title: Infiltrating immune cells and gene mutations in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess the immune profile within the microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and to investigate the prognostic value of intratumoral infiltrating immune/inflammatory cells (IICs) in patients after surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen phenotypic markers representing 11 types of IIC and the protein products of genes TP53, CDKN2A/p16 and SMAD4/DPC4 were assessed by immunohistochemistry of specimens from patients with pancreatic cancer. The expression of IICs and the mutational status of the genes were correlated with tumour recurrence and survival, and results were validated in an independent cohort.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CD15+ neutrophils, CD20+ B cells and CD206+ tumour-associated macrophages were seen frequently in tumours, and their presence was associated with reduced survival in a cohort of 79 patients. Expression of CD4+ T helper cells, CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes and CD117+ mast cells was associated with a favourable prognosis. A weighted Cox regression recurrence-predictive model was constructed that showed good correlation of IICs and gene mutations. A combination of CD15, CD206, CD117 and Smad4 expression was independently associated with overall (hazard ratio (HR) 3·63, 95 per cent c.i. 2·18 to 6·04; P < 0·001) and recurrence-free (HR 2·93, 1·81 to 4·75; P < 0·001) survival. These findings were validated in an independent cohort (151 patients) and in 54 tissue samples obtained by preoperative endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PDAC has a unique immunosuppressive phenotype that is associated with characteristic gene mutations, disease recurrence and survival after pancreatectomy. Surgical relevance The immune microenvironment plays a critical role in the development of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). PDAC is associated with mutations in major driver genes, including KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A/p16 and SMAD4/DPC4. This study shows that the microenvironment of PDAC has a unique immunosuppressive phenotype, which may be driven by oncogene mutations. Patients with PDAC with a highly immunosuppressive profile tended to have poor postoperative survival. A model including three intratumoral infiltrating immune markers (CD15+, CD206+ and CD117+) and a SMAD4 mutation can be used to predict recurrence and survival in patients after surgery for PDAC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Centre, Shanghai, China.|Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.|Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.|Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Centre, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Cancer Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: W-Q
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Centre, Shanghai, China.|Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.|Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Centre, Shanghai, China.|Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.|Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: H-X
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Centre, Shanghai, China.|Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.|Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: C-T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Centre, Shanghai, China.|Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.|Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: J-F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Centre, Shanghai, China.|Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.|Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Centre, Shanghai, China.|Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.|Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Centre, Shanghai, China.|Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.|Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Centre, Shanghai, China.|Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.|Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Q-X
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Department of Pancreatic and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Centre, Shanghai, China.|Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.|Pancreatic Cancer Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.|Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Centre, Collaborative Innovation Centre for Cancer Medicine, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: X-J
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D021441:Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality; D020556:Neutrophil Infiltration; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor