/análogos & derivados , Capecitabina/administração & dosagem , Cetuximab/administração & dosagem , Quimioterapia Adjuvante/efeitos adversos , Quimioterapia Adjuvante/mortalidade , Ensaios Clínicos como Assunto , Neoplasias Colorretais/mortalidade , Feminino , Fluoruracila/administração & dosagem , Hepatectomia/efeitos adversos , Hepatectomia/mortalidade , Humanos , Irinotecano/administração & dosagem , Leucovorina/administração & dosagem , Neoplasias Hepáticas/imunologia , Neoplasias Hepáticas/mortalidade , Neoplasias Hepáticas/secundário , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Terapia Neoadjuvante/efeitos adversos , Terapia Neoadjuvante/mortalidade , Compostos Organoplatínicos/administração & dosagem , Oxaliplatina/administração & dosagem , Estudos Retrospectivos , Fatores de Tempo , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
Our aim was to assess the activation profile of EGFR, PDGFRB and PDGFRA receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) and their downstream effectors in a series of cryopreserved diffuse malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (DMPM) surgical specimens to discover the targets for drug inhibition. We also made a complementary analysis of the cytotoxic effects of some kinase inhibitors on the proliferation of the human peritoneal mesothelioma STO cell line. We found the expression/phosphorylation of EGFR and PDGFRB in most of the tumours, and PDGFRA activation in half. The expression of the cognate ligands TGF-α, PDGFB and PDGFA in the absence of RTK mutation and amplification suggested the presence of an autocrine/paracrine loop. There was also evidence of EGFR and PDGFRB co-activation. RTK downstream signalling analysis demonstrated the activation/expression of ERK1/2, AKT and mTOR, together with S6 and 4EBP1, in almost all the DMPMs. No KRAS/BRAF mutations, PI3KCA mutations/amplifications or PTEN inactivation were observed. Real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed the decreased expression of TSC1 c-DNA in half of the tumours. In vitro cytotoxicity studies showed the STO cell line to be resistant to gefitinib and sensitive to sequential treatment with RAD001 and sorafenib; these findings were consistent with the presence of the KRAS mutation G12D in these cells although it was not detectable in the original tumour. Our results highlight the ligand-dependent activation and co-activation of EGFR and PDGFRB, as well as a connection between these activated RTKs and the downstream mTOR pathway, thus supporting the role of combined treatment with RTK and mTOR inhibitors in DMPM.