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Neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy decreases the total amount of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, but increases the number of CD8+/Granzyme B+ (GrzB) cytotoxic T-cells in rectal cancer.

ABSTRACT: Although neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (nRCTx) is an established oncological treatment in patients with advanced rectal cancer, little is known about its effects on the tumor microenvironment. Quantity and composition of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are known to influence patients' prognosis but nRCTx-induced modifications are still unclear. We determined the composition of the immune cell infiltrate in rectal cancer after nRCTx and its influence on tumor regression, local recurrence rate and survival. We investigated density and composition of tumor infiltrating CD3+ and CD8+ T-cells and the quantity and ratio of CD8+/GrzB+ T-cells to CD8+ T-cells in 130 rectal cancers after nRCTx compared to a cohort of 30 primarily resected rectal cancers. Furthermore, we analyzed 22 pretherapeutic rectal cancer biopsies, later treated with nRCTx and surgery to evaluate nRCTx-induced modifications of the tumor microenvironment. The total numbers of CD3+ and CD8+ T-cells in tumor stroma (p < 0.001) and tumor epithelium (p < 0.001 CD3; 0.002 CD8) were significantly lower in rectal cancers after nRCTx compared to primarily resected cases, while the ratio of CD8+/GrzB+ T-cells to CD8+ T-cells was significantly increased in the nRCTx cohort (p < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, CD8+/GrzB+ T-cells in the tumor stroma were significantly associated with high regression grade and a lower likelihood of local recurrence (p = 0.029). nRCTx modifies the tumor microenvironment of rectal cancer leading to a total decrease of TILs, but a relative increase in CD8+/GrzB+ T-cells in the tumor stroma. CD8+/GrzB+ T-cells may contribute to local tumor control and the better outcome.

SUBMITTER: Jarosch A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5749657 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy decreases the total amount of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, but increases the number of CD8+/Granzyme B+ (GrzB) cytotoxic T-cells in rectal cancer.

Jarosch Armin A Sommer Ulrich U Bogner Andreas A Reißfelder Christoph C Weitz Jürgen J Krause Mechthild M Folprecht Gunnar G Baretton Gustavo B GB Aust Daniela E DE

Oncoimmunology 20171107 2

Although neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (nRCTx) is an established oncological treatment in patients with advanced rectal cancer, little is known about its effects on the tumor microenvironment. Quantity and composition of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are known to influence patients' prognosis but nRCTx-induced modifications are still unclear. We determined the composition of the immune cell infiltrate in rectal cancer after nRCTx and its influence on tumor regression, local recurrence ra ...[more]

PMID: 29308324

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Project description:BackgroundType I interferons (IFN-I) have recently emerged as key regulators of tumor response to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. However, IFN-I function in cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in the tumor microenvironment is largely unknown.MethodsTumor tissues and CTLs of human colorectal cancer patients were analyzed for interferon (alpha and beta) receptor 1 (IFNAR1) expression. IFNAR1 knock out (IFNAR-KO), mixed wild type (WT) and IFNAR1-KO bone marrow chimera mice, and mice with IFNAR1 deficiency only in T cells (IFNAR1-TKO) were used to determine IFN-I function in T cells in tumor suppression. IFN-I target genes in tumor-infiltrating and antigen-specific CTLs were identified and functionally analyzed.ResultsIFNAR1 expression level is significantly lower in human colorectal carcinoma tissue than in normal colon tissue. IFNAR1 protein is also significantly lower on CTLs from colorectal cancer patients than those from healthy donors. Although IFNAR1-KO mice exhibited increased susceptibility to methylcholanthrene-induced sarcoma, IFNAR1-sufficient tumors also grow significantly faster in IFNAR1-KO mice and in mice with IFNAR1 deficiency only in T cells (IFNAR1-TKO), suggesting that IFN-I functions in T cells to enhance host cancer immunosurveillance. Strikingly, tumor-infiltrating CTL levels are similar between tumor-bearing WT and IFNAR1-KO mice. Competitive reconstitution of mixed WT and IFNAR1-KO bone marrow chimera mice further determined that IFNAR1-deficient naïve CTLs exhibit no deficiency in response to vaccination to generate antigen-specific CTLs as compared to WT CTLs. Gene expression profiling determined that Gzmb expression is down-regulated in tumor-infiltrating CTLs of IFNAR1-KO mice as compared to WT mice, and in antigen-specific IFNAR1-KO CTLs as compared to WT CTLs in vivo. Mechanistically, we determined that IFN-I activates STAT3 that binds to the Gzmb promoter to activate Gzmb transcription in CTLs.ConclusionIFN-I induces STAT3 activation to activate Gzmb expression to enhance CTL effector function to suppress tumor development. Human colorectal carcinoma may use down-regulation of IFNAR1 on CTLs to suppress CTL effector function to evade host cancer immunosurveillance.

