Immune Infiltration Landscape in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Implications

MOICS, a novel classier deciphering immune heterogeneity and aid precise management of clear cell renal cell carcinoma at multiomics level

Recent studies have indicated that the tumor immune microenvironment plays a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). However, the characteristics and heterogeneity of tumor immunity in ccRCC, particularly at the multiomics level, remain poorly understood. We analyzed immune multiomics datasets to perform a consensus cluster analysis and validate the clustering results across multiple internal and external ccRCC datasets; and identified two distinctive immune phenotypes of ccRCC, which we named multiomics immune-based cancer subtype 1 (MOICS1) and subtype 2 (MOICS2). The former, MOICS1, is characterized by an immune-hot phenotype with poor clinical outcomes, marked by significant proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, fibroblasts, and high levels of immune inhibitory signatures; the latter, MOICS2, exhibits an immune-cold phenotype with favorable clinical characteristics, characterized by robust immune activity and high infiltration of endothelial cells and immune stimulatory signatures. Besides, a significant negative correlation between immune infiltration and angiogenesis were identified. We further explored the mechanisms underlying these differences, revealing that negatively regulated endopeptidase activity, activated cornification, and neutrophil degranulation may promote an immune-deficient phenotype, whereas enhanced monocyte recruitment could ameliorate this deficiency. Additionally, significant differences were observed in the genomic landscapes between the subtypes: MOICS1 exhibited mutations in TTN, BAP1, SETD2, MTOR, MUC16, CSMD3, and AKAP9, while MOICS2 was characterized by notable alterations in the TGF-β pathway. Overall, our work demonstrates that multi-immune omics remodeling analysis enhances the understanding of the immune heterogeneity in ccRCC and supports precise patient management.

Genomic and epigenomic integrative subtypes of renal cell carcinoma in a Japanese cohort

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) comprises several histological types characterised by different genomic and epigenomic aberrations; however, the molecular pathogenesis of each type still requires further exploration. We perform whole-genome sequencing of 128 Japanese RCC cases of different histology to elucidate the significant somatic alterations and mutagenesis processes. We also perform transcriptomic and epigenomic sequencing to identify distinguishing features, including assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq) and methyl sequencing. Genomic analysis reveals that the mutational signature differs among the histological types, suggesting that different carcinogenic factors drive each histology. From the ATAC-seq results, master transcription factors are identified for each histology. Furthermore, clear cell RCC is classified into three epi-subtypes, one of which expresses highly immune checkpoint molecules with frequent loss of chromosome 14q. These genomic and epigenomic features may lead to the development of effective therapeutic strategies for RCC.

Long-Term Survival of Patients with Stage T1N0M1 Renal Cell Carcinoma

Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is among the most lethal urological malignancies. However, small, localized RCCs (≤7 cm, stage T1) have an excellent prognosis. There is a rare patient subgroup diagnosed with synchronous distant metastasis (T1N0M1), of which very little is known in terms of survival outcomes and underlying disease biology. Herein, we examined the long-term survival of 27 patients with clear cell RCC (ccRCC) stage T1N0M1 in comparison to 18 patients without metastases (T1N0M0). Tumor tissue was stained by immunohistochemistry for CD8+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). As expected, patients with stage T1N0M1 showed a significantly worse median cancer specific survival (CSS; 2.8 years) than patients with stage T1N0M0 (17.7 years; HR 0.077; 95% CI, 0.022-0.262). However, eight patients (29.6%) with ccRCC stage T1N0M1 survived over five years, and three of those patients (11.1%) survived over a decade. Some of these patients benefitted from an intensified, multimodal treatment including metastasis-directed therapy. The number of CD8+ TILs was substantially higher in stage T1N0M1 ccRCCs than in stage T1N0M0 ccRCCs, suggesting a more aggressive tumor biology. In conclusion, long-term survival is possible in patients with ccRCC stage T1N0M1, with some patients benefitting from an intensified, multimodal treatment approach.

