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Radermacher A, Fehrenz M, Bellin T, Claßen C, Möller L, Struckmeier AK, Wagner M, Wartenberg P, Moratin J, Freudlsperger C, Freier K, Horn D. HLA-E and Its Soluble Form as Indicators of a Sex-Specific Immune Response in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16699. [PMID: 38069020 PMCID: PMC10706335 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316699] [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: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The human leukocyte antigene E (HLA-E) is associated with tumorigenesis in various cancers. Immunoncology along with sex-specific aspects in cancer therapy are now in scientific focus. Therefore, immunohistochemical HLA-E expression was retrospectively analysed in a cohort of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) after surgical therapy. Then, serum concentration of HLA-E (sHLA-E) was quantified in a prospective cohort by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. High HLA-E expression was associated with advanced UICC stage (Spearman's correlation: p = 0.002) and worse survival (Cox-regression: progression-free survival: hazard ratio (HR) 3.129, confidence range (CI) 1.443-6.787, p = 0.004; overall survival: HR 2.328, CI 1.071-5.060, p = 0.033). The sHLA-E concentration was significantly higher in the control group than in tumor group (Mann-Whitney U-test (MW-U): p = 0.021). Within the tumor group, women showed significantly higher sHLA-E levels than men (MW-U: p = 0.049). A closer look at the tumor group and the control group showed that gender-specific differences exist: while no differences in sHLA-E concentration were detectable between female subjects of tumor group and control group (MW-U: p = 0.916), male subjects of tumor group had a significantly lower sHLA-E concentration compared to those of control group (MW-U: p = 0.001). In summary, our results provide evidence for sex-specific differences in immune responses in OSCC. This fact should be considered regarding future immunotherapy regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Radermacher
- Dentistry, Stomatology and Orthodontics, Chair of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Michael Fehrenz
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Tamara Bellin
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Carolina Claßen
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Laura Möller
- Dentistry, Stomatology and Orthodontics, Chair of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Ann-Kristin Struckmeier
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Mathias Wagner
- Department of Pathology, Saarland University Medical Center, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Wartenberg
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center for Molecular Signaling (PZMS), Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Julius Moratin
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Freudlsperger
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kolja Freier
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Horn
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Saarland University, 66421 Homburg, Germany
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2
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Kaulfuss M, Mietz J, Fabri A, Vom Berg J, Münz C, Chijioke O. The NK cell checkpoint NKG2A maintains expansion capacity of human NK cells. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10555. [PMID: 37386090 PMCID: PMC10310841 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37779-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Human natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic effector cells that are increasingly harnessed in cancer immunotherapy. NKG2A/CD94 is an inhibitory receptor on NK cells that has established regulatory functions in the direct interaction with target cells when engaged with its ligand, the non-classical HLA class I molecule HLA-E. Here, we confirmed NKG2A as a checkpoint molecule in primary human NK cells and identified a novel role for NKG2A in maintaining NK cell expansion capacity by dampening both proliferative activity and excessive activation-induced cell death. Maintenance of NK cell expansion capacity might contribute to the preferential accumulation of human NKG2A+ NK cells after hematopoietic cell transplantation and enrichment of functionally impaired NK cells in human cancers. Functional silencing of NKG2A for cancer immunotherapy is highly attractive but will need to consider that this might also lead to a reduced survival by driving activation-induced cell death in targeted NK cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meike Kaulfuss
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Juliane Mietz
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Astrid Fabri
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, University College London Division of Infection & Immunity, London, UK
| | - Johannes Vom Berg
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Zürich, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Christian Münz
- Viral Immunobiology, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Obinna Chijioke
- Cellular Immunotherapy, Institute of Experimental Immunology, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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3
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Dutta S, Ganguly A, Chatterjee K, Spada S, Mukherjee S. Targets of Immune Escape Mechanisms in Cancer: Basis for Development and Evolution of Cancer Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12020218. [PMID: 36829496 PMCID: PMC9952779 DOI: 10.3390/biology12020218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) has emerged as a novel therapeutic tool for cancer therapy in the last decade. Unfortunately, a small number of patients benefit from approved immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Therefore, multiple studies are being conducted to find new ICIs and combination strategies to improve the current ICIs. In this review, we discuss some approved immune checkpoints, such as PD-L1, PD-1, and CTLA-4, and also highlight newer emerging ICIs. For instance, HLA-E, overexpressed by tumor cells, represents an immune-suppressive feature by binding CD94/NKG2A, on NK and T cells. NKG2A blockade recruits CD8+ T cells and activates NK cells to decrease the tumor burden. NKG2D acts as an NK cell activating receptor that can also be a potential ICI. The adenosine A2A and A2B receptors, CD47-SIRPα, TIM-3, LAG-3, TIGIT, and VISTA are targets that also contribute to cancer immunoresistance and have been considered for clinical trials. Their antitumor immunosuppressive functions can be used to develop blocking antibodies. PARPs, mARTs, and B7-H3 are also other potential targets for immunosuppression. Additionally, miRNA, mRNA, and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated immunotherapeutic approaches are being investigated with great interest. Pre-clinical and clinical studies project these targets as potential immunotherapeutic candidates in different cancer types for their robust antitumor modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shovan Dutta
- The Center for Immunotherapy & Precision Immuno-Oncology (CITI), Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Anirban Ganguly
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Deoghar 814152, India
| | | | - Sheila Spada
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Correspondence: (S.S.); (S.M.)
| | - Sumit Mukherjee
- Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
- Correspondence: (S.S.); (S.M.)
