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Hess J, Unger K, Maihoefer C, Schüttrumpf L, Weber P, Marschner S, Wintergerst L, Pflugradt U, Baumeister P, Walch A, Woischke C, Kirchner T, Werner M, Sörensen K, Baumann M, Tinhofer I, Combs SE, Debus J, Schäfer H, Krause M, Linge A, von der Grün J, Stuschke M, Zips D, Canis M, Lauber K, Ganswindt U, Henke M, Zitzelsberger H, Belka C. Integration of p16/HPV DNA Status with a 24-miRNA-Defined Molecular Phenotype Improves Clinically Relevant Stratification of Head and Neck Cancer Patients. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14153745. [PMID: 35954409 PMCID: PMC9367561 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14153745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Human papillomavirus (HPV)-driven head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), regarded as a distinct clinical entity, are characterized by a considerably favourable prognosis after radio(chemo)therapy and a not yet fully understood distinct molecular pathogenesis. We aimed to develop a miRNA-signature that identifies HPV-associated HNSCC according to their specific molecular pathogenesis, and to characterise the transcriptome compared to HPV-negative HNSCC. We performed miRNA expression profiling of n = 229 HPV characterized HNSCC specimens of patients treated by adjuvant radio(chemo) therapy. Using lasso-regression, a 24-miRNA signature predicting HPV-status was built in a multicentre cohort and validated in a single-centre cohort. Its combination with p16/HPV DNA status improved clinically relevant risk stratification, allowed the identification of an HPV-associated patient subgroup with impaired overall survival, and might be considered for future clinical decision-making. miRNA-transcriptome integration identified HPV-specific signaling pathways. Abstract Human papillomavirus (HPV)-driven head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) generally have a more favourable prognosis. We hypothesized that HPV-associated HNSCC may be identified by an miRNA-signature according to their specific molecular pathogenesis, and be characterized by a unique transcriptome compared to HPV-negative HNSCC. We performed miRNA expression profiling of two p16/HPV DNA characterized HNSCC cohorts of patients treated by adjuvant radio(chemo)therapy (multicentre DKTK-ROG n = 128, single-centre LMU-KKG n = 101). A linear model predicting HPV status built in DKTK-ROG using lasso-regression was tested in LMU-KKG. LMU-KKG tumours (n = 30) were transcriptome profiled for differential gene expression and miRNA-integration. A 24-miRNA signature predicted HPV-status with 94.53% accuracy (AUC: 0.99) in DKTK-ROG, and 86.14% (AUC: 0.86) in LMU-KKG. The prognostic values of 24-miRNA- and p16/HPV DNA status were comparable. Combining p16/HPV DNA and 24-miRNA status allowed patient sub-stratification and identification of an HPV-associated patient subgroup with impaired overall survival. HPV-positive tumours showed downregulated MAPK, Estrogen, EGFR, TGFbeta, WNT signaling activity. miRNA-mRNA integration revealed HPV-specific signaling pathway regulation, including PD−L1 expression/PD−1 checkpoint pathway in cancer in HPV-associated HNSCC. Integration of clinically established p16/HPV DNA with 24-miRNA signature status improved clinically relevant risk stratification, which might be considered for future clinical decision-making with respect to treatment de-escalation in HPV-associated HNSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Hess
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (K.U.); (P.W.); (L.W.); (H.Z.)
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (C.M.); (L.S.); (S.M.); (U.P.); (P.B.); (M.C.); (K.L.); (U.G.); (C.B.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-89-3187-3517
| | - Kristian Unger
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (K.U.); (P.W.); (L.W.); (H.Z.)
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (C.M.); (L.S.); (S.M.); (U.P.); (P.B.); (M.C.); (K.L.); (U.G.); (C.B.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Cornelius Maihoefer
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (C.M.); (L.S.); (S.M.); (U.P.); (P.B.); (M.C.); (K.L.); (U.G.); (C.B.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Lars Schüttrumpf
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (C.M.); (L.S.); (S.M.); (U.P.); (P.B.); (M.C.); (K.L.); (U.G.); (C.B.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Peter Weber
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (K.U.); (P.W.); (L.W.); (H.Z.)
