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Sun Y, Chen F, Ma H, Wang D, Wang D, Zhang J, Jiang Z, Xia R, Tian T, Zhang W. Exploring the immune characteristions of CRKP pneumonia at single-cell level. Comput Biol Med 2024; 177:108574. [PMID: 38772102 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
The immune dysregulation associated with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) severity was investigated through single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of 5 peripheral blood samples from 3 patients with moderate and severe CRKP pneumonia. Additionally, scRNA-seq datasets from two individuals with COVID-19 were included for comparative analysis. The dynamic characterization and functional properties of each immune cell type were examined by delineating the transcriptional profiles of immune cells throughout the transition from moderate to severe conditions. Overall, most immune cells in CRKP patients exhibited a robust interferon-α response and inflammatory reaction compared to healthy controls, mirroring observations in COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, cell signatures associated with NK cells, macrophages, and monocytes were identified in CRKP progression including PTPRCAP for NK cells, C1QB for macrophages, and S100A12 for both macrophages and monocytes. In summary, this study offers a comprehensive scRNA-seq resource for illustrating the dynamic immune response patterns during CRKP progression, thereby shedding light on the associations between CRKP and COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yajiao Sun
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, China; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Fuhui Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Hui Ma
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315500, China
| | - Dongjie Wang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Dong Wang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Jingwen Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Zhe Jiang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Rongyao Xia
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Tian Tian
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150086, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150001, China.
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Galasso L, Cerrito L, Maccauro V, Termite F, Ainora ME, Gasbarrini A, Zocco MA. Hepatocellular Carcinoma and the Multifaceted Relationship with Its Microenvironment: Attacking the Hepatocellular Carcinoma Defensive Fortress. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1837. [PMID: 38791916 PMCID: PMC11119751 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16101837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a malignant tumor that originates from hepatocytes in an inflammatory substrate due to different degrees of liver fibrosis up to cirrhosis. In recent years, there has been growing interest in the role played by the complex interrelationship between hepatocellular carcinoma and its microenvironment, capable of influencing tumourigenesis, neoplastic growth, and its progression or even inhibition. The microenvironment is made up of an intricate network of mesenchymal cells, immune system cells, extracellular matrix, and growth factors, as well as proinflammatory cytokines and translocated bacterial products coming from the intestinal microenvironment via the enterohepatic circulation. The aim of this paper is to review the role of the HCC microenvironment and describe the possible implications in the choice of the most appropriate therapeutic scheme in the prediction of tumor response or resistance to currently applied treatments and in the possible development of future therapeutic perspectives, in order to circumvent resistance and break down the tumor's defensive fort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Galasso
- Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy (L.C.); (V.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Lucia Cerrito
- Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy (L.C.); (V.M.); (A.G.)
- CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Maccauro
- Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy (L.C.); (V.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Fabrizio Termite
- Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy (L.C.); (V.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Maria Elena Ainora
- Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy (L.C.); (V.M.); (A.G.)
- CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Gasbarrini
- Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy (L.C.); (V.M.); (A.G.)
- CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Assunta Zocco
- Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy (L.C.); (V.M.); (A.G.)
- CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Catholic University of Rome, 00168 Rome, Italy
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3
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Ali FEM, Ibrahim IM, Althagafy HS, Hassanein EHM. Role of immunotherapies and stem cell therapy in the management of liver cancer: A comprehensive review. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 132:112011. [PMID: 38581991 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Liver cancer (LC) is the sixth most common disease and the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality. The WHO predicts that more than 1 million deaths will occur from LC by 2030. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common form of primary LC. Today, the management of LC involves multiple disciplines, and multimodal therapy is typically selected on an individual basis, considering the intricate interactions between the patient's overall health, the stage of the tumor, and the degree of underlying liver disease. Currently, the treatment of cancers, including LC, has undergone a paradigm shift in the last ten years because of immuno-oncology. To treat HCC, immune therapy approaches have been developed to enhance or cause the body's natural immune response to specifically target tumor cells. In this context, immune checkpoint pathway inhibitors, engineered cytokines, adoptive cell therapy, immune cells modified with chimeric antigen receptors, and therapeutic cancer vaccines have advanced to clinical trials and offered new hope to cancer patients. The outcomes of these treatments are encouraging. Additionally, treatment using stem cells is a new approach for restoring deteriorated tissues because of their strong differentiation potential and capacity to release cytokines that encourage cell division and the formation of blood vessels. Although there is no proof that stem cell therapy works for many types of cancer, preclinical research on stem cells has shown promise in treating HCC. This review provides a recent update regarding the impact of immunotherapy and stem cells in HCC and promising outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fares E M Ali
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, 71524, Egypt; Michael Sayegh, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aqaba University of Technology, Aqaba 77110, Jordan.
| | - Islam M Ibrahim
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut Branch, Assiut, 71524, Egypt
| | - Hanan S Althagafy
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Emad H M Hassanein
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, 71524, Egypt
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Pereira MVA, Galvani RG, Gonçalves-Silva T, de Vasconcelo ZFM, Bonomo A. Tissue adaptation of CD4 T lymphocytes in homeostasis and cancer. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1379376. [PMID: 38690280 PMCID: PMC11058666 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1379376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The immune system is traditionally classified as a defense system that can discriminate between self and non-self or dangerous and non-dangerous situations, unleashing a tolerogenic reaction or immune response. These activities are mainly coordinated by the interaction between innate and adaptive cells that act together to eliminate harmful stimuli and keep tissue healthy. However, healthy tissue is not always the end point of an immune response. Much evidence has been accumulated over the years, showing that the immune system has complex, diversified, and integrated functions that converge to maintaining tissue homeostasis, even in the absence of aggression, interacting with the tissue cells and allowing the functional maintenance of that tissue. One of the main cells known for their function in helping the immune response through the production of cytokines is CD4+ T lymphocytes. The cytokines produced by the different subtypes act not only on immune cells but also on tissue cells. Considering that tissues have specific mediators in their architecture, it is plausible that the presence and frequency of CD4+ T lymphocytes of specific subtypes (Th1, Th2, Th17, and others) maintain tissue homeostasis. In situations where homeostasis is disrupted, such as infections, allergies, inflammatory processes, and cancer, local CD4+ T lymphocytes respond to this disruption and, as in the healthy tissue, towards the equilibrium of tissue dynamics. CD4+ T lymphocytes can be manipulated by tumor cells to promote tumor development and metastasis, making them a prognostic factor in various types of cancer. Therefore, understanding the function of tissue-specific CD4+ T lymphocytes is essential in developing new strategies for treating tissue-specific diseases, as occurs in cancer. In this context, this article reviews the evidence for this hypothesis regarding the phenotypes and functions of CD4+ T lymphocytes and compares their contribution to maintaining tissue homeostasis in different organs in a steady state and during tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina V. A. Pereira
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratory of High Complexity, Fernandes Figueira National Institute for The Health of Mother, Child, and Adolescent, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rômulo G. Galvani
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Triciana Gonçalves-Silva
- National Center for Structural Biology and Bioimaging - CENABIO, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Zilton Farias Meira de Vasconcelo
- Laboratory of High Complexity, Fernandes Figueira National Institute for The Health of Mother, Child, and Adolescent, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Adriana Bonomo
- Laboratory on Thymus Research, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Siwo GH, Singal AG, Waljee AK. Pan-cancer molecular signatures connecting aspartate transaminase (AST) to cancer prognosis, metabolic and immune signatures. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.01.582939. [PMID: 38496547 PMCID: PMC10942358 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.01.582939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Background Serum aspartate transaminase (sAST) level is used routinely in conjunction with other clinical assays to assess liver health and disease. Increasing evidence suggests that sAST is associated with all-cause mortality and has prognostic value in several cancers, including gastrointestinal and urothelial cancers. Here, we undertake a systems approach to unravel molecular connections between AST and cancer prognosis, metabolism, and immune signatures at the transcriptomic and proteomic levels. Methods We mined public gene expression data across multiple normal and cancerous tissues using the Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEX) resource and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to assess the expression of genes encoding AST isoenzymes (GOT1 and GOT2) and their association with disease prognosis and immune infiltration signatures across multiple tumors. We examined the associations between AST and previously reported pan-cancer molecular subtypes characterized by distinct metabolic and immune signatures. We analyzed human protein-protein interaction networks for interactions between GOT1 and GOT2 with cancer-associated proteins. Using public databases and protein-protein interaction networks, we determined whether the subset of proteins that interact with AST (GOT1 and GOT2 interactomes) are enriched with proteins associated with specific diseases, miRNAs and transcription factors. Results We show that AST transcript isoforms (GOT1 and GOT2) are expressed across a wide range of normal tissues. AST isoforms are upregulated in tumors of the breast, lung, uterus, and thymus relative to normal tissues but downregulated in tumors of the liver, colon, brain, kidney and skeletal sarcomas. At the proteomic level, we find that the expression of AST is associated with distinct pan-cancer molecular subtypes with an enrichment of specific metabolic and immune signatures. Based on human protein-protein interaction data, AST physically interacts with multiple proteins involved in tumor initiation, suppression, progression, and treatment. We find enrichments in the AST interactomes for proteins associated with liver and lung cancer and dermatologic diseases. At the regulatory level, the GOT1 interactome is enriched with the targets of cancer-associated miRNAs, specifically mir34a - a promising cancer therapeutic, while the GOT2 interactome is enriched with proteins that interact with cancer-associated transcription factors. Conclusions Our findings suggest that perturbations in the levels of AST within specific tissues reflect pathophysiological changes beyond tissue damage and have implications for cancer metabolism, immune infiltration, prognosis, and treatment personalization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amit G. Singal
- Department of Learning Health Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas TX
- Center for Global Health Equity, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Akbar K. Waljee
- Department of Learning Health Sciences, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas TX
- Center for Global Health Equity, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Wang X, Yuan Z, Li Z, He X, Zhang Y, Wang X, Su J, Wu X, Li M, Du F, Chen Y, Deng S, Zhao Y, Shen J, Yi T, Xiao Z. Key oncogenic signaling pathways affecting tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma: basic principles and recent advances. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1354313. [PMID: 38426090 PMCID: PMC10902128 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1354313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks first among primary liver cancers, and its mortality rate exhibits a consistent annual increase. The treatment of HCC has witnessed a significant surge in recent years, with the emergence of targeted immune therapy as an adjunct to early surgical resection. Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) has shown promising results in other types of solid tumors. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the intricate interactions between different types of TILs and their impact on HCC, elucidate strategies for targeting neoantigens through TILs, and address the challenges encountered in TIL therapies along with potential solutions. Furthermore, this article specifically examines the impact of oncogenic signaling pathways activation within the HCC tumor microenvironment on the infiltration dynamics of TILs. Additionally, a concise overview is provided regarding TIL preparation techniques and an update on clinical trials investigating TIL-based immunotherapy in solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Zijun Yuan
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Zhengbo Li
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Longmatan District People’s Hospital, Luzhou, China
| | - Xinyu He
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yinping Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xingyue Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Jiahong Su
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Xu Wu
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Mingxing Li
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Fukuan Du
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Shuai Deng
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Yueshui Zhao
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Jing Shen
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
| | - Tao Yi
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zhangang Xiao
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- Cell Therapy and Cell Drugs of Luzhou Key Laboratory, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
