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Datta RR, Schran S, Persa OD, Aguilar C, Thelen M, Lehmann J, Garcia-Marquez MA, Wennhold K, Preugszat E, Zentis P, von Bergwelt-Baildon MS, Quaas A, Bruns CJ, Kurschat C, Mauch C, Löser H, Stippel DL, Schlößer HA. Post-transplant Malignancies Show Reduced T-cell Abundance and Tertiary Lymphoid Structures as Correlates of Impaired Cancer Immunosurveillance. Clin Cancer Res 2022; 28:1712-1723. [PMID: 35191474 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-21-3746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE An increased risk to develop cancer is one of the most challenging negative side effects of long-term immunosuppression in organ transplant recipients and impaired cancer immunosurveillance is assumed as underlying mechanism. This study aims to elucidate transplant-related changes in the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) of cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Data from 123 organ transplant recipients (kidney, heart, lung, and liver) were compared with historic data from non-immunosuppressed patients. Digital image analysis of whole-section slides was used to assess abundance and spatial distribution of T cells and tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in the TME of 117 tumor samples. Expression of programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) and human-leucocyte-antigen class I (HLA-I) was assessed on tissue microarrays. RESULTS We found a remarkably reduced immune infiltrate in the center tumor (CT) regions as well as the invasive margins (IM) of post-transplant cancers. These differences were more pronounced in the IM than in the CT and larger for CD8+ T cells than for CD3+ T cells. The Immune-score integrating results from CT and IM was also lower in transplant recipients. Density of TLS was lower in cancer samples of transplant recipients. The fraction of samples with PD-L1 expression was higher in controls whereas decreased expression of HLA-I was more common in transplant recipients. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates the impact of immunosuppression on the TME and supports impaired cancer immunosurveillance as important cause of post-transplant cancer. Modern immunosuppressive protocols and cancer therapies should consider the distinct immune microenvironment of post-transplant malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rabi R Datta
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplantation Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Simon Schran
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplantation Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Oana-Diana Persa
- Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Integrated Oncology, CIO ABCD Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf
| | - Claire Aguilar
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplantation Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin Thelen
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jonas Lehmann
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Maria A Garcia-Marquez
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Kerstin Wennhold
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ella Preugszat
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Peter Zentis
- Cluster of Excellence for Aging-Associated Diseases, CECAD Imaging Facility Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Alexander Quaas
- Center for Integrated Oncology, CIO ABCD Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christiane J Bruns
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplantation Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Integrated Oncology, CIO ABCD Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf
| | - Christine Kurschat
- Center for Integrated Oncology, CIO ABCD Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf
- Department of Internal Medicine II, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Cornelia Mauch
- Department of Dermatology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Integrated Oncology, CIO ABCD Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf
| | - Heike Löser
- Center for Integrated Oncology, CIO ABCD Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf
- Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Dirk L Stippel
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplantation Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Integrated Oncology, CIO ABCD Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf
| | - Hans A Schlößer
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of General, Visceral, Cancer and Transplantation Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Center for Integrated Oncology, CIO ABCD Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf
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Wennhold K, Thelen M, Lehmann J, Schran S, Preugszat E, Garcia-Marquez M, Lechner A, Shimabukuro-Vornhagen A, Ercanoglu MS, Klein F, Thangarajah F, Eidt S, Löser H, Bruns C, Quaas A, von Bergwelt-Baildon M, Schlößer HA. CD86 + Antigen-Presenting B Cells Are Increased in Cancer, Localize in Tertiary Lymphoid Structures, and Induce Specific T-cell Responses. Cancer Immunol Res 2021; 9:1098-1108. [PMID: 34155067 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-20-0949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The role of B cells in antitumor immunity and their impact on emerging immunotherapies is increasingly gaining attention. B-cell effector functions include not only secretion of antibodies, but also presentation of antigens to T cells. A physiologic B-cell subset with immunostimulatory properties was described in humans, defined by a high expression of CD86 and downregulation of CD21. We used multicolor flow cytometry and IHC to elucidate abundance and spatial distribution of these antigen-presenting B cells (BAPC) in blood (peripheral blood mononuclear cells, PBMC) and tumor samples of 237 patients with cancer. Antigen-specific T-cell responses to cancer testis antigens were determined using tetramer staining and sorted BAPCs in FluoroSpot assays for selected patients. We found that BAPCs were increased in the tumor microenvironment of 9 of 10 analyzed cancer types with site-specific variation. BAPCs were not increased in renal cell carcinoma, whereas we found a systemic increase with elevated fractions in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and PBMCs of patients with colorectal cancer and gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma. BAPCs were localized in lymphoid follicles of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) and were enriched in tumors with increased numbers of TLSs. BAPCs isolated from tumor-draining lymph nodes of patients with cancer showed increased percentages of tumor antigen-specific B cells and induced responses of autologous T cells in vitro. Our results highlight the relevance of BAPCs as professional antigen-presenting cells in tumor immunity and provide a mechanistic rationale for the observed correlation of B-cell abundance and response to immune checkpoint inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Wennhold
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin Thelen
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jonas Lehmann
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Simon Schran
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ella Preugszat
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Maria Garcia-Marquez
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Axel Lechner
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Grosshadern Medical Center, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.,Gene Center, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander Shimabukuro-Vornhagen
- Department I for Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Meryem S Ercanoglu
- Institute of Virology, Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Florian Klein
- Institute of Virology, Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Fabinshy Thangarajah
- Department of Gynecology, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sebastian Eidt
- Institute of Pathology, St. Elisabeth Hospital, Cologne, Germany
| | - Heike Löser
- Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christiane Bruns
- Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alexander Quaas
- Institute of Pathology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Michael von Bergwelt-Baildon
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Gene Center, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.,Department of Medicine III, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hans A Schlößer
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, University of Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany. .,Department of General, Visceral and Cancer Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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