Monocyte infiltration is an independent positive prognostic biomarker in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) arises after an HPV infection or the mutation of p53 or other driver genes and is treated by mutilating surgery and/or (chemo) radiation, with limited success and high morbidity. In-depth information on the immunological make up of VSCC is pivotal to assess whether immunotherapy may form an alternative treatment. METHODS: A total of 104 patient samples, comprising healthy vulva (n = 27) and VSCC (n = 77), were analyzed. Multispectral immunofluorescence (15 markers) was used to study both the myeloid and lymphoid immune cell composition, and this was linked to differences in transcriptomics (NanoString nCounter, 1258 genes) and in survival (Kaplan-Meier analyses). RESULTS: Healthy vulva and VSCC are both well infiltrated but with different subpopulations of lymphoid and myeloid cells. In contrast to the lymphoid cell infiltrate, the density and composition of the myeloid cell infiltrate strongly differed per VSCC molecular subtype. A relative strong infiltration with epithelial monocytes (HLADR-CD11c-CD14+CD68-CD163-CD33-) was prognostic for improved survival, independent of T cell infiltration, disease stage or molecular subtype. A strong infiltration with T cells and/or monocytes was associated with drastic superior survival: 5-year survival > 90% when either one is high, versus 40% when both are low (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: A hot myeloid and/or lymphoid infiltrate predicts excellent survival in VSCC. Based on the response of similarly high-infiltrated other tumor types, we have started to explore the potential of neoadjuvant checkpoint blockade in VSCC.

Immune landscape in vulvar cancer-draining lymph nodes indicates distinct immune escape mechanisms in support of metastatic spread and growth.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic immune intervention is highly dependent on the T-cell priming and boosting capacity of tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLN). In vulvar cancer, in-depth studies on the immune status of (pre)metastatic TDLN is lacking. METHODS: We have phenotyped and enumerated various T-cell and myeloid subsets in tumor-free (LN-, n=27) and metastatic TDLN (LN+, n=11) using flow cytometry. Additionally, we studied chemokine and cytokine release profiles and assessed expression of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) in relation to plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) or myeloid subsets. RESULTS: Metastatic involvement of TDLN was accompanied by an inflamed microenvironment with immune suppressive features, marked by hampered activation of migratory DC, increased cytokine/chemokine release, and closely correlated elevations of pDC and LN-resident conventional DC (LNR-cDC) activation state and frequencies, as well as of terminal CD8+ effector-memory T-cell (TemRA) differentiation, regulatory T-cell (Treg) rates, T-cell activation, and expression of cytotoxic T-lymphocyte protein-4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoints. In addition, high indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) expression and increased frequencies of monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (mMDSC) were observed. Correlation analyses with primary and metastatic tumor burden suggested respective roles for Tregs and suppression of inducible T cell costimulator (ICOS)+ T helper cells in early metastatic niche formation and for CD14+ LNR-cDC and terminal T-cell differentiation in later stages of metastatic growth. CONCLUSIONS: Metastatic spread in vulvar TDLN is marked by an inflamed microenvironment with activated effector T cells, which are likely kept in check by an interplay of suppressive feedback mechanisms. Our data support (neoadjuvant) TDLN-targeted therapeutic interventions based on CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade, to reinvigorate memory T cells and curb early metastatic spread and growth.

