Expression In Primary Tumors Research Articles

Distribution Characteristics in Clinical Phenotype and Immunohistochemistry of STK11 Adnexal Tumors: Case Report and Narrative Synthesis.

STK11 adnexal tumors are recently named tumors of the female adnexal region, associated with Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS). There is a lack of studies on the clinical phenotypes of PJS concerning the pathology and molecular characteristics of STK11 adnexal tumors. We searched for 781 relevant studies through PubMed and Web of Science, and preliminary statistical and grouping comparisons were made using the screened study data combined with our patient. A total of 25 patients with STK11 adnexal tumors (excluding tumors with no detectable STK11 alterations) were reported in 4 studies. The tumors were most common in middle-aged women (mean age of 39 years) and typically located at paratubal sites (76%). Nearly half of patients (45%) had PJS manifestations or molecular changes. Compared with sporadic (non-PJS) STK11 adnexal tumors, PJS-associated STK11 adnexal tumors were slightly larger in diameter (mean 12.6 cm vs 8.9 cm) and had a longer interval between first recurrences (median 19 months vs 7 months). Primary tumors with pelvic recurrence had a reduced keratin 7 positive rate and tended to grow in non-paratubal sites. However, overall, the clinicopathological characteristics of PJS-associated tumors and sporadic tumors were similar, as was the immunohistochemical expression of primary and recurrent tumors. More specimens and studies are needed to support these observations and further delineate the characteristics of STK11 adnexal tumors.

68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 PET/MRI for imaging patients suspected of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Radiolabeled probes targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) have been used in prostate cancer. Moreover, PSMA is also overexpressed on neovessels in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to preliminarily evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 PET/MRI for HCC. Patients suspected of HCC were prospectively enrolled in this single-center study (NCT05006326, 2021-08-16) to perform [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 PET/MRI, along with contrast enhanced CT (ceCT) or ceMRI. The main suspicious intrahepatic lesions were resected and pathologically verified. Visual evaluation of [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 PET/MRI images was performed on all lesions. Maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax), mean standard uptake value (SUVmean), tumor-to-liver ratio (TLR), tumor-to-blood ratio (TBR), and tumor-to-parotid ratio (TPR) were measured or calculated. The diagnostic efficiency of different modalities was summarized. PSMA expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and the correlation of PSMA expression and [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 uptake in HCC primary tumors was quantitatively analyzed. A total of 12 patients (ten men and two women; mean age 58.75 ± 12.08 years) were included. Ten patients were diagnosed with HCC, 2 with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC), and 4 with hemangioma. The SUVmax, TLR, TBR, and TPR of HCC primary tumors were higher than those of ICC and hemangioma. The diagnostic accuracy of [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 PET/MRI for primary HCC was 82.4%. When combined with ceCT or ceMRI, the accuracy increased to 88.2%. A moderate correlation was observed between SUVmax and mean PSMA expression in HCC primary tumors (R = 0.788). Utilizing a hybrid PET/MRI system to combine [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-617 PET/MRI with ceMRI is a promising one-stop solution for the accurate diagnosis of HCC. NCT05006326. Registered August 16, 2021, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05006326 .

Selecting Targets for Molecular Imaging of Gastric Cancer: An Immunohistochemical Evaluation.

Tumor-targeted positron emission tomography (PET) and fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS) could address current challenges in pre- and intraoperative imaging of gastric cancer. Adequate selection of molecular imaging targets remains crucial for successful tumor visualization. This study evaluated the potential of integrin αvβ6, carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 5 (CEACAM5), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) for molecular imaging of primary gastric cancer, as well as lymph node and distant metastases. Expression of αvβ6, CEACAM5, EGFR, EpCAM and HER2 was determined using immunohistochemistry in human tissue specimens of primary gastric adenocarcinoma, healthy surrounding stomach, esophageal and duodenal tissue, tumor-positive and tumor-negative lymph nodes, and distant metastases, followed by quantification using the total immunostaining score (TIS). Positive biomarker expression in primary gastric tumors was observed in 86% for αvβ6, 72% for CEACAM5, 77% for EGFR, 93% for EpCAM and 71% for HER2. Tumor expression of CEACAM5, EGFR and EpCAM was higher compared to healthy stomach tissue expression, while this was not the case for αvβ6 and HER2. Tumor-positive lymph nodes could be distinguished from tumor-negative lymph nodes, with accuracy ranging from 82 to 93% between biomarkers. CEACAM5, EGFR and EpCAM were abundantly expressed on distant metastases, with expression in 88-95% of tissue specimens. Our findings show that CEACAM5, EGFR and EpCAM are promising targets for molecular imaging of primary gastric cancer, as well as visualization of both lymph node and distant metastases. Further clinical evaluation of PET and FGS tracers targeting these antigens is warranted.