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4
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Mele D, Pessino G, Trisolini G, Luchena A, Benazzo M, Morbini P, Mantovani S, Oliviero B, Mondelli MU, Varchetta S. Impaired intratumoral natural killer cell function in head and neck carcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:997806. [PMID: 36341402 PMCID: PMC9630640 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.997806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are emerging as unique players in the immune response against cancer; however, only limited data are available on tumor infiltrating NK cells in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), one of the most common cancer. Occurrence of HNSCC is closely related to the immune microenvironment, and immunotherapy is increasingly being applied to this setting. However, the limited success of this type of treatment in this tumor calls for further investigation in the field. Surgical HNSSC specimens of 32 consecutive patients were mechanically and enzymatically dissociated. Tumor cells were separated from infiltrating cells by short centrifugation and infiltrating NK cells were phenotypically and functionally characterized by multiple antibody staining and flow cytometry. Tumor infiltrating NK cells in HNSCC showed a peculiar phenotype predominantly characterized by increased NKG2A and reduced Siglec-7, NKG2D, NKp30 and CD16 expression. This phenotype was associated with a decreased ability to perform antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). However, NK, CD4 and CD8 shared an increment of glucocorticoid-induced tumor necrosis factor-related (GITR) costimulatory receptor which could be exploited for immunotherapy with agonistic anti-GITR antibodies combined with checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dalila Mele
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Greta Pessino
- Unit of Immunology and General Pathology, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Trisolini
- Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Alberto Luchena
- Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Marco Benazzo
- Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Department of Surgery, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Clinical, Surgical, Diagnostic and Pediatric Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Patrizia Morbini
- Pathology Unit, Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Pathology, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Stefania Mantovani
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Barbara Oliviero
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Mario U. Mondelli
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Internal Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- *Correspondence: Stefania Varchetta, ; Mario U. Mondelli,
| | - Stefania Varchetta
- Division of Clinical Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
- *Correspondence: Stefania Varchetta, ; Mario U. Mondelli,
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5
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Seliger B, Koehl U. Underlying mechanisms of evasion from NK cells as rational for improvement of NK cell-based immunotherapies. Front Immunol 2022; 13:910595. [PMID: 36045670 PMCID: PMC9422402 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.910595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells belong to the family of innate immune cells with the capacity to recognize and kill tumor cells. Different phenotypes and functional properties of NK cells have been described in tumor patients, which could be shaped by the tumor microenvironment. The discovery of HLA class I-specific inhibitory receptors controlling NK cell activity paved the way to the fundamental concept of modulating immune responses that are regulated by an array of inhibitory receptors, and emphasized the importance to explore the potential of NK cells in cancer therapy. Although a whole range of NK cell-based approaches are currently being developed, there are still major challenges that need to be overcome for improved efficacy of these therapies. These include escape of tumor cells from NK cell recognition due to their expression of inhibitory molecules, immune suppressive signals of NK cells, reduced NK cell infiltration of tumors, an immune suppressive micromilieu and limited in vivo persistence of NK cells. Therefore, this review provides an overview about the NK cell biology, alterations of NK cell activities, changes in tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment contributing to immune escape or immune surveillance by NK cells and their underlying molecular mechanisms as well as the current status and novel aspects of NK cell-based therapeutic strategies including their genetic engineering and their combination with conventional treatment options to overcome tumor-mediated evasion strategies and improve therapy efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
- *Correspondence: Barbara Seliger,
| | - Ulrike Koehl
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Cellular Therapeutics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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6
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Busà R, Bulati M, Badami E, Zito G, Maresca DC, Conaldi PG, Ercolano G, Ianaro A. Tissue-Resident Innate Immune Cell-Based Therapy: A Cornerstone of Immunotherapy Strategies for Cancer Treatment. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:907572. [PMID: 35757002 PMCID: PMC9221069 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.907572] [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: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has led to impressive advances in cancer treatment. Unfortunately, in a high percentage of patients is difficult to consistently restore immune responses to eradicate established tumors. It is well accepted that adaptive immune cells, such as B lymphocytes, CD4+ helper T lymphocytes, and CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs), are the most effective cells able to eliminate tumors. However, it has been recently reported that innate immune cells, including natural killer cells (NK), dendritic cells (DC), macrophages, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), represent important contributors to modulating the tumor microenvironment and shaping the adaptive tumor response. In fact, their role as a bridge to adaptive immunity, make them an attractive therapeutic target for cancer treatment. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the pleiotropic role of tissue-resident innate immune cells in different tumor contexts. In addition, we discuss how current and future therapeutic approaches targeting innate immune cells sustain the adaptive immune system in order to improve the efficacy of current tumor immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalia Busà
- Research Department, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IRCCS ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | - Matteo Bulati
- Research Department, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IRCCS ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | - Ester Badami
- Research Department, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IRCCS ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
- Ri.MED Foundation, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giovanni Zito
- Research Department, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IRCCS ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | | | - Pier Giulio Conaldi
- Research Department, Mediterranean Institute for Transplantation and Advanced Specialized Therapies (IRCCS ISMETT), Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ercolano
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- *Correspondence: Giuseppe Ercolano,