HAGLR, A Long Non-coding RNA of Potential Tumor Suppressive Function in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: Diagnostic and Prognostic Implications

Research works suggested the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in pathogenesis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). lncRNA HAGLR is studied in several malignancies, but not in ccRCC. From The Cancer Genome Atlas Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma (TCGA-KIRC) dataset, we analyzed molecular alterations of HAGLR and constructed a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network with related miRNAs and mRNAs. Gene Ontology analysis was done to identify important pathways enriched with HAGLR recovered mRNAs. Clinical importance of HAGLR and related mRNAs was assessed and, the impact of selected mRNA-encoding genes on tumor immune infiltration was studied using TIMER. HAGLR expression was reduced in ccRCC than in normal kidneys, and correlated significantly with gene promoter methylation. Low HAGLR level in tumors showed diagnostic potency, and was associated with clinicopathological parameters (stage/grade/metastasis) and poor patient survival. The HAGLR-associated ceRNA network constituted 13 miRNAs and 23 mRNAs differentially expressed in the TCGA-KIRC dataset. From HAGLR recovered mRNA-encoding genes, we developed a 5-gene (PAQR5, ARHGAP24, HABP4, PDLIM5, and RPS6KA2) prognostic signature in the training dataset and validated it in testing as well as entire datasets. The expression level of signature genes showed negative correlation with tumor infiltration of immune cells having adverse impact on ccRCC prognosis and also with tumor derived chemokines facilitating the infiltration. In conclusion, HAGLR seemed to play a tumor suppressive role in ccRCC. HAGLR and associated gene signature may have implementation in improving existing prognostic measure and developing effective immunotherapeutic strategies for ccRCC.

Single-cell landscape and spatial transcriptomic analysis reveals macrophage infiltration and glycolytic metabolism in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma

The present study investigates the clinical relevance of glycolytic factors, specifically PGAM1, in the tumor microenvironment of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC). Despite the established role of glycolytic metabolism in cancer pathophysiology, the prognostic implications and key targets in KIRC remain elusive. We analyzed GEO and TCGA datasets to identify DEGs in KIRC and studied their relationship with immune gene expression, survival, tumor stage, gene mutations, and infiltrating immune cells. We explored Pgam1 gene expression in different kidney regions using spatial transcriptomics after mouse kidney injury analysis. Single-cell RNA-sequencing was used to assess the association of PGAM1 with immune cells. Findings were validated with tumor specimens from 60 KIRC patients, correlating PGAM1 expression with clinicopathological features and prognosis using bioinformatics and immunohistochemistry. We demonstrated the expression of central gene regulators in renal cancer in relation to genetic variants, deletions, and tumor microenvironment. Mutations in these hub genes were positively associated with distinct immune cells in six different immune datasets and played a crucial role in immune cell infiltration in KIRC. Single-cell RNA-sequencing revealed that elevated PGAM1 was associated with immune cell infiltration, specifically macrophages. Furthermore, pharmacogenomic analysis of renal cancer cell lines indicated that inactivation of PGAM1 was associated with increased sensitivity to specific small-molecule drugs. Altered PGAM1 in KIRC is associated with disease progression and immune microenvironment. It has diagnostic and prognostic implications, indicating its potential in precision medicine and drug screening.

CBX3 promotes clear cell renal carcinoma through PI3K/AKT activation and aberrant immunity

BACKGROUND

A chromobox homologue 3 (CBX3) is elevated in various cancers and significantly contributes to the promotion of malignant behavior; despite this, its exact involvement in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is yet unknown.

METHODS

The Cancer Genome Atlas database served to evaluate CBX3 production and its connection to survival in patients with ccRCC. Our team evaluated the effects of knockdown of CBX3 levels in ccRCC cell populations using in vitro together with in vivo models. CBX3, proteins related to death, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins were measured in ccRCC cells using western blotting and immunohistochemical assays. Through the analysis of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and GeneOntology (GO) and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), the biological processes and signal pathways related to CBX3 expression were identified. Immune-related activity reduced by CBX3 was assessed using various online tools.