IMMU-07. THE IMMUNE LANDSCAPE OF PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMORS: A TRANSCRIPTOMIC ANALYSIS

Abstract Despite standard-of-care therapy, pediatric brain tumors are now the leading cause of cancer-related death in children, highlighting an urgent need for the development of new treatments. Immunotherapy is actively being evaluated as a therapeutic approach to pediatric brain tumors, however, more research is needed to reveal additional antigenic targets that exist in these malignancies. In this study, our team performed a transcriptomic analysis of pediatric brain tumor RNA sequencing data within the Children’s Brain Tumor Network (CBTN) to identify intra and extracellular antigens that are highly expressed across major tumor types. Interestingly, our team observed that most tumors had high gene expression of a group of antigens that were unique to that specific tumor type. Specifically, our analysis revealed that diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) highly expressed the extracellular antigens CA9, CTCFL, and ST8SIA1, whereas atypical rhabdoid tumors (ATRTs) highly expressed MUC1 and TEK. Other tumors that displayed high gene expression for a variety of antigenic targets included H3-wildtype high-grade gliomas (HGGs), and ependymomas (EPNs). Strikingly, we observed minimal difference in antigen expression in primary tumors when compared to patient-matched recurrences. Beyond antigen expression, we evaluated the expression of antigen processing machinery (APM) which includes major histocompatibility complexes (MHCs). Our findings revealed that DMGs had the lowest level of APM expression, however, these tumors uniquely expressed high levels of the immune checkpoints ADORA2A, CD276, and KLRC1. Contrarily, ATRTs showed a high expression of immune checkpoints CD274 (PD-L1), PVR, and CD80. Other tumors included in our analysis had unique expression patterns of antigen, as well as APM and immune checkpoints. Our findings illustrate that pediatric brain tumors have distinct expression patterns of antigens, APM, and immune checkpoints that are specific to tumor type, emphasizing diverse, rather than general, immunotherapeutic approaches must be considered for childhood brain tumors.

Impact of B7-H3 expression on metastasis, immune exhaustion and JAK/STAT and PI3K/AKT pathways in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

ABSTRACT Immune checkpoint inhibitors in combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are improving the response rates of advanced renal cancer patients. However, many treated patients do not respond, making novel immune checkpoint-based immunotherapies potentially clinically beneficial only for specific groups of patients. We detected high expression of the immune checkpoint protein B7-H3 in clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs) and evaluated B7-H3 immunohistochemistry staining in tissue microarray samples from two distinct renal cancer cohorts. B7-H3 was highly expressed in approximately 50% of primary tumors and in 30% of metastatic lesions. B7-H3 expression in primary tumors correlated with tumor necrosis, sarcomatoid transformation, disease-free survival, and synchronous metastasis, while B7-H3 expression in metastasis correlated with metastases to the lymph nodes. Gene expression analysis revealed the association of B7-H3 expression with gene expression scores involved in T cell exhaustion and myeloid immune evasion, as well as with PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT pathways. Furthermore, knocking down B7-H3 expression in renal cancer cells by siRNA and CRISPR/Cas resulted in lower 2D and 3D cell proliferation and viability as well as increased sensitivity to TKI axitinib. Together, our findings suggest a pro-oncogenic and immune evasive role for B7-H3 in ccRCC and highlight B7-H3 as an actionable novel immune checkpoint protein in combination with TKI in advanced renal cancer.

