The prognostic impact of NK/NKT cell density in periampullary adenocarcinoma differs by morphological type and adjuvant treatment

Summary, in English

Background: Natural killer (NK) cells and NK T cells (NKT) are vital parts of tumour immunosurveillance. However, their impact on prognosis and chemotherapy response in periampullary adenocarcinoma, including pancreatic cancer, has not yet been described. Methods: Immune cell-specific expression of CD56, CD3, CD68 and CD1a was analysed by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays with tumours from 175 consecutive cases of periampullary adenocarcinoma, 110 of pancreatobiliary type (PB-type) and 65 of intestinal type (Itype) morphology. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis were applied to determine the impact of CD56+ NK/NKT cells on 5-year overall survival (OS). Results: High density of CD56+ NK/NKT cells correlated with low N-stage and lack of perineural, lymphatic vessel and peripancreatic fat invasion. High density of CD56+ NK/NKT cells was associated with prolonged OS in Kaplan-Meier analysis (p = 0.003), and in adjusted Cox regression analysis (HR = 0.49; 95% CI 0.29-0.86). The prognostic effect of high CD56+ NK/NKT cell infiltration was only evident in cases not receiving adjuvant chemotherapy in PB-type tumours (p for interaction = 0.014). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that abundant infiltration of CD56+ NK/NKT cells is associated with a prolonged survival in periampullary adenocarcinoma. However, the negative interaction with adjuvant treatment is noteworthy. NK cell enhancing strategies may prove to be successful in the management of these cancers.

• Författare: Sebastian Lundgren; Carl Fredrik Warfvinge; Jacob Elebro; Margareta Heby; Björn Nodin; Agnieszka Krzyzanowska; Anders Bjartell; Karin Leandersson; Jakob Eberhard; Karin Jirström
• Avdelning/ar: Personlig patologi och cancerbehandling; EpiHealth: Epidemiology for Health; Tumörmikromiljö; Institutionen för kliniska vetenskaper, Lund; BioCARE: Biomarkers in Cancer Medicine improving Health Care, Education and Innovation
• Publiceringsår: 2016-06-01
• Språk: Engelska
• Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie: PLoS ONE
• Volym: 11
• Issue: 6
• Länkar: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156497
• Dokumenttyp: Artikel i tidskrift
• Förlag: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Ämne: Other Clinical Medicine
• Status: Published
• Forskningsgrupp: Personalized Pathology & Cancer Therapy
• ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt: ISSN: 1932-6203