RESULTS

Both genomic and protein expression showed that CBX3 was upregulated in ccRCC. Further functional analyses revealed that CBX3 played a crucial role in enhancing cell growth, migration, and EMT in vitro along with in vivo. Moreover, the study results provided distinct mechanistic evidence that CBX3 exerts its pathological functions in ccRCC by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway. Finally, immunoassays revealed that CBX3, a possible biomarker of ccRCC, was significantly associated with immunity.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the overexpression of CBX3 promotes ccRCC advancement through PI3K/AKT activation and even immunological dysregulation, making it a potentially viable and beneficial therapeutic target.

MRPL12 Acts as A Novel Prognostic Biomarker Involved in Immune Cell Infiltration and Tumor Progression of Lung Adenocarcinoma

Mitochondrial ribosomal protein L7/L12 (MRPL12) is a member of the mitochondrial ribosomal proteins (MRPs). However, the biological function of MRPL12 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains unclear. The expression and prognostic value of MRPL12 in LUAD were systematically analyzed using UALCAN, TIMER, HPA, Kaplan-Meier plotter, and GEPIA databases. The relationship between MRPL12 and immune infiltrates was investigated using TIMER and TISIDB databases. The clinical significance of MRPL12 in LUAD patients was validated using a tissue microarray (TMA). Cellular functional experiments were carried out to examine the influences of MRPL12 knockdown on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. MRPL12 was significantly upregulated in LUAD samples, and high MRPL12 expression was correlated with worse prognosis. MRPL12 expression was markedly associated with immunomodulators, chemokines, and infiltration levels of multiple immune cells. Furthermore, TMA results confirm the upregulation of MRPL12 expression in LUAD, and MRPL12 was identified as an independent prognostic factor in LUAD patients. MRPL12 knockdown inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of LUAD cells. These data indicate that MRPL12 is a prognostic biomarker and correlated with immune infiltrates in LUAD. Therefore, MRPL12 shows potential as a therapeutic target for LUAD.

CBX Family Members in Two Major Subtypes of Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Comparative Bioinformatic Analysis

The biological function and clinical values of Chromobox (CBX) family proteins in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are still poorly investigated. This study aimed to compare the expression profiles and clinical relevance of CBXs between the two most frequent subtypes of RCC, clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC) and papillary renal cell carcinomas (pRCC), and to investigate whether CBXs would play a more or less similar role in the pathogenesis and progression of these RCC subtypes. Considering these two RCC populations in the TCGA database, we built a bioinformatics framework by integrating a computational pipeline with several online tools. CBXs showed a similar trend in ccRCC and pRCC tissues but with some features specific for each subtype. Specifically, the relative expressions of CBX3 and CBX2 were, respectively, the highest and lowest among all CBXs in both RCC subtypes. These data also found confirmation in cellular validation. Except for CBX4 and CBX8, all others were deregulated in the ccRCC subtype. CBX1, CBX6, and CBX7 were also significantly associated with the tumor stage. Further, low expression levels of CBX1, CBX5, CBX6, CBX7, and high expression of CBX8 were associated with poor prognosis. Otherwise, in the pRCC subtype, CBX2, CBX3, CBX7, and CBX8 were deregulated, and CBX2, CBX6, and CBX7 were associated with the tumor stage. In addition, in pRCC patients, low expression levels of CBX2, CBX4, and CBX7 were associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Similarly, CBX3, CBX6, and CBX7 presented the highest alteration rate in both subtypes and were found to be functionally related to histone binding, nuclear chromosomes, and heterochromatin. Furthermore, CBX gene expression levels correlated with immune cell infiltration, suggesting that CBXs might reflect the immune status of RCC subtypes. Our results highlight similarities and differences of CBXs within the two major RCC subtypes, providing new insights for future eligible biomarkers or possible molecular therapeutic targets for these diseases.

