Abundant expression of CXCL9 (MIG) by stromal cells that include dendritic cells and accumulation of CXCR3+ T cells in lymphocyte-rich gastric carcinoma.
The neoplastic environment is generally regarded as an immunosuppressive milieu. However, a group of cancers are characterized by the abundance of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Here we examined the possible roles of chemokines in the formation of lymphoid stroma in lymphocyte-rich gastric carcinomas (GCs), including EBV(+) cases and conventional GCs. Regardless of EBV positivity, TILs in lymphocyte-rich GCs predominantly expressed CXCR3, while its ligand CXCL9 was abundantly expressed by stromal cells and a portion of cancer cells. CXCL9(+) stromal cells were judged to include dendritic cells, because they partly co-expressed fascin, DC-sign, CD83, DC-lamp or HLA-DR. T cells in close contact with CXCL9(+) cells showed frequent labelling of Ki-67 (approximately 10%), suggesting the immunostimulatory activity of CXCL9(+) stromal cells. The T-cell zone of the regional lymph nodes of lymphocyte-rich GCs also abounded with CXCR3(+) T cells and CXCL9(+) stromal cells. This indicated a close similarity between cancer stroma and regional lymph nodes of lymphocyte-rich GCs. Quantitative RT-PCR also confirmed the strong expression of CXCR3, CXCL9 and IFNgamma in lymphocyte-rich GCs. In contrast, conventional GCs contained less abundant CXCR3(+) T cells and few CXCL9(+) stromal cells. Collectively, the CXCL9-CXCR3 axis plays a pivotal role in the formation of lymphoid stroma in lymphocyte-rich GCs. Given similar findings in the regional lymph nodes, the lymphoid stroma of lymphocyte-rich GCs may represent a tertiary lymphoid tissue with predominantly Th1-shifted immune responses.
Ohtani
H
H
Department of Pathology, Mito Medical Centre, National Hospital Organization, Ibaraki, Japan. hohtani@mito.hosp.go.jp
Jin
Z
Z
Takegawa
S
S
Nakayama
T
T
Yoshie
O
O
D049109:Cell Proliferation; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054370:Chemokine CXCL9 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000276:immunology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D054367:Receptors, CXCR3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
C114753:CXCL10 protein, human; C080810:CXCL9 protein, human; C515187:CXCR3 protein, human; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D054370:Chemokine CXCL9; C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D054367:Receptors, CXCR3; D007371:Interferon-gamma