- South Sichuan Institute of Translational Medicine, Luzhou, Sichuan, China
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She S, Shi J, Zhu J, Yang F, Yu J, Dai K. Impact of inflammation and the immune system on hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after hepatectomy. Cancer Med 2024; 13:e7018. [PMID: 38457189 PMCID: PMC10922023 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.7018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Hepatectomy remains the first-line treatment for patients with resectable HCC. However, the reported recurrence rate of HCC at 5 years after surgery is between 50% and 70%. Tumor-related factors, including tumor size, number and differentiation, and underlying liver disease are well-known risk factors for recurrence after treatment. In addition to tumor-related factors, ever-increasing amounts of studies are finding that the tumor microenvironment also plays an important role in the recurrence of HCC, including systemic inflammatory response and immune regulation. Based on this, some inflammatory and immune markers were used in predicting postoperative cancer recurrence. These include neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, cytotoxic T cells, and regulatory T cells, among others. In this review, we summarized the inflammatory and immune markers that affect recurrence after HCC resection in order to provide direction for adjuvant therapy after HCC resection and ultimately achieve the goal of reducing recurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sha She
- Department of Infectious DiseasesRenmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanHubei ProvinceChina
| | - Jinzhi Shi
- Department of Infectious DiseasesRenmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanHubei ProvinceChina
| | - Jiling Zhu
- Department of Infectious DiseasesRenmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanHubei ProvinceChina
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Infectious DiseasesRenmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanHubei ProvinceChina
| | - Jia Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary surgeryRenmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanHubei ProvinceChina
| | - Kai Dai
- Department of Infectious DiseasesRenmin Hospital of Wuhan UniversityWuhanHubei ProvinceChina
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Xu G, Jiang Y, Li Y, Ge J, Xu X, Chen D, Wu J. A novel immunogenic cell death-related genes signature for predicting prognosis, immune landscape and immunotherapy effect in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:16261-16277. [PMID: 37698679 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05370-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Immunogenic cell death (ICD) has emerged as a promising strategy to activate the adaptive immune response, modulate the tumor microenvironment (TME) and enhance the efficacy of immune therapy. However, the relationship between ICD and TME reprogramming in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains poorly understood. METHODS Transcriptional profiles and clinical spectrum of 486 HCC patients were obtained from TCGA and GEO databases. We utilized consensus clustering analysis to construct two distinct molecular subtypes and established an ICD-based scoring system (named ICD score) via WGCNA and LASSO Cox regression to predict the prognosis of the HCC cohort. Then we employed CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE methods to analyze the immune landscape of ICD score in HCC. Subsequently, the immunophenoscore (IPS) and tumor immune dysfunction and rejection (TIDE) analyses were performed to determine whether the ICD score could influence the immune therapeutic effect. Based on the ICD scoring system, a novel nomogram was generated to provide a numerical probability of HCC patients' overall survival (OS). RESULTS We identified two independent ICD clusters (cluster A/B), and cluster B possessed a worse prognosis and higher immune cell infiltration. Using ICD scoring system, the HCC patients were divided into high- and low-ICD-score groups. Through integrative analyses, the high-ICD cohort owned advanced TNM stage, high pathologic grade and increased suppressive immune cell enrichment. We developed a nomogram containing the ICD score, demonstrating a high predictive accuracy with a C-index of 0.703. We further discovered that PSMD2 and PSMD14 could serve as ICD-associated prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in HCC. CONCLUSION The ICD score exhibits a high degree of reliability for predicting prognosis and may provide valuable guidance for the selection of immunotherapy for HCC patients. This novel scoring system enables the estimation of clinical immunotherapy response for HCC patients, offering new opportunities for personalized immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangming Xu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Yifan Jiang
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Yu Li
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Jiangzhen Ge
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Xiaofeng Xu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, China
| | - Diyu Chen
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Research Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
| | - Jian Wu
- Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
- Key Laboratory of the Diagnosis and Treatment of Organ Transplantation, Research Unit of Collaborative Diagnosis and Treatment For Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Cancer, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU019), Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
- Key Laboratory of Organ Transplantation, Research Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Hepatobiliary Diseases, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310003, China.
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9
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Zhong ZH, Liang L, Fu TW, Dai MG, Cheng J, Liu SY, Ye TW, Shen GL, Zhang CW, Huang DS, Liu JW. Prognostic value of platelet distribution width to lymphocyte ratio in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma following hepatectomy. BMC Cancer 2023; 23:1116. [PMID: 37974129 PMCID: PMC10655313 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11621-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Platelet distribution width (PDW), but not platelet count, was found to more comprehensively reflect platelet activity. The present study, thus, aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of PDW to lymphocyte ratio (PDWLR) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following hepatectomy. METHODS Patients following hepatectomy were analyzed retrospectively. The Kaplan-Meier survival curves and Cox regression model were used to determine the prognostic value of PDWLR. RESULTS 241 patients were analyzed eventually, and stratified into low and high PDWLR groups (≤ 9.66 vs. > 9.66). Results of comparing the baseline characteristics showed that high PDWLR was significantly associated with cirrhosis, and intraoperative blood loss (all P < 0.05). In multivariate COX regression analysis, PDWLR was demonstrated as an independent risk factor for OS (HR: 1.549, P = 0.041) and RFS (HR: 1.655, P = 0.005). Moreover, PDWLR demonstrated a superior capacity for predicting prognosis compared to other indicators. CONCLUSION Preoperative PDWLR has a potential value in predicting the prognosis of HCC patients following hepatectomy, which may help in clinical decision-making for individual treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Han Zhong
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Affiliated People's Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lei Liang
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Affiliated People's Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Tian-Wei Fu
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Affiliated People's Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mu-Gen Dai
- Department of Gastroenterology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jian Cheng
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Affiliated People's Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China
| | - Si-Yu Liu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Interventional Research of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University Lishui Hospital, Lishui, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tai-Wei Ye
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Affiliated People's Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China
- Department of the Second School of Clinical Medicine, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Guo-Liang Shen
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Affiliated People's Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China
| | - Cheng-Wu Zhang
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Affiliated People's Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China
| | - Dong-Sheng Huang
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Affiliated People's Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jun-Wei Liu
- General Surgery, Cancer Center, Department of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Affiliated People's Hospital, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, China.
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10
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Doi S, Yasuda S, Matsuo Y, Sakata T, Nishiwada S, Nagai M, Nakamura K, Terai T, Kohara Y, Sho M. Clinical impact of sarcopenia in early-stage intrahepatic recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma: an association with impaired host immunity. Langenbecks Arch Surg 2023; 408:433. [PMID: 37950033 DOI: 10.1007/s00423-023-03170-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study investigated the role of sarcopenia in the long-term outcomes of patients with early-stage intrahepatic recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS The study included 136 patients with intrahepatic recurrent Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage 0/A HCC following liver resection diagnosed between 2006 and 2020 and underwent surgery, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), or transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Sarcopenia was defined based on the skeletal muscle index using computed tomography at the time of recurrence, and its association with long-term outcomes was evaluated. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (CD4 + , CD8 + , and CD45RO + T cells) were assayed using immunohistochemistry on specimens obtained from repeat hepatectomies, and their association with sarcopenia was evaluated. RESULTS The overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates after initial recurrence of patients with sarcopenia were significantly lower than those without sarcopenia (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis identified sarcopenia as an independent prognostic factor for RFS (p < 0.001). In patients without sarcopenia, surgery resulted in better RFS than RFA or TACE. Contrastingly, in patients with sarcopenia, the RFS was extremely poor regardless of the treatment type: surgery, RFA, or TACE (median RFS, 11.7, 12.7, and 10.1 months). Significantly low levels of tumor-infiltrating CD4 + , CD8 + , and CD45RO + lymphocytes were observed in patients with sarcopenia (p = 0.001, p = 0.001, and p = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that patients with sarcopenia have poor RFS regardless of the treatment type for early-stage intrahepatic recurrent HCC. Impaired host immunity might be one of the underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Doi
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yasuda
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan.
| | - Yasuko Matsuo
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Takeshi Sakata
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Satoshi Nishiwada
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Minako Nagai
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Kota Nakamura
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Taichi Terai
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Kohara
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Masayuki Sho
- Department of Surgery, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
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11
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Jung HI, Ahn H, Oh MH, Yun J, Lee H, Bae SH, Kim YK, Kim SY, Baek MJ, Lee MS. Prognostic significance of programmed cell death-ligand 1 expression on immune cells and epithelial-mesenchymal transition expression in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Ann Surg Treat Res 2023; 105:297-309. [PMID: 38023431 PMCID: PMC10648616 DOI: 10.4174/astr.2023.105.5.297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have been shown significant oncological improvements in several cancers. However, ICIs are still in their infancy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) have been known as prognostic factors in HCC. Therefore, we have focused on identifying the molecular mechanisms between each marker to evaluate a predictive role. Methods Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples were obtained from 166 patients with HCC who underwent surgery. The expression of PD-L1 and TILs and EMT marker were evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis. Results The multivariate analysis showed that TIL expression (hazard ratio [HR], 0.483; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.269-0.866; P = 0.015) were independent prognostic factors for overall survival. The prognostic factors for disease-free survival were EMT marker expression (HR, 1.565; 95% CI, 1.019-2.403; P = 0.005). Patients with high expression of TILs had significantly better survival compared to patients with low expression (P = 0.023). Patients who were TIL+/EMT- showed a significantly better prognosis than those who were TIL-/EMT+ (P = 0.049). Conclusion This study demonstrates that PD-L1 expression of TILs is closely associated with EMT marker expression in HCC. Clinical investigations using anti-PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in patients with EMT-associated PD-L1 upregulation are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hae Il Jung
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Hyein Ahn
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Mee-Hye Oh
- Department of Pathology, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - JongHyuk Yun
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Hyunyong Lee
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Sang Ho Bae
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Yung Kil Kim
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Sung Yong Kim
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Moo-Jun Baek
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
| | - Moon-Soo Lee
- Department of Surgery, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Cheonan, Korea
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Malyshkina A, Brüggemann A, Paschen A, Dittmer U. Cytotoxic CD4 + T cells in chronic viral infections and cancer. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1271236. [PMID: 37965314 PMCID: PMC10642198 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1271236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
CD4+ T cells play an important role in immune responses against pathogens and cancer cells. Although their main task is to provide help to other effector immune cells, a growing number of infections and cancer entities have been described in which CD4+ T cells exhibit direct effector functions against infected or transformed cells. The most important cell type in this context are cytotoxic CD4+ T cells (CD4+ CTL). In infectious diseases anti-viral CD4+ CTL are mainly found in chronic viral infections. Here, they often compensate for incomplete or exhausted CD8+ CTL responses. The induction of CD4+ CTL is counter-regulated by Tregs, most likely because they can be dangerous inducers of immunopathology. In viral infections, CD4+ CTL often kill via the Fas/FasL pathway, but they can also facilitate the exocytosis pathway of killing. Thus, they are very important effectors to keep persistent virus in check and guarantee host survival. In contrast to viral infections CD4+ CTL attracted attention as direct anti-tumor effectors in solid cancers only recently. Anti-tumor CD4+ CTL are defined by the expression of cytolytic markers and have been detected within the lymphocyte infiltrates of different human cancers. They kill tumor cells in an antigen-specific MHC class II-restricted manner not only by cytolysis but also by release of IFNγ. Thus, CD4+ CTL are interesting tools for cure approaches in chronic viral infections and cancer, but their potential to induce immunopathology has to be carefully taken into consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Malyshkina
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Alicia Brüggemann
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Annette Paschen
- Department of Dermatology, Venereology, and Allergology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Ulf Dittmer
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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13
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Kästle S, Stechele MR, Richter L, Schinner R, Öcal E, Alunni-Fabbroni M, De Toni E, Corradini S, Seidensticker M, Goldberg SN, Ricke J, Wildgruber M, Kimm MA. Peripheral blood-based cell signature indicates response to interstitial brachytherapy in primary liver cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:9777-9786. [PMID: 37247078 PMCID: PMC10423129 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-04875-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Biomarkers are essential to implement personalized therapies in cancer treatment options. As primary liver tumors are increasing and treatment is coupled to liver function and activation of systemic cells of the immune system, we investigated blood-based cells for their ability to predict response to local ablative therapy. METHODS We analyzed peripheral blood cells in 20 patients with primary liver cancer at baseline and following brachytherapy. In addition to platelets, leukocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils and most common ratios PLR, LMR, NMR and NLR, we investigated T cell and NKT cell populations of 11 responders and 9 non-responders using flow cytometry. RESULTS We have found a peripheral blood cell signature that differed significantly between responders and non-responders treated with interstitial brachytherapy (IBT). At baseline, non-responders featured higher numbers of platelets, monocytes and neutrophils, a higher platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio and an increase in the NKT cell population with a concurrent reduction in CD16 + NKT cells. Simultaneously, a lower percentage of CD4 + T cells was present in non-responders, as also reflected in a lower CD4/8 ratio. CD45RO + memory cells were lower in both, CD4 + and CD8 + T cell populations whereas PD-1 + T cells were only present in the CD4 + T cell population. CONCLUSION Baseline blood-based cell signature may function as a biomarker to predict response following brachytherapy in primary liver cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Kästle
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Lisa Richter
- Core Facility Flow Cytometry, Biomedical Center Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Regina Schinner
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Elif Öcal
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Enrico De Toni
- Department of Medicine II, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stefanie Corradini
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Max Seidensticker
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - S Nahum Goldberg
- Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
- Laboratory for Minimally Invasive Tumor Therapies, Department of Radiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Division of Image-Guided Therapy and Interventional Oncology, Department of Radiology, Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Jens Ricke
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Moritz Wildgruber
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Melanie A Kimm
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
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14
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Clain JA, Boutrais S, Dewatines J, Racine G, Rabezanahary H, Droit A, Zghidi-Abouzid O, Estaquier J. Lipid metabolic reprogramming of hepatic CD4 + T cells during SIV infection. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0168723. [PMID: 37656815 PMCID: PMC10581067 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01687-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
While liver inflammation is associated with AIDS, little is known so far about hepatic CD4+ T cells. By using the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected rhesus macaque (RM) model, we aimed to characterize CD4+ T cells. The phenotype of CD4+ T cells was assessed by flow cytometry from uninfected (n = 3) and infected RMs, with either SIVmac251 (n = 6) or SHIVSF162p3 (n = 6). After cell sorting of hepatic CD4+ T cells, viral DNA quantification and RNA sequencing were performed.Thus, we demonstrated that liver CD4+ T cells strongly expressed the SIV coreceptor, CCR5. We showed that viremia was negatively correlated with the percentage of hepatic effector memory CD4+ T cells. Consistent with viral sensing, inflammatory and interferon gene transcripts were increased. We also highlighted the presence of harmful CD4+ T cells expressing GZMA and members of TGFB that could contribute to fuel inflammation and fibrosis. Whereas RNA sequencing demonstrated activated CD4+ T cells displaying higher levels of mitoribosome and membrane lipid synthesis transcripts, few genes were related to glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, which are essential to sustain activated T cells. Furthermore, we observed lower levels of mitochondrial DNA and higher levels of genes associated with damaged organelles (reticulophagy and mitophagy). Altogether, our data revealed that activated hepatic CD4+ T cells are reprogrammed to lipid metabolism. Thus, strategies aiming to reprogram T cell metabolism with effector function could be of interest for controlling viral infection and preventing liver disorders.IMPORTANCEHuman immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection may cause liver diseases, associated with inflammation and tissue injury, contributing to comorbidity in people living with HIV. Paradoxically, the contribution of hepatic CD4+ T cells remains largely underestimated. Herein, we used the model of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected rhesus macaques to access liver tissue. Our work demonstrates that hepatic CD4+ T cells express CCR5, the main viral coreceptor, and are infected. Viral infection is associated with the presence of inflamed and activated hepatic CD4+ T cells expressing cytotoxic molecules. Furthermore, hepatic CD4+ T cells are reprogrammed toward lipid metabolism after SIV infection. Altogether, our findings shed new light on hepatic CD4+ T cell profile that could contribute to liver injury following viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien A. Clain
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Steven Boutrais
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Juliette Dewatines
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Gina Racine
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Arnaud Droit
- Proteomics Platform, CHU de Québec - Université Laval Research Center, Québec City, Québec, Canada
- Computational Biology Laboratory, CHU de Québec - Université Laval Research Center, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Ouafa Zghidi-Abouzid
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Jérôme Estaquier
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec City, Québec, Canada
- INSERM U1124, Université Paris, Paris, France
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15
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Jiang Y, Yao J, Yao Z, Huang Y, Li Z, Fan Z, Zhou Y, Li G, Li Z, Xu B. CD4 T cells in chronic myeloid leukemia present MHC class II-dependent and IFN-γ-dependent cytotoxic capacity. Med Oncol 2023; 40:253. [PMID: 37498412 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-023-02123-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
At present, many therapeutic schemes have been used to improve the prognosis of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), but response remains poor in a small group of patients. CD4 T cell-mediated cytotoxicity has been found in various autoimmune diseases. This study analyzed the characteristics of CD4 T cell mediated cytotoxicity in CML patients and healthy people. The cytotoxicity of CD4 T cells was tested in using two CML cell lines, including the MHC class II-deficient K562 cells and the MHC class II-expressing KU812 cells. CD4 T cell-mediated lysis was minimal in K562 cells but was much higher in KU812 cells. In CML patients, the level of CD4 T cell-mediated lysis was limited to a certain level. Interestingly, pre-treating KU812 cells with IFN-γ could significantly elevate the expression of MHC class II and elevate the level of CD4 T cell-mediated lysis. Overall, these data indicated CD4 T cells could become a potential candidate for cytotoxic elimination of CML cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yirong Jiang
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Dongguan People's Hospital, Southern Medical University (Dongguan People's Hospital), Dongguan, 523059, P.R. China
| | - Jingwei Yao
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Medical College of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361003, P.R. China
| | - Zhuoxin Yao
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Dongguan People's Hospital, Southern Medical University (Dongguan People's Hospital), Dongguan, 523059, P.R. China
| | - Yueting Huang
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Medical College of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361003, P.R. China
| | - Zhangkun Li
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Dongguan People's Hospital, Southern Medical University (Dongguan People's Hospital), Dongguan, 523059, P.R. China
| | - Ziying Fan
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Dongguan People's Hospital, Southern Medical University (Dongguan People's Hospital), Dongguan, 523059, P.R. China
| | - Yong Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Medical College of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361003, P.R. China
| | - Guowei Li
- Department of Hematology, Huizhou Municipal Central Hospital, Huizhou, 516001, P.R. China
| | - Zhifeng Li
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Medical College of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361003, P.R. China.
| | - Bing Xu
- Department of Hematology, Institute of Hematology, School of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Medical College of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, 361003, P.R. China.
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16
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Li T, Jiao J, Ke H, Ouyang W, Wang L, Pan J, Li X. Role of exosomes in the development of the immune microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1200201. [PMID: 37457718 PMCID: PMC10339802 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1200201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite numerous improved treatment methods used in recent years, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still a disease with a high mortality rate. Many recent studies have shown that immunotherapy has great potential for cancer treatment. Exosomes play a significant role in negatively regulating the immune system in HCC. Understanding how these exosomes play a role in innate and adaptive immunity in HCC can significantly improve the immunotherapeutic effects on HCC. Further, engineered exosomes can deliver different drugs and RNA molecules to regulate the immune microenvironment of HCC by regulating the aforementioned immune pathway, thereby significantly improving the mortality rate of HCC. This study aimed to declare the role of exosomes in the development of the immune microenvironment in HCC and list engineered exosomes that could be used for clinical transformation therapy. These findings might be beneficial for clinical patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanghua Li
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiapeng Jiao
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Haoteng Ke
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenshan Ouyang
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Luobin Wang
- The Second School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin Pan
- The Department of Electronic Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hongkong, Hongkong SAR, China
| | - Xin Li
- Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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17
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Huang LH, Rau CS, Liu YW, Wu CJ, Chien PC, Lin HP, Wu YC, Huang CY, Hsieh TM, Hsieh CH. Exploring the Regulatory Role of XIST-microRNAs/mRNA Network in Circulating CD4 + T Cells of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1848. [PMID: 37509488 PMCID: PMC10376435 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers and the main cause of cancer-related death globally. Immune dysregulation of CD4+ T cells has been identified to play a role in the development of HCC. Nevertheless, the underlying molecular pathways of CD4+ T cells in HCC are not completely known. Thus, a better understanding of the dysregulation of the lncRNA-miRNA/mRNA network may yield novel insights into the etiology or progression of HCC. In this study, circulating CD4+ T cells were isolated from the whole blood of 10 healthy controls and 10 HCC patients for the next-generation sequencing of the expression of lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs. Our data showed that there were different expressions of 34 transcripts (2 lncRNAs, XISTs, and MIR222HGs; 29 mRNAs; and 3 other types of RNA) and 13 miRNAs in the circulating CD4+ T cells of HCC patients. The expression of lncRNA-XIST-related miRNAs and their target mRNAs was confirmed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) on samples from 100 healthy controls and 60 HCC patients. The lncRNA-miRNA/mRNA regulation network was created using interaction data generated from ENCORI and revealed there are positive correlations in the infiltration of total CD4+ T cells, particularly resting memory CD4+ T cells, and negative correlations in the infiltration of Th1 CD4+ T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lien-Hung Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Shyuan Rau
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Yueh-Wei Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Jung Wu
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Peng-Chen Chien
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Ping Lin
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chan Wu
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Ying Huang
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Min Hsieh
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Hua Hsieh
- Department of Trauma Surgery, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan
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18
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Nevola R, Delle Femine A, Rosato V, Kondili LA, Alfano M, Mastrocinque D, Imbriani S, Perillo P, Beccia D, Villani A, Ruocco R, Criscuolo L, La Montagna M, Russo A, Marrone A, Sasso FC, Marfella R, Rinaldi L, Esposito N, Barberis G, Claar E. Neoadjuvant and Adjuvant Systemic Therapies in Loco-Regional Treatments for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Are We at the Dawn of a New Era? Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15112950. [PMID: 37296912 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15112950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite maximizing techniques and patient selection, liver resection and ablation for HCC are still associated with high rates of recurrence. To date, HCC is the only cancer with no proven adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapy used in association to potentially curative treatment. Perioperative combination treatments are urgently needed to reduce recurrence rates and improve overall survival. Immunotherapy has demonstrated encouraging results in the setting of adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatments for non-hepatic malignancies. Conclusive data are not yet available in the context of liver neoplasms. However, growing evidence suggests that immunotherapy, and in particular immune checkpoint inhibitors, could represent the cornerstone of an epochal change in the treatment of HCC, improving recurrence rates and overall survival through combination treatments. Furthermore, the identification of predictive biomarkers of treatment response could drive the management of HCC into the era of a precision medicine. The purpose of this review is to analyze the state of the art in the setting of adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapies for HCC in association with loco-regional treatments in patients not eligible for liver transplantation and to hypothesize future scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Nevola