The relationship between systemic immune inflammation index and survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinomatreated withtyrosine kinase inhibitors

This study aims to investigate the prognostic value of the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII)and its impact on survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). A total of 706patients with mRCC treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs)between January 2007 and June 2020 (i.e., sunitinib, pazopanib) were included in this study. SII was calculated in 621 patients with the following formula:[neutrophil (cellsx10⁹/L) x platelet (cellsx10⁹/L)] / lymphocyte (cellsx10⁹/L).All patients were classified into SII-high and SII-low groups based on the cut-off value of SII at 756, which was the median SII level of our study group. The minimal follow-up duration was 10 months in all cohorts. The median age of patients was 60 (interquartile range (IQR):53–67) years. Three out of four patients were male. The majority of patients (85.7%) had clear cell histology, and sarcomatoid differentiation was observed in 16.9% of all patients. There were 311 and 310 patients in the SII-low and SII-high groups, respectively. In general, baseline characteristics were similar in each group. However, the rate of patients treated with sunitinib (63.3% vs. 49.0%, p < 0.001) and those who underwent nephrectomy (83.6% vs. 64.2%, p < 0.001) was higher in the SII-low group than in the SII-high group. On the other hand, patients with the IMDC poorrisk (31.6% vs. 8.0%, p < 0.001), those with bone (51.8% vs. 32.2%, p < 0.001) or central nervous system (12.9% vs. 5.8%, p = 0.026) metastasis, and those with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group(ECOG) 2–4 performance score (28.1% vs.17.7%, p = 0.002) were more common in the SII-high group than in the SII-low group. The median overall survival (OS) was longer in the SII-low group than in the SII-high group (34.6 months vs. 14.5 months, p < 0.001). Similarly, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was longer in the SII-low group than in the SII-high group (18.0 months vs. 7.7 months, p < 0.001).In multivariableanalysis, SII was an independent prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio (HR):1.39, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.05–1.85, p = 0.01) and PFS (HR:1.60, 95% CI:1.24–2.05, p < 0.001).Pre-treatment level of high SII might be considered a predictor of poor prognosisin patients with mRCC treated with TKIs.

Hepcidin as a prognostic biomarker in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a common malignancy of urologic neoplasms. Hepcidin is a pivotal modulator of iron metabolism involved in human cancers; however, the biological significance of hepcidin in ccRCC remains to be fully understood. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the expression profiles of hepcidin in ccRCC from several public databases and found that hepcidin expression was upregulated in ccRCC, which was further validated in ccRCC cell lines, clinical samples, and tissue microarray (TMA) quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. In addition, we found that the expression level of hepcidin was correlated with the age, T stage and pathologic stage of patients. Furthermore, hepcidin promoter methylation was significantly associated with the worse poor clinical parameters of ccRCC patients, and hepcidin was an independent prognostic factor. Mechanistically, enrichment analysis revealed that hepcidin participated in the immune-related and metabolism-related pathways. Hepcidin was positively correlated with not only immune infiltration and immune checkpoints but also tumor mutation burden and cytotoxic T lymphocyte. Finally, we validated the positive correlation of hepcidin with the marker of macrophage (CD68) in the TMA. Our findings provide insights into understanding the function and its underlying mechanism of hepcidin in ccRCC and suggest that hepcidin might serve as a potential predictive biomarker of response to immunotherapy and the prognosis of patients with ccRCC.

miR-21-5p/PRKCE axis implicated in immune infiltration and poor prognosis of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma

Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC or ccRCC) is the most notorious subtype of renal cell carcinoma for its poor prognosis. Mounting evidence has highlighted the key role of PRKCE in the initiation and development of several types of human cancer, including kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC). However, the mechanism of PRKCE aberrant expression and the specific clinical correlation of PRKCE expression with immune cell infiltration in KIRC remains elusive. Therefore, we analyzed the relationship between PRKCE and KIRC using many databases, including Oncomine, TCGA, GTEx, TIMER, and GEO. We found that PRKCE decreased in KIRC tumor tissue compared to normal tissue. The Kaplan-Meier Plotter analysis and Univariate and Multivariate Cox analyses were used to evaluate the association between PRKCE and clinicopathological variables and prognosis. Low PRKCE expression was associated with poor survival and histologic grade, T stage, pathologic stage, and M stage. Besides, the C-indexes and calibration plots of the nomogram based on multivariate analysis showed an effective predictive performance for KIRC patients. In addition, PRKCE may be positively correlated with inflammation and negatively correlated with proliferation, metastasis, and invasion as identified by CancerSEA. Moreover, overexpression of PRKCE suppressed ACHN and Caki-1 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Additionally, methylation level data acquired from UALCAN, DiseaseMeth, CCLE, LinkedOmics, and MEXPRESS was used to investigate the relationship between PRKCE expression and PRKCE methylation level. Furthermore, upstream potential miRNA predictions were further performed to explore the mechanism of PRKCE decreased expression in KIRC using multiple online databases available on publicly assessable bioinformatics platforms. High PRKCE methylation levels and hsa-miR-21-5p may contribute to PRKCE low expression in KIRC. Finally, an analysis of immune infiltration indicated that PRKCE was associated with immune cell infiltration. Importantly, PRKCE may affect prognosis partially by regulating immune infiltration in KIRC. In summary, PRKCE may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker reflecting immune infiltration level and a novel therapeutic target in KIRC.