| | - Angela Ianaro
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Hrbac T, Kopkova A, Siegl F, Vecera M, Ruckova M, Kazda T, Jancalek R, Hendrych M, Hermanova M, Vybihal V, Fadrus P, Smrcka M, Sokol F, Kubes V, Lipina R, Slaby O, Kren L, Sana J. HLA-E and HLA-F Are Overexpressed in Glioblastoma and HLA-E Increased After Exposure to Ionizing Radiation. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2022; 19:151-162. [PMID: 35181585 PMCID: PMC8865046 DOI: 10.21873/cgp.20311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the deadliest human cancers responding very poorly to therapy. Although the central nervous system has been traditionally considered an immunologically privileged site with an enhanced immune response, GBM appears to benefit from this immunosuppressive milieu. Immunomodulatory molecules play an important role in immune tumor-host interactions. Non-classical human leukocyte antigens (HLA) class Ib molecules HLA-E, HLA-F, and HLA-G have been previously described to be involved in protecting semi-allogeneic fetal allografts from the maternal immune response and in transplant tolerance as well as tumoral immune escape. Unfortunately, their role in GBM remains poorly understood. Our study, therefore, aimed to characterize the relationship between the expression of these molecules in GBM on the transcriptional level and clinicopathological and molecular features of GBM as well as the effect of ionizing radiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed the analysis of HLA-E, HLA-F, and HLA-G mRNA expression in 69 GBM tissue samples and 21 non-tumor brain tissue samples (controls) by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, two primary GBM cell cultures had been irradiated to identify the effect of ionizing radiation on the expression of non-classical HLA molecules. RESULTS Analyses revealed that both HLA-E and HLA-F are significantly up-regulated in GBM samples. Subsequent survival analysis showed a significant association between low expression of HLA-E and shorter survival of GBM patients. The dysregulated expression of both molecules was also observed between patients with methylated and unmethylated O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter. Finally, we showed that ionizing radiation increased HLA-E expression level in GBM cells in vitro. CONCLUSION HLA-E and HLA-F play an important role in GBM biology and could be used as diagnostic biomarkers, and in the case of HLA-E also as a prognostic biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Hrbac
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Kopkova
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Frantisek Siegl
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Vecera
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Ruckova
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Kazda
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute and Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Jancalek
- Department of Neurosurgery, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Hendrych
- First Department of Pathology, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marketa Hermanova
- First Department of Pathology, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vaclav Vybihal
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Fadrus
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Smrcka
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Filip Sokol
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vaclav Kubes
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radim Lipina
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Ondrej Slaby
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Leos Kren
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic;
| | - Jiri Sana
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic;
- Department of Comprehensive Cancer Care, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, Czech Republic
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8
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Vuletić A, Mirjačić Martinović K, Tišma Miletić N, Zoidakis J, Castellvi-Bel S, Čavić M. Cross-Talk Between Tumor Cells Undergoing Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition and Natural Killer Cells in Tumor Microenvironment in Colorectal Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:750022. [PMID: 34858978 PMCID: PMC8631470 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.750022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells undergoing epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and immune cells in tumor microenvironment (TME) reciprocally influence each other. Immune cells, by supplying TME with bioactive molecules including cytokines, chemokines, enzymes, metabolites, and by physical interactions with tumor cells via their receptors, represent an important factor that affects EMT. Chronical inflammation in TME favorizes tumor growth and invasiveness and stimulates synthesis of EMT promoting transcription factors. Natural killer (NK) cells, owing to their unique ability to exert cytotoxic function independent of major histocompatibility (MHC)-mediated antigen presentation, play a significant role in the control of metastasis in colorectal cancer (CRC). Although, the cross-talk between immune cells and tumor cells in general favors the induction of EMT and inhibition of antitumor immune responses, there are some changes in the immunogenicity of tumor cells during EMT of CRC cells that increase their susceptibility to NK cell cytotoxic lysis. However, suppressive TME downmodulates the expression of activating NK cell receptors, decreases the expression of activating and increases the expression of inhibitory NK cell ligands on tumor cells, and impairs NK cell metabolism that altogether negatively affects the overall NK cell function. Furthermore, process of EMT is often associated with increased expression of programmed cell death ligand (PD-L) and expression of immune checkpoint molecules PD-1, TIGIT, and TIM3 on functionally exhausted NK cells in TME in CRC. In this review we discuss modalities of cross-talk between tumor cells and NK cells, with regard of EMT-driven changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Vuletić
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
| | | | - Nevena Tišma Miletić
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jerome Zoidakis
- Department of Biotechnology, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Sergi Castellvi-Bel
- Gastroenterology Department, Hospital Clínic, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Institut d'Investigacions Biomčdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Milena Čavić
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
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9
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Jiang Y, Zou Z, Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Sun Y, Liang B. Long-Term Outcomes of Radical Surgery for Transverse Colon Cancer Staged from I to IIIC. Cancer Manag Res 2020; 12:13043-13049. [PMID: 33376398 PMCID: PMC7765749 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s244777] [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: 01/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background No study has reported the risk factors associated with the prognosis of patients with transverse colon cancer. Therefore, we aimed to demonstrate the long-term outcomes of transverse colon cancer patients undergoing radical surgery and explore the prognostic factors. Materials and Methods The clinical data of a total of 366 patients with transverse colon cancer staged from I to IIIC undergoing radical surgery from February 1992 to May 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinicopathological features were recorded, and univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate the association between the factors and overall survival (OS) as well as disease-free survival (DFS). Kaplan–Meier curves were generated to assess the association between TNM stage and OS and DFS, respectively. Results The median follow-up time was 62 months, and the 5-year OS and DFS rates were 87.5% and 86.5%, respectively. In addition, a significant difference was also found in the OS and DFS curves according to TNM stage. The N classification, vascular invasion, differentiation, preoperative CA199, preoperative CA125 and preoperative AFP were significantly associated with OS according to univariate analysis, while N classification and differentiation were independent prognostic factors for OS according to multivariate analysis (both P < 0.05). Similarly, N classification, vascular invasion, differentiation, preoperative CA199, preoperative CA125, and preoperative AFP were statistically correlated with DFS according to univariate analysis, while N classification and preoperative CA199 were independent prognostic factors for DFS according to multivariate analysis (both P < 0.05). Conclusion N classification was an independent factor for both OS and DFS, while differentiation and CA199 were independent prognostic factors only for OS and DFS, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaofei Jiang
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China.,Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenhong Zou
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Zulei Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China.,Department of Cardiac Surgery, Ganzhou People's Hospital, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuting Sun
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Liang
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People's Republic of China
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10
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Cózar B, Greppi M, Carpentier S, Narni-Mancinelli E, Chiossone L, Vivier E. Tumor-Infiltrating Natural Killer Cells. Cancer Discov 2020; 11:34-44. [PMID: 33277307 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.cd-20-0655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 215] [Impact Index Per Article: 53.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Because of their potent antitumor activity and their proinflammatory role, natural killer (NK) cells are at the forefront of efforts to develop immuno-oncologic treatments. NK cells participate in immune responses to tumors by killing target cells and producing cytokines. However, in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, NK cells become dysfunctional through exposure to inhibitory molecules produced by cancer cells, leading to tumor escape. We provide an overview of what is known about NK tumor infiltration and surveillance and about the mechanisms by which NK cells become dysfunctional. SIGNIFICANCE: The functions of tumor-infiltrating NK cells may be impaired. This review aims to describe the various mechanisms by which tumors alter NK-cell functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz Cózar
- Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France
| | - Marco Greppi
- Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France.,Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | | | | | - Laura Chiossone
- Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France
| | - Eric Vivier
- Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France. .,Aix Marseille University, CNRS, INSERM, CIML, Marseille, France.,APHM, Hôpital de la Timone, Service d'Immunologie, Marseille-Immunopôle, Marseille, France
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11
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Characterization of HLA-G Regulation and HLA Expression in Breast Cancer and Malignant Melanoma Cell Lines upon IFN-γ Stimulation and Inhibition of DNA Methylation. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21124307. [PMID: 32560316 PMCID: PMC7352735 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The potential role of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-G as a target for new cancer immunotherapy drugs has increased the interest in the analysis of mechanisms by which HLA-G expression is regulated, and how the expression can be manipulated. We characterized HLA expression in breast cancer and malignant melanoma cell lines and investigated the induction of HLA-G expression by two distinct mechanisms: stimulation with interferon (IFN)-γ or inhibition of methylation by treatment with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC). The effect of IFN-γ and 5-aza-dC on HLA expression was dependent on the cancer cell lines studied. However, in general, surface expression of HLA class Ia was induced on all cell lines. Surface expression of HLA-G was inconclusive but induction of HLA-G mRNA was prevalent upon treatment with 5-aza-dC and a combination of IFN-γ and 5-aza-dC. IFN-γ alone failed to induce HLA-G expression in the HLA-G-negative cell lines. The results support that HLA-G expression is regulated partly by DNA methylation. Furthermore, IFN-γ may play a role in the maintenance of HLA-G expression rather than inducing expression. The study demonstrates the feasibility of manipulating HLA expression and contributes to the exploration of mechanisms that can be potential targets for immunotherapy in breast cancer and malignant melanoma.
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Kanevskiy L, Erokhina S, Kobyzeva P, Streltsova M, Sapozhnikov A, Kovalenko E. Dimorphism of HLA-E and its Disease Association. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20215496. [PMID: 31690066 PMCID: PMC6862560 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20215496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
HLA-E is a nonclassical member of the major histocompatibility complex class I gene locus. HLA-E protein shares a high level of homology with MHC Ia classical proteins: it has similar tertiary structure, associates with β2-microglobulin, and is able to present peptides to cytotoxic lymphocytes. The main function of HLA-E under normal conditions is to present peptides derived from the leader sequences of classical HLA class I proteins, thus serving for monitoring of expression of these molecules performed by cytotoxic lymphocytes. However, opposite to multiallelic classical MHC I genes, HLA-E in fact has only two alleles—HLA-E*01:01 and HLA-E*01:03—which differ by one nonsynonymous amino acid substitution at position 107, resulting in an arginine in HLA-E*01:01 (HLA-ER) and glycine in HLA-E*01:03 (HLA-EG). In contrast to HLA-ER,HLA-EG has higher affinity to peptide, higher surface expression, and higher thermal stability of the corresponding protein, and it is more ancient than HLA-ER, though both alleles are presented in human populations in nearly equal frequencies. In the current review, we aimed to uncover the reason of the expansion of the younger allele, HLA-ER, by analysis of associations of both HLA-E alleles with a number of diseases, including viral and bacterial infections, cancer, and autoimmune disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonid Kanevskiy
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 16/10, Miklukho-Maklaya St., Moscow 117997, Russia.
| | - Sofya Erokhina
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 16/10, Miklukho-Maklaya St., Moscow 117997, Russia.
| | - Polina Kobyzeva
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 16/10, Miklukho-Maklaya St., Moscow 117997, Russia.
| | - Maria Streltsova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 16/10, Miklukho-Maklaya St., Moscow 117997, Russia.
| | - Alexander Sapozhnikov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 16/10, Miklukho-Maklaya St., Moscow 117997, Russia.
| | - Elena Kovalenko
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 16/10, Miklukho-Maklaya St., Moscow 117997, Russia.
