title: Upregulation of B7-H1 expression is associated with macrophage infiltration in hepatocellular carcinomas.
abstract: The overexpression of B7-H1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) mediates HCC immune escape and obstructs the immunotherapy based on tumor-specific CD8+ T cells. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are a major component of cancer-related inflammation and play a central role in tumor promotion. To classify the mechanism underlying the overexpression of B7-H1 in HCC, we examined B7-H1 expression and TAM infiltration in 63 cases of human HCC samples using immunohistochemistry method and found that B7-H1 overexpression was associated with TAM infiltration in HCC tissues. Furthermore, B7-H1 expression was upregulated at both mRNA level and protein level in HCC cells (BEL-7402 and SMMC-7721) cocultured with macrophages in a transwell system. The upregulation of B7-H1 expression induced by macrophage was inhibited by blocking NF-κB or STAT3 signal pathways. These results suggest that overexpression of B7-H1 in HCC may be induced by inflammatory microenvironment involving macrophages and imply that anti-inflammation therapy might be preventive for immune escape and assistant for immunotherapy of HCC.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, School of Medicine, Shandong University, 44# Wenhua Xi Road, 250012 Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Guosheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Yuchen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Yonghong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Shurong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Faliang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Lining
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yongyu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D060890:B7-H1 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / Q000276:immunology; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; C423236:CD274 protein, human; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor