Profiling of Lymphovascular Space Invasion in Cervical Cancer Revealed PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway Overactivation and Heterogenic Tumor-Immune Microenvironments.

Abstract

Lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI) is the presence of tumor emboli in the endothelial-lined space at the tumor body's invasive edge. LVSI is one of three Sedlis criteria components-a prognostic tool for early cervical cancer (CC)-essential for indicating poor prognosis, such as lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, or shorter survival rate. Despite its clinical significance, an in-depth comprehension of the molecular mechanisms or immune dynamics underlying LVSI in CC remains elusive. Therefore, this study investigated tumor-immune microenvironment (TIME) dynamics of the LVSI-positive group in CC. RNA sequencing included formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) slides from 21 CC patients, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed. Functional analysis and immune deconvolution revealed aberrantly enriched PI3K/Akt pathway activation and a heterogenic immune composition with a low abundance of regulatory T cells (Treg) between LVSI-positive and LVSI-absent groups. These findings improve the comprehension of LSVI TIME and immune mechanisms, benefiting targeted LVSI therapy for CC.