SERPINA1 promotes the invasion, metastasis, and proliferation of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma via the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway

Serpin peptidase inhibitor clade A member 1 (SERPINA1) is highly expressed in a variety of solid tumors. However, its role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. Here, we report evidence that SERPINA1 acts as a potent oncogene to drive its extremely malignant character. We found that elevated SERPINA1 expression in primary tumors was associated with lymph node metastasis and shorter survival in PDAC patients. Mechanistic investigations revealed that overexpression of SERPINA1 induced nuclear translocation and phosphorylation of the p65 subunit through the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway, thereby promoting the invasion, metastasis and proliferation of PDAC cells in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, the knockdown of SERPINA1 attenuated this signaling pathway and restored the phenotype of PDAC cells overexpressing SERPINA1. Overall, our study reveals that SERPINA1 affects the properties of PDAC through the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway, and its activation confers the clinical features of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and proliferation in the disease.

A Machine Learning-Based Investigation of Integrin Expression Patterns in Cancer and Metastasis.

Integrins, a family of transmembrane receptor proteins, play complex roles in cancer development and metastasis. These roles could be better delineated through machine learning of transcriptomic data to reveal relationships between integrin expression patterns and cancer. We collected publicly available RNA-Seq integrin expression from 8 healthy tissues and their corresponding tumors, along with data from metastatic breast cancer. We then used machine learning methods, including t-SNE visualization and Random Forest classification, to investigate changes in integrin expression patterns. Integrin expression varied across tissues and cancers, and between healthy and cancer samples from the same tissue, enabling the creation of models that classify samples by tissue or disease status. The integrins whose expression was important to these classifiers were identified. For example, ITGA7 was key to classification of breast samples by disease status. Analysis in breast tissue revealed that cancer rewires co-expression for most integrins, but the co-expression relationships of some integrins remain unchanged in healthy and cancer samples. Integrin expression in primary breast tumors differed from their metastases, with liver metastasis notably having reduced expression. Integrin expression patterns vary widely across tissues and are greatly impacted by cancer. Machine learning of these patterns can effectively distinguish samples by tissue or disease status.

Clinical cell-surface targets in metastatic and primary solid cancers.

Therapies against cell-surface targets (CSTs) represent an emerging treatment class in solid malignancies. However, high-throughput investigations of CST expression across cancer types have been reliant on data sets of mostly primary tumors, despite therapeutic use most commonly in metastatic disease. We identified a total of 818 clinical trials of CST therapies with 78 CSTs. We assembled a data set spanning RNA-seq and microarrays in 7,927 benign samples, 16,866 primary tumor samples, and 6,124 metastatic tumor samples. We also utilized single-cell RNA-seq data from 36 benign tissues and 558 primary and metastatic tumor samples, and matched RNA versus protein expression in 29 benign tissue samples, 1,075 tumor samples, and 942 cell lines. High RNA expression accurately predicted high protein expression across CST therapies in benign tissues, tumor samples, and cell lines. We compared metastatic versus primary tumor expression, identified potential opportunities for repositioning, and matched cell lines to tumor types based on CST and global RNA expression. We evaluated single-cell heterogeneity across tumors, and identified rare normal cell subpopulations that may contribute to toxicity. Finally, we identified combinations of CST therapies for which bispecific approaches could improve tumor specificity. This study helps better define the landscape of CST expression in metastatic and primary cancers.

MCT4 is an independent prognostic factor and affects immune cell infiltration in patients with colorectal liver oligometastases.

Monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) is a novel biomarker related to the level of immune cell infiltration, but its impact on tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) of colorectal liver oligometastases (CLO) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to assess MCT4 expression in primary tumor and liver oligometastases, investigate its impact on immune cell infiltration and its prognostic value for CLO patients undergoing liver resection. We retrospectively selected 135 CLO patients who underwent curative liver resection between June 1999 and December 2016, and samples included 74 primary tumor tissues and 122 liver metastases. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to detect MCT4 expression in paraffin-embedded specimens and tyramine signal amplification (TSA) was used to detect the density of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, including CD3 + , CD8 + and Foxp3 + . Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test, and independent prognostic factors were identified with Cox regression modeling. Survival analysis indicated that CLO patients with low MCT4 expression had better 3-year RFS and 3-year OS rates than those with high MCT4 expression. Multivariate analysis indicated that high MCT4 expression was independently associated with poor RFS and OS. High MCT4 expression was associated with a lower number of intratumoral CD3 + /CD8 + T cells and was associated with higher Foxp3 + T cells infiltration. Patients with low MCT4 expression and high levels of differential immune infiltration had longer survival. MCT4 overexpression was associated with an unfavorable prognosis in patients with CLO and MCT4 expression level had an impact on intratumoral immune infiltration degree. A novel parameter that combined MCT4 expression level and differential immune infiltration level was constructed to stratify patients with CLO into different risk groups.