Distribution of CD8 T Cells and NK Cells in the Stroma in Relation to Recurrence or Metastasis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Objective

The purpose of this study was to explore the expression and distribution of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) and their relationship with recurrence and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods

The gene expression profiles of NPC were downloaded from GEO database (GSE53819 and GSE64634). The abundance of TIICs in NPC samples was calculated by the CIBERSORT algorithm, and TIICs with higher expression were screened in NPC. Then, we performed immunohistochemistry experiments to evaluate the expression of selected TIICs in 94 NPC samples from the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University. We further explored the relationship between TIICs and recurrence and metastasis of NPC.

Results

The results based on the GEO database showed that the expression of CD8 T cells, NK cells, macrophages and plasma cells was higher than that in normal tissues. Immunohistochemistry results showed that CD8 T cells, NK cells, macrophages and plasma cells were mainly expressed in the stroma, and the expression of CD8 T cells and NK cells in the stroma of patients without recurrence or metastasis was significantly higher than that in patients with recurrence or metastasis of NPC. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients with high CD8 T cells and high NK cells expression in the stroma had favorable recurrence or metastasis-free survival and overall survival (P<0.05). Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses indicated that CD8 T cells and NK cells in the stroma were independent factors for the recurrence or metastasis of NPC.

Conclusion

The expression of CD8 T cells, NK cells, macrophages and plasma cells is significantly higher than that in normal tissues. Among them, the expression of CD8 T cells and NK cells is closely related to the recurrence and metastasis of NPC. They are independent factors affecting the recurrence and metastasis of NPC.

Identification of PLAUR-related ceRNA and immune prognostic signature for kidney renal clear cell carcinoma

Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) represents one of the most fatal cancers, usually showing malignant progression and a high tumor recurrence rate. The urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (PLAUR) plays a critical role in the initiation and progression of several cancers, including KIRC. However, the function and mechanism of PLAUR in patients with KIRC are still unclear and require further investigation. In the present study, we first explored the expression profile and prognostic values of PLAUR in pan-cancer based on The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype-Tissue Expression databases. PLAUR was upregulated in multiple cancers and was significantly associated with poor overall survival and disease-free survival only in patients with KIRC. Subsequently, the PVT1/SNHG15-hsa-miR-532-3p axis was identified as the most potential upstream regulatory network of PLAUR in KIRC. In addition, PLAUR expression was closely associated with tumor-infiltrating immune cells, tumor immunity biomarkers, and immunomodulator expression. Furthermore, we constructed a multiple-gene risk prediction signature according to the PLAUR-related immunomodulators (PRIs). A prognostic nomogram was then developed to predict the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival probabilities of individuals. In conclusion, our study identified the PVT1/SNHG15-hsa-miR-532-3p-PLAUR axis and a prognostic signature of PRIs, which could be a reference for future clinical research.

Analysis of Ferroptosis-Related Gene Expression and Prognostic Factors of Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma Based on TCGA Database

Introduction

Renal clear cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a common tumor of the urinary system, most of which are primary malignant tumors with high metastatic rate and remaining incurable. Ferroptosis is a newly discovered form of iron-dependent programmed cell necrosis in recent years, which is inextricably linked to the occurrence and development of tumors progression. Due to the complexity of the interaction between genes in ccRCC, the research on the pathogenesis of ccRCC is still not remarkably accurate. Therefore, whether ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) can play a role in predicting prognosis in ccRCC needs to be discussed.

Methods

We entered the Cancer Genome Mapping Project (TCGA) database and downloaded the relevant genes and clinical research data of ccRCC patients. Lasso Cox regression was used to construct a multi-gene prognostic model in the TCGA cohort. R language software was used for drawing pictures related to our study.

Results

Most of the genes involved in ferroptosis (86.2%) existing differences between the tumor and normal tissues in the TCGA public gene database. In terms of univariate Cox regression analysis, 20 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were associated with prognosis and survival (P<0.05). A prognostic model of 12 FRGs was constructed, and patients were segmented into two different groups depending on how risky they are. Considering overall survival, the high-risk group is dramatically lower than the low-risk group (P<0.001). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, risk scores and stage turned out be an independent prognostic factor (P<0.001). GO and KEGG analysis and ssGSEA analysis of DEGs revealed that these genes were related to immune-related pathways (P<0.05).

Conclusion

This study established and identified the changes in FRGs expression and prognostic factors of ccRCC, which can be helpful for prognosis evaluation and clinical treatment of this disease.

MMP25-AS1/hsa-miR-10a-5p/SERPINE1 axis as a novel prognostic biomarker associated with immune cell infiltration in KIRC

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a significant role in multiple human cancers as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). However, a systematic mRNA-microRNA (miRNA)-lncRNA network linked to kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) prognosis has not been described. In this study, we aimed to identify the prognosis-related ceRNA regulatory network and analyzed its relationship with immune cell infiltration to predict KIRC patient survival. The MMP25-AS1/hsa-miR-10a-5p/SERPINE1 ceRNA network related to the prognosis of KIRC was obtained through bioinformatics analysis based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Meanwhile, we constructed a three-gene-based survival predictor model, which could be referential for future clinical research. Methylation analyses suggested that the abnormal upregulation of the SERPINE1 likely resulted from hypomethylation. Furthermore, the immune infiltration analysis showed that the MMP25-AS1/hsa-miR-10a-5p/SERPINE1 axis could affect the changes in the tumor immune microenvironment and the development of KIRC by affecting the expression of chemokines (CCL4, CCL5, CXCL13, and XCL2). Tumor Immune Dysfunction and Exclusion (TIDE) analysis indicated that the high expression of SERPINE1 might be related to tumor immune evasion in KIRC. In summary, the current study constructing the MMP25-AS1/hsa-miR-10a-5p/SERPINE1 ceRNA network might be a novel significant prognostic factor associated with the diagnosis and prognosis of KIRC.

Gene expression-based immune infiltration analyses of renal cancer and their associations with survival outcome

BACKGROUND

Renal cancer is a common malignant tumor with an increasing incidence rate.

METHODS

In this study, based on the gene expression profiles, we analyzed the compositions of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) in renal cancer and paracancerous samples using CIBERSORT. The proportions of 22 TIICs subsets in 122 paired renal carcinoma and paracancerous samples, and 224 Wilms tumor (WT) samples varied between intragroup and intergroup.

RESULTS

After analyzed the difference of TIICs composition between renal cancer and paired paracancerous samples, we found that M0 macrophages and CD8 T cells were significantly elevated, while naive B cells were significantly decreased in renal cancer samples compared with paracancerous samples. Survival analysis showed that high overall TIICs proportion, the low proportion of resting mast cells and the high proportion of activated memory CD4 T cells were associated with poor prognosis of renal cancer patients. In addition, 3 clusters were identified by hierarchical clustering analysis, and they presented a distinct prognosis. Cluster 1 had superior survival outcomes, while cluster 2 had an inferior survival outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study indicated that overall TIICs proportion, certain TIICs subset proportion, including resting mast cells and activated memory CD4 T cells, and distinct cluster patterns were associated with the prognosis of renal cancer, which was significant for the clinical surveillance and treatment of renal cancer.