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Zhang L, Wang J, Guo Y, Yue H, Zhang M. The construction, validation and promotion of the nomogram prognosis prediction model of UCEC, and the experimental verification of the expression and knockdown of the key gene GPX4. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24415. [PMID: 38312660 PMCID: PMC10835249 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Adequate prognostic prediction of Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma (UCEC) is crucial for informing clinical decision-making. However, there is a scarcity of research on the utilization of a nomogram prognostic evaluation model that incorporates pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) in UCEC. Methods By analyzing data from UCEC patients in the TCGA database, four PRGs associated with prognosis were identified. Subsequently, a "risk score" was developed using these four PRGs and LASSO. Ordinary and web-based dynamic nomogram prognosis prediction models were constructed. The discrimination, calibration, clinical benefit, and promotional value of the selected GPX4 were validated. The expression level of GPX4 in UCEC cell lines was subsequently verified. The effects of GPX4 knock-down on the malignant biological behavior of UCEC cells were assessed. Results Four key PRGs and a "risk score" were identified, with the "risk score" calculated as (-0.4323) * GPX4 + (0.2385) * GSDME + (0.0525) * NLRP2 + (-0.3299) * NOD2. The nomogram prognosis prediction model, incorporating the "risk score," "age," and "FIGO stage," demonstrated moderate predictive performance (AUC >0.7), good calibration, and clinical significance for 1, 3, and 5-year survival. The web-based dynamic nomogram demonstrated significant promotional value (https://shibaolu.shinyapps.io/DynamicNomogramForUCEC/). UCEC cells exhibited abnormally elevated expression of GPX4, and the knockdown of GPX4 effectively suppressed malignant biological activities, including proliferation and migration, while inducing apoptosis. The findings from tumorigenic experiments conducted on nude mice further validated the results obtained from cellular experiments. Conclusion Following validation, the nomogram prognosis prediction model, which relies on four pivotal PRGs, demonstrated a high degree of accuracy in forecasting the precise probability of prognosis for patients with UCEC. Additionally, the web-based dynamic nomogram exhibited considerable potential for promotion. Notably, the key gene GPX4 exhibited characteristics of a potential oncogene in UCEC, as it facilitated malignant biological behavior and impeded apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindong Zhang
- Department of Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 7 Rehabilitation Front Street, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Jialin Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100000, China
| | - Yan Guo
- Department of Oncology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 7 Weiwu Street, Zhengzhou, 450003, China
| | - Haodi Yue
- Department of Center for Clinical Single Cell Biomedicine, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 7 Weiwu Street, Zhengzhou, 450003, China
| | - Mengjun Zhang
- Department of Gynecology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 7 Rehabilitation Front Street, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
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Mamat @ Yusof MN, Chew KT, Kampan NC, Shafiee MN. Expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in Endometrial Cancer: Molecular and Clinical Significance. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15233. [PMID: 37894913 PMCID: PMC10607163 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The landscape of diagnosing and treating endometrial cancer is undergoing a profound transformation due to the integration of molecular analysis and innovative therapeutic approaches. For several decades, the cornerstone treatments for endometrial cancer have included surgical resection, cytotoxic chemotherapy, hormonal therapy, and radiation therapy. However, in recent years, the concept of personalised medicine has gained momentum, reshaping the way clinicians approach cancer treatment. Tailoring treatments based on specific biomarkers has evolved into a standard practice in both initial and recurrent therapy protocols. This review aims to provide an in-depth exploration of the current state of molecular analysis and treatment strategies in the context of endometrial cancer, focusing on the immunological aspect of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. Furthermore, it seeks to shed light on emerging and innovative approaches that hold promise for the future modulation of endometrial cancer treatments. In essence, as researchers delve into the complex molecular landscape of endometrial cancer and harness the understanding of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis, we are paving the way for more targeted, effective, and personalised therapies that have the potential to significantly improve the outcomes and quality of life for patients with this challenging disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mohamad Nasir Shafiee
- Gynaecologic-Oncology Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
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Heinze K, Cairns ES, Thornton S, Harris B, Milne K, Grube M, Meyer C, Karnezis AN, Fereday S, Garsed DW, Leung SC, Chiu DS, Moubarak M, Harter P, Heitz F, McAlpine JN, DeFazio A, Bowtell DD, Goode EL, Pike M, Ramus SJ, Pearce CL, Staebler A, Köbel M, Kommoss S, Talhouk A, Nelson BH, Anglesio MS. The Prognostic Effect of Immune Cell Infiltration Depends on Molecular Subtype in Endometrioid Ovarian Carcinomas. Clin Cancer Res 2023; 29:3471-3483. [PMID: 37339172 PMCID: PMC10472107 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-22-3815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Endometrioid ovarian carcinoma (ENOC) is the second most-common type of ovarian carcinoma, comprising 10%-20% of cases. Recently, the study of ENOC has benefitted from comparisons to endometrial carcinomas including defining ENOC with four prognostic molecular subtypes. Each subtype suggests differential mechanisms of progression, although tumor-initiating events remain elusive. There is evidence that the ovarian microenvironment may be critical to early lesion establishment and progression. However, while immune infiltrates have been well studied in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, studies in ENOC are limited. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We report on 210 ENOC, with clinical follow-up and molecular subtype annotation. Using multiplex IHC and immunofluorescence, we examine the prevalence of T-cell lineage, B-cell lineage, macrophages, and populations with programmed cell death protein 1 or programmed death-ligand 1 across subtypes of ENOC. RESULTS Immune cell infiltrates in tumor epithelium and stroma showed higher densities in ENOC subtypes with known high mutation burden (POLEmut and MMRd). While molecular subtypes were prognostically significant, immune infiltrates were not (overall survival P > 0.2). Analysis by molecular subtype revealed that immune cell density was prognostically significant in only the no specific molecular profile (NSMP) subtype, where immune infiltrates lacking B cells (TILB minus) had inferior outcome (disease-specific survival: HR, 4.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-14.7; P < 0.05). Similar to endometrial carcinomas, molecular subtype stratification was generally superior to immune response in predicting outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Subtype stratification is critical for better understanding of ENOC, in particular the distribution and prognostic significance of immune cell infiltrates. The role of B cells in the immune response within NSMP tumors warrants further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolin Heinze
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- OVCARE - British Columbia's Gynecological Cancer Research Program, BC Cancer, Vancouver General Hospital, and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Evan S. Cairns
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Shelby Thornton
- OVCARE - British Columbia's Gynecological Cancer Research Program, BC Cancer, Vancouver General Hospital, and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology Core (MCIC), Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer, Victoria, Canada
| | - Bronwyn Harris
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology Core (MCIC), Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer, Victoria, Canada
| | - Katy Milne
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology Core (MCIC), Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer, Victoria, Canada
| | - Marcel Grube
- Department of Women's Health, Tübingen University Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Charlotte Meyer
- OVCARE - British Columbia's Gynecological Cancer Research Program, BC Cancer, Vancouver General Hospital, and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Women's Health, Tübingen University Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anthony N. Karnezis
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California
| | - Sian Fereday
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dale W. Garsed
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Samuel C.Y. Leung
- OVCARE - British Columbia's Gynecological Cancer Research Program, BC Cancer, Vancouver General Hospital, and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Derek S. Chiu
- OVCARE - British Columbia's Gynecological Cancer Research Program, BC Cancer, Vancouver General Hospital, and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Malak Moubarak
- Kliniken Essen Mitte, Department of Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Essen, Germany
| | - Philipp Harter
- Kliniken Essen Mitte, Department of Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Essen, Germany
| | - Florian Heitz
- Kliniken Essen Mitte, Department of Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Essen, Germany
- Department for Gynecology with the Center for Oncologic Surgery Charité Campus Virchow-Klinikum, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jessica N. McAlpine
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- OVCARE - British Columbia's Gynecological Cancer Research Program, BC Cancer, Vancouver General Hospital, and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Anna DeFazio
- Centre for Cancer Research, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Gynaecological Oncology, Westmead Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- The Daffodil Centre, The University of Sydney, a joint venture with Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David D.L. Bowtell
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ellen L. Goode
- Mayo Clinic, Department of Health Science Research, Division of Epidemiology, Rochester, Minnesota
| | - Malcolm Pike
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Susan J. Ramus
- School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Multidisciplinary Ovarian Cancer Outcomes Group (Consortium)
| | - C. Leigh Pearce
- Multidisciplinary Ovarian Cancer Outcomes Group (Consortium)
- School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Annette Staebler
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Martin Köbel
- Department of Pathology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Stefan Kommoss
- Department of Women's Health, Tübingen University Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Aline Talhouk
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- OVCARE - British Columbia's Gynecological Cancer Research Program, BC Cancer, Vancouver General Hospital, and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Brad H. Nelson
- OVCARE - British Columbia's Gynecological Cancer Research Program, BC Cancer, Vancouver General Hospital, and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Molecular and Cellular Immunology Core (MCIC), Deeley Research Centre, BC Cancer, Victoria, Canada
- Multidisciplinary Ovarian Cancer Outcomes Group (Consortium)
| | - Michael S. Anglesio
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- OVCARE - British Columbia's Gynecological Cancer Research Program, BC Cancer, Vancouver General Hospital, and the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Sulaiman R, De P, Aske JC, Lin X, Dale A, Koirala N, Gaster K, Espaillat LR, Starks D, Dey N. Tumor-TME Bipartite Landscape of PD-1/PD-L1 in Endometrial Cancers. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11079. [PMID: 37446260 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241311079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The bipartite landscape of tumor cells and stromal cells determines a tumor's response to treatment during disease management. In endometrial cancers (ECs), the mechanistic contribution of PD-L1/L2 and PD-1 signaling of the host's tumor microenvironment (TME) (CAF and immune cells) in the context of the tumor cells is elusive. To understand the tumor-stroma-immune crosstalk, we studied the compartmental pattern of PD-L1/L2 and PD-1 expression in EC tissues and their matched CAFs. Over 116 surgically resected tumors (T) and the tumor-adjacent normal tissues (N) were obtained from consented unselected consecutive patients. IHC was performed in T, N-epi-thelium, and the stromal mesenchymal environment (SME; mesenchyme) in the T and N tissues. The staining intensity and distribution patterns of PD-L1/L2 and PD-1 in the FFPE sections of T and N were evaluated by a pathologist using a standard scoring