HPV-16 E6/E7 DNA tattoo vaccination using genetically optimized vaccines elicit clinical and immunological responses in patients with usual vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (uVIN): a phase I/II clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Usual vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (uVIN) is a premalignancy caused by persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV), mainly type 16. Even though different treatment modalities are available (eg, surgical excision, laser evaporation or topical application of imiquimod), these treatments can be mutilating, patients often have recurrences and 2%-8% of patients develop vulvar carcinoma. Therefore, immunotherapeutic strategies targeting the pivotal oncogenic HPV proteins E6 and E7 are being explored to repress carcinogenesis. METHOD: In this phase I/II clinical trial, 14 patients with HPV16+ uVIN were treated with a genetically enhanced DNA vaccine targeting E6 and E7. Safety, clinical responses and immunogenicity were assessed. Patients received four intradermal HPV-16 E6/E7 DNA tattoo vaccinations, with a 2-week interval, alternating between both upper legs. Biopsies of the uVIN lesions were taken at screening and +3 months after last vaccination. Digital photography of the vulva was performed at every check-up until 12 months of follow-up for measurement of the lesions. HPV16-specific T-cell responses were measured in blood over time in ex vivo reactivity assays. RESULTS: Vaccinations were well tolerated, although one grade 3 suspected unexpected serious adverse reaction was observed. Clinical responses were observed in 6/14 (43%) patients, with 2 complete responses and 4 partial responses (PR). 5/14 patients showed HPV-specific T-cell responses in blood, measured in ex vivo reactivity assays. Notably, all five patients with HPV-specific T-cell responses had a clinical response. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that HPV-16 E6/E7 DNA tattoo vaccination is a biologically active and safe treatment strategy in patients with uVIN, and suggest that T-cell reactivity against the HPV oncogenes is associated with clinical benefit. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NTR4607.

Is There a Place for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Vulvar Neoplasms? A State of the Art Review.

Vulvar cancer (VC) is a rare neoplasm, usually arising in postmenopausal women, although human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated VC usually develop in younger women. Incidences of VCs are rising in many countries. Surgery is the cornerstone of early-stage VC management, whereas therapies for advanced VC are multimodal and not standardized, combining chemotherapy and radiotherapy to avoid exenterative surgery. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are scarce due to the rarity of the disease and prognosis has not improved. Hence, new therapies are needed to improve the outcomes of these patients. In recent years, improved knowledge regarding the crosstalk between neoplastic and tumor cells has allowed researchers to develop a novel therapeutic approach exploiting these molecular interactions. Both the innate and adaptive immune systems play a key role in anti-tumor immunesurveillance. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have demonstrated efficacy in multiple tumor types, improving survival rates and disease outcomes. In some gynecologic cancers (e.g., cervical cancer), many studies are showing promising results and a growing interest is emerging about the potential use of ICIs in VC. The aim of this manuscript is to summarize the latest developments in the field of VC immunoncology, to present the role of state-of-the-art ICIs in VC management and to discuss new potential immunotherapeutic approaches.

A pre-existing coordinated inflammatory microenvironment is associated with complete response of vulvar high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions to different forms of immunotherapy.

Immunotherapy of vulvar high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (vHSIL) is investigated as an alternative for surgery, because of high comorbidity and risk of recurrence. Limited evidence exists on the role and composition of the immune microenvironment in current immunotherapeutic approaches for vHSIL. The vHSIL of 29 patients biopsied before treatment with imiquimod were analyzed by two multiplex seven-color immunofluorescence panels to investigate the pre-existing T-cell and myeloid cell composition in relation to treatment response. The samples were scanned with the Vectra multispectral imaging system. Cells were automatically phenotyped and counted with inForm advanced image analysis software. Cell counts and composition were compared to that of vHSIL patients before therapeutic vaccination (n = 29) and to healthy vulva (n = 27). Our data show that the immune microenvironment of complete responders (CR) to imiquimod resembled the coordinated infiltration with type 1 CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and CD14+ inflammatory myeloid cells also found in healthy vulva. However, more CD8+ T cells and FoxP3+ regulatory T cells were present in CR. The lesions of partial responders (PR) lacked such a coordinated response and displayed an impaired influx of CD14+ inflammatory myeloid cells. Importantly, complete responses after imiquimod or therapeutic vaccination showed the same dependency on a pre-existing coordinated type 1 T-cell and CD14+ myeloid cell infiltration. In conclusion, a good clinical outcome after two different forms of immunotherapy for vHSIL is associated with the presence of a primary inflammatory process resulting in the coordinated influx of several types of immune cells which is then amplified.

Loss of MHC Class I Expression in HPV-associated Cervical and Vulvar Neoplasia: A Potential Mechanism of Resistance to Checkpoint Inhibition.