- Liver Unit, Ospedale Evangelico Betania, 80147 Naples, Italy
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Augusto Delle Femine
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Valerio Rosato
- Liver Unit, Ospedale Evangelico Betania, 80147 Naples, Italy
| | | | - Maria Alfano
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy
| | | | - Simona Imbriani
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy
| | | | - Domenico Beccia
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Villani
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Rachele Ruocco
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Livio Criscuolo
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Marco La Montagna
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Antonio Russo
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Aldo Marrone
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Carlo Sasso
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaele Marfella
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy
| | - Luca Rinaldi
- Department of Advanced Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 80138 Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Ernesto Claar
- Liver Unit, Ospedale Evangelico Betania, 80147 Naples, Italy
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19
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Pommergaard HC. Prognostic biomarkers in and selection of surgical patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. APMIS 2023; 131 Suppl 146:1-39. [PMID: 37186326 DOI: 10.1111/apm.13309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
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20
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Soto-Heredero G, Gómez de Las Heras MM, Escrig-Larena JI, Mittelbrunn M. Extremely Differentiated T Cell Subsets Contribute to Tissue Deterioration During Aging. Annu Rev Immunol 2023; 41:181-205. [PMID: 37126417 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-101721-064501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
There is a dramatic remodeling of the T cell compartment during aging. The most notorious changes are the reduction of the naive T cell pool and the accumulation of memory-like T cells. Memory-like T cells in older people acquire a phenotype of terminally differentiated cells, lose the expression of costimulatory molecules, and acquire properties of senescent cells. In this review, we focus on the different subsets of age-associated T cells that accumulate during aging. These subsets include extremely cytotoxic T cells with natural killer properties, exhausted T cells with altered cytokine production, and regulatory T cells that gain proinflammatory features. Importantly, all of these subsets lose their lymph node homing capacity and migrate preferentially to nonlymphoid tissues, where they contribute to tissue deterioration and inflammaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Soto-Heredero
- Homeostasis de Tejidos y Órganos, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel M Gómez de Las Heras
- Homeostasis de Tejidos y Órganos, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain;
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
| | - J Ignacio Escrig-Larena
- Homeostasis de Tejidos y Órganos, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain;
| | - María Mittelbrunn
- Homeostasis de Tejidos y Órganos, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) and Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
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21
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Foglia B, Beltrà M, Sutti S, Cannito S. Metabolic Reprogramming of HCC: A New Microenvironment for Immune Responses. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24087463. [PMID: 37108625 PMCID: PMC10138633 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary liver cancer, ranking third among the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide and whose incidence varies according to geographical area and ethnicity. Metabolic rewiring was recently introduced as an emerging hallmark able to affect tumor progression by modulating cancer cell behavior and immune responses. This review focuses on the recent studies examining HCC's metabolic traits, with particular reference to the alterations of glucose, fatty acid and amino acid metabolism, the three major metabolic changes that have gained attention in the field of HCC. After delivering a panoramic picture of the peculiar immune landscape of HCC, this review will also discuss how the metabolic reprogramming of liver cancer cells can affect, directly or indirectly, the microenvironment and the function of the different immune cell populations, eventually favoring the tumor escape from immunosurveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Foglia
- Unit of Experimental Medicine and Clinical Pathology, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, 10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Marc Beltrà
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Bioquímica i Biomedicina Molecular, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salvatore Sutti
- Department of Health Sciences, Interdisciplinary Research Center for Autoimmune Diseases, University of East Piedmont, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Stefania Cannito
- Unit of Experimental Medicine and Clinical Pathology, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, 10125 Torino, Italy
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22
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Sun R, Li J, Lin X, Yang Y, Liu B, Lan T, Xiao S, Deng A, Yin Z, Xu Y, Xiang Z, Wu B. Peripheral immune characteristics of hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1079495. [PMID: 37077908 PMCID: PMC10106696 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1079495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundLiver cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer-related death. As a chronic liver disease, many studies have shown that the immune response plays a key role in the progression of liver cancer. Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the high-risk factors for HCC, accounting for 50%–80% of HCC cases worldwide, and little is known about the immune status of HBV associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC), therefore, we aimed to explore the changes in peripheral immunity in patients with HBV-HCC.MethodsIn this study, patients with HBV-HCC (n=26), patients with hepatitis B-related cirrhosis (HBV-LC) (n=31) and healthy volunteers (n=49) were included. The lymphocytes and their subpopulation phenotypes in peripheral blood were characterized. In addition, we explored the effect of viral replication on peripheral immunity in patients with HCC and analyzed the circulating immunophenotypic characteristics at different stages of HCC with flow cytometry.ResultsFirstly, our results showed that the percentages of total αβ T cells in the peripheral blood of HBV-HCC patients was significantly decreased compared to healthy subjects. Secondly, we found that naïve CD4+ T cells in HBV-HCC patients were significantly reduced, terminally differentiated CD8+ T cells, homing memory CD8+ T cells and Th2 cells were increased in peripheral circulation in HBV-HCC patients. Moreover, in the peripheral blood of HBV-HCC patients, expression of TIGIT on CD4+ T cells and PD-1 on the surface of Vδ 1 T cells was increased. In addition, we found that sustained viral replication resulted in up-regulation of TIM3 expression on CD4+ T cells, and TIM3+ γδ T cells increased in peripheral circulation in patients with advanced HBV-HCC.ConclusionOur study showed that circulating lymphocytes in HBV-HCC patients exhibited features of immune exhaustion, especially in HCC patients with persistent viral replication and in patients with intermediate and advanced HBV-HCC, including decreased frequency of T cells and elevated expression of inhibitory receptors including TIGIT and TIM3 on CD4+ T cells and γδ T cells. Meanwhile, our research suggests that the combination of CD3+ T cell and CD8+HLADR+CD38+ T cell may be a potential diagnostic indicator for HBV-HCC. These findings could help us to better understand the immune characteristics of HBV-HCC and explore the immune mechanisms and immunotherapy strategies for HBV-HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruonan Sun
- Department of Gastroenterology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiawei Li
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Health Science Center (School of Medicine), Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xianyi Lin
- Department of Gastroenterology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yidong Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Bing Liu
- Department of Interventional Medicine, Zhuhai People’s Hospital (Zhuhai hospital affiliated with Jinan University), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Tianbi Lan
- Department of Hematology, Affiliated Dongguan People's Hospital, Southern Medical University (Dongguan People's Hospital), Dongguan, China
| | - Shuang Xiao
- Guangzhou Purui Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Anyi Deng
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Health Science Center (School of Medicine), Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhinan Yin
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Health Science Center (School of Medicine), Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yan Xu
- The Biomedical Translational Research Institute, Health Science Center (School of Medicine), Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- *Correspondence: Bin Wu, ; Zheng Xiang, ; Yan Xu,
| | - Zheng Xiang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Health Science Center (School of Medicine), Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- *Correspondence: Bin Wu, ; Zheng Xiang, ; Yan Xu,
| | - Bin Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- *Correspondence: Bin Wu, ; Zheng Xiang, ; Yan Xu,
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23
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Bertoni C, Galli L, Lolatto R, Hasson H, Siribelli A, Messina E, Castagna A, Uberti Foppa C, Morsica G. Survival in People Living with HIV with or without Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Invasive Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15061653. [PMID: 36980538 PMCID: PMC10046370 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15061653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims: To address the overall survival (OS) and recurrence (RE) in people living with HIV (PLWH) treated with invasive therapy (IT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study on 41 PLWH with HCC receiving IT, defined as liver resection (LR), orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), radiofrequency thermo-ablation (RFTA) trans arterial chemo, or radioembolization (CRE). OS and RE were investigated by Kaplan–Meier curves. The Cox proportional hazard regression model was used for multivariate analyses. Results: Recurrence occurred in 46.3% PLWH; in 36.7% of participants at 2 years and in 52% at 5 years from HCC diagnosis; it was less frequent in males, p = 0.036. Overall, 2- and 5-year survival after HCC diagnosis was 72% and 48%, respectively. Two-and five-year survival was 100% and 90.9%, respectively, in PLWH receiving OLT, compared to other IT (60.9% and 30.6%, respectively) log-rank p = 0.0006. Two- and five-year survival in participants with no-RE was 70.5% and 54.6%, respectively, and 73.7% and 42.1% among RE, respectively, log-rank p = 0.7772. By multivariate analysis, AFP at values < 28.8 ng/mL, at HCC diagnosis, was the only factor predicting survival. Conclusions: Fifty percent of PLWH survived five years after HCC diagnosis; 90.9% among OLT patients. Recurrence after IT was observed in 46% of HCC/PLWH. AFP cut-off levels of 28.8 ng/mL were the only independent variable associated with survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Bertoni
- Division of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Galli
- Division of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Riccardo Lolatto
- Division of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Hamid Hasson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Siribelli
- Division of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuela Messina
- Division of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Antonella Castagna
- Division of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Caterina Uberti Foppa
- Division of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Morsica
- Division of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
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24
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van Son KC, Verschuren L, Hanemaaijer R, Reeves H, Takkenberg RB, Drenth JPH, Tushuizen ME, Holleboom AG. Non-Parenchymal Cells and the Extracellular Matrix in Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:1308. [PMID: 36831649 PMCID: PMC9954729 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the setting of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-related cirrhosis and even in the pre-cirrhotic state is increasing in incidence. NAFLD-related HCC has a poor clinical outcome as it is often advanced at diagnosis due to late diagnosis and systemic treatment response is poor due to reduced immune surveillance. Much of the focus of molecular research has been on the pathological changes in hepatocytes; however, immune cells, hepatic stellate cells, liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and the extracellular matrix may play important roles in the pathogenesis of NAFLD-related HCC as well. Here, we review the role of non-parenchymal cells in the liver in the pathogenesis of HCC in the context of NAFLD-NASH, with a particular focus on the innate and the adaptive immune system, fibrogenesis and angiogenesis. We review the key roles of macrophages, hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, NKT cells and liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and the role of the extracellular matrix in hepatocarcinogenesis within the steatotic milieu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koen C. van Son
- Department of Vascular and Internal Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lars Verschuren
- Department of Metabolic Health Research, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Roeland Hanemaaijer
- Department of Metabolic Health Research, Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research, 2333 BE Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Helen Reeves
- Newcastle University Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
| | - R. Bart Takkenberg
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joost P. H. Drenth
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten E. Tushuizen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Adriaan G. Holleboom
- Department of Vascular and Internal Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Center, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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25
