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Hanamura T, Yokoyama K, Kitano S, Kagamu H, Yamashita M, Terao M, Okamura T, Kumaki N, Hozumi K, Iwamoto T, Honda C, Kurozumi S, Richer JK, Niikura N. Investigating the immunological function of alpha-2-glycoprotein 1, zinc-binding in regulating tumor response in the breast cancer microenvironment. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2024; 73:42. [PMID: 38349455 PMCID: PMC10864576 DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03629-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alpha-2-glycoprotein 1, zinc-binding (ZAG), a secreted protein encoded by the AZGP1 gene, is structurally similar to HLA class I. Despite its presumed immunological function, little is known about its role in tumor immunity. In this study, we thus aimed to determine the relationship between the expression of AZGP1/ZAG and the immunological profiles of breast cancer tissues at both the gene and protein level. METHODS Using a publicly available gene expression dataset from a large-scale breast cancer cohort, we conducted gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to screen the biological processes associated with AZGP1. We analyzed the correlation between AZGP1 expression and immune cell composition in breast cancer tissues, estimated using CIBERSORTx. Previously, we evaluated the infiltration of 11 types of immune cells for 45 breast cancer tissues using flow cytometry (FCM). ZAG expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry on these specimens and analyzed for its relationship with immune cell infiltration. The action of ZAG in M1/M2 polarization models using primary cultures of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)-derived macrophage (Mφ) was analyzed based on the expression of M1/M2 markers (CD86, CD80/CD163, MRC1) and HLA class I/II by FCM. RESULTS AZGP1 expression was negatively correlated with multiple immunological processes and specific immune cell infiltration including Mφ M1 using GSEA and CIBERSORTx. ZAG expression was associated with decreased infiltration of monocytes/macrophages, non-classical monocytes, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells in tumor tissues assessed using FCM. In in vitro analyses, ZAG decreased the expression of CD80, CD163, MRC1, and HLA classes I/II in the M1 polarization model and the expression of CD163 and MRC1 in the M2 polarization model. CONCLUSION ZAG is suggested to be a novel immunoregulatory factor affecting the Mφ phenotype in breast cancer tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toru Hanamura
- Department of Breast Oncology, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture, 259-1193, Japan.
| | - Kozue Yokoyama
- Department of Breast Oncology, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture, 259-1193, Japan
| | - Shigehisa Kitano
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy Development, Department of Advanced Medical Development, The Cancer Institute Hospital of JFCR, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kagamu
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, 1397-1, Yamane, Hidaka-shi, Saitama Prefecture, 350-1298, Japan
| | - Makiko Yamashita
- Division of Cancer Immunotherapy Development, Department of Advanced Medical Development, The Cancer Institute Hospital of JFCR, 3-8-31, Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, Japan
| | - Mayako Terao
- Department of Breast Oncology, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture, 259-1193, Japan
| | - Takuho Okamura
- Department of Breast Oncology, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture, 259-1193, Japan
| | - Nobue Kumaki
- Department of Pathology, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture, 259-1193, Japan
| | - Katsuto Hozumi
- Department of Immunology, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture, 259-1193, Japan
| | - Takayuki Iwamoto
- Kawasaki Medical School Hospital, Breast and Thyroid Surgery, 577 Matsushima, Kurashiki-shi, Okayama Prefecture, 701-0192, Japan
| | - Chikako Honda
- Department of General Surgical Science, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 39-22, Showa-Machi 3-Chome, Maebashi-shi, Gunma Prefecture, 371-8511, Japan
| | - Sasagu Kurozumi
- Department of Breast Surgery, International University of Health and Welfare, 4-3, Kozunomori, Narita-shi, Chiba Prefecture, 286-8686, Japan
| | - Jennifer K Richer
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12800 East 19th Avenue, Mailstop 8104, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Naoki Niikura
- Department of Breast Oncology, Tokai University School of Medicine, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture, 259-1193, Japan
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