system of TPS and CPS. We tested the PD-L1/L2 and PD-1 immune landscape of tumor-TME pair and normal epithelial-stromal mesenchyme pairs from patients with different grades of disease vis-à-vis their CAF PD-L1 levels. We used qRT-PCR to determine the expressions of mRNAs, while the flow cytometry and ICC determined the level of expression of proteins. We observed higher levels of PD-L1 mRNA and protein expression in primary CAFs from the resected tumor tissue compared to the tumor-adjacent normal tissues. We also determined the expression of patients' soluble PD-L1/L2 as peripheral readouts of PD-L1/L2 and PD-1. As we evaluated the results in the context of their pathological parameters, such as grades, stages, lymphovascular invasion, percentage of myometrial invasion, and dMMR in patients, the dominance of PD-L1 expression in TME was positively correlated to the higher pathological grades of tumors, and its relationship with the dMMR. Since the neutralization of CD8-positive cytotoxic T-cells is PD-L1-dependent, our data indicate that irrespective of the PD-L1 positivity of tumor cells, the PD-L1-positive CAFs can play a critical role in bringing out an additional load of PD-L1 for an effective engagement of PD-1 within a tumor mass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raed Sulaiman
- Department of Pathology, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Pradip De
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Dakota SSOM, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
- Viecure, Greenwood Village, CO 80111, USA
| | - Jennifer C Aske
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Xiaoqian Lin
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Adam Dale
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Nischal Koirala
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Kris Gaster
- Assistant VP Outpatient Cancer Clinics, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Luis Rojas Espaillat
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - David Starks
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
| | - Nandini Dey
- Translational Oncology Laboratory, Avera Cancer Institute, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Dakota SSOM, Sioux Falls, SD 57108, USA
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Zhang G, Yin Z, Fang J, Wu A, Chen G, Cao K. Construction of the novel immune risk scoring system related to CD8 + T cells in uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma. Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:124. [PMID: 37349706 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-02966-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) is a gynecological malignant tumor with high incidence and poor prognosis. Although immunotherapy has brought significant survival benefits to advanced UCEC patients, traditional evaluation indicators cannot accurately identify all potential beneficiaries of immunotherapy. Consequently, it is necessary to construct a new scoring system to predict patient prognosis and responsiveness of immunotherapy. METHODS CIBERSORT combined with weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), non-negative matrix factorization (NMF), and random forest algorithms to screen the module associated with CD8+ T cells, and key genes related to prognosis were selected out by univariate, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and multivariate Cox regression analyses to develop the novel immune risk score (NIRS). Kaplan-Meier (K-M) analysis was used to compare the difference of survival between high- and low- NIRS groups. We also explored the correlations between NIRS, immune infiltration and immunotherapy, and three external validation sets were used to verify the predictive performance of NIRS. Furthermore, clinical subgroup analysis, mutation analysis, differential expression of immune checkpoints, and drug sensitivity analysis were performed to generate individualized treatments for patients with different risk scores. Finally, gene set variation analysis (GSVA) was conducted to explore the biological functions of NIRS, and qRT-PCR was applied to verify the differential expressions of three trait genes at cellular and tissue levels. RESULTS Among the modules clustered by WGCNA, the magenta module was most positively associated with CD8+ T cells. Three genes (CTSW, CD3D and CD48) were selected to construct NIRS after multiple screening procedures. NIRS was confirmed as an independent prognostic factor of UCEC, and patients with high NIRS had significantly worse prognosis compared to those with low NIRS. The high NIRS group showed lower levels of infiltrated immune cells, gene mutations, and expression of multiple immune checkpoints, indicating reduced sensitivity to immunotherapy. Three module genes were identified as protective factors positively correlated with the level of CD8+ T cells. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we constructed NIRS as a novel predictive signature of UCEC. NIRS not only differentiates patients with distinct prognoses and immune responsiveness, but also guides their therapeutic regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganghua Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhijing Yin
- Department of Oncology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jianing Fang
- Department of Oncology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Anshan Wu
- Zhuzhou Hospital Affiliated to Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Zhuzhou, China
| | - Guanjun Chen
- Department of Oncology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ke Cao
- Department of Oncology, Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
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López‐Janeiro Á, Villalba‐Esparza M, Brizzi ME, Jiménez‐Sánchez D, Ruz‐Caracuel I, Kadioglu E, Masetto I, Goubert V, Garcia‐Ros D, Melero I, Peláez‐García A, Hardisson D, de Andrea CE. The association between the tumor immune microenvironments and clinical outcome in low-grade, early-stage endometrial cancer patients. J Pathol 2022; 258:426-436. [PMID: 36169332 PMCID: PMC9828119 DOI: 10.1002/path.6012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Endometrial tumors show substantial heterogeneity in their immune microenvironment. This heterogeneity could be used to improve the accuracy of current outcome prediction tools. We assessed the immune microenvironment of 235 patients diagnosed with low-grade, early-stage endometrial cancer. Multiplex quantitative immunofluorescence was carried out to measure CD8, CD68, FOXP3, PD-1, and PD-L1 markers, as well as cytokeratin (CK), on tissue microarrays. Clustering results revealed five robust immune response patterns, each associated with specific immune populations, cell phenotypes, and cell spatial clustering. Most samples (69%) belonged to the immune-desert subtype, characterized by low immune cell densities. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL)-rich samples (4%) displayed high CD8+ T-cell infiltration, as well as a high percentage of CD8/PD-1+ cells. Immune-exclusion samples (19%) displayed the lowest CD8+ infiltration combined with high PD-L1 expression levels in CK+ tumor cells. In addition, they demonstrated high tumor cell spatial clustering as well as increased spatial proximity of CD8+ /PD-1+ and CK/PD-L1+ cells. FOXP3 and macrophage-rich phenotypes (3% and 4% of total samples) displayed relatively high levels of FOXP3+ regulatory T-cells and CD68+ macrophages, respectively. These phenotypes correlated with clinical outcomes, with immune-exclusion tumors showing an association with tumor relapse. When compared with prediction models built using routine pathological variables, models optimized with immune variables showed increased outcome prediction capacity (AUC = 0.89 versus 0.78) and stratification potential. The improved prediction capacity was independent of mismatch repair protein status and adjuvant radiotherapy treatment. Further, immunofluorescence results could be partially recapitulated using single-marker immunohistochemistry (IHC) performed on whole tissue sections. TIL-rich tumors demonstrated increased CD8+ T-cells by IHC, while immune-exclusion tumors displayed a lack of CD8+ T-cells and frequent expression of PD-L1 in tumor cells. Our results demonstrate the capability of the immune microenvironment to improve standard prediction tools in low-grade, early-stage endometrial carcinomas. © 2022 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro López‐Janeiro
- Department of PathologyHospital Universitario La Paz, IdiPAZMadridSpain,Present address:
Department of Pathology, Clínica Universidad de NavarraUniversity of NavarraPamplonaSpain
| | - María Villalba‐Esparza
- Department of Pathology, Clínica Universidad de NavarraUniversity of NavarraPamplonaSpain,Center for Biomedical Research in the Cancer Network (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer, CIBERONC)Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain
| | | | - Daniel Jiménez‐Sánchez
- Department of Pathology, Clínica Universidad de NavarraUniversity of NavarraPamplonaSpain
| | | | | | | | | | - David Garcia‐Ros
- Department of Pathology, Clínica Universidad de NavarraUniversity of NavarraPamplonaSpain
| | - Ignacio Melero
- Center for Biomedical Research in the Cancer Network (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer, CIBERONC)Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain,Department of Immunology and ImmunotherapyClínica Universidad de NavarraPamplonaSpain,Program of Immunology and ImmunotherapyCIMA Universidad de NavarraPamplonaSpain
| | - Alberto Peláez‐García
- Molecular Pathology and Therapeutic Targets GroupLa Paz University Hospital (IdiPAZ)MadridSpain
| | - David Hardisson
- Department of PathologyHospital Universitario La Paz, IdiPAZMadridSpain,Center for Biomedical Research in the Cancer Network (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer, CIBERONC)Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain,Molecular Pathology and Therapeutic Targets GroupLa Paz University Hospital (IdiPAZ)MadridSpain,Faculty of MedicineUniversidad Autónoma de MadridMadridSpain
| | - Carlos E de Andrea
- Department of Pathology, Clínica Universidad de NavarraUniversity of NavarraPamplonaSpain,Center for Biomedical Research in the Cancer Network (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer, CIBERONC)Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIMadridSpain
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Su P, An J, Yu L, Lei H, Huang L, Mao X, Sun P. Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Subsets as a Risk Predictor of Patients with Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer. J Inflamm Res 2022; 15:6153-6163. [DOI: 10.2147/jir.s388993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
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8
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Qu L, Jin J, Lou J, Qian C, Lin J, Xu A, Liu B, Zhang M, Tao H, Yu W. The nuclear transportation of PD-L1 and the function in tumor immunity and progression. Cancer Immunol Immunother 2022; 71:2313-2323. [DOI: 10.1007/s00262-022-03176-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/08/2022]
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9
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Mamat @ Yusof MN, Chew KT, Kampan N, Abd. Aziz NH, Md Zin RR, Tan GC, Shafiee MN. PD-L1 Expression in Endometrial Cancer and Its Association with Clinicopathological Features: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14163911. [PMID: 36010904 PMCID: PMC9405645 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14163911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In women, endometrial cancer is a crucial cancer cause-death, which is still not fully explored in its pathogenesis and immune system. Early detection is essential for proper treatment and follow-up in affected patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to pool the prevalence of PD-L1 in endometrial cancer and its association with clinicopathological features. The pooled prevalence of PD-L1 was 34.26% in tumour cells, and 51.39% in immune cells among endometrial cancer patients. There was significant association of PD-L1 expression in both tumour cells and immune cells with advanced stage endometrial cancer. The presence of lympho-vascular invasion and poor overall survival were also associated with PD-L1 expression in immune cells. These information enable clinicians to stratify endometrial cancer patients for anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immune therapy. Abstract Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common malignancies of the female genital tract and its current treatment mainly relies on surgical removal of the tumour bulk, followed by adjuvant radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy/hormonal therapy. However, the outcomes of these approaches are often unsatisfactory and are associated with severe toxicity and a higher recurrence rate of the disease. Thus, more clinical research exploring novel medical intervention is needed. Involvement of the immune pathway in cancer has become important and the finding of a high positive expression of programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in EC may offer a better targeted therapeutic approach. Numerous studies on the PD-L1 role in EC have been conducted, but the results remained inconclusive. Hence, this systematic review was conducted to provide an update and robust analysis in order to determine the pooled prevalence of PD-L1 expression in EC and evaluate its association with clinicopathological features in different focuses of tumour cells (TC) and immune cells (IC). A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Twelve articles between 2016 and 2021 with 3023 EC cases met the inclusion criteria. The effect of PD-L1 expression on the outcome parameters was estimated by the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each study. The pooled prevalence of PD-L1 was 34.26% and 51.39% in the tumour cell and immune cell, respectively, among women with EC. The PD-L1 expression was significantly associated with Stage III/IV disease (in both TC and IC) and correlated to the presence of lympho-vascular invasion in IC. However, the PD-L1 expression in TC was not associated with the age groups, histology types, myometrial invasion, and lympho-vascular invasion. In IC, PD-L1 expression was not associated with age group, histology type, and myometrial invasion. The meta-analysis survival outcomes of PD-L1 high expression had a significant association with worse OS in IC but not in TC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Nazzary Mamat @ Yusof