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Liang J, Bai Y, Ha FS, Luo Y, Deng HT, Gao YT. Combining local regional therapy and systemic therapy: Expected changes in the treatment landscape of recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2023; 15:1-18. [PMID: 36684055 PMCID: PMC9850755 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Improvements in early screening, new diagnostic techniques, and surgical treatment have led to continuous downward trends in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) morbidity and mortality rates. However, high recurrence and refractory cancer after hepatectomy remain important factors affecting the long-term prognosis of HCC. The clinical characteristics and prognosis of recurrent HCC are heterogeneous, and guidelines on treatment strategies for recurrent HCC are lacking. Therapies such as surgical resection, radiofrequency ablation, and transhepatic arterial chemoembolization are effective for tumors confined to the liver, and targeted therapy is a very important treatment for unresectable recurrent HCC with systemic metastasis. With the deepening of the understanding of the immune microenvironment of HCC, blocking immune checkpoints to enhance the antitumor immune response has become a new direction for the treatment of HCC. In addition, improvements in the tumor immune microenvironment caused by local treatment may provide an opportunity to improve the therapeutic effect of HCC treatment. Ongoing and future clinical trial data of combined therapy may develop the new treatment scheme for recurrent HCC. This paper reviews the pattern of recurrent HCC and the characteristics of the immune microenvironment, demonstrates the basis for combining local treatment and systemic treatment, and reports current evidence to better understand current progress and future approaches in the treatment of recurrent HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liang
- Department of Hepatology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Nankai University Affiliated Third Center Hospital, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Yi Bai
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Fu-Shuang Ha
- Department of Hepatology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Nankai University Affiliated Third Center Hospital, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Ying Luo
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Nankai University Affiliated Third Center Hospital, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Hui-Ting Deng
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Nankai University Affiliated Third Center Hospital, Tianjin 300170, China
| | - Ying-Tang Gao
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases, Nankai University Affiliated Third Center Hospital, Tianjin 300170, China
- Tianjin Institute of Hepatobiliary Disease, The Third Central Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300170, China
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26
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Zhu L, Zhang XP, Xu S, Hu MG, Zhao ZM, Zhao GD, Xiao ZH, Liu R. Identification of a CD4+ conventional T cells-related lncRNAs signature associated with hepatocellular carcinoma prognosis, therapy, and tumor microenvironment. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1111246. [PMID: 36700197 PMCID: PMC9868629 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1111246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and CD4+ T lymphocytes can inhibit hepatocarcinogenesis and mediate tumor regression. However, few studies have focused on the prognostic power of CD4+ Tconv-related lncRNAs in HCC patients. Method We obtained data from TCGA and GEO databases and identified CD4+Tconv-related lncRNAs in HCC. The risk score was constructed using lasso regression and the model was validated using two validation cohorts. The RS was also assessed in different clinical subgroups, and a nomogram was established to further predict the patients' outcomes. Furthermore, we estimated the immune cell infiltration and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) through TIMER databases and assessed the role of RS in immune checkpoint inhibitors response. Results We constructed a CD4+ Tconv-related lncRNAs risk score, including six lncRNAs (AC012073.1, AL031985.3, LINC01060, MKLN1-AS, MSC-AS1, and TMCC1-AS1), and the RS had good predictive ability in validation cohorts and most clinical subgroups. The RS and the T stage were included in the nomogram with optimum prediction and the model had comparable OS prediction power compared to the AJCC. Patients in the high-risk group had a poor immune response phenotype, with high infiltrations of macrophages, CAFs, and low infiltrations of NK cells. Immunotherapy and chemotherapy response analysis indicated that low-risk group patients had good reactions to immune checkpoint inhibitors. Conclusion We constructed and validated a novel CD4+ Tconv-related lncRNAs RS, with the potential predictive value of HCC patients' survival and immunotherapy response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhu
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China,Faculty of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, the First Medical Centre, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China,Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China,Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China,The First Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiu-Ping Zhang
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China,Faculty of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, the First Medical Centre, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China,Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China,Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Shuai Xu
- Department of Liver Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Ming-Gen Hu
- Faculty of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, the First Medical Centre, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China,Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China,Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Ming Zhao
- Faculty of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, the First Medical Centre, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China,Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China,Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Guo-Dong Zhao
- Faculty of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, the First Medical Centre, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China,Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China,Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Zhao-Hui Xiao
- Faculty of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, the First Medical Centre, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China,Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China,Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China
| | - Rong Liu
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China,Faculty of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, the First Medical Centre, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China,Institute of Hepatobiliary Surgery of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China,Key Laboratory of Digital Hepatobiliary Surgery, PLA, Beijing, China,The First Clinical Medical School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China,*Correspondence: Rong Liu,
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27
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Chi Q, Wang D, Sun T, Liang HP. Integrated bioinformatical and in vitro study on drug targets for liver cirrhosis based on unsupervised consensus clustering and immune cell infiltration. Front Pharmacol 2023; 13:909668. [PMID: 36686655 PMCID: PMC9846563 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.909668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Liver cirrhosis is one of the most common cause of death in the world. The progress of liver cirrhosis involves health, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, leading to great challenges in the diagnosis of the disease. Drug targets, which could be obtained conveniently, can help clinicians improve prognosis and treatment. Liver cirrhosis is associated with serum calcium levels. And studies reported Tanshinone IIA plays a therapeutic role in liver injury through activating calcium-dependent apoptosis. In this study, we explored the diagnostic key targets of Tanshinone IIA in liver cirrhosis through exploration of comprehensive dataset including health, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer patients. The unsupervised consensus clustering algorithm identified 3 novel subtypes in which differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between both subtypes were found by pairwise comparison. Then, 4 key drug targets of Tanshinone IIA were determined through the intersection of these DEGs. The diagnostic performance of target genes was assessed and further verified in the external dataset. We found that the 4 key drug targets could be used as effective diagnostic biomarkers. Then the immune scores in the high and low expression groups of target genes were estimated to identify significantly expressed immune cells. In addition, the immune infiltration of high and low target gene expression groups in several immune cells were significantly different. The findings suggest that 4 key drug targets may be a simple and useful diagnostic tool for predicting patients with cirrhosis. We further studied the carcinogenesis role of AKR1C3 and TPX2 in vitro. Both mRNA and protein expression in hepatoma carcinoma cells was detected using qRT-PCR and Western blot. And the knockdown of AKR1C3 and TPX2 significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingjia Chi
- Department of Engineering Structure and Mechanics, School of Science, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, China,State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Department of Wound Infection and Drug, Research Institute of Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Di Wang
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ting Sun
- Surgical Laboratory, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University,, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China,Correspondence: Ting Sun, ; Hua-Ping Liang,
| | - Hua-Ping Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Department of Wound Infection and Drug, Research Institute of Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China,Correspondence: Ting Sun, ; Hua-Ping Liang,
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Li B, Liu J, Xu L, Xu Q, Liu Z, Liu T. Comprehensive Analysis of NABP2 as a Prognostic Biomarker and Its Correlation with Immune Infiltration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Inflamm Res 2023; 16:1783-1804. [PMID: 37113629 PMCID: PMC10128078 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s403370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The DNA binding protein NABP2 (nucleic acid binding protein 2) is a member of the SSB (single-stranded DNA-binding) protein family, which is involved in DNA damage repair. Its prognostic significance and relationship with immune infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, remain unknown. Methods The purpose of this study was to estimate the prognostic value of NABP2 and to investigate its possible immune function in HCC. By applying multiple bioinformatics methods, we gathered and analysed data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Cancer Cell Lineage Encyclopedia (CCLE), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to investigate the potential oncogenic and cancer-promoting role of NABP2, including the differential expression, prognostic value, immune cell infiltration association, and drug sensitivity of NABP2 in HCC. Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were used to validate the expression of NABP2 in HCC. The knockdown of NABP2 expression by siRNA was further used to validate its role in hepatocellular carcinoma. Results Our findings indicated that NABP2 was overexpressed in HCC samples and was related to poor survival, clinical stage, and tumour grade in HCC patients. Analysis of functional enrichment indicated that NABP2 was potentially involved in the cell cycle, DNA replication, G2M checkpoint, E2F targets, apoptosis, P53 signalling, TGFA signalling via NF-κB, and so on. NABP2 was shown to be significantly linked to immune cell infiltration and immunological checkpoints in HCC. Analyses of drug sensitivity predict a number of drugs that could potentially be used to target NABP2. Moreover, in vitro experiments verified the promoting effect of NABP2 on the migration and proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Conclusion Based on these findings, NABP2 appears to be a candidate biomarker for HCC prognosis and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Li
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jinghang Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liangzhi Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qi Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhaohui Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tiande Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330000, People’s Republic of China
- Correspondence: Tiande Liu, Departments of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, 330000, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8613479101447, Email
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Tourkochristou E, Assimakopoulos SF, Thomopoulos K, Marangos M, Triantos C. NAFLD and HBV interplay - related mechanisms underlying liver disease progression. Front Immunol 2022; 13:965548. [PMID: 36544761 PMCID: PMC9760931 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.965548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and Hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) constitute common chronic liver diseases with worldwide distribution. NAFLD burden is expected to grow in the coming decade, especially in western countries, considering the increased incidence of diabetes and obesity. Despite the organized HBV vaccinations and use of anti-viral therapies globally, HBV infection remains endemic and challenging public health issue. As both NAFLD and HBV have been associated with the development of progressive fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the co-occurrence of both diseases has gained great research and clinical interest. The causative relationship between NAFLD and HBV infection has not been elucidated so far. Dysregulated fatty acid metabolism and lipotoxicity in NAFLD disease seems to initiate activation of signaling pathways that enhance pro-inflammatory responses and disrupt hepatocyte cell homeostasis, promoting progression of NAFLD disease to NASH, fibrosis and HCC and can affect HBV replication and immune encountering of HBV virus, which may further have impact on liver disease progression. Chronic HBV infection is suggested to have an influence on metabolic changes, which could lead to NAFLD development and the HBV-induced inflammatory responses and molecular pathways may constitute an aggravating factor in hepatic steatosis development. The observed altered immune homeostasis in both HBV infection and NAFLD could be associated with progression to HCC development. Elucidation of the possible mechanisms beyond HBV chronic infection and NAFLD diseases, which could lead to advanced liver disease or increase the risk for severe complications, in the case of HBV-NAFLD co-existence is of high clinical significance in the context of designing effective therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evanthia Tourkochristou
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Stelios F. Assimakopoulos
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece,*Correspondence: Stelios F. Assimakopoulos,
| | - Konstantinos Thomopoulos
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Markos Marangos
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | - Christos Triantos
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
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30
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Zhao G, Bi M, Liu S, Ma J, Xu F, Liu Y, Gao F, Yu Y, Zhou J, Feng Z, Wu J. Variation of NK, NKT, CD4 + T, CD8 + T cells, and IL-17A by CalliSpheres ® microspheres-transarterial chemoembolization in refractory liver metastases patients. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 2022; 82:549-555. [PMID: 36344035 DOI: 10.1080/00365513.2022.2129438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Immune environment plays an important role in the management of liver cancer. The current study aimed to explore the change of NK and NKT cells, IL-17A, CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells in refractory liver metastases patients before and after CalliSpheres® microspheres transarterial chemoembolization (CSM-TACE). Peripheral blood (PB) samples from 35 refractory liver metastases patients were collected before CSM-TACE (baseline), 2 days (D2) and 5 days (D5) after CSM-TACE. Then, NK and NKT cells, IL-17A, CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells from PB samples were detected. All enrolled patients successfully completed CSM-TACE procedure and achieved disease control rate of 100% after 1 month. NKT cells were increased from baseline to D2 and D5 [median (range): 5.88% (1.53%-12.05%) vs. 9.54% (5.19%-15.71%) vs. 7.12% (2.77%-13.29%)], NK cells were also enhanced from baseline to D2 and D5 [median (range): 14.35% (5.85%-20.52%) vs. 20.36% (15.88%-27.30%) vs. 30.82% (22.18%-37.72%)], while IL-17A was declined from baseline to D2 and D5 [median (range): 22.11 (9.46-39.18) pg/ml vs. 12.41 (3.24-26.84) pg/ml vs. 6.55 (1.11-20.98) pg/ml]. Furthermore, IL-17A was negatively correlated with the NK and NKT cells at baseline, D2 and D5 (all p < .05), respectively. Additionally, CD4+ T cells and CD4+ T/CD8+ T ratio were increased while CD8+ T cells were declined from baseline to D2 and D5 (all p < .05). NK cells, NKT cells, and CD4+ T cells are increased but IL-17A and CD8+ T cells are declined after CSM-TACE in refractory liver metastases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangsheng Zhao