Tumor cell expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I is required for antigen presentation and adaptive immune recognition. Absent or diminished MHC class I expression is thought to contribute to immunotherapeutic resistance in some epithelial tumors but has not been previously studied in cervical and vulvar carcinoma. Given that anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) checkpoint inhibition is deployed for programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive recurrent and metastatic cervical squamous carcinomas, identifying tumors with loss of MHC class I is of clinical interest to optimize the selection of immunotherapeutic candidates. Immunohistochemistry for PD-L1 and MHC class I combined A, B, and C heavy chains (MHC class I) was assessed in 58 human papillomavirus-associated cervical and vulvar lesions, including 27 squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs) and 31 invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Although 84% of SCC and 22% of SIL were PD-L1-positive, 35.5% (11/31) of SCC and 18.5% (5/27) of SIL also showed clonal or complete loss of MHC class I. Loss of MHC class I expression was more common in PD-L1-positive (10/26, 38%) versus PD-L1-negative SCC (1/5, 20%). In summary, over one third of human papillomavirus-associated cervical and vulvar SCC show clonal or complete loss of MHC class I expression, including many PD-L1-positive cases. This suggests that the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis may be limited in a subset of cervical and vulvar squamous neoplasms due to an impaired ability to engage with the adaptive immune system related to loss of MHC class I expression.

Omiganan Enhances Imiquimod-Induced Inflammatory Responses in Skin of Healthy Volunteers.

Omiganan (OMN; a synthetic cationic peptide) and imiquimod (IMQ; a TLR7 agonist) have synergistic effects on interferon responses in vitro. The objective of this study was to translate this to a human model for proof-of-concept, and to explore the potential of OMN add-on treatment for viral skin diseases. Sixteen healthy volunteers received topical IMQ, OMN, or a combination of both for up to 4 days on tape-stripped skin. Skin inflammation was quantified by laser speckle contrast imaging and 2D photography, and molecular and cellular responses were analyzed in biopsies. IMQ treatment induced an inflammatory response of the skin. Co-treatment with OMN enhanced this inflammatory response to IMQ, with increases in perfusion (+17.1%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.6%-30%; P < 0.01) and erythema (+1.5; 95% CI 0.25%-2.83; P = 0.02). Interferon regulatory factor-driven and NFκB-driven responses following TLR7 stimulation were enhanced by OMN (increases in IL-6, IL-10, MXA, and IFNÉ£), and more immune cell infiltration was observed (in particular CD4+, CD8+, and CD14+ cells). These findings are in line with the earlier mechanistic in vitro data, and support evaluation of imiquimod/OMN combination therapy in human papillomavirus-induced skin diseases.

Immune checkpoint status and tumor microenvironment in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma.

Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma accounts for 5% of cancers of the female genital tract. Current guidelines recommend wide local excision with negative surgical margins as the standard treatment. However, the extent of the tumor-free resection margin after wide local excision is still controversial in many cases. Drugs targeting immune checkpoints such as PD-1 or its ligand PD-L1 have potential clinical utility in these patients. We examined the expression of PD-L1 in tumor cells and immune cells, as well as the proportion of PD-1, CD8, and FOXP3 positive lymphocytes. Twenty-one cases of invasive vulvar squamous cell carcinomas were reviewed. Whole slides of representative formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival material were used for analysis. Odds ratios (OR) and hazard ratios (HR) were used to estimate risk for disease recurrence, overall mortality, and cancer mortality. PD-L1 expression was found in 43% of tumor cells, with higher proportions in intratumoral (67%) and peritumoral (81%) immune cells. OR and HR for disease recurrence and cancer mortality were higher in tumors with higher CD8 expression. OR and HR for overall mortality were also higher in tumors with higher PD-L1 and CD8 expression. In conclusion, nearly half of cases were PD-L1 positive in tumor cells with over two-third of cases demonstrating PD-L1 positivity in immune cells. Immunohistochemical expression of PD-L1 and CD8 could be used to suggest higher risk of disease recurrence, overall mortality, and cancer mortality. Furthermore, our data contributes to the growing evidence that targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway may be beneficial in vulvar squamous cell carcinomas.

High numbers of activated helper T cells are associated with better clinical outcome in early stage vulvar cancer, irrespective of HPV or p53 status.

BACKGROUND: Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) has been suggested to consist of three subtypes; HPV-positive, HPV-negative mutated TP53 or HPV-negative TP53 wildtype, with different clinical courses. To analyze the immune infiltrate in these molecular subtypes and its impact on clinical outcome, an in-depth study of the tumor immune microenvironment was performed. METHODS: Sixty-five patients with invasive VSCC matched for age, FIGO stage and treatment modality, were grouped according to the presence of HPV and p53 protein expression status. Archived tissues were analyzed for intraepithelial and stromal expression of CD3, CD8, Foxp3, PD-1, and pan-keratin in randomly selected areas using immunofluorescence. Additional phenotyping of T cells was performed ex-vivo on VSCC (n = 14) and blood samples by flow cytometry. Healthy vulvar samples and blood served as controls. RESULTS: Based on T-cell infiltration patterns about half of the VSCC were classified as inflamed or altered-excluded while one-third was immune-deserted. High intraepithelial helper T cell infiltration was observed in 78% of the HPV-induced VSCC, 60% of the HPVnegVSCC/p53wildtype and 40% of the HPVnegVSCC with abnormal p53 expression. A high intraepithelial infiltration with activated (CD3+PD-1+), specifically helper T cells (CD3+CD8-Foxp3-), was associated with a longer recurrence-free period and overall survival, irrespective of HPV and p53 status. Flow cytometry confirmed the tumor-specific presence of activated (CD4+PD-1++CD161-CD38+HLA-DR+ and CD8+CD103+CD161-NKG2A+/-PD1++CD38++HLA-DR+) effector memory T cells. CONCLUSION: This is the first study demonstrating an association between intraepithelial T cells and clinical outcome in VSCC. Our data suggest that abnormal p53 expressing VSCCs mostly are cold tumors whereas HPV-driven VSCCs are strongly T-cell infiltrated.

The Impact of Focality and Centricity on Vulvar Intraepithelial Neoplasia on Disease Progression in HIV+ Patients: A 10-Year Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of lesion focality and centricity in relation to patient outcome and disease recurrence of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) is an understudied area of research, especially in immunocompromised women. The prevalence and incidence of VIN have increased steadily since the 1980s because of the co-existence of human papillomavirus (HPV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). In this study, we retrospectively examined the records of VIN patients to determine the effect of lesion focality and centricity with respect to the interval to disease recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All women diagnosed with VIN and managed between January 2002 and December 2011 were included (n = 90) and followed up until December 2017. Symptoms at the time of presentation, including HIV positivity (n = 75), were collated, including the influences of multifocality and multicentricity on time to disease recurrence. RESULTS: Multicentricity caused a more rapid recurrence of disease than unicentricity (p = 0.006), whereas multifocality increased the risk of recurrence more than unifocality (p < 0.0001). Viral load in the HIV+ patients was not associated with time to disease recurrence, but the reduced number of CD4+ lymphocytes present in HIV+ patients was. Treatment modalities had no effect on disease recurrence. CONCLUSION: Both focality and centricity have effects on interval to recurrence and final patient outcome, with multifocal disease having a poorer prognosis. Centricity and focality should be recorded at the time of diagnosis and act as a warning for disease recurrence. HIV+ VIN patients with multifocal disease and/or known immunosuppression (low CD4+ lymphocyte counts) should be regarded as "high-risk" patients and treated accordingly.

Clinical impact of PD-L1 and PD-1 expression in squamous cell cancer of the vulva.

PURPOSE: Squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva (SQCV) is the fifth most common cancer in women and accounts for about 5% of all genital cancers in women. The PD-L1 signaling pathway is activated in many malignant neoplasms and its blockade enhances anti-cancer immunity. The aim of our study was to examine the protein expression of PD-L1 and PD-1 in squamous cell cancer of the vulva, its correlations with clinicopathologic features and prognostic value. METHODS: Patients with SQCV treated in one institution were used for the analyses. PD-L1 immunohistochemistry was performed on 4 µm-thick section of the respective FFPE tissue blocks using the 28-8 antibody. PD-L1 scoring was performed separately for tumour cells (TC) and tumour associated immune cells. DNA was extracted to determine HPV status. Kaplan-Meier estimates for disease-free-survival and overall-survival were calculated and compared by log-rank test. RESULTS: PD-L1 expression in tumour cells could be observed in 32.9% of the patients. The expression of PD-L1 in peritumoural immune cells was confirmed in 91.4% of the patients. A significant correlation between PD-L1 expression in tumour cells and tumour stage was detected (p = 0.007). PD-L1 expression was independent from HPV status. Using the log-rank test we could not prove any significant differences in disease-free survival (p = 0.434) and overall survival (p = 0.858). Regression analysis showed that nodal status is a predictive factor of survival (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The present study showed that a relevant amount of patients with squamous cell cancer of the vulva express PD-L1 in both, tumour cells and tumour-associated immune cells. Furthermore, the significant correlation of PD-L1 expression in TCs with tumour stage indicated the clinical impact of PD-L1 expression during tumour development. These data indicate that SQCV might be amenable to immune checkpoint-inhibition and constitute a rational for the future clinical trials.

