ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Prognostic significance and gene signatures associated with carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) was investigated in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) for CAIX was performed in tissue microarrays (TMAs) of 136 TNBC patients. In a subset of 52 patients Digital Spatial Profiler (DSP) was performed in tumour (pan-cytokeratin+) and stroma (pan-cytokeratin-). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with P<0.05 and and log2 fold change (FC)>(±0.25 and ±0.3, for tumour and stromal compartment, respectively) were identified. Four genes were validated at the protein level. RESULT: Cytoplasmic CAIX expression was independently associated with poor recurrence free survival in TNBC patients [hazard ratio (HR)=6.59, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.47-29.58, P=0.014]. DEG analysis identified 4 up-regulated genes (CD68, HIF1A, pan-melanocyte, and VSIR) in the tumour region and 9 down-regulated genes in the stromal region (CD86, CD3E, MS4A1, BCL2, CCL5, NKG7, PTPRC, CD27, and FAS) when low versus high CAIX expression was explored. Employing IHC, high CD68 and HIF-1α was associated with poorer prognosis and high BCL2 and CD3 was associated with good prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: DSP technology identified DEGs in TNBC. Selected genes validated by IHC showed involvement of CD3 and BCL2 expression within stroma and HIF-1α, and CD68 expression within tumour. However, further functional analysis is warranted.
Subject(s)
Carbonic Anhydrases , Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms , Humans , Antigens, Neoplasm/analysis , Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism , Carbonic Anhydrase IX/genetics , Carbonic Anhydrases/analysis , Carbonic Anhydrases/metabolism , Gene Expression Profiling , Keratins , Prognosis , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 , RNA , Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/geneticsABSTRACT
The tumour microenvironment is an important factor for colorectal cancer prognosis, affecting the patient's immune response. Immune checkpoints, which regulate the immune functions of lymphocytes, may provide prognostic power. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of the immune checkpoints TIM-3, LAG-3 and PD-1 in patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect TIM-3, LAG-3, PD-1 and PD-L1 in 773 patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer. Immune checkpoint protein expression was assessed in tumour cells using the weighted histoscore, and in immune cells within the stroma using point counting. Scores were analysed for associations with survival and clinical factors. High tumoural LAG-3 (hazard ratio [HR] 1.45 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00-2.09, p = 0.049) and PD-1 (HR 1.34 95% CI 1.00-1.78, p = 0.047) associated with poor survival, whereas high TIM-3 (HR 0.60 95% CI 0.42-0.84, p = 0.003), LAG-3 (HR 0.58 95% CI 0.40-0.87, p = 0.006) and PD-1 (HR 0.65 95% CI 0.49-0.86, p = 0.002) on immune cells within the stroma associated with improved survival, while PD-L1 in the tumour (p = 0.487) or the immune cells within the stroma (p = 0.298) was not associated with survival. Furthermore, immune cell LAG-3 was independently associated with survival (p = 0.017). Checkpoint expression scores on stromal immune cells were combined into a Combined Immune Checkpoint Stromal Score (CICSS), where CICSS 3 denoted all high, CICSS 2 denoted any two high, and CICSS 1 denoted other combinations. CICSS 3 was associated with improved patient survival (HR 0.57 95% CI 0.42-0.78, p = 0.001). The results suggest that individual and combined high expression of TIM-3, LAG-3, and PD-1 on stromal immune cells are associated with better colorectal cancer prognosis, suggesting there is added value to investigating multiple immune checkpoints simultaneously.
