subject:
Survival: However, a FOXP3+/CD4+ ratio > 1 was associated with improved overall survival even in multivariate analysis (p = 0.033)/Raoul Droeser/Inti Zlobec/ Ergin Kilic / Uwe Güth/ Michael Heberer/ Giulio Spagnoli/ Daniel Oertli1 / Coya Tapia/
object_opposite:
CD4+ infiltration was associated with significantly shorter survival in patients bearing ductal, but not lobular cancers.
misc:
In univariate but not in multivariate analysis CD4+ infiltration was associated with significantly shorter survival in patients bearing ductal, but not lobular cancers. However, a FOXP3+/CD4+ ratio > 1 was associated with improved overall survival even in multivariate analysis (p = 0.033)./Differential pattern and prognostic significance of CD4+, FOXP3+ and IL-17+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in ductal and lobular breast cancers Raoul Droeser12, Inti Zlobec34, Ergin Kilic5, Uwe Güth6, Michael Heberer2, Giulio Spagnoli2, Daniel Oertli1 and Coya Tapia34*author_year:
Raoul Droeser/Inti Zlobec/ Ergin Kilic / Uwe Güth/ Michael Heberer/ Giulio Spagnoli/ Daniel Oertli1 / Coya Tapia/2012journal_volume_page:
BMC Cancer / 10.1186/1471-2407-12-134
Differential pattern and prognostic significance of CD4+,
FOXP3+ and IL-17+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in ductal
and lobular breast cancers
Raoul Droeser/
Inti Zlobec/ Ergin Kilic/
Uwe Güth/ Michael
Heberer/ Giulio Spagnoli/Daniel Oertli/
Coya Tapia/2012
Background
Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are
frequently considered to reflect host immune response against malignant tumors
[1]. TILs have been shown to infiltrate a variety of tumors of
diverse histological origin [2,3]. Their exquisite
tumor specificity has been demonstrated in a number of cases and it has led to
the characterization of tumor associated antigens. Although resident TILs have
frequently been reported to be in a functionally "anergic" state [4,5], importantly,
following "ex vivo" culture, TILs have been used to treat different
types of cancers [6]. In line with
these data, tumor infiltration by T lymphocytes has been shown to be associated
with favorable prognosis, particularly in melanoma and colorectal cancers [2,7]. On the other
hand, tumor infiltration by T-lymphocytes subsets endowed with immuno-regulatory
or suppressive potential, e.g. CD4+ T-cells expressing FOXP3
transcription factor, has been suggested to be associated with tumor progression
and unfavorable prognosis [8]. More recently, a
CD4+ T-cell subset producing IL-17 has been implicated in the
pathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases [9]. However, the
role of the so-called Th17 in antitumor immunity is still debated [10-13]
In normal breast tissue small numbers of
lymphocytes representing the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue can be detected
[14]. In contrast, increased numbers of lymphocytes are
frequently detectable around and within breast cancers [15-18]. The clinical
significance of TILs in breast cancer is still controversial. In some studies,
TILs were associated with unfavorable characteristics such as high grade tumors,
estrogen receptor negativity, basal-like molecular subtype as well as her2/neu
positive tumors [19,20]. High
CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytic infiltration has been associated
with positive lymph node status as well as worse overall survival [21]. Furthermore, in early stage breast cancer, CD8+
lymphocytic infiltration has been suggested to correlate with lymph node
involvement [22]. Other groups,
however, have shown that breast cancers with increased TIL number display a
better prognosis in comparison with breast cancers with lesser lymphocyte
infiltration [23], as also
confirmed by data from our institution for CD8+ TILs in the ER
negative subgroup [24]. Additionally,
high TIL counts may represent an independent predictor of response to
neo-adjuvant chemotherapy [25]. Notably,
infiltration by FOXP3+ lymphocytes in breast cancer has been proposed
to represent an independent unfavorable prognostic factor, especially in the
nodal positive subgroup [26] and to
correlate with tumor invasiveness [27]. In contrast,
a complete clinical response has been suggested to be associated with
disappearance of tumor infiltrating FOXP3+ T-cells during treatment
[28].
While the clinical significance of TILs is
controversial, their distribution within stromal and intratumoral compartments
in breast cancers is largely unknown. Furthermore, T-cell infiltration in
different histological subtypes as well as the occurrence of IL-17+
lymphocytes in breast cancer tissue has not been reported to date. Here,
we addressed these issues by using a tissue microarray (TMA) including a large
number (> 1000) of breast cancers stratified according to ductal and lobular
histological subtypes. By taking advantage of a comprehensive clinical follow-up
database, numbers of CD4+, FOXP3+ and IL-17+
TILs and their occurrence in different tumor compartments was correlated
with clinico-pathological features and survival data.
Discussion
The adaptive immune system is known to
play a major role in the control of tumor progression in different types of
cancer. Indeed, tumor infiltration by CD8
+ T-cells has been shown to
represent an important prognostic factor in melanoma
[
7], and, more
recently, in colorectal cancers
[
2,
33].
Early studies have suggested a favorable
prognostic effect of lymphocyte infiltration in breast cancers
[
34]. More recently, infiltration by CD3
+ T-cells has
been suggested to predict responsiveness to neoadjuvant treatment in these
tumors
[
25]. Furthermore, a predictive effect of breast cancer
infiltration by FOXP3
+ cells has also been reported
[
35]. Breast cancers, however, comprise histologically different
tumor entities characterized by molecular specificities and differential
prognosis
[
36,
37]. The
expression of hormone receptors and her2/neu also represent important factors in
the biology of breast cancers and in its prognosis
[
36]. Most
importantly, phenotypes and location of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes are
emerging as important issues in cancer immunobiology
[
7]. Therefore, a
thorough assessment of the immunobiological relevance of lymphocyte infiltration
in breast cancer needs to accurately take into account these parameters.