Sec62/Ki67 and p16/Ki67 dual-staining immunocytochemistry in vulvar cytology for the identification of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia and vulvar cancer: a pilot study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze the diagnostic performance of a newly established immunocytochemical dual-staining protocol for the simultaneous expression of SEC62 and Ki67 in vulvar liquid-based cytology specimens for the identification of vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) and vulvar cancer. In addition, we investigated the p16/Ki67 dual stain, which has already been established in cervical cytology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this pilot study, residual material from liquid-based cytology was collected retrospectively from 45 women. The presence of one or more double-immunoreactive cells was considered as a positive test result for Sec62/Ki67 and p16/Ki67 dual staining. The test results were correlated with the course of histology. RESULTS: All cases of VIN and vulvar cancer were Sec62/Ki67 and p16/Ki67 dual-stain positive, and normal and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions were all negative. The sensitivity of cytology for VIN + cases was 100% (22/22), whereas punch biopsy classified one case of vulvar carcinoma as inflammation. All cases with high-intensity (grades 3 and 4) Sec62 staining in Sec62/Ki67-positive cases were carcinomas. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate that Sec62/Ki67 and p16 Ki67 dual-staining cytology could be a promising adjunctive diagnostic tool for VIN and squamous cell carcinoma, in addition to standard histology.

The immune microenvironment in vulvar (pre)cancer: review of literature and implications for immunotherapy.

INTRODUCTION: Vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) develops via two different pathways: TP53 mutations in a background of lichen sclerosus or a persistent infection with high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV). The latter group of tumor responds better to treatment than the non-virally induced VSCC. This may be explained by a difference in the tumor immune microenvironment (TME). AREAS COVERED: This review summarizes literature on TME of VSCC and its precursors, and extrapolates this to foster the development of new therapeutic strategies. EXPERT OPINION: Both types of VSCC and their precursors are infiltrated with variable numbers of M2 macrophages, regulatory T cells and CD8+ T cells, indicating that they express targetable tumor antigens. Type 1 T cell immunity in precursor lesions is associated with fewer recurrences and better clinical responses to immunotherapy. Escape of these lesions and progression toward VSCC is associated with the downregulation of HLA Class I, increased expression of co-inhibitory molecules, infiltration with immunosuppressive cells and the local production of immunosuppressive enzymes and cytokines. More in-depth studies of the VSCC TME are required to fully comprehend the impact of the immune system on VSCC, and subsequently to identify patients who will benefit from immunotherapeutic strategies.

The immune cell infiltrate in the microenvironment of vulvar Paget disease.

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive vulvar Paget disease (VPD) is a rare skin disorder mainly affecting elderly women. Recently, the immune modulator imiquimod was reported as an effective treatment option. Knowledge about the immune microenvironment of VPD is lacking. METHODS: This study investigates the basic characteristics of the immune infiltrate in VPD (n = 10); moreover the influence of imiquimod was studied (n = 6). Immunohistochemistry for CD4, CD8, CD14, CD20, CD56 and FoxP3 was performed. The infiltrates of VPD were compared to vulvar high-grade squamous cell intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) (n = 43), a HPV induced vulvar premalignancy with known response to imiquimod cream, and healthy controls (n = 30). Immune cell counts in samples taken before and after treatment were compared. RESULTS: The microenvironment in VPD differs from the healthy vulvar skin and vulvar HSIL. VPD is characterized by a decrease in immune cells in the epithelium and an abundant number of immune cells in the stroma, consisting predominantly of T cells. The intraepithelial CD8+/Foxp3+ ratio and number of CD56+ increased after imiquimod therapy, whereas the numbers of CD14+ cells decreased which may point to a treatment-induced type 1 immune response. CONCLUSIONS: The epithelium in VPD contains less immune cells, but a dense stromal immune infiltrate. Changes in immune cell counts after immune modulation in relation to clinical responses should be further investigated.