- Gynaecologic-Oncology Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Kah Teik Chew
- Gynaecologic-Oncology Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
- Correspondence:
| | - Nirmala Kampan
- Gynaecologic-Oncology Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Nor Haslinda Abd. Aziz
- Gynaecologic-Oncology Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Reena Rahayu Md Zin
- Department of Pathology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Geok Chin Tan
- Department of Pathology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Mohamad Nasir Shafiee
- Gynaecologic-Oncology Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
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10
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Li JJX, Ip PPC. Endometrial Cancer: An Update on Prognostic Pathologic Features and Clinically Relevant Biomarkers. Surg Pathol Clin 2022; 15:277-299. [PMID: 35715162 DOI: 10.1016/j.path.2022.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The prognosis of endometrial cancers has historically been determined by the evaluation of histologic typing, grading, and staging. Recently, molecular classification, pioneered by the 4 prognostic categories from The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network, has been shown to independently predict the outcome, correlate with biomarker expression, and predict response to adjuvant chemotherapy. In modern-day pathology practice, it has become necessary to integrate the time-honored prognostic pathologic features with molecular classification to optimize patient management. In this review, the significance of the molecular classification of endometrioid carcinomas, the application of practical diagnostic surrogate algorithms, and interpretation of test results will be addressed. Histologic features and theragnostic biomarkers will also be discussed in relation to the molecular subtypes of endometrial cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua J X Li
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Philip P C Ip
- Department of Pathology, School of Clinical Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, 102 Pok Fu Lam Road, Hong Kong SAR.
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11
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Zannoni GF, Bragantini E, Castiglione F, Fassan M, Troncone G, Inzani F, Pesci A, Santoro A, Fraggetta F. Current Prognostic and Predictive Biomarkers for Endometrial Cancer in Clinical Practice: Recommendations/Proposal from the Italian Study Group. Front Oncol 2022; 12:805613. [PMID: 35463299 PMCID: PMC9024340 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.805613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is the most common gynecological malignant disease in high-income countries, such as European countries and the USA. The 2020 edition of the World Health Organization (WHO) Classification of Tumors of the Female Genital Tract underlines the important clinical implications of the proposed new histomolecular classification system for ECs. In view of the substantial genetic and morphological heterogeneity in ECs, both classical pthological parameters and molecular classifiers have to be integrated in the pathology report. This review will focus on the most commonly adopted immunohistochemical and molecular biomarkers in daily clinical characterization of EC, referring to the most recent published recommendations, guidelines, and expert opinions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gian Franco Zannoni
- Unità di Ginecopatologia e Patologia Mammaria, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
- Istituto di Anatomia Patologica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Emma Bragantini
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Ospedale S. Chiara, Trento, Italy
| | - Francesca Castiglione
- Histopathology and Molecular Diagnostics, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Matteo Fassan
- Department of Medicine - DIMED, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Troncone
- Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Frediano Inzani
- Unità di Ginecopatologia e Patologia Mammaria, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Pesci
- Department of Pathology, Sacred Heart Hospital Don Calabria Negrar, Verona, Italy
| | - Angela Santoro
- Unità di Ginecopatologia e Patologia Mammaria, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna, del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Rome, Italy
| | - Filippo Fraggetta
- Pathology Unit, “Cannizzaro” Hospital, Catania, Italy
- Pathology Unit, “Gravina” Hospital, Caltagirone, Italy
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12
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da Silva JL, de Albuquerque LZ, Rodrigues FR, de Mesquita GG, Chaves CBP, Bonamino MH, de Melo AC. The prevalence and prognostic impact of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in uterine carcinosarcoma. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:1306. [PMID: 34876047 PMCID: PMC8650400 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-09026-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine the prevalence and prognostic role of tumor microenvironment (TME) markers in uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS) through immunohistochemical characterization. METHODS The internal database of our institution was queried out for women with UCS who underwent surgery and thereafter postoperative chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel between January 2012 and December 2017. Tissue microarrays containing surgical samples of UCS from 57 women were assessed by immunohistochemistry for CD3, CD4, CD8, FOXP3, PD-1, PD-L1, and PD-L2. RESULTS The mean age was 65.3 years (range, 49 to 79 years). For the epithelial component (E), CD3_E and CD4_E were highly expressed in 38 (66.7%) and in 40 (70.1%) patients, respectively, and were significantly associated with more advanced stages (p = 0.038 and p = 0.025, respectively). CD8_E was highly expressed in 42 (73.7%) patients, FOXP3_E 16 (28.1%), PD-1_E 35 (61.4%), PD-L1_E 27 (47.4%) and PD-L2_E 39 (68.4%). For the sarcomatous component (S), the prevalence of high expression was: CD3_S 6 (10.5%), CD4_S 20 (35.1%), CD8_S 44 (77.2%), FOXP3_S 8 (14%), PD-1_S 14 (24.6%), PD-L1_S 14 (24.6%) and PD-L2_S 8 (14%). By multivariate analysis, the CD8/FOXP3_S ratio (p = 0.026), CD4_E (p = 0.010), PD-L1_E (p = 0.013) and PD-L1_S (p = 0.008) markers significantly influenced progression-free survival. CD4/FOXP3_S ratio (p = 0.043), PD-1_E (p = 0.011), PD-L1_E (p = 0.036) and PD-L1_S (p = 0.028) had a significant association with overall survival. CONCLUSION Some differences in UCS clinical outcomes may be due to the subtype of TILs and PD-1/PD-L1 axis immune checkpoint signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse Lopes da Silva
