Serum IgG Is Associated With Risk of Melanoma in the Swedish AMORIS Study

Nutritional and immune-related indicators-based Nomogram for predicting overall survival of surgical oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is one of the most aggressive oral tumors. The aim of this study was to establish a nomogram to predict overall survival (OS) of TSCC patients after surgery. 169 TSCC patients who underwent surgical treatments in the Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College were included. A nomogram based on Cox regression analysis results was established and internally validated using bootstrap resampling method. pTNM stage, age and total protein, immunoglobulin G, factor B and red blood cell count were identified as independent prognostic factors to create the nomogram. The Akaike Information Criterion and Bayesian Information Criterion of the nomogram were lower than those of pTNM stage, indicating a better goodness-of-fit of the nomogram for predicting OS. The bootstrap-corrected concordance index of nomogram was higher than that of pTNM stage (0.794 vs. 0.665, p = 0.0008). The nomogram also had a good calibration and improved overall net benefit. Based on the cutoff value obtained from the nomogram, the proposed high-risk group had poorer OS than low-risk group (p < 0.0001). The nomogram based on nutritional and immune-related indicators represents a promising tool for outcome prediction of surgical OTSCC.

Antibodies as biomarkers for cancer risk: a systematic review

Increasing evidence has linked the humoral immune response with the development of various cancers. Therefore, there is growing interest in investigating the predictive value of antibodies to assess overall and tissue site-specific cancer risk. Given the large amount of antibody types and the broad scope of the search (i.e. cancer risk), the primary aim of this systematic review was to present an overview of the most researched antibodies (i.e. immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes (IgG, IgM, IgA, and IgE), tumour and self-antigen-reactive antibodies, infection-related antibodies) in relation to overall and site-specific cancer risk. We identified various antibody types that have been associated with the risk of cancer. While no significant associations were found for IgM serum levels, studies found an inconsistent association among IgE, IgA, and IgG serum levels in relation to cancer risk. When evaluating antibodies against infectious agents, most studies reported a positive link with specific cancers known to be associated with the specific agent recognized by serum antibodies (i.e. helicobacter pylori and gastric cancer, hepatitis B virus and hepatocellular carcinoma, and human papillomavirus and cervical cancer). Several reports identified autoantibodies, as single biomarkers (e.g. anti-p53, anti-MUC1, and anti-CA125) but especially in panels of multiple autoantibodies, to have potential as diagnostic biomarkers for specific cancer types. Overall, there is emerging evidence associating certain antibodies to cancer risk, especially immunoglobulin isotypes, tumour-associated antigen-specific, and self-reactive antibodies. Further experimental studies are necessary to assess the efficacy of specific antibodies as markers for the early diagnosis of cancer.

Nomogram based on clinical characteristics and serological inflammation markers to predict overall survival of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma patient after surgery

BACKGROUND

Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is a prevalent malignant disease that is characterized by high rates of metastasis and postoperative recurrence. The aim of this study was to establish a nomogram to predict the outcome of OTSCC patients after surgery.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 169 OTSCC patients who underwent treatments in the Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College from 2008 to 2019. The Cox regression analysis was performed to determine the independent prognostic factors associated with patient's overall survival (OS). A nomogram based on these prognostic factors was established and internally validated using a bootstrap resampling method.

RESULTS

Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed the independent prognostic factors for OS were TNM stage, age, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio and immunoglobulin G, all of which were identified to create the nomogram. The Akaike Information Criterion and Bayesian Information Criterion of the nomogram were lower than those of TNM stage (292.222 vs. 305.480; 298.444 vs. 307.036, respectively), indicating a better goodness-of-fit of the nomogram for predicting OS. The bootstrap-corrected of concordance index (C-index) of nomogram was 0.784 (95% CI 0.708-0.860), which was higher than that of TNM stage (0.685, 95% CI 0.603-0.767, P = 0.017). The results of time-dependent C-index for OS also showed that the nomogram had a better discriminative ability than that of TNM stage. The calibration curves of the nomogram showed good consistency between the probabilities and observed values. The decision curve analysis also revealed the potential clinical usefulness of the nomogram. Based on the cutoff value obtained from the nomogram, the proposed high-risk group had poorer OS than low-risk group (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

The nomogram based on clinical characteristics and serological inflammation markers might be useful for outcome prediction of OTSCC patient.

The Effect of Different Immunization Cycles of a Recombinant Mucin1-Maltose-Binding Protein Vaccine on T Cell Responses to B16-MUC1 Melanoma in Mice

We explored the effect of a recombinant mucin1-maltose-binding protein vaccine, including immunization cycles of recombinant mucin1-maltose-binding protein (MUC1-MBP) and CpG 2006 on T cell responses to human MUC1-overexpressing mouse melanoma B16 cells (B16-MUC1) melanoma in mice. We found that the vaccine had a significant antitumor effect, with the most obvious tumor-suppressive effect being observed in mice immunized five times. After more than five immunizations, the tumor inhibition rate decreased from 81.67% (five immunizations) to 43.67% (eight immunizations). To study the possible mechanism, Mucin-1(MUC1)-specific antibodies, IFN-γ secretion by lymphocytes, and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) cytotoxicity were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a real-time cell analyzer (RTCA). T cell subsets and immunosuppressive cells in the mouse spleen and tumor microenvironment were analyzed by FACS. These results showed that five immunizations activated MUC1-specific Th1 and CTL and reduced the ratio of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and Th17 in mice more significantly than eight immunizations, indicating that excessive frequency of the immune cycle leads to the increased numbers of immunosuppressive cells and decreased numbers of immunostimulatory cells, thereby inhibiting antitumor immune activity. This data provide an experimental foundation for the clinical application of a recombinant MUC1-MBP vaccine.