Prognostic role of tumoral PDL1 expression and peritumoral FoxP3+ lymphocytes in vulvar melanomas.

The prognostic role of PDL1 expression, CD8+ and FoxP3+ lymphocytes in vulvar melanomas has not been studied. We correlated PDL1 expression and CD8+ and FoxP3+ immune infiltrates with clinicopathologic variables and patient outcomes in a series of 75 vulvar melanomas. Tumoral PDL1 expression (>5%) was seen in 23% of cases. By Fisher exact test, PDL1 expression and peritumoral FoxP3+ lymphocytes significantly correlated with less disease-specific death. By linear regression analysis, correlations between tumoral PDL1 expression with the density of tumoral CD8+ and peritumoral CD8+ lymphocytes, tumoral FoxP3+ with tumoral CD8+ lymphocytes, and peritumoral FoxP3+ with peritumoral CD8+ lymphocytes were observed. By univariate analyses, tumor thickness >4 mm predicted poorer progression-free survival, melanoma-specific survival, and overall survival. PDL1 expression >5% and peritumoral CD8+, peritumoral FoxP3+, and tumoral FoxP3+ lymphocytes correlated with better overall survival. By multivariate analyses, high peritumoral FoxP3+ lymphocytes independently predicted better melanoma-specific survival (P = .023), and tumor thickness independently predicted poorer progression-free survival (P = .05) and overall survival (P = .039). In conclusion, our study shows that, independent from tumor thickness, an increased density of peritumoral FoxP3+ lymphocytes may positively impact survival in a subset of vulvar melanomas. Tumoral PDL1 expression correlated with tumoral as well as peritumoral CD8+ and FoxP3+ lymphocytes, supportive of an adaptive immune response. Although the frequency of PDL1 expression is low in vulvar melanoma, its expression may identify a subset of vulvar melanoma that might respond to immunotherapy.

Vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia: Risk factors for recurrence.

OBJECTIVE: We studied a large population of women with high-grade vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) in order to identify patient and treatment-related risk factors for recurrence and progression to cancer. METHODS: For this retrospective cohort study of women with a histologic diagnosis of VIN within Southern California Permanente Medical Group between 1995 and 2007 medical records were reviewed; clinical, demographic and pathologic data were collected. Statistical analyses included Chi-squared and Student's t-tests, univariate and multivariate logistic regression, and cumulative incidence analysis. RESULTS: 914 patients with high-grade VIN were identified; 784 met inclusion criteria. We found 26.3% recurrences among treated women, with 2.2% progression to cancer (8.2% among those with recurrence). Risk factors for recurrence on multivariate analysis were: age >50years (OR, 1.44; 95%CI 1.01-2.07), immunosuppression (OR 2.08; 95%CI 1.42-3.06), metasynchronous VAIN or CIN (OR 1.76; 95%CI 1.08-2.88) in addition to margin status (OR 8.17; 95%CI 4.60-14.51) and adjacent LSA (OR 9.91; 95%CI 1.53-31.32) or HPV (OR 2.15; 95%CI 1.13-3.37) with excisional treatment. Recurrence rates did not differ significantly by smoking status and treatment modalities. Median time to recurrence was 16.9months; 25% had late recurrences (44-196months). Cumulative incidence analyses of time to recurrence shows a significantly higher risk among patients over age 50 (log-rank p=0.0031). CONCLUSION: We identified independent risk factors for recurrence including age >50years, immunosuppression, metasynchronous vaginal or intraepithelial neoplasia, positive excision margins, and adjacent lichen sclerosus or human papilloma-virus. Regardless of treatment modality, 25% of recurrences occurred late, highlighting the need for long-term surveillance in women treated for VIN.

Decreased NK cell activity after partial vulvectomy in pregnant patient with vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia 3 (VIN3).