- Cancer Interventional Center, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, China
| | - Mei Bi
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, China
| | - Song Liu
- Cancer Interventional Center, Linyi Cancer Hospital, Linyi, China
| | - Jian Ma
- Cancer Interventional Center, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, China
| | - Fang Xu
- Cancer Interventional Center, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Center, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Gao
- Cancer Interventional Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Ying Yu
- Medical Development Department, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, China
| | - Jun Zhou
- Cancer Interventional Center, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, China
| | - Zhuo Feng
- Department of Emergency, The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, China
| | - Jianlin Wu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, Dalian, China
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31
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Kazemi MH, Sadri M, Najafi A, Rahimi A, Baghernejadan Z, Khorramdelazad H, Falak R. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes for treatment of solid tumors: It takes two to tango? Front Immunol 2022; 13:1018962. [PMID: 36389779 PMCID: PMC9651159 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1018962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), frontline soldiers of the adaptive immune system, are recruited into the tumor site to fight against tumors. However, their small number and reduced activity limit their ability to overcome the tumor. Enhancement of TILs number and activity against tumors has been of interest for a long time. A lack of knowledge about the tumor microenvironment (TME) has limited success in primary TIL therapies. Although the advent of engineered T cells has revolutionized the immunotherapy methods of hematologic cancers, the heterogeneity of solid tumors warrants the application of TILs with a wide range of specificity. Recent advances in understanding TME, immune exhaustion, and immune checkpoints have paved the way for TIL therapy regimens. Nowadays, TIL therapy has regained attention as a safe personalized immunotherapy, and currently, several clinical trials are evaluating the efficacy of TIL therapy in patients who have failed conventional immunotherapies. Gaining favorable outcomes following TIL therapy of patients with metastatic melanoma, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer has raised hope in patients with refractory solid tumors, too. Nevertheless, TIL therapy procedures face several challenges, such as high cost, timely expansion, and technical challenges in selecting and activating the cells. Herein, we reviewed the recent advances in the TIL therapy of solid tumors and discussed the challenges and perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hossein Kazemi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Sadri
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Najafi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Rahimi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zeinab Baghernejadan
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Khorramdelazad
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Falak
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Xiao Z, Yeung CLS, Yam JWP, Mao X. An update on the role of complement in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1007382. [PMID: 36341431 PMCID: PMC9629811 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1007382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As a main producer of complement, the environment in the liver is greatly affected by the complement system. Although the complement system is considered to have the ability of nonself discrimination, remarkable studies have revealed the tight association between improper complement activation in tumour initiation and progression. As complement activation predominantly occurs within the liver, the protumourigenic role of the complement system may contribute to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Improvement in the understanding of the molecular targets involved in complement-mediated tumour development, metastasis, and tumour-promoting inflammation in HCC would certainly aid in the development of better treatments. This minireview is focused on recent findings of the protumourigenic role of the complement system in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijie Xiao
- Scientific Research Centre, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Charlie Lot Sum Yeung
- Department of Pathology, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Judy Wai Ping Yam
- Department of Pathology, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiaowen Mao
- Department of Pathology, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaowen Mao,
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33
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Yu X, Chen P, Yi W, Ruan W, Xiong X. Identification of cell senescence molecular subtypes in prediction of the prognosis and immunotherapy of hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:1029872. [PMID: 36275676 PMCID: PMC9582940 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1029872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a high incidence and fatality rate worldwide, being among the most prevalent cancers. The growing body of data indicating cellular senescence (CS) to be a critical factor in hepatocarcinogenesis. The predictive value of CS in HBV-related HCC and its role in the immune microenvironment are unknown. To determine the cellular senescence profile of HBV-related HCC and its role in shaping the immune microenvironment, this study employed a rigorous evaluation of multiple datasets encompassing 793 HBV-related HCC samples. Two novel distinct CS subtypes were first identified by nonnegative matrix factorization, and we found that the senescence-activated subgroup had the worst prognosis and correlated with cancer progression. C1 and C2 were identified as the senescence-suppressed and senescence-activated subgroups. The immune microenvironment indicated that C2 exhibited a relatively low immune status, higher tumor purity, and lower immune scores and estimated scores, while the C1 subgroup possessed a better prognosis. The CS score signature based on five genes (CENPA, EZH2, G6PD, HDAC1, and PRPF19) was established using univariate Cox regression and the lasso method. ICGC-LIRI and GSE14520 cohorts were used to validate the reliability of the CS scoring system. In addition, we examined the association between the risk score and hallmark pathways through gene set variation analysis and gene set enrichment analysis. The results revealed a high CS score to be associated with the activation of cell senescence-related pathways. The CS score and other clinical features were combined to generate a CS dynamic nomogram with a better predictive capacity for OS at 1, 2, and 3 years than other clinical parameters. Our study demonstrated that cellular senescence patterns play a non-negligible role in shaping the characteristics of the immune microenvironment and profoundly affecting tumor prognosis. The results of this study will help predict patient prognosis more accurately and may assist in development of personalized immunotherapy for HBV-related HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Yu
- School of Medicine, Jianghan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaoli Xiong,
| | - Peng Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaoli Xiong,
| | - Wei Yi
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wen Ruan
- School of Medicine, Jianghan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoli Xiong
- Department of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Wuhan Children's Hospital (Wuhan Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital), Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science & Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaoli Xiong,
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34
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Feng H, Xu F, Zhao Y, Jin T, Liu J, Li R, Zhou T, Dai C. Prognostic value of combined inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers in HCC within the Milan criteria after hepatectomy. Front Oncol 2022; 12:947302. [PMID: 36132141 PMCID: PMC9483162 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.947302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the combined prognostic nutritional index (PNI) and GGT/ALT for the postoperative prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within Milan criteria undergoing radical hepatectomy. Methods This single-center retrospective study included 283 patients with HCC within the Milan criteria who underwent hepatectomy. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to calculate the optimal PNI and GGT/ALT cut-off values. Pre-treatment PNI, GGT/ALT, and PNI-GGT/ALT grades were calculated. Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method, and multivariate analysis was used to identify prognostic factors. Results Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified that the PNI, GGT/ALT, tumor number were significant prognostic markers for OS, and that the GGT/ALT, tumor number were significant prognostic markers for OS. The survival curves showed that low PNI, high GGT/ALT ratio, and high PNI-GGT/ALT grade were associated with poorer OS and DFS. With an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.690, PNI-GGT/ALT outperformed each individual score. Conclusion PNI-GGT/ALT, a new prognostic scoring model, qualifies as a novel prognostic predictor for patients with HCC within the Milan criteria after curative resection.
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35
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Song D, Zhou Z, Wu J, Wei T, Zhao G, Ren H, Zhang B. DNA methylation regulators-related molecular patterns and tumor immune landscape in hepatocellular carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:877817. [PMID: 36091162 PMCID: PMC9459088 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.877817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing evidence showed that the dysregulation of DNA methylation regulators is a decisive feature of almost all cancer types and affects tumor progressions. However, few studies focused on the underlying influences of DNA methylation regulators-related genes (DMRegs) in immune cell-infiltration characteristics, tumor microenvironment (TME) and immunotherapy in HCC patients. In our study, the alterations of DNA methylation regulators modification patterns (DMRPs) were clustered from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) samples based on the expression of DNA methylation regulators as well as genetic and transcriptional features. In addition, based on molecular identification of three distinct molecular subtypes, we found that different DMRPs alterations were related to different clinicopathological characteristics, prognosis, and immune cells infiltration features. Moreover, we constructed and validated a DNA methylation regulators-related genes score (DMRegs_score) to predict the survival of HCC patients. A high DMRegs _score, which was characterized by more TP53 wild mutation, high expression of PD-1, CTLA-4, and remarkable immunity activation, was indicative of poor prognosis. Furthermore, we validated the expression of eight genes which were used for the prognostic signature in this risk score by RT-qPCR using tissues from our center. More importantly, DMRegs_score was highly correlated with targeted drug sensitivity. Additionally, we developed a highly accurate scoring system that could be used to improve the clinical applicability of DMRegs _score. In conclusion, these findings may contribute to a better understanding of DNA methylation regulators and provide new strategies for evaluating prognosis and developing more effective combination therapy for HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingli Song
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Zhenyu Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie Wu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Tao Wei
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, School of Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Guang Zhao
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Hong Ren
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Hong Ren, ; Boxiang Zhang,
| | - Boxiang Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Hong Ren, ; Boxiang Zhang,
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Zhou D, Wang Y, Wei W, Zhou W, Gu J, Kong Y, Yang Q, Wu Y. m6A regulator-mediated methylation modification highlights immune infiltration patterns for predicting risk in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2022:10.1007/s00432-022-04255-z. [PMID: 35972694 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-022-04255-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing studies have demonstrated the biological function of RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications in tumorigenesis. However, the potential role of m6A modifications in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. METHODS Herein, 23 m6A regulators were fetched and introduced into consensus clustering to identify distinct m6A modification patterns and develop m6A-based molecular signatures. Then, a principal component analysis algorithm was employed to construct an m6A-based scoring system to further quantify m6A modification patterns in individual tumors. Immunophenoscore (IPS) was used to estimate the immunotherapeutic response of patients. RESULTS Three different m6A modification patterns with distinct prognoses and biological signatures were identified among 611 HCC samples. The TIME characteristics of these three patterns were consistent with three known immune profiles: immune-oasis, immune-excluded, and immune-inflamed phenotypes. Identifying m6A modification patterns within individual tumors based on the m6Ascore, developed under the m6A-related signature genes, contributed to elaborating biological processes, clinical outcomes, immune cell infiltration, immunotherapeutic effects, and genetic variations. The low-m6Ascore subtype, characterized by immunosuppression, suggested an immune-suppressed phenotype and a low probability of benefiting from immunotherapy. Finally, the potential function of PRDM4 in HCC was explored. CONCLUSION This study comprehensively elucidated the indispensable role of m6A modification patterns in the complexity of TIME. The quantitative identification of m6A modification patterns in individual tumors will contribute to optimizing precision immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongkai Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yizhi Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Shangyu People's Hospital of Shaoxin, Shaoxin, 312300, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jin Gu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yang Kong
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qifan Yang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.,Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yingsheng Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, No. 88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China. .,Key Laboratory of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Tumor of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China. .,Research Center of Diagnosis and Treatment Technology for Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China. .,Clinical Medicine Innovation Center of Precision Diagnosis and Treatment for Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Disease of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China. .,Clinical Research Center of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, Zhejiang, China.