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Tinker AV, Hirte HW, Provencher D, Butler M, Ritter H, Tu D, Azim HA, Paralejas P, Grenier N, Hahn SA, Ramsahai J, Seymour L. Dose-Ranging and Cohort-Expansion Study of Monalizumab (IPH2201) in Patients with Advanced Gynecologic Malignancies: A Trial of the Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG): IND221. Clin Cancer Res 2019; 25:6052-6060. [PMID: 31308062 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-0298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 04/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Monalizumab binds CD94/NKG2A, preventing HLA-E inhibition of tumor lymphocytes. A dose-ranging/cohort expansion trial of monalizumab for recurrent gynecologic malignancies was conducted to determine the recommended phase II dose (RP2D) and to explore clinical activity, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, safety, and immunogenicity. PATIENTS AND METHODS Participants (and part 2 expansion cohorts) included (i) platinum-sensitive ovarian, (ii) platinum-resistant ovarian, (iii) squamous cervical (CX), and (iv) epithelial endometrial (END) carcinomas. Part 1 assessed monalizumab at 1, 4, or 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks. In part 2, ≥4 patients/cohort underwent pre- and on-treatment tumor biopsies. Preset criteria determined cohort expansion. RESULTS A total of 58 participants were evaluable. The RP2D was 10 mg/kg i.v. every 2 weeks. Dose proportionality and 100% NKG2A saturation were observed. Related adverse events were mild: headache, abdominal pain, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. Grade 3 related adverse events were nausea (1), vomiting (1), dehydration (1), fatigue (2), anorexia (1), dyspnea (1), and proctitis (1). Dose-limiting toxicities were not observed. Hematologic and biochemical changes were mild and not dose related. Best response was SD: part 1, 7 of 18 (39%) [3.4 months (1.4-5.5)], and part 2, 7 of 39 (18%) [1.7 months (CX) to 14.8 months (END)]. Neither a predictive biomarker for SD nor evidence of pharmacodynamic effects was identified. There was a trend to significance between a reduction in lymphocyte HLA-E total score and pharmacodynamics. CONCLUSIONS Monalizumab 10 mg/kg i.v. every 2 week is well tolerated in patients with pretreated gynecologic cancers. Short-term disease stabilization was observed. Future studies should assess combinations with other agents, including immunotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Marcus Butler
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Dongsheng Tu
- Canadian Cancer Trials Group, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hatem A Azim
- Innate Pharma, Research and Development, Marseille, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Lesley Seymour
- Canadian Cancer Trials Group, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
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Ravindranath MH, Filippone EJ, Devarajan A, Asgharzadeh S. Enhancing Natural Killer and CD8 + T Cell-Mediated Anticancer Cytotoxicity and Proliferation of CD8 + T Cells with HLA-E Monospecific Monoclonal Antibodies. Monoclon Antib Immunodiagn Immunother 2019; 38:38-59. [PMID: 31009335 PMCID: PMC6634170 DOI: 10.1089/mab.2018.0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytotoxic NK/CD8+ T cells interact with MHC-I ligands on tumor cells through either activating or inhibiting receptors. One of the inhibitory receptors is CD94/NKG2A. The NK/CD8+ T cell cytotoxic capability is lost when tumor-associated human leukocyte antigen, HLA-E, binds the CD94/NKG2A receptor, resulting in tumor progression and reduced survival. Failure of cancer patients to respond to natural killer (NK) cell therapies could be due to HLA-E overexpression in tumor tissues. Preventing the inhibitory receptor-ligand interaction by either receptor- or ligand-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is an innovative passive immunotherapeutic strategy for cancer. Since receptors and ligands can be monomeric or homo- or heterodimeric proteins, the efficacy of mAbs may rely on their ability to distinguish monospecific (private) functional epitopes from nonfunctional common (public) epitopes. We developed monospecific anti-HLA-E mAbs (e.g., TFL-033) that recognize only HLA-E-specific epitopes, but not epitopes shared with other HLA class-I loci as occurs with currently available polyreactive anti-HLA-E mAbs. Interestingly the amino acid sequences in the α1 and α2 helices of HLA-E, critical for the recognition of the mAb TFL-033, are strikingly the same sequences recognized by the CD94/NKG2A inhibitory receptors on NK/CD8+ cells. Such monospecific mAbs can block the CD94/NKG2A interaction with HLA-E to restore NK cell and CD8+ anticancer cell cytotoxicity. Furthermore, the HLA-E monospecific mAbs significantly promoted the proliferation of the CD4-/CD8+ T cells. These monospecific mAbs are also invaluable for the specific demonstration of HLA-E on tumor biopsies, potentially indicating those tumors most likely to respond to such therapy. Thus, they can be used to enhance passive immunotherapy once phased preclinical studies and clinical trials are completed. On principle, we postulate that NK cell passive immunotherapy should capitalize on both of these features of monospecific HLA-E mAbs, that is, the specific determination HLA-E expression on a particular tumor and the enhancement of NK cell/CD8+ cytotoxicity if HLA-E positive.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Edward J Filippone
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Asokan Devarajan
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Shahab Asgharzadeh
- Department of Pediatrics and Pathology, Children's Hospital, Keck School of Medicine, USC, Los Angeles, California
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15
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Versluis MAC, Marchal S, Plat A, de Bock GH, van Hall T, de Bruyn M, Hollema H, Nijman HW. The prognostic benefit of tumour-infiltrating Natural Killer cells in endometrial cancer is dependent on concurrent overexpression of Human Leucocyte Antigen-E in the tumour microenvironment. Eur J Cancer 2017; 86:285-295. [PMID: 29059634 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2017.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human Leucocyte Antigen- E (HLA-E) has been reported as both a positive and negative prognostic marker in cancer. This apparent discrepancy may be due to opposing actions of HLA-E on tumour-infiltrating immune cells. Therefore, we evaluated HLA-E expression and survival in relation to the presence of intratumoural natural killer (NK) cells and cytotoxic T cells (CTLs). METHODS Tissue microarrays (TMAs) of endometrial tumours were used for immunohistochemical staining of parameters of interest. The combined impact of clinical, pathological and immune parameters on survival was analysed using log rank testing and Cox regression analyses. RESULTS Upregulation of HLA-E was associated with an improved disease-free and disease-specific survival in univariate analysis (HR 0.58 95% CI 0.37-0.89; HR 0.42 95% CI 0.25-0.73, respectively). In multivariate analysis, the presence of NK cells predicts survival with a hazard ratio (HR) 0.28 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.09-0.91) when HLA-E expression is upregulated; but it is associated with a worse prognosis when HLA-E expression is normal (HR 13.43, 95% CI 1.70-106.14). By contrast, the prognostic benefit of T cells was not modulated by HLA-E expression. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, we demonstrate that the prognostic benefit of NK cells, but not T-cells, is influenced by HLA-E expression in endometrial cancer (EC) and propose a model to explain our observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A C Versluis