- Division of Clinical Research and Technological Development, Brazilian National Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Gynecologic Oncology Section, Brazilian National Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
| | - Lucas Zanetti de Albuquerque
- Division of Clinical Research and Technological Development, Brazilian National Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Guilherme Gomes de Mesquita
- Division of Clinical Research and Technological Development, Brazilian National Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Division of Pathology, Brazilian National Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Cláudia Bessa Pereira Chaves
- Division of Clinical Research and Technological Development, Brazilian National Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Gynecologic Oncology Section, Brazilian National Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Martín Hernán Bonamino
- Immunology and Tumor Biology Program, Brazilian National Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Vice-Presidency of Research and Biological Collections (VPPCB), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Andreia Cristina de Melo
- Division of Clinical Research and Technological Development, Brazilian National Cancer Institute, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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13
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Differential Characteristics and Prognosis of PD-L1-Positive Endometrial Carcinomas: A Retrospective Chart Review. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11101047. [PMID: 34685418 PMCID: PMC8540374 DOI: 10.3390/life11101047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Women with endometrial carcinomas that express PD-L1 may respond better to immunotherapy. Our aim was to investigate the differential characteristics of PD-L1-positive endometrial carcinomas and the prognostic significance of PD-L1. We performed a retrospective chart review of 231 women with endometrial carcinomas who were managed at King Hussein Cancer Center (2007-2016) and performed immunohistochemistry for MLH1, PMS2, MSH2, MSH6, p53, and PD-L1. Overall, 89 cases (38.5%) were MMR-deficient. PD-L1 was expressed in 49 cases (21.2%) and its expression was significantly associated with MLH1/PMS2 deficiency (p = 0.044) but not MSH2/MSH6 deficiency (p = 0.59). p53 was mutant in 106 cases (46.5%), and its mutation was significantly associated with MMR proficiency (p < 0.001) but not PD-L1 expression (p = 0.78). In women with endometrioid adenocarcinomas, PD-L1 expression was significantly associated with the Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique (FIGO) grade (p = 0.008). Overall, PD-L1 expression did not significantly predict overall survival in unadjusted or adjusted analyses (p = 0.92 and 0.54, respectively). In conclusion, tumors with MLH1/PMS2 loss and high-grade endometrioid adenocarcinomas were more likely to express PD-L1 in tumor cells. Further research is required to investigate whether the presence of either characteristic signals a higher likelihood of a favorable response if immunotherapy is administered.
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14
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Zong L, Sun Z, Mo S, Lu Z, Yu S, Xiang Y, Chen J. PD-L1 expression in tumor cells is associated with a favorable prognosis in patients with high-risk endometrial cancer. Gynecol Oncol 2021; 162:631-637. [PMID: 34272092 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2021.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression patterns and define the associations among PD-L1, molecular subtypes, pathological features, and survival in a cohort of 833 patients with endometrial cancer, of whom approximately half had high-risk disease. METHODS Using direct sequencing of the polymerase epsilon (POLE) exonuclease domain as well as immunohistochemistry for mismatch repair (MMR) proteins (MLH1, PMS2, MSH2, and MSH6) and p53, we stratified endometrial cancers into four molecular subtypes: POLE ultramutated, MMR-deficient, p53-mutant, and non-specific molecular profile (NSMP). PD-L1 was detected via immunohistochemistry and evaluated in tumor cells (TCs) and immune cells (ICs) individually and using the combined positive score (CPS). RESULTS Positive PD-L1 staining in TCs (≥1%), ICs (≥1%), and in combination (CPS ≥1) was detected in 14.0%, 37.3%, and 45.1% of the samples, respectively. PD-L1 positivity in TCs was more frequent in high-grade than in low-grade tumors, while that in ICs was associated with lymphovascular space invasion, non-endometrioid histology, and deep myometrial invasion. PD-L1 expression in both TCs and ICs was more frequent in POLE ultramutated and MMR-deficient subtypes than in p53-mutant and NSMP subtypes. PD-L1 positivity in TCs, but not in ICs or combined (CPS), was associated with a favorable prognosis in patients with high-risk endometrial cancer. CONCLUSIONS The distribution and prognostic significance of PD-L1 in TCs versus ICs differ in patients with endometrial cancer, indicating that the separate assessment of PD-L1 in these cells (rather than determining the CPS) may be more relevant to selecting patients eligible for endometrial cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liju Zong
- Department of Pathology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China; Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China
| | - Zezheng Sun
- Department of Pathology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China
| | - Shengwei Mo
- Department of Pathology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China
| | - Zhaohui Lu
- Department of Pathology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China
| | - Shuangni Yu
- Department of Pathology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China.
| | - Yang Xiang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China.