Our data, deriving from the study of a large cohort
of cases, including > 1000 specimens, are consistent with a significantly
different pattern of lymphocyte infiltration in ductal and lobular breast
cancers. In the lobular histological type, there is a lower lymphocytic
infiltration than in ductal cancers, particularly regarding CD4+ and
FOXP3+ cells. Furthermore, in lobular breast cancers, lymphocyte
infiltration is not correlated with tumor grade and expression of hormonal
receptors and it has no prognostic relevance.
In contrast, in ductal cancers, increased
infiltration by CD4
+ or FOXP3
+ lymphocytes correlates
significantly with histological grade, and ER loss. Her2/neu over-expression in
ductal cancers is also significantly associated with increased numbers of
FOXP3
+ infiltration. Puzzlingly, loss of PR expression appears to be
associated with a decrease of CD4
+ infiltrate. In agreement with
previous reports
[
27,
38], we also found
that FOXP3
+ infiltration is significantly increased in triple
negative ductal, but not in lobular breast cancers.
Whereas the molecular background underlying these
effects is unclear, they do impact the clinical course of the disease, since in
ductal cancers, high infiltration by CD4+ T-cells is associated with
a significantly more severe prognosis, albeit only in univariate analysis.
On the other hand, in both ductal and lobular
cancers only a modest infiltration by IL-17 producing cells was detectable.
Ductal breast cancers are more compactly
growing tumors, sometimes characterized by a broad and pushing border, whereas
lobular carcinomas mainly show indian file pattern, smoothly infiltrating the
surrounding tissue. Interestingly, the detection of increasing numbers of TILs
in high grade tumors with pushing borders was described earlier in medullary
breast cancers
[
23]. In our study,
higher counts of TILs are significantly (
p < 0.001) associated with
more aggressive tumor features such as loss of estrogen receptor, higher tumor
grade (G3), or her2/neu over-expression in ductal breast cancers. More
aggressive tumors are growing faster and may therefore present more necrotic
areas while producing stroma damage possibly related to local hypoxia
[
39-
42]. Indeed, increased numbers of CD4
+ and
FOXP3
+ cells under hypoxic condition could be shown in several
studies
[
43]. Therefore,
the growth dynamics of the tumor could play a role in inducing lymphocyte
infiltration.
FOXP3 represents a typical, although not
exclusive, marker of regulatory CD4
+ T-cells. Tumor infiltration by
T-cells expressing this marker has been associated to severe prognosis in
different tumors, including ovarian and lung cancers
[
8]. However, in
colorectal cancers FOXP3
+ T-cell infiltration has been found to
correlate with significantly improved prognosis by us and others
[
44,
45]. Our data
clearly document that, although numbers of FOXP3
+ lymphocyte
infiltration in ductal breast cancer are significantly associated with
unfavourable clinico-pathological features, this marker alone does not appear to
represent a prognostic marker. However, a high ratio (> 1) of total
FOXP3
+/CD4
+ TILs was independently associated with a
better overall survival, thereby suggesting that FOXP3
+ cells other
than CD4
+ T lymphocytes could be involved in the elicitation of the
favorable prognostic effects. It is of note, that although FOXP3 still
represents one of the most reliable Treg markers, it is known to be expressed by
activated T-cells as well
[
8]. Indeed, FOXP3
has been shown to be expressed, albeit transiently, in activated CD8
+
T cells
[
46], in tonsillar
suppressive CD8
+ T cells
[
47], and even in
tumor cells
[
48].
Contrasting data have been reported
regarding FOXP3 expression in tumor cells. In a mouse model FOXP3 could be
identified as a X-linked tumor suppressor gene in breast cancer
[
49], but others have failed to detect expression of this gene in
non hematopoietic tissues
[
50]. FOXP3
expression has also been reported in human breast cancer cells
[
26,
51]. Other groups
however, did not confirm these findings and only detected FOXP3 expression in
breast cancer infiltrating lymphocytes
[
35,
52]. Furthermore evidence has been reported that localization
and activation status of FOXP3 positive cells might play a prognostic role in
breast cancer
[
53,
54]. Still unclear
is the background underlying these discrepancies, possibly related to the use of
different reagents and staining protocols. In our studies however, in keeping
with previous results
[
55] expression of
FOXP3 in breast cancer cells was found to be negligible while it was usually
detectable as nuclear staining of TIL.
Accordingly, CD3 and CD163 specific staining data
indicate that tumor infiltration by FOXP3+ cells is highly correlated
with infiltration by CD3+ cells. Further studies are warranted to
clarify nature, origin and functions of FOXP3+ cells associated with
improved survival in ductal breast cancer. Nevertheless, our data suggest that
FOXP3 expression might reflect an activated state of specific T cell subsets.
Our study indicates that ductal and lobular breast
cancers are characterized by a significantly different pattern of lymphocyte
infiltration. Notably, in ductal cancers, total and, in particular, intratumoral
lymphocyte infiltration is significantly associated with higher histological
grade and severe prognosis, although not independently from known prognostic
factors.
Further research is warranted to clarify whether
these features are related to differential growth patterns of these tumor types,
or to a differential immunogenicity of these tumors. Alternatively, variable
tumor microenvironments might differentially favour lymphocyte chemoattraction
and expansion.
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