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (C.M.); (L.S.); (S.M.); (U.P.); (P.B.); (M.C.); (K.L.); (U.G.); (C.B.)
| | - Sebastian Marschner
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (C.M.); (L.S.); (S.M.); (U.P.); (P.B.); (M.C.); (K.L.); (U.G.); (C.B.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Ludmila Wintergerst
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (K.U.); (P.W.); (L.W.); (H.Z.)
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (C.M.); (L.S.); (S.M.); (U.P.); (P.B.); (M.C.); (K.L.); (U.G.); (C.B.)
| | - Ulrike Pflugradt
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (C.M.); (L.S.); (S.M.); (U.P.); (P.B.); (M.C.); (K.L.); (U.G.); (C.B.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Philipp Baumeister
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (C.M.); (L.S.); (S.M.); (U.P.); (P.B.); (M.C.); (K.L.); (U.G.); (C.B.)
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Axel Walch
- Research Unit Analytical Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany;
| | - Christine Woischke
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (C.W.); (T.K.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Thomas Kirchner
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; (C.W.); (T.K.)
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Martin Werner
- Institute for Surgical Pathology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; (M.W.); (K.S.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (H.S.); (M.H.)
| | - Kristin Sörensen
- Institute for Surgical Pathology, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; (M.W.); (K.S.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (H.S.); (M.H.)
| | - Michael Baumann
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (M.B.); (M.K.); (A.L.)
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- OncoRay—National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01309 Dresden, Germany
| | - Ingeborg Tinhofer
- Department of Radiooncology and Radiotherapy, Charité University Hospital Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany;
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Berlin, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephanie E. Combs
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, 81675 Munich, Germany
- Institute of Radiation Medicine (IRM), Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Debus
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Heidelberg Ion Therapy Center (HIT), University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Heidelberg, and Clinical cooperation unit Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Henning Schäfer
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (H.S.); (M.H.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Mechthild Krause
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (M.B.); (M.K.); (A.L.)
- OncoRay—National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01309 Dresden, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden—Rossendorf, Institute of Radiooncology—OncoRay Dresden, 01328 Dresden, Germany
| | - Annett Linge
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Dresden, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (M.B.); (M.K.); (A.L.)
- OncoRay—National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01309 Dresden, Germany
- Department of Radiotherapy and Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), Partner Site Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jens von der Grün
- Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60596 Frankfurt, Germany;
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Stuschke
- Department of Radiotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany;
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Essen, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daniel Zips
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany;
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Tübingen, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Canis
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (C.M.); (L.S.); (S.M.); (U.P.); (P.B.); (M.C.); (K.L.); (U.G.); (C.B.)
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Kirsten Lauber
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (C.M.); (L.S.); (S.M.); (U.P.); (P.B.); (M.C.); (K.L.); (U.G.); (C.B.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Ute Ganswindt
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (C.M.); (L.S.); (S.M.); (U.P.); (P.B.); (M.C.); (K.L.); (U.G.); (C.B.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Department of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Innsbruck Medical University, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Michael Henke
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Freiburg, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; (H.S.); (M.H.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Horst Zitzelsberger
- Research Unit Radiation Cytogenetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (K.U.); (P.W.); (L.W.); (H.Z.)
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (C.M.); (L.S.); (S.M.); (U.P.); (P.B.); (M.C.); (K.L.); (U.G.); (C.B.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Claus Belka
- Clinical Cooperation Group “Personalized Radiotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer”, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health GmbH, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; (C.M.); (L.S.); (S.M.); (U.P.); (P.B.); (M.C.); (K.L.); (U.G.); (C.B.)
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
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