- Department of Gynaecology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - S Marchal
- Department of Gynaecology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - A Plat
- Department of Gynaecology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - G H de Bock
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - T van Hall
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - M de Bruyn
- Department of Gynaecology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - H Hollema
- Department of Pathology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - H W Nijman
- Department of Gynaecology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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16
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Gonçalves AS, Mosconi C, Jaeger F, Wastowski IJ, Aguiar MCF, Silva TA, Ribeiro-Rotta RF, Costa NL, Batista AC. Overexpression of immunomodulatory mediators in oral precancerous lesions. Hum Immunol 2017; 78:752-757. [PMID: 28941745 DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2017.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) G and E, programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1), IL-10 and TGF-β are proteins involved in failure of the antitumor immune response. We investigated the expression of these immunomodulatory mediators in oral precancerous lesions (oral leukoplakia-OL; n=80) and whether these molecules were related to the risk of malignant transformation. Samples of normal mucosa (n=20) and oral squamous cells carcinoma (OSCC, n=20) were included as controls. Tissue and saliva samples were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and ELISA respectively. Fifteen OL samples showed severe dysplasia (18.7%) and 40 samples (50%) presented combined high Ki-67/p53. Irrespective of the degree of epithelial dysplasia and the proliferation/apoptosis index of OL, the expression of HLA-G, -E, PD-L1, IL-10, TGF-β2 and -β3 was higher to control (P<0.05) and similar to OSCC (P>0.05). The number of granzyme B+ cells in OL was similar to control (P=0.28) and lower compared to OSCC (P<0.01). Salivary concentrations of sHLA-G, IL-10 and TGF-β did not allow for a distinction between OL and healthy individuals. Overexpression of immunosuppressive mediators in the OL reflects the immune evasion potential of this lesion, which is apparently independent of at cytological and proliferation/apoptosis status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andréia Souza Gonçalves
- Department of Stomatology (Oral Pathology), Dental School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
| | - Carla Mosconi
- Department of Stomatology (Oral Pathology), Dental School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
| | - Filipe Jaeger
- Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology, Dental School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
| | | | - Maria Cássia Ferreira Aguiar
- Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology, Dental School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
| | - Tarcília Aparecida Silva
- Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology, Dental School, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
| | | | - Nádia Lago Costa
- Department of Stomatology (Oral Medicine), Dental School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
| | - Aline Carvalho Batista
- Department of Stomatology (Oral Pathology), Dental School, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil.
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Huang R, Zhang D, Li F, Xiao Z, Wu M, Shi D, Xiang P, Bao Z. Loss of Fas expression and high expression of HLA-E promoting the immune escape of early colorectal cancer cells. Oncol Lett 2017; 13:3379-3386. [PMID: 28521443 PMCID: PMC5431327 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2017.5891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have investigated the mechanisms of immune evasion of tumor cells in numerous types of advanced solid malignant tumor, and several types of immune preparations have been administered as antitumor adjuvant therapies. However, in the majority of studies, the efficacy of therapies has been revealed to be limited. The present study aimed to investigate the immune evasion mechanisms employed by early colorectal cancer cells and the expression of the molecules associated with immune evasion during the malignant transformation process of normal colorectal epithelial cells to measure the effects of immune intervention for early colorectal cancer, and to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy. A total of 60 colorectal tissues, including 15 normal mucosa, 15 adenoma, 15 early cancer and 15 advanced cancer tissues, from patients undergoing endoscopic procedures in Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University (Shanghai, China) were collected. A comparison of baseline characteristics among these four groups was performed. The expression levels of human leukocyte antigen-A (HLA-A), apoptosis antigen 1 (Fas), c-c chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5), Fas ligand (FasL) and HLA-E in each group were detected by immunohistochemical analysis. Furthermore, 15 patients with advanced colorectal cancer were enrolled into the present study. Advanced cancer and paracancer tissues (normal mucosal tissues 3 cm away from the margin of cancer tissues) were collected from each patient by colonoscopic biopsy. The expression levels of HLA-A, Fas, CCR5, FasL and HLA-E in each group were detected by western blot analysis. During the malignant transformation process of normal colorectal epithelial cells, the expression levels of CCR5, FasL and HLA-E increased significantly (P<0.001), whilst the expression levels of Fas reduced significantly (P=0.0271). In the early cancer group, the expression levels of Fas reduced significantly (P=0.0239), whilst the expression levels of HLA-E increased significantly (P<0.001) compared with adenoma group. In conclusion, a loss of Fas expression and high expression levels of HLA-E may promote the immune evasion of early colorectal cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renxiang Huang
- Digestive Endoscopy Center, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, P.R. China
| | - Dongyang Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China
| | - Feng Li
- Digestive Endoscopy Center, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, P.R. China
| | - Zili Xiao
- Digestive Endoscopy Center, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, P.R. China
| | - Meiling Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China
| | - Dongyun Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China
| | - Ping Xiang
- Digestive Endoscopy Center, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, P.R. China
| | - Zhijun Bao
- Digestive Endoscopy Center, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, P.R. China