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The study presents the problem of immune disturbances in pregnant women with vulvar carcinoma in situ (VIN3). MATERIAL AND METHODS: NK cell and T reg activity in the study patient were analysed using flow cytometry. RESULTS: Decreased NK cell activity and but increased T reg activity were observed after vulvectomy, with subsequent successful pregnancy outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Although vulvar cancer may influence immune cell activity, this issue merits further study.

Local immune response depends on p16INK4a status of primary tumor in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The p16Ink4a is not a surrogate marker for high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) genotypes but indicates better prognosis in vulvar squamous cell carcinoma patients. Our recent study confirmed substantial mismatch between p16Ink4a and high-risk HPV-status as well as revealed that p16Ink4a-overexpression itself is an independent prognostic factor for vulvar cancer. AIM: To determine significance of the tumor infiltrating immune cells and p16Ink4a-status for better outcome of patients with vulvar cancer. METHODS: Intraepithelial tumor infiltrating lymphocytes: CD8+, CD4+, FOXP3+, CD56+, tumor associated macrophages: CD68+, and GZB+ cells were calculated in 85 vulvar squamous cell carcinomas with previously defined p16Ink4a and high-risk HPV-status. Number of intraepithelial CD8+, CD4+, FOXP3+, CD56+, CD68+ and GZB+ cells were compared between tumors with different p16INK4a status and overlapping high-risk HPV-status separately. Survival analyses included the Kaplan-Meier method, log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: p16Ink4a-negative tumors were more infiltrated by intraepithelial CD8+, CD4+ and GZB+ cells than p16Ink4a-positive tumors (p=0.032, p=0.016 and p=0.007 respectively). High-risk HPV-status did not correlate with the infiltration of immune cells. Median follow up was 89.20 months (range 1.7-189.5). High CD4+ and CD56+ indices were correlated with prognosis in p16Ink4a-positive cases (p=0.039 and p=0.013 respectively). Low CD68+ infiltrates were correlated with prognosis in p16Ink4a-negative cases (p=0.018). CONCLUSION: p16Ink4a-status impacts local immune surveillance as represented by tumor infiltrating immune cells. Immunologic effects contributing to clinical outcome might depend on p16Ink4a-overexpression.

Vaccination against Oncoproteins of HPV16 for Noninvasive Vulvar/Vaginal Lesions: Lesion Clearance Is Related to the Strength of the T-Cell Response.

PURPOSE: Therapeutic vaccination with human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) E6 and E7 synthetic long peptides (SLP) is effective against HPV16-induced high-grade vulvar and vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN/VaIN). However, clinical nonresponders displayed weak CD8(+) T-cell reactivity. Here, we studied if imiquimod applied at the vaccine site could improve CD8(+) T-cell reactivity, clinical efficacy, and safety of HPV16-SLP (ISA101). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: A multicenter open-label, randomized controlled trial was conducted in patients with HPV16(+) high-grade VIN/VaIN. Patients received ISA101 vaccination with or without application of 5% imiquimod at the vaccine site. The primary objective was the induction of a directly ex vivo detectable HPV16-specific CD8(+) T-cell response. The secondary objectives were clinical responses (lesion size, histology, and virology) and their relation with the strength of vaccination-induced immune responses. RESULTS: Forty-three patients were assigned to either ISA101 with imiquimod (n = 21) or ISA101 only (n = 22). Imiquimod did not improve the outcomes of vaccination. However, vaccine-induced clinical responses were observed in 18 of 34 (53%; 95% CI, 35.1-70.2) patients at 3 months and in 15 of 29 (52%; 95% CI, 32.5-70.6) patients, 8 of whom displayed a complete histologic response, at 12 months after the last vaccination. All patients displayed vaccine-induced T-cell responses, which were significantly stronger in patients with complete responses. Importantly, viral clearance occurred in all but one of the patients with complete histologic clearance. CONCLUSIONS: This new study confirms that clinical efficacy of ISA101 vaccination is related to the strength of vaccine-induced HPV16-specific T-cell immunity and is an effective therapy for HPV16-induced high-grade VIN/VaIN. Clin Cancer Res; 22(10); 2342-50. ©2016 AACRSee related commentary by Karaki et al., p. 2317.