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Fu J, Lei X. Identification of the Immune Subtype of Hepatocellular Carcinoma for the Prediction of Disease-Free Survival Time and Prevention of Recurrence by Integrated Analysis of Bulk- and Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Data. Front Immunol 2022; 13:868325. [PMID: 35734185 PMCID: PMC9207181 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.868325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundThe main factors affecting the long-term prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing radical surgery are recurrence and metastasis. However, the methods for predicting disease-free survival (DFS) time and preventing postoperative recurrence of HCC are still very limited.MethodsIn this study, immune cell abundances in HCC samples were analyzed by single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA), while the prognostic values of immune cells for DFS time prediction were evaluated by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and subsequent univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. Next, a risk score was constructed based on the most prognostic immune cells and their corresponding coefficients. Interactions among prognostic immune cells and the specific targets for the prevention of recurrence were further identified by single-cell RNA (scRNA) sequencing data and CellMiner.ResultsA novel efficient T cell risk score (TCRS) was constructed based on data from the three most prognostic immune cell types (effector memory CD8 T cells, regulatory T cells and follicular helper T cells) for identifying an immune subtype of HCC patients with longer DFS times and inflammatory immune characteristics. Functional differences between the high- and low-score groups separated by TCRS were clarified, and the cell-cell communication among these immune cells was elucidated. Finally, fifteen hub genes that may be potential therapeutic targets for the prevention of recurrence were identified.ConclusionsWe constructed and verified a useful model for the prediction of DFS time of HCC after surgery. In addition, fifteen hub genes were identified as candidates for the prevention of recurrence, and a preliminarily investigation of potential drugs targeting these hub genes was carried out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Fu
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaohua Lei
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaohua Lei,
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Xu H, Yin L, Xu Q, Xiang J, Xu R. N6-methyladenosine methylation modification patterns reveal immune profiling in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:199. [PMID: 35606813 PMCID: PMC9125922 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02614-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several studies have revealed that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulation is involved in various biological processes and cancer progression. Nevertheless, the potential effects of m6A modifications in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and on immune regulation in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) remains unclear. METHODS A consensus clustering algorithm was used to identify different m6A modification patterns and construct an m6A-associated gene signature based on 23 m6A regulators in PAAD. The CIBERSORT and ssGSEA algorithms were used to estimate the components of the immune cells in each sample. The PCA algorithm was used to develop the m6Ascore system for the evaluation of m6A modification patterns in each sample. RESULTS Two m6A modification patterns with different biological properties and prognoses were identified in 176 PAAD patient samples. The features of TIME between the two patterns were similar, with two definite immune phenotypes: immune-inflamed and immune-excluded. Based on the m6A phenotype-associated signature genes, we constructed an m6Ascore system to investigate the m6A modification pattern of each sample, profile the dissection of physiological processes, immune infiltration, clinical prognosis, immunotherapy, and genetic variation. Patients with low m6Ascore scores had better clinical outcomes, enhanced immune infiltration, and lower expression of immunotherapeutic drug targets, such as CD274 and PDCD1LG2. Further research indicated that the m6Ascore and tumor mutation burden were significantly correlated, and patients with low m6Ascore had higher mutation rates in SMAD4 and TTN. Moreover, TNFRSF21 was significantly upregulated in PAAD tumor tissues and cell lines. Lower expression of TNFRSF21 had a prominent advantage in survival and was correlated with a low level of immune infiltration. PAAD samples with different TNFRSF21 expression levels showed significantly distinct sensitivities to chemotherapeutic agents. CONCLUSIONS This study revealed that m6A modification patterns could play an important role in the diversity and complexity of TIME, and the m6Ascore system could serve as an independent and powerful prognostic biomarker and is latently related to PAAD immunotherapies. Quantitative determination of m6A modification patterns in individual patients will be instrumental in mapping the TIME landscape and further optimizing precision immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Lu Yin
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Qianhui Xu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Jingjing Xiang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
| | - Rujun Xu
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hangzhou First People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang China
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Preglej T, Ellmeier W. CD4 + Cytotoxic T cells - Phenotype, Function and Transcriptional Networks Controlling Their Differentiation Pathways. Immunol Lett 2022; 247:27-42. [PMID: 35568324 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The two major subsets of peripheral T cells are classically divided into the CD4+ T helper cells and the cytotoxic CD8+ T cell lineage. However, the appearance of some effector CD4+ T cell populations displaying cytotoxic activity, in particular during viral infections, has been observed, thus breaking the functional dichotomy of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes. The strong association of the appearance of CD4+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD4 CTLs) with viral infections suggests an important role of this subset in antiviral immunity by controlling viral replication and infection. Moreover, CD4 CTLs have been linked with anti-tumor activity and might also cause immunopathology in autoimmune diseases. This raises interest into the molecular mechanisms regulating CD4 CTL differentiation, which are poorly understood in comparison to differentiation pathways of other Th subsets. In this review, we provide a brief overview about key features of CD4 CTLs, including their role in viral infections and cancer immunity, and about the link between CD4 CTLs and immune-mediated diseases. Subsequently, we will discuss the current knowledge about transcriptional and epigenetic networks controlling CD4 CTL differentiation and highlight recent data suggesting a role for histone deacetylases in the generation of CD4 CTLs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Preglej
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine III, Medical University of Vienna
| | - Wilfried Ellmeier
- Division of Immunobiology, Institute of Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna.
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Fang W, Gan Y, Zhang L, Xiong J. COMMD2 Upregulation Mediated by an ncRNA Axis Correlates With an Unfavorable Prognosis and Tumor Immune Infiltration in Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:853026. [PMID: 35574298 PMCID: PMC9099436 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.853026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) seriously endangers the health and quality of life of individuals worldwide. Increasing evidence has underscored that the copper metabolism MURR1 domain (COMMD) family plays important roles in tumorigenesis. However, the specific role, biological function, mechanism and prognostic value of COMMD2 and its correlation with immune cell infiltration in LIHC remain unknown. In this study, we first determined the expression and prognostic potential of COMMD2 in human tumors using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data and identified COMMD2 as a potential oncogene in LIHC. High COMMD2 expression was associated with pathological tumor stage and metastasis. Subsequently, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) upregulating COMMD2 expression were identified by performing expression, correlation, and survival analyses in combination. The CRNDE/LINC00511/SNHG17/HCG18-miR-29c-3p axis was identified as the most likely ncRNA-associated pathway upstream of COMMD2 in LIHC. Next, the expression profiles of COMMD2 and ncRNAs were validated in LIHC tissues and adjacent normal tissues. Furthermore, COMMD2 was significantly positively correlated with tumor immune cell infiltration, immune cell biomarkers, and immune checkpoint molecule expression. Importantly, COMMD2 potentially influenced prognosis by regulating immune cell infiltration in LIHC. Finally, COMMD2 was knocked down in LIHC cell lines using siRNAs for functional assays in vitro, resulting in suppressed cell proliferation and migration. In summary, our findings showed that the ncRNA-mediated upregulation of COMMD2 was associated with an unfavorable prognosis correlated with immune cell infiltration in LIHC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ling Zhang
- *Correspondence: Ling Zhang, ; Jianping Xiong,
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Sakatoku K, Nakashima Y, Nagasaki J, Nishimoto M, Hirose A, Nakamae M, Koh H, Hino M, Nakamae H. Immunomodulatory and Direct Activities of Ropeginterferon Alfa-2b on Cancer Cells in Mouse Models of Leukemia. Cancer Sci 2022; 113:2246-2257. [PMID: 35441749 PMCID: PMC9277408 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Although ropeginterferon alfa‐2b has recently been clinically applied to myeloproliferative neoplasms with promising results, its antitumor mechanism has not been thoroughly investigated. Using a leukemia model developed in immunocompetent mice, we evaluated the direct cytotoxic effects and indirect effects induced by ropeginterferon alfa‐2b in tumor cells. Ropeginterferon alfa‐2b therapy significantly prolonged the survival of mice bearing leukemia cells and led to long‐term remission in some mice. Alternatively, conventional interferon‐alpha treatment slightly extended the survival and all mice died. When ropeginterferon alfa‐2b was administered to interferon‐alpha receptor 1–knockout mice after the development of leukemia to verify the direct effect on the tumor, the survival of these mice was slightly prolonged; nevertheless, all of them died. In vivo CD4+ or CD8+ T‐cell depletion resulted in a significant loss of therapeutic efficacy in mice. These results indicate that the host adoptive immunostimulatory effect of ropeginterferon alfa‐2b is the dominant mechanism through which tumor cells are suppressed. Moreover, mice in long‐term remission did not develop leukemia, even after tumor rechallenge. Rejection of rechallenge tumors was canceled only when both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were removed in vivo, which indicates that each T‐cell group functions independently in immunological memory. We show that ropeginterferon alfa‐2b induces excellent antitumor immunomodulation in hosts. Our finding serves in devising therapeutic strategies with ropeginterferon alfa‐2b.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Sakatoku
- Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Nakashima
- Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Joji Nagasaki
- Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mitsutaka Nishimoto
- Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Asao Hirose
- Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mika Nakamae
- Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hideo Koh
- Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masayuki Hino
- Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Hirohisa Nakamae
- Hematology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
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Zhao Y, Kong LX, Feng FS, Yang J, Wei G. A simple CD4+ T cells to FIB-4 ratio for evaluating prognosis of BCLC-B hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:311. [PMID: 35321670 PMCID: PMC8941753 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-09433-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Immunotherapy has become a new therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its treatment results are considerably different. CD4+ T cells (CD4+) are the key to immunotherapy, but patients with HCC that have low CD4+ are rarely observed for clinical evidence. Hepatitis B virus-related HCC is often accompanied by cirrhosis and portal hypertension; therefore, CD4+ tend to be relatively low in number. TACE is the standard treatment for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC)-B HCC, which may further reduce the number of CD4 + . Methods This retrospective cohort study further reduced CD4+ by including patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to observe the relationship between CD4+ and Chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB) induced HCC. A total of 170 BCLC-B HCC patients (42 HIV+) were included. Univariate and multivariate analyses, and artificial neural networks (ANNs) were used to evaluate the independent risk factors for the two-year survival. Results The statistical analysis of the two-year survival rate showed that the main factors influencing survival were liver function and immune indices, including CD4+, platelet, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index, and fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) (P < 0.05). Compared with that in other indices, in logistic and ANN multivariate analysis, CD4 + -to-FIB-4 ratio (CD4+/FIB-4) had the highest importance with 0.716 C-statistic and 145.93 cut-off value. In terms of overall survival rate, HIV infection was not a risk factor (P = 0.589); however, CD4+/FIB-4 ≤ 145.93 significantly affected patient prognosis (P = 0.002). Conclusion HIV infection does not affect the prognosis of BCLC-B HCC, but CD4+ have a significant predictive value. CD4+ played a vital role in HCC and this deserves the attention from physicians. Further, the CD4+/FIB-4 is a clinically valuable effective prognostic indicator for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, Chengdu Public Health Clinical Medical Center, Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Ling Xiang Kong
- Department of Liver Surgery and Liver transplantation Laboratory, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Feng Shi Feng
- Department of General Surgery, Chengdu Public Health Clinical Medical Center, Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiayin Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery and Liver transplantation Laboratory, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China.
| | - Guo Wei
- Department of General Surgery, Chengdu Public Health Clinical Medical Center, Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China.
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Zaki MYW, Fathi AM, Samir S, Eldafashi N, William KY, Nazmy MH, Fathy M, Gill US, Shetty S. Innate and Adaptive Immunopathogeneses in Viral Hepatitis; Crucial Determinants of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:1255. [PMID: 35267563 PMCID: PMC8909759 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14051255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) infections remain the most common risk factors for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and their heterogeneous distribution influences the global prevalence of this common type of liver cancer. Typical hepatitis infection elicits various immune responses within the liver microenvironment, and viral persistence induces chronic liver inflammation and carcinogenesis. HBV is directly mutagenic but can also cause low-grade liver inflammation characterized by episodes of intermittent high-grade liver inflammation, liver fibrosis, and cirrhosis, which can progress to decompensated liver disease and HCC. Equally, the absence of key innate and adaptive immune responses in chronic HCV infection dampens viral eradication and induces an exhausted and immunosuppressive liver niche that favors HCC development and progression. The objectives of this review are to (i) discuss the epidemiological pattern of HBV and HCV infections, (ii) understand the host immune response to acute and chronic viral hepatitis, and (iii) explore the link between this diseased immune environment and the development and progression of HCC in preclinical models and HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Y. W. Zaki
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University, Minia 61732, Egypt; (A.M.F.); (N.E.); (M.H.N.); (M.F.)
- National Institute for Health Research Birmingham Liver Biomedical Research Unit and Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Ahmed M. Fathi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University, Minia 61732, Egypt; (A.M.F.); (N.E.); (M.H.N.); (M.F.)
| | - Samara Samir
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Sohag University, Sohag 82524, Egypt;
| | - Nardeen Eldafashi
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University, Minia 61732, Egypt; (A.M.F.); (N.E.); (M.H.N.); (M.F.)
| | - Kerolis Y. William
- Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt;
| | - Maiiada Hassan Nazmy
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University, Minia 61732, Egypt; (A.M.F.); (N.E.); (M.H.N.); (M.F.)
| | - Moustafa Fathy
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University, Minia 61732, Egypt; (A.M.F.); (N.E.); (M.H.N.); (M.F.)
| | - Upkar S. Gill
- Barts Liver Centre, Centre for Immunobiology, Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, QMUL, London E1 2AT, UK;
| | - Shishir Shetty
- National Institute for Health Research Birmingham Liver Biomedical Research Unit and Centre for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research, Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
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Therapeutic Vaccines against Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Era: Time for Neoantigens? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042022. [PMID: 35216137 PMCID: PMC8875127 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been used as immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with promising but still limited results. Identification of immune elements in the tumor microenvironment of individual HCC patients may help to understand the correlations of responses, as well as to design personalized therapies for non-responder patients. Immune-enhancing strategies, such as vaccination, would complement ICI in those individuals with poorly infiltrated tumors. The prominent role of responses against mutated tumor antigens (neoAgs) in ICI-based therapies suggests that boosting responses against these epitopes may specifically target tumor cells. In this review we summarize clinical vaccination trials carried out in HCC, the available information on potentially immunogenic neoAgs in HCC patients, and the most recent results of neoAg-based vaccines in other tumors. Despite the low/intermediate mutational burden observed in HCC, data obtained from neoAg-based vaccines in other tumors indicate that vaccines directed against these tumor-specific antigens would complement ICI in a subset of HCC patients.