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Pardieck IN, Jawahier PA, Swets M, van de Velde CJH, Kuppen PJK. Novel avenues in immunotherapies for colorectal cancer. Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2016; 10:465-80. [PMID: 26582071 DOI: 10.1586/17474124.2016.1122522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Since it is known that the immune system affects tumor growth, it has been studied if immunotherapy can be developed to combat cancer. While some successes have been claimed, the increasing knowledge on tumor-immune interactions has, however, also shown the limitations of this approach. Tumors may show selective outgrowth of cells escaped from immune control. Escape variants arise spontaneously due to the genetically instable nature of tumor cells. This is one of the most obvious limitations of cancer immunotherapy. However, new therapies are becoming available, designed to respond to tumor-immune escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris N Pardieck
- a Department of Surgery , Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Priscilla A Jawahier
- a Department of Surgery , Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden , The Netherlands
| | - Marloes Swets
- a Department of Surgery , Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden , The Netherlands
| | | | - Peter J K Kuppen
- a Department of Surgery , Leiden University Medical Center , Leiden , The Netherlands
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19
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Seliger B, Jasinski-Bergner S, Quandt D, Stoehr C, Bukur J, Wach S, Legal W, Taubert H, Wullich B, Hartmann A. HLA-E expression and its clinical relevance in human renal cell carcinoma. Oncotarget 2016; 7:67360-67372. [PMID: 27589686 PMCID: PMC5341881 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.11744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The non-classical human leukocyte antigen E (HLA-E) expression is frequently overexpressed in tumor diseases, transplants and virus-infected cells and represents an immunomodulatory molecule by binding to the receptors CD94/NKG2A, -B and -C on NK and T cells. Due to its immune suppressive features HLA-E expression might represent an important mechanism of tumors to escape immune surveillance.While an aberrant expression of the non-classical HLA-G antigen in human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been demonstrated to be associated with a worse outcome of patients and reduced sensitivity to immune effector cell-mediated cytotoxicity, the expression and function of HLA-E has not yet been analyzed in this tumor entity.Higher levels of HLA-E transcripts were detected in all RCC cell lines and tumor lesions, which were tested in comparison to normal kidney epithelium. Immunohistochemical staining of a tissue microarray (TMA) using the HLA-E-specific monoclonal antibody TFL-033 recognizing the cytoplasmic HLA-E α-chain as monomer revealed a heterogeneous HLA-E expression in RCC lesions with the highest frequency in chromophobe RCC when compared to other RCC subtypes. HLA-E expression did not correlate with the frequency of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and FoxP3+ immune cell infiltrations, but showed an inverse correlation with infiltrating CD56+ cells. In contrast to HLA-G, HLA-E expression in RCCs was not statistically significant associated with a decreased disease specific survival. These data suggest that HLA-E overexpression frequently occurs in RCC and correlates with reduced immunogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Seliger
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin-Luther-University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | | | - Dagmar Quandt
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin-Luther-University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Christine Stoehr
- Institute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Juergen Bukur
- Institute of Medical Immunology, Martin-Luther-University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany
| | - Sven Wach
- Clinics for Urology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Legal
- Clinics for Urology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Helge Taubert
- Clinics for Urology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Bernd Wullich
- Clinics for Urology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Arndt Hartmann
- Institute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
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20
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Zhen Z, Guo X, Liao R, Yang K, Ye L, You Z. Involvement of IL-10 and TGF-β in HLA-E-mediated neuroblastoma migration and invasion. Oncotarget 2016; 7:44340-44349. [PMID: 27322426 PMCID: PMC5190101 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-E is highly expressed in a variety of tumors and, in addition to immune escape, may promote tumor growth via other mechanisms. However, the role of HLA-E in neuroblastoma (NB) migration and invasion is unknown. In the present study, HLA-E expression in human NB tumors was measured by immunohistochemistry. The effect of HLA-E on NB cell migration and invasion was studied in vitro and in vivo, as well as the effect of HLA-E on natural killer (NK)-cell cytotoxicity. HLA-E was expressed in 70.2% of the NB tumor tissues examined. HLA-E expression by NB cells inhibited NK-cell cytotoxicity and induced the release of interleukin (IL)-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1. HLA-E and the released cytokines enhanced the ability of NB cells migration and invasion. NK cell infusion did not inhibit the growth of NB cells with high HLA-E expression but instead increased the number of metastatic cells in the bone marrow. Taken together, the results indicate that IL-10 and TGF-β are involved in HLA-E-mediated NB migration and invasion. Thus, HLA-E may be a new treatment target in NB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijun Zhen
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Xiaofang Guo
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Ru Liao
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Kaibin Yang
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Litong Ye
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Zhiyao You
- Department of Pediatric Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
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Douik H, Romdhane NA, Guemira F. Are HLA-E*0103 alleles predictive markers for nasopharyngeal cancer risk? Pathol Res Pract 2016; 212:345-9. [PMID: 26896927 DOI: 10.1016/j.prp.2016.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/26/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a particular entity of head neck cancer, tightly related to Epstein-Barr virus infection and thus to HLA genes. In this study, we aimed to analyze HLA-E polymorphism in NPC advent and prognosis. 130 unrelated patients with CNP and 180 unrelated and healthy controls were included in our study. HLA-E genotyping was performed by PCR/RFLP method; SPSS (13.0) was used for statistical analysis, and survival curbs were established with the "Kaplan-Meier" method (Log Rank<0.05). RESULTS We found a significant difference within HLA-E*103 variants between patients and controls: E*1031 and E*1032 were associated with CNP (OR=1.613, p=0.013 and OR=1.0809, p=0.055), and E*1033 with controls (OR=0.254, p<10(-4)). CONCLUSION Our study reveals that HLA-E polymorphism is associated with nasopharyngeal cancer. HLA-E expression studies could be used to understand the implication of E*103 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayet Douik
- Clinical Biology Department, Salah Azaiz Institute of Cancer, 1006 Bab Saadoun, Tunis, Tunisia.