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Pathology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, China.
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15
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Zhang C, Yang Q. Predictive Values of Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 Expression for Prognosis, Clinicopathological Factors, and Response to Programmed Cell Death-1/Programmed Cell Death-Ligand 1 Inhibitors in Patients With Gynecological Cancers: A Meta-Analysis. Front Oncol 2021; 10:572203. [PMID: 33634012 PMCID: PMC7901918 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.572203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The prognostic value of programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in gynecological cancers has been explored previously, but the conclusion remains controversial due to limited evidence. This study aimed to conduct an updated meta-analysis to re-investigate the predictive significance of PD-L1 expression. Methods PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases were searched. The associations between PD-L1 expression status and prognosis [overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), cancer-specific survival (CSS) or disease-free survival (DFS)], clinical parameters [FIGO stage, lymph node metastasis (LNM), tumor size, infiltration depth, lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) or grade] and response to anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment [objective response rate (ORR)] were analyzed by hazard ratios (HR) or relative risks (RR). Results Fifty-five studies were enrolled. Overall, high PD-L1 expression was not significantly associated with OS, PFS, RFS, CSS and DFS of gynecological cancers. However, subgroup analysis of studies with reported HR (HR = 1.27) and a cut-off value of 5% (HR = 2.10) suggested that high PD-L1 expression was correlated with a shorter OS of gynecological cancer patients. Further sub-subgroup analysis revealed that high PD-L1 expressed on tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TICs) predicted a favorable OS for ovarian (HR = 0.72), but a poor OS for cervical cancer (HR = 3.44). PD-L1 overexpression was also correlated with a lower OS rate in non-Asian endometrial cancer (HR = 1.60). High level of PD-L1 was only clinically correlated with a shorter PFS in Asian endometrial cancer (HR = 1.59). Furthermore, PD-L1-positivity was correlated with LNM (for overall, ovarian and endometrial cancer expressed on tumor cells), advanced FIGO stage (for overall, ovarian cancer expressed on tumor cells, endometrial cancer expressed on tumor cells and TICs), LVSI (for overall and endometrial cancer expressed on tumor cells and TICs), and increasing infiltration depth/high grade (only for endometrial cancer expressed on TICs). Patients with PD-L1-positivity may obtain more benefit from anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment than the negative group, showing a higher ORR (RR = 1.98), longer OS (HR = 0.34) and PFS (HR = 0.61). Conclusion Our findings suggest high PD-L1 expression may be a suitable biomarker for predicting the clinical outcomes in patients with gynecological cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning, China
| | - Qing Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning, China
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16
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Xu D, Dong P, Xiong Y, Chen R, Konno Y, Ihira K, Yue J, Watari H. PD-L1 Is a Tumor Suppressor in Aggressive Endometrial Cancer Cells and Its Expression Is Regulated by miR-216a and lncRNA MEG3. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:598205. [PMID: 33363153 PMCID: PMC7755603 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.598205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Poorly differentiated endometrioid adenocarcinoma and serous adenocarcinoma represent an aggressive subtype of endometrial cancer (EC). Programmed death-ligand-1 (PD-L1) was known to exhibit a tumor cell-intrinsic function in mediating immune-independent tumor progression. However, the functional relevance of tumor cell-intrinsic PD-L1 expression in aggressive EC cells and the mechanisms regulating its expression remain unknown. METHODS PD-L1 expression in 65 EC tissues and 18 normal endometrium samples was analyzed using immunohistochemical staining. The effects of PD-L1 on aggressive EC cell growth, migration and invasion were investigated by cell functional assays. Luciferase reporter assays were used to reveal the microRNA-216a (miR-216a)-dependent mechanism modulating the expression of PD-L1. RESULTS Positive PD-L1 expression was identified in 84% of benign cases but only in 12% of the EC samples, and the staining levels of PD-L1 in EC tissues were significantly lower than those in the normal tissues. Higher PD-L1 expression predicts favorable survival in EC. Ectopic expression of PD-L1 in aggressive EC cells results in decreased cell proliferation and the loss of mesenchymal phenotypes. Mechanistically, PD-L1 exerts the anti-tumor effects by downregulating MCL-1 expression. We found that PD-L1 levels in aggressive EC cells are regulated by miR-216a, which directly targets PD-L1. We further identified a mechanism whereby the long non-coding RNA MEG3 represses the expression of miR-216a, thereby leading to increased PD-L1 expression and significant inhibition of cell migration and invasion. CONCLUSION These results reveal an unappreciated tumor cell-intrinsic role for PD-L1 as a tumor suppressor in aggressive EC cells, and identify MEG3 and miR-216a as upstream regulators of PD-L1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daozhi Xu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Peixin Dong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Ying Xiong
- Department of Gynecology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Chen
- Department of Gynecology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yosuke Konno
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kei Ihira
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Junming Yue
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
- Center for Cancer Research, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Hidemichi Watari
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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17