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Identification of Immune-Related Prognostic mRNA and lncRNA in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:5313149. [PMID: 35027925 PMCID: PMC8752260 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5313149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Background As the most common hepatic malignancy, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a high incidence; therefore, in this paper, the immune-related genes were sought as biomarkers in liver cancer. Methods In this study, a differential expression analysis of lncRNA and mRNA in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset between the HCC group and the normal control group was performed. Enrichment analysis was used to screen immune-related differentially expressed genes. Cox regression analysis and survival analysis were used to determine prognostic genes of HCC, whose expression was detected by molecular experiments. Finally, important immune cells were identified by immune cell infiltration and detected by flow cytometry. Results Compared with the normal group, 1613 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRs) and 1237 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRs) were found in HCC. Among them, 143 immune-related DEmRs and 39 immune-related DElncRs were screened out. These genes were mainly related to MAPK cascade, PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, and TGF-beta. Through Cox regression analysis and survival analysis, MMP9, SPP1, HAGLR, LINC02202, and RP11-598F7.3 were finally determined as the potential diagnostic biomarkers for HCC. The gene expression was verified by RT-qPCR and western blot. In addition, CD4 + memory resting T cells and CD8 + T cells were identified as protective factors for overall survival of HCC, and they were found highly expressed in HCC through flow cytometry. Conclusion The study explored the dysregulation mechanism and potential biomarkers of immune-related genes and further identified the influence of immune cells on the prognosis of HCC, providing a theoretical basis for the prognosis prediction and immunotherapy in HCC patients.
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Mao T, Yang R, Luo Y, He K. Crucial role of T cells in NAFLD-related disease: A review and prospect. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1051076. [PMID: 36457551 PMCID: PMC9705593 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1051076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes a series of hepatic manifestations, starting with liver steatosis and potentially evolving towards nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, cirrhosis or even hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Its incidence is increasing worldwide. Several factors including metabolic dysfunction, oxidative stress, lipotoxicity contribute to the liver inflammation. Several immune cell-mediated inflammatory processes are involved in NAFLD in which T cells play a crucial part in the progression of the disease. In this review, we focus on the role of different subsets of both conventional and unconventional T cells in pathogenesis of NAFLD. Factors regarding inflammation and potential therapeutic approaches targeting immune cells in NASH are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyu Mao
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Yang
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Luo
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Kang He, ; Yi Luo,
| | - Kang He
- Department of Liver Surgery, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Transplantation and Immunology, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute of Transplantation, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Kang He, ; Yi Luo,
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Xia X, Tang P, Liu H, Li Y. Identification and Validation of an Immune-related Prognostic Signature for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2021; 9:798-808. [PMID: 34966643 PMCID: PMC8666365 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2021.00017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The immune system plays vital roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) initiation and progression. The present study aimed to construct an immune-gene related prognostic signature (IRPS) for predicting the prognosis of HCC patients. METHODS Gene expression data were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. The IRPS was established via least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The prognostic values of the IRPS were further validated using the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) dataset. RESULTS A total of 62 genes were identified as candidate immune-related prognostic genes. According to the results of Lasso and multivariate Cox regression analysis, we established an IRPS and confirmed its stability and reliability in the ICGC dataset. The IRPS was significantly associated with advanced clinicopathological characteristics. Both Cox regression analyses revealed that the IRPS could be independent risk factors influencing prognosis of HCC patients. The relationships between the IRPS and infiltration of immune cells demonstrated that the IRPS was associated with immune cell infiltration. Furthermore, a nomogram was constructed to estimate the survival probability of HCC patients. CONCLUSIONS The IRPS was effective for predicting prognosis of HCC patients, which might serve as novel prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Xia
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ping Tang
- Department of Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhuzhou, Hunan, China
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhuzhou, Hunan, China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, Hunan, China
- Correspondence to: Hui Liu, Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 95 Shaoshan Middle Road, Yuhua District, Changsha, Hunan 410007, China. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6559-1380. Tel: +86-731-89669124, Fax: +86-731-85600709, E-mail: ; Yuejun Li, Department of Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 571 Renmin Road, Lusong District, Zhuzhou, Hunan 412000, China. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5714-2323. Tel: +86-731-28290191, Fax: +86-731-28222092, E-mail:
| | - Yuejun Li
- Department of Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhuzhou, Hunan, China
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhuzhou, Hunan, China
- Correspondence to: Hui Liu, Department of Breast Surgery, The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 95 Shaoshan Middle Road, Yuhua District, Changsha, Hunan 410007, China. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6559-1380. Tel: +86-731-89669124, Fax: +86-731-85600709, E-mail: ; Yuejun Li, Department of Oncology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 571 Renmin Road, Lusong District, Zhuzhou, Hunan 412000, China. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5714-2323. Tel: +86-731-28290191, Fax: +86-731-28222092, E-mail:
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48
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Satilmis B, Sahin TT, Cicek E, Akbulut S, Yilmaz S. Hepatocellular Carcinoma Tumor Microenvironment and Its Implications in Terms of Anti-tumor Immunity: Future Perspectives for New Therapeutics. J Gastrointest Cancer 2021; 52:1198-1205. [PMID: 34625923 DOI: 10.1007/s12029-021-00725-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Hepatocellular cancer is an insidious tumor that is often diagnosed in a later stage of life. The tumor microenvironment is the key to tumorigenesis and progression. Many cellular and non-cellular components orchestrate the intricate process of hepatocarcinogenesis. The most important feature of hepatocellular cancer is the immune evasion process. The present review aims to summarize the key components of the tumor microenvironment in the immune evasion process. METHODS Google Scholar and PubMed databases have been searched for the mesh terms "Hepatocellular carcinoma" or "Liver Cancer" and "microenvironment." The articles were reviewed and the components of the tumor microenvironment were summarized. RESULTS The tumor microenvironment is composed of tumor cells and non-tumoral stromal and immune cells. HCC tumor microenvironment supports aggressive tumor behavior, provides immune evasion, and is an obstacle for current immunotherapeutic strategies. The components of the tumor microenvironment are intratumoral macrophages (tumor-associated macrophages (TAM)), bone marrow-derived suppressor cells, tumor-associated neutrophils (TAN), fibroblasts in the tumor microenvironment, and the activated hepatic stellate cells. CONCLUSION There are intricate mechanisms that drive hepatocarcinogenesis. The tumor microenvironment is at the center of all the complex and diverse mechanisms. Effective and multistep immunotherapies should be developed to target different components of the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Basri Satilmis
- Liver Transplant Institute and Faculty of Medicine Department of Surgery, Inonu University, Battalgazi, 44000, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Tevfik Tolga Sahin
- Liver Transplant Institute and Faculty of Medicine Department of Surgery, Inonu University, Battalgazi, 44000, Malatya, Turkey.
| | - Egemen Cicek
- Liver Transplant Institute and Faculty of Medicine Department of Surgery, Inonu University, Battalgazi, 44000, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Sami Akbulut
- Liver Transplant Institute and Faculty of Medicine Department of Surgery, Inonu University, Battalgazi, 44000, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Sezai Yilmaz
- Liver Transplant Institute and Faculty of Medicine Department of Surgery, Inonu University, Battalgazi, 44000, Malatya, Turkey
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49
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Grgurevic I, Bozin T, Mikus M, Kukla M, O’Beirne J. Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: From Epidemiology to Diagnostic Approach. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:5844. [PMID: 34830997 PMCID: PMC8616369 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13225844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming the leading cause of liver morbidity worldwide and, as such, represents the pathogenic background for the increasing incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The annual incidence of NAFLD-related HCC is expected to increase by 45-130% by 2030. Diabetes mellitus is the most important risk factor for HCC development in NAFLD, with the risk further increased when associated with other metabolic traits, such as obesity, arterial hypertension and dyslipidemia. The highest risk of HCC exists in patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis, although 20-50% of HCC cases arise in NAFLD patients with an absence of cirrhosis. This calls for further investigation of the pathogenic mechanisms that are involved in hepatocarcinogenesis, including genetics, metabolomics, the influence of the gut microbiota and immunological responses. Early identification of patients with or at risk of NAFLD is of utmost importance to improve outcomes. As NAFLD is highly prevalent in the community, the identification of cases should rely upon simple demographic and clinical characteristics. Once identified, these patients should then be evaluated for the presence of advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis and subsequently enter HCC surveillance programs if appropriate. A significant problem is the early recognition of non-cirrhotic NAFLD patients who will develop HCC, where new biomarkers and scores are potential solutions to tackle this issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivica Grgurevic
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Dubrava, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia;
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tonci Bozin
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Dubrava, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Mislav Mikus
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Michal Kukla
- Department of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30688 Cracow, Poland;
| | - James O’Beirne
- Department of Hepatology, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast 4556, Australia;
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50
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Qi J, Liu X, Yan P, He S, Lin Y, Huang Z, Zhang S, Xie S, Li Y, Lu X, Wu Y, Zhou Y, Yuan J, Cai T, Zheng X, Ding Y, Yang W. Analysis of Immune Landscape Reveals Prognostic Significance of Cytotoxic CD4 + T Cells in the Central Region of pMMR CRC. Front Oncol 2021; 11:724232. [PMID: 34631551 PMCID: PMC8493090 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.724232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mismatch repair proficient colorectal cancer (pMMR CRC) lacks effective treatments and has a poor prognosis, which can be attributed to the complexity of tumor microenvironment. The coordinated function of immune cells is vital to anti-tumor immunity. However, the spatial characteristics of immune cells in the pMMR CRC immune microenvironment and their relationship with clinical prognosis are not fully understood. Meanwhile, the immune modulatory effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT), which is the first-line treatment of pMMR CRC, needs further investigation. Therefore, this study aims to explore the spatial dynamics of immune cells and its prognostic value in pMMR CRC. Methods We analyzed the various immune cells in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissues which were collected from 77 patients with stage II/III of pMMR CRC, including 39 non-NCT treated and 38 NCT treated patients. We used the optimized multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) to identify and quantify the density, type and location of immune cells in pMMR CRC. Multivariate survival analysis was performed to assess the relationship of immune profiles and clinical prognosis of pMMR CRC patients. Results The densities of most T cell subsets, B cells and macrophages were higher in the central region of the pMMR CRC than in the invasion margin. Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), especially the infiltration of CD4+ GzmB+ T cells in the central region of the tumor was identified to be positively correlated with the prognosis of the patients. Multivariate analysis confirmed that CD4+ GzmB+ T cells population was an independent predictor of disease-free survival (DFS) in non-NCT group. Meanwhile, NCT enhanced the infiltration of CD4+ GzmB+ T cells in the central region of the pMMR CRC, which was also identified as an independent protective factor of overall survival (OS) and DFS in NCT group. Conclusion We demonstrated that the level of CD4+ GzmB+ T cells located in the center of tumor could provide great prognostic value for pMMR CRC patients. And the application of neoadjuvant chemotherapy further improves the infiltration of CD4+ GzmB+ T cells in the central compartment. Further studies into the application of CD4+ GzmB+ T cells in tumor immunotherapy are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Qi
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncologic Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyan Liu
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncologic Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Peian Yan
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncologic Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shangwen He
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuhao Lin
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiwei Huang
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shenyan Zhang
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncologic Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Siyu Xie
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncologic Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanfeng Li
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncologic Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaofei Lu
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncologic Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingjun Wu
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncologic Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yangshu Zhou
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncologic Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juanjuan Yuan
- Research Department of Medical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ting Cai
- Research Department of Medical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaojun Zheng
- Research Department of Medical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanqing Ding
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncologic Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Department of Pathology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncologic Pathology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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