| | - Neila Attia Romdhane
- Statistic and Epidemiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, 1007, Djebel Lakhdar, La Rabta, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Fethi Guemira
- Clinical Biology Department, Salah Azaiz Institute of Cancer, 1006 Bab Saadoun, Tunis, Tunisia
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Yazdi MT, van Riet S, van Schadewijk A, Fiocco M, van Hall T, Taube C, Hiemstra PS, van der burg SH. The positive prognostic effect of stromal CD8+ tumor-infiltrating T cells is restrained by the expression of HLA-E in non-small cell lung carcinoma. Oncotarget 2016; 7:3477-88. [PMID: 26658106 PMCID: PMC4823121 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.6506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells are associated with improved clinical outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here we studied their prognostic effect in the context of the expression of HLA molecules that are key in tumor recognition (HLA-A, B and C) or suppression of immunity (HLA-E) as this is still unknown. METHODS Tumor tissue of 197 patients with resected pulmonary adenocarcinoma was analyzed for the presence of CD8+ T cells and the expression of β2-microglobulin, HLA-A, HLA-B/C and HLA-E. The relation of these parameters with overall survival (OS) was assessed. RESULTS Loss and low expression of HLA-A or HLA-B/C was found in 44% and 75% of cases respectively. A high CD8+ tumor infiltration was strongly associated with clinical benefit only when the tumors retained good expression of HLA-A and HLA-B/C (p=0.004). In addition, more than 70% of the tumors were found to display a high expression of HLA-E. The expression of HLA-E by tumor cells was an independent negative prognostic factor for OS (p=0.031). Importantly, a dense stromal CD8+ T cell infiltration was strongly associated with improved OS only in HLA-E negative tumors (p=0.005) and its prognostic effect was completely abolished when tumors highly expressed HLA-E (p=0.989). CONCLUSIONS CD8+ T cell infiltration strongly contributes to a better prognosis in NSCLC when the tumor cells retain the expression of classical HLA class I and do not express HLA-E. Therefore, analysis of HLA-A, -B/C and HLA-E expression should be included as biomarkers to predict the response to immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sander van Riet
- Department of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Marta Fiocco
- Department of Medical Statistics and Bioinformatics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Institute of Mathematics, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Thorbald van Hall
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Taube
- Department of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Pieter S. Hiemstra
- Department of Pulmonology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd H. van der burg
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Zheng H, Lu R, Xie S, Wen X, Wang H, Gao X, Guo L. Human leukocyte antigen-E alleles and expression in patients with serous ovarian cancer. Cancer Sci 2015; 106:522-8. [PMID: 25711417 PMCID: PMC4452152 DOI: 10.1111/cas.12641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2014] [Revised: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Human leukocyte antigen-E (HLA-E) is one of the most extensively studied non-classical MHC class I molecules that is almost non-polymorphic. Only two alleles (HLA-E*0101 and HLA-E*0103) are found in worldwide populations, and suggested to be functional differences between these variants. The HLA-E molecule can contribute to the escape of cancer cells from host immune surveillance. However, it is still unknown whether HLA-E gene polymorphisms might play a role in cancer immune escape. To explore the association between HLA-E alleles and the susceptibility to serous ovarian cancer (SOC), 85 primary SOC patients and 100 healthy women were enrolled. Here, we indicated that high frequency of HLA-E*0103 allele existed in SOC patients by the allele-specific quantitative real-time PCR method. The levels of HLA-E protein expression in SOC patients with the HLA-E*0103 allele were higher than those with the HLA-E*0101 allele using immunohistochemistry analysis. The cell surface expression and functional differences between the two alleles were verified by K562 cells transfected with HLA-E*0101 or HLA-E*0103 allelic heavy chains. The HLA-E*0103 allele made the transfer of the HLA-E molecule to the cell surface easier, and HLA-E/peptides complex more stable. These differences ultimately influenced the function of natural killer cells, showing that the cells transfected with HLA-E*0103 allele inhibited natural killer cells to lysis. This study reveals a novel mechanism regarding the susceptibility to SOC, which is correlated with the HLA-E*0103 allele.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zheng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan UniversityShanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai, China
| | - Renquan Lu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan UniversityShanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai, China
| | - Suhong Xie
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan UniversityShanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai, China
| | - Xuemei Wen
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai, China
| | - Hongling Wang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai, China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan UniversityShanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai, China
| | - Lin Guo
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shanghai Cancer Center, Fudan UniversityShanghai, China
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan UniversityShanghai, China
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Guo ZY, Lv YG, Wang L, Shi SJ, Yang F, Zheng GX, Wen WH, Yang AG. Predictive value of HLA-G and HLA-E in the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients. Cell Immunol 2015; 293:10-6. [PMID: 25461612 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2014.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
HLA-G and HLA-E are non-classical HLA Ib molecules. Recently, increasingly more reports have shown that HLA-G is highly expressed in different malignancies. In this article, we detected the expression levels of HLA-G and HLA-E in primary colorectal cancer patients. Our results showed that 70.6% and 65.7% of the colorectal cancer tissues had positive HLA-G or HLA-E expression, respectively, and that 46.1% positively expressed both molecules. We also analyzed the correlations between the expression levels of HLA-G, HLA-E or both combined and the clinical outcomes of the patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis results showed that the expression levels of HLA-G or HLA-E alone and the combined expression of both molecules were all statistically correlated with the overall survival of colorectal cancer patients. Cox multivariate analysis showed that only HLA-G expression can serve as independent factor for OS. Our results also showed that the expression of HLA-E was significantly correlated with tumor metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhang-Yan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Immunology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Yong-Gang Lv
- Department of Endocrine Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Lei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Sheng-Jia Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Immunology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Guo-Xu Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Immunology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Wei-Hong Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Immunology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
| | - An-Gang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Immunology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
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Wieten L, Mahaweni NM, Voorter CEM, Bos GMJ, Tilanus MGJ. Clinical and immunological significance of HLA-E in stem cell transplantation and cancer. TISSUE ANTIGENS 2014; 84:523-35. [PMID: 25413103 DOI: 10.1111/tan.12478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Human leukocyte antigen-E (HLA-E) is a nonclassical HLA class I molecule that canonically binds peptides derived from the leader sequence of classical HLA class I. HLA-E can also bind peptides from stress protein [e.g. heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60)] and pathogens, illustrating the importance of HLA-E for anti-viral and anti-tumor immunity. Like classical HLA class I molecules, HLA-E is ubiquitously expressed, however, it is characterized by only a very limited sequence variability and two dominant protein forms have been described (HLA-E*01:01 and HLA-E*01:03). HLA-E influences both the innate and the adaptive arms of the immune system by the engagement of inhibitory (e.g. NKG2A) and activating receptors [e.g. αβ T cell receptor (αβTCR) or NKG2C] on NK cells and CD8 T cells. The effects of HLA-E on the cellular immune response are therefore complex and not completely understood yet. Here, we aim to provide an overview of the immunological and clinical relevance of HLA-E and HLA-E polymorphism in stem cell transplantation and in cancer. We review novel insights in the mechanism via which HLA-E expression levels are controlled and how the cellular immune response in transplantation and cancer is influenced by HLA-E.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Wieten
- Department of Transplantation Immunology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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