Observational Study of PD-L1, TGF-β, and Immune Cell Infiltrates in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Frontiers in Medicine

Eveline Frick-Krieger¹  Bartholomew Naughton²  P. Alexander Rolfe³  Isabelle Dussault⁴  Christian Ihling⁴  Luigi M. Terracciano⁵  Yue Zhang⁵ 

[1] Companion Diagnostics Biopharma, EMD Serono, Inc., Billerica, MA, United States;Companion Diagnostics, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany;;Clinical Biomarkers &;Global Clinical Biomarkers &Quantitative Pharmacology and Drug Disposition, EMD Serono, Inc., Billerica, MA, United States;

关键词: PD-L1;    checkpoint inhibitor;    CD8;    immune cell infiltrates;    hepatocellular carcinoma;    HCC;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fmed.2019.00015

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) typically develops in cirrhotic livers, with increased programed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) activity implicated in immunosuppression.Methods: In an observational study of HCC liver samples, we determined the incidence of PD-L1 and immune cell (IC) infiltrates, and signs of TGF-β activity. HCCs were characterized by the incidence and distribution of PD-L1+ cells, and CD8+, CD68+, and FoxP3+ infiltrating ICs in HCC and surrounding liver. Gene expression signatures (GESs) associated with TGF-β activity and ICs were evaluated by RNAseq.Results: In non-neoplastic cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic liver, PD-L1 occurred on sinusoidal lining cells (mostly Kupffer cells), endothelial cells and ICs. In HCC, PD-L1+ tumor cells were rare. Most PD-L1+ cells were identified as ICs. CD8+, CD68+, and FoxP3+ ICs were associated with HCC, particularly in the invasive margin. CD8+ cell incidence correlated with PD-L1+ cells, consistent with PD-L1 being upregulated in response to pre-existing cytotoxic T-lymphocyte activity. TGFB1 mRNA levels and TGF-β activation GES correlated with the strength of the tumor-associated macrophage GES.Conclusion: Inhibition of PD-L1+ ICs and TGF-β activity and their respective immunomodulatory pathways may contribute to antitumor effects in HCC.

【 授权许可】

Unknown