Penglei Ge1, Weiwei Wang2, Lin Li3, Gong Zhang3, Zhiqiang Gao3, Zhe Tang3, Xiaowei Dang3, Yang Wu4. 1. Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1 Jianshe East Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. Electronic address: doc677@126.com. 2. Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1 Jianshe East Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. 3. Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1 Jianshe East Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. 4. Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1 Jianshe East Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. Electronic address: sunny2000@yeah.net.
Abstract
PURPOSE: tumor-infiltrating immune cells are highly relevant to the progression and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study is to explore the immune cells and immune-related gene expression in tumor microenvironment of CRC. METHODS: CIBERSORT, a deconvolution algorithm, was used to analyze the infiltration of 22 immune cell types in the tumor microenvironment and immune-related gene expression in 404 CRC and 40 adjacent non-tumorous tissues. RESULTS: a wide heterogeneity of immune cells among different paired tissues and in tumor stages was uncovered. M0 macrophages, M1 macrophages and CD4 memory activated T cells were infiltrated significantly more in CRC compared with normal tissues in both TCGA and GEO cohorts. CRC with T1-2 tumor stage showed increased CD4 memory activated T cells compared with T3-4 tumors. M0 macrophages were the highest in stage N1 tumors. Significant immune-related genes were identified to build prognostic models by Cox regression analysis. The concordance index of the prognostic model for TNM stage I-II was 0.69, and 0.71 for stage III-IV. The AUC values for 1-, 3-, and 5-year survivals were 0.674, 0.773, 0.812 for TNM stage I-II, respectively, and 0.764, 0.782, 0.803 for stage III-IV, respectively. CONCLUSION: these results could assist clinicians in selecting targets for immunotherapies and individualize treatment strategies for patients with CRC.
PURPOSE:tumor-infiltrating immune cells are highly relevant to the progression and prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study is to explore the immune cells and immune-related gene expression in tumor microenvironment of CRC. METHODS: CIBERSORT, a deconvolution algorithm, was used to analyze the infiltration of 22 immune cell types in the tumor microenvironment and immune-related gene expression in 404 CRC and 40 adjacent non-tumorous tissues. RESULTS: a wide heterogeneity of immune cells among different paired tissues and in tumor stages was uncovered. M0 macrophages, M1 macrophages and CD4 memory activated T cells were infiltrated significantly more in CRC compared with normal tissues in both TCGA and GEO cohorts. CRC with T1-2 tumor stage showed increased CD4 memory activated T cells compared with T3-4 tumors. M0 macrophages were the highest in stage N1 tumors. Significant immune-related genes were identified to build prognostic models by Cox regression analysis. The concordance index of the prognostic model for TNM stage I-II was 0.69, and 0.71 for stage III-IV. The AUC values for 1-, 3-, and 5-year survivals were 0.674, 0.773, 0.812 for TNM stage I-II, respectively, and 0.764, 0.782, 0.803 for stage III-IV, respectively. CONCLUSION: these results could assist clinicians in selecting targets for immunotherapies and individualize treatment strategies for patients with CRC.