Published in

American Association for Cancer Research, Clinical Cancer Research, 15(23), p. 4416-4428, 2017

DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-16-2848

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Tumor-Infiltrating and Peripheral Blood T-cell Immunophenotypes Predict Early Relapse in Localized Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Orange circle
Postprint: archiving restricted
Red circle
Published version: archiving forbidden
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: The efficacy of PD-1 checkpoint blockade as adjuvant therapy in localized clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is currently unknown. The identification of tumor microenvironment (TME) prognostic biomarkers in this setting may help define which patients could benefit from checkpoint blockade and uncover new therapeutic targets. Experimental Design: We performed multiparametric flow cytometric immunophenotypic analysis of T cells isolated from tumor tissue [tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL)], adjacent non-malignant renal tissue [renal-infiltrating lymphocytes (RIL)], and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL), in a cohort of patients (n = 40) with localized ccRCC. Immunophenotypic data were integrated with prognostic and histopathologic variables, T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire analysis of sorted CD8+PD-1+ TILs, tumor mRNA expression, and digital quantitative immunohistochemistry. Results: On the basis of TIL phenotypic characterization, we identified three dominant immune profiles in localized ccRCC: (i) immune-regulated, characterized by polyclonal/poorly cytotoxic CD8+PD-1+Tim-3+Lag-3+ TILs and CD4+ICOS+ cells with a Treg phenotype (CD25+CD127−Foxp3+/Helios+GITR+), that developed in inflamed tumors with prominent infiltrations by dysfunctional dendritic cells and high PD-L1 expression; (ii) immune-activated, enriched in oligoclonal/cytotoxic CD8+PD-1+Tim-3+ TILs, that represented 22% of the tumors; and (iii) immune-silent, enriched in TILs exhibiting RIL-like phenotype, that represented 56% of patients in the cohort. Only immune-regulated tumors displayed aggressive histologic features, high risk of disease progression in the year following nephrectomy, and a CD8+PD-1+Tim-3+ and CD4+ICOS+ PBL phenotypic signature. Conclusions: In localized ccRCC, the infiltration with CD8+PD-1+Tim-3+Lag-3+ exhausted TILs and ICOS+ Treg identifies the patients with deleterious prognosis who could benefit from adjuvant therapy with TME-modulating agents and checkpoint blockade. This work also provides PBL phenotypic markers that could allow their identification. Clin Cancer Res; 23(15); 4416–28. ©2017 AACR.