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Drakes ML, Czerlanis CM, Stiff PJ. Immune Checkpoint Blockade in Gynecologic Cancers: State of Affairs. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12113301. [PMID: 33182298 PMCID: PMC7695253 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Most endometrial cancer patients are diagnosed at an early stage, receive standard treatment, and survive well. Ovarian cancer has no specific symptoms and usually escapes diagnosis until the patient has advanced disease. This disease results in the highest number of deaths of gynecologic cancers. Current treatments for gynecologic cancers in the advanced stage are not sufficiently effective for good outcome in most patients. This review discusses two novel treatments, which are immune checkpoint inhibitor antibodies that block immune checkpoint molecules cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) and programmed death-1 (PD-1) in patients. The antibody blocking of CTLA-4 or PD-1 alone is promising treatment for some categories of advanced disease endometrial cancer, but it has little effect against ovarian cancer. Our study primarily discusses the status of clinical trials for these two diseases and the biological parameters governing the different outcomes to these therapies. We also propose mechanisms whereby blocking CTLA-4 and PD-1 may be used in combination with other agents to give much better survival in advanced disease ovarian cancer patients. Abstract This review provides an update on the current use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in female gynecologic cancers, and it addresses the potential of these agents to provide therapy options for disease management and long-term remission in advanced disease patients, where surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation fail to meet this goal. The topic of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) blocking cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) and the programmed death-1 (PD-1) axis has come to the forefront of translational medicine over the last decade for several malignancies. The text will focus primarily on a discussion of ovarian cancer, which is the most frequent cause of death of gynecologic cancers; endometrial cancer, which is the most often diagnosed gynecologic cancer; and cervical cancer, which is the third most common female gynecologic malignancy, all of which unfavorably alter the lives of many women. We will address the critical factors that regulate the outcome of these cancer types to ICI therapy, the ongoing clinical trials in this area, as well as the adverse immune responses that impact the outcome of patients given ICI regimens.
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18
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Ma J, Zhang JK, Yang D, Ma XX. Identification of novel prognosis-related genes in the endometrial cancer immune microenvironment. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 12:22152-22173. [PMID: 33159014 PMCID: PMC7695382 DOI: 10.18632/aging.104083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The incidence of endometrial cancer is increasing each year, and treatment effects are poor for patients with advanced and specific subtypes. Exploring immune infiltration-related factors in endometrial cancer can aid in the prognosis of patients and provide new immunotherapy targets. We downloaded immune metagene and functional data of patients with different subtypes of endometrial cancer from The Cancer Genome Atlas database and selected the lymphocyte-specific kinase (LCK) metagene as a representative genetic marker of the immune microenvironment in endometrial cancer. The results showed that LCK metagene expression is related to the prognosis of patients with endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma subtypes and highly correlated with the PTEN and PIK3CA mutational status. A search for LCK-related modules returned seven independent genetic predictors of survival in patients with endometrial cancer. The TIMER algorithm showed that the expression of these seven genes was positively correlated with the infiltration levels of six types of immune cells. The diagnostic value of these markers was validated using real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemical methods. Our results identified CD74, HLA-DRB5, CD52, HLA-DPB1 and HLA-DRB1 as possible valuable genetic markers for the diagnosis and prognosis of endometrial cancer and provided a theoretical basis for immunotherapy targets for its clinical treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Jing-Kai Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Di Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Xiao-Xin Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
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19
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Chew M, Wong YP, Karim N, Mustangin M, Alfian N, Tan GC. Programmed Death Ligand 1: A Poor Prognostic Marker in Endometrial Carcinoma. Diagnostics (Basel) 2020; 10:diagnostics10060394. [PMID: 32545177 PMCID: PMC7345287 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10060394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometrial carcinoma is the only gynaecologic malignancy with a raising incidence and mortality, posing a major health concern worldwide. The upregulation of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) on tumour cells causes T-cell suppression, which impedes antitumour immunity, promotes immune cell evasion and enhances tumour survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate PD-L1 expression in endometrial carcinoma and to correlate it with survival rate. A total of 59 cases of endometrial carcinoma were evaluated. Thirty-two cases of non-neoplastic endometrial tissue were included as control. PD-L1 immunohistochemistry was performed on all cases. PD-L1 expression was evaluated on tumour cells and immune cells. PD-L1 was positive in 62.7% (37/59) and 28.8% (17/59) of immune cells and tumour cells, respectively. PD-L1 expression in immune cells was significantly higher in endometrial carcinoma than in non-neoplastic endometrium (p < 0.001). Among the patients with endometrial carcinoma, PD-L1 expression in tumour cells was significantly higher in patients who died (10/15, 66.7%) compared to those who survived (7/44, 15.9%) (p < 0.001). It is noteworthy to point out that the expression of PD-L1 in tumour cells was significantly associated with a poor survival. This suggests that immunomodulation using PD-L1 inhibitors may be useful in advanced endometrial carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mianxin Chew
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (M.C.); (Y.P.W.); (M.M.); (N.A.)
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Jalan Raja Ashman Shah, Ipoh 30450, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia;
| | - Yin Ping Wong
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (M.C.); (Y.P.W.); (M.M.); (N.A.)
| | - Norain Karim
- Department of Pathology, Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Jalan Raja Ashman Shah, Ipoh 30450, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia;
| | - Muaatamarulain Mustangin
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (M.C.); (Y.P.W.); (M.M.); (N.A.)
| | - Nurwardah Alfian
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (M.C.); (Y.P.W.); (M.M.); (N.A.)
| | - Geok Chin Tan
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia; (M.C.); (Y.P.W.); (M.M.); (N.A.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +60-391455362
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