Project description:Importance: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is the standard of care for advanced rectal cancer. Yet, predicting response to CRT remains an unmet clinical challenge. Objective: To investigate the transcriptomic determinants to predict response to neoadjuvant CRT and survival in patients with advanced rectal cancer. Design: A single-center, retrospective, cohort study. Setting: A comprehensive cancer center. Participants: Pre-treatment biopsies from 298 patients with rectal cancer, who were later treated with neoadjuvant CRT between 2004 and 2020, were analyzed by RNA sequencing. Main measures and outcomes: Transcriptional subtyping was performed by consensus molecular subtype (CMS) classification. Immune cell infiltration was assessed using MCP-counter scores and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). Patients with surgical specimens of tumor regression grade (TRG) 3-4 or who were managed by the watch-and-wait approach for more than 3 years were defined as good responders. Results: Patients classified as CMS1 (6.4%) had a significantly higher rate of good responders; albeit survival was comparable among the four subtypes. Good responders exhibited an enrichment in various immune-related pathways (IFNg and a responses, allograft rejection, IL6 STAT3 signaling during acute phase response, and inflammation), as determined by ssGSEA. MCP-counter scores for cytotoxic lymphocytes were significantly higher for good responders than non-responders (p = 0.0003), and significantly higher for responders than non-responders in GSE109057 (p = 0.0137), GSE87211 (p = 0.0092), and GSE45404 (p = 0.0327) datasets. Cytotoxic lymphocyte MCP-counter score was thus considered an independent predictor of response to CRT, as determined in the multivariable Cox analysis (OR 3.810 [95% CI 1.820-7.970]; p = 0.0004). Multivariable Cox analysis, including post-operative pathological factors, revealed cytotoxic lymphocyte MCP-counter score to be independently associated with recurrence-free survival (HR 0.382 [95% CI 0.158-0.923]; p = 0.0325) and overall survival (HR 0.157 [95% CI 0.030-0.827]; p = 0.0290). ssGSEA showed significantly higher levels of four subpopulations of cytotoxic cells (effector memory CD8 T, natural killer T, natural killer, and activated CD8 T cells) among good responders than non-responders. Conclusions and Relevance: Cytotoxic lymphocyte score, as computed by RNA sequencing, could be a useful marker for predicting response to CRT and survival among patients with rectal cancer.

Project description:BackgroundThe question whether lymphocyte radiosensitivity is representative of patients' response to radiotherapy (RT) remains unsolved. We analyzed lymphocyte cytogenetic damage in patients who were homogeneously treated with preoperative radiochemotherapy (RCT) for rectal cancer within clinical trials. We tested for interindividual variation and consistent radiosensitivity after in-vivo and in-vitro irradiation, analyzed the effect of patients' and RCT characteristics on cytogenetic damage, and tested for correlations with patients' outcome in terms of tumor response, survival and treatment-related toxicity.MethodsThe cytokinesis-block micronucleus cytome (CBMNcyt) assay was performed on the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLCs) of 134 patients obtained before, during, at the end of RCT, and during the 2-year follow-up. A subset of PBLCs obtained before RCT was irradiated in-vitro with 3 Gy. RCT included 50.4 Gy of pelvic RT with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) alone (n = 78) or 5-FU plus oxaliplatin (n = 56). The analyzed variables included patients' age, gender, RT characteristics (planning target volume size [PTV size], RT technique), and chemotherapy characteristics (5-FU plasma levels, addition of oxaliplatin). Outcome was analyzed as tumor regression, patient survival, and acute and late toxicity.ResultsCytogenetic damage increased significantly with the radiation dose and varied substantially between individuals. Women were more sensitive than men; no significant age-dependent differences were observed. There was a significant correlation between the cytogenetic damage after in-vitro irradiation and in-vivo RCT. We found a significant effect of the PTV size on the yields of cytogenetic damage after RCT, while the RT technique had no effect. Neither the addition of oxaliplatin nor the 5-FU levels influenced cytogenetic damage. We found no correlation between patient outcome and the cytogenetic damage.ConclusionsWe found consistent cytogenetic damage in lymphocytes after in-vivo RCT and in-vitro irradiation. Gender was confirmed as a well-known, and the PTV size was identified as a less well-known influencing variable on lymphocyte cytogenetic damage after partial-body irradiation. A consistent level of cytogenetic damage after in-vivo and in-vitro irradiation may indicate the importance of genetic factors for individual radiosensitivity. However, we found no evidence that in-vivo or in-vitro irradiation-induced cytogenetic damage is an adequate biomarker for the response to RCT in rectal cancer patients.

Project description:PurposeImmune checkpoint inhibitors have recently been approved by the US FDA as first and/or second line therapy in a subset of cancer types. Recent evidence suggests that the quantity of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) influences the likelihood of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Here, we set out to assess the density of CD8+ lymphocytes in a wide range of different cancer types and subtypes.MethodsThe density of CD8+ lymphocytes was compared across different cancer types using tissue microarrays (TMAs) composed of up to 50 tumor samples each from 84 different cancer types and subtypes. In total 2652 cancers and 608 normal tissues were successfully analyzed by CD8 immunohistochemistry followed by automated image analysis of digitized slides.ResultsWe found that the median CD8+ lymphocyte counts ranged from 6 cells/mm2 in pleomorphic adenoma up to 1573 cells/mm2 in Hodgkin's lymphoma. The CD8 counts were generally lower in normal tissues compared to cancer tissues. Blood vessels of the spleen were the only non-lymphatic tissue staining positive for CD8. Tumor types approved for checkpoint inhibitor therapy, including malignant melanoma (81), muscle invasive urothelial carcinoma (119), small cell lung cancer (120), clear cell renal cell cancer (153), squamous cell carcinoma (189) and adenocarcinoma of the lung (328) as well as Hodgkin's lymphoma (1573) were all ranking among the upper half of our list. Comparably high CD8 densities (median cells/mm2) were also found in several rare and aggressive cancer types including Merkel cell carcinoma (70), angiosarcoma (95), anaplastic thyroid cancer (156) and embryonal carcinoma of the testis (186). In 73 of the 84 analyzed cancer types, the highly variable CD8 counts occasionally exceeded the average CD8 count of tumors for which checkpoint inhibitors have been approved.ConclusionThese data support the concept that among most tumor types at least some individual cancers may benefit from treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Dataset Information

Neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy decreases the total amount of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, but increases the number of CD8+/Granzyme B+ (GrzB) cytotoxic T-cells in rectal cancer.

Publications

Neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy decreases the total amount of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, but increases the number of CD8+/Granzyme B+ (GrzB) cytotoxic T-cells in rectal cancer.

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