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SHR Neuro Cancer Cardio Lipid Metab Microb
Paulson, KG; Tegeder, A; Willmes, C; Iyer, JG; Afanasiev, OK; Schrama, D; Koba, S; Thibodeau, R; Nagase, K; Simonson, WT; Seo, A; Koelle, DM; Madeleine, M; Bhatia, S; Nakajima, H; Sano, S; Hardwick, JS; Disis, ML; Cleary, MA; Becker, JC; Nghiem, P.
Downregulation of MHC-I expression is prevalent but reversible in Merkel cell carcinoma.
Cancer Immunol Res. 2014; 2(11):1071-1079
Doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-14-0005
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- Co-authors Med Uni Graz
- Becker Jürgen Christian
- Schrama David
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- Abstract:
- Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive, polyomavirus-associated skin cancer. Robust cellular immune responses are associated with excellent outcomes in patients with MCC, but these responses are typically absent. We determined the prevalence and reversibility of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) downregulation in MCC, a potentially reversible immune-evasion mechanism. Cell-surface MHC-I expression was assessed on five MCC cell lines using flow cytometry as well as immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays representing 114 patients. Three additional patients were included who had received intralesional IFN treatment and had evaluable specimens before and after treatment. mRNA expression analysis of antigen presentation pathway genes from 35 MCC tumors was used to examine the mechanisms of downregulation. Of note, 84% of MCCs (total n = 114) showed reduced MHC-I expression as compared with surrounding tissues, and 51% had poor or undetectable MHC-I expression. Expression of MHC-I was lower in polyomavirus-positive MCCs than in polyomavirus-negative MCCs (P < 0.01). The MHC-I downregulation mechanism was multifactorial and did not depend solely on HLA gene expression. Treatment of MCC cell lines with ionizing radiation, etoposide, or IFN resulted in MHC-I upregulation, with IFNs strongly upregulating MHC-I expression in vitro, and in 3 of 3 patients treated with intralesional IFNs. MCC tumors may be amenable to immunotherapy, but downregulation of MHC-I is frequently present in these tumors, particularly those that are positive for polyomavirus. This downregulation is reversible with any of several clinically available treatments that may thus promote the effectiveness of immune-stimulating therapies for MCC. ©2014 American Association for Cancer Research.
- Find related publications in this database (using NLM MeSH Indexing)
- Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use
- Carcinoma, Merkel Cell - drug therapy
- Carcinoma, Merkel Cell - immunology
- Cell Line, Tumor -
- Down-Regulation -
- Flow Cytometry -
- Histocompatibility Antigens Class I - biosynthesis
- Humans -
- Immunohistochemistry -
- Interferon-beta - therapeutic use
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction -
- Skin Neoplasms - drug therapy
- Skin Neoplasms - immunology
- Tissue Array Analysis -
- Tumor Escape - immunology