TRIM72 inhibits cell migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by attenuating FAK/akt signaling in colorectal cancer

TRIM72 (MG53), a membrane repair protein with E3-ligase activity, plays a crucial role in colorectal cancer (CRC). This study examined TRIM72 expression in primary CRC tumors and paired liver metastases using RT-PCR. Findings revealed significantly lower TRIM72 levels in liver metastases compared to primary tumors (p < 0.001). Aberrant TRIM72 expression correlated with lymph node metastasis and advanced clinical stages. Overexpression of TRIM72 inhibited CRC cell migration, intravasation, and EMT in vitro and in vivo, while TRIM72 knockout increased migration and invasion. TRIM72 interacted with Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK), implicating the FAK/Akt signaling axis in colon cancer spread. Lower TRIM72 levels were associated with reduced survival rates, highlighting its potential as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target in CRC.

Gene Signature for Predicting Metastasis in Prostate Cancer Using Primary Tumor Expression Profiles.

Metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa), underscoring the need for reliable prediction tools to forecast the risk of metastasis at an early stage. Here, we utilize the gene expression profiles of 1,000 unique primary tumors from patients with localized PCa to develop a gene signature capable of predicting metastasis. Our signature, termed Meta-Score, comprises forty-five genes that can accurately distinguish primary tumor with high propensity for metastasis across different patient cohorts. Notably, Meta-Score maintained its robust predictive performance in an internal validation cohort of comprising primary tumor samples from 239 patients. In addition to its robust predictive performance, Meta-Score demonstrates a significant association with survival, independent of Gleason score in two independent patient cohorts, underscoring its prognostic utility. Taken together, Meta-Score is a robust risk-stratification tool that can be leveraged to identify patients at high-risk of metastasis and unfavorable survival using their primary tumor gene expression profiles.

Differences in the expression heterogeneity of ADC-related markers between primary tumors and metastatic lymph nodes in advanced urothelial cancers.

111 Background: The booming development of antibody‒drug conjugates (ADCs), which represent a novel, effective and low-toxicity therapeutic approach, has dramatically improved clinical outcomes in urothelial cancers, especially those with advanced disease. However, previous studies focused less on the targeted genes expression pattern and heterogeneity in metastatic tissues, which are more critical to inhibit tumor progression. Here, we aimed to explore the expression of potential ADC-related genes, including HER2, HER3, Nectin4 and Trop2 in advanced urothelial cancers between primary tumors and metastatic lymph nodes (mLN) in pairs. Methods: A large cohort of 306 urothelial cancer patients (292 patients, pN+), including 65 renal pelvis, 38 ureter, 179 bladder and 24 urethral cancer patients (10 patients, pN+), from SYSUCC was enrolled. Paraffin-embedded primary tumors and corresponding mLN sections were subjected to immunohistochemistry (IHC) to detect ADC-related gene expression. HER2 IHC scores of 2/3+ were defined as high expression as previously described. HER3, Nectin4 and Trop2 were evaluated by H-scores (range 0-300, rank 0 to 3+) multiplied by the extent and intensity of the staining, and H-scores &gt;15 were considered positive. Results: A total of 74.8% of advanced urothelial cancer patients were HER2 positive (1-3+), and 49.4% had high HER2 expression. High HER2 expression was detected in 33.8%, 42.2%, 56.5% and 50% of renal pelvis, ureter, bladder and urethral primary tumors, respectively. The rate of high HER2 expression in mLNs slightly decreased to 30.1%, 41.7%, 51.9% and 50%, and the concordance rate of HER2 expression between primary and mLNs was 71.9%. Similarly, 27.7%, 42.1%, 52%, and 66.7% of primary tumors were positive for HER3 expression; 72.3%, 89.5%, 77.7%, and 87.5% were positive for Nectin4; and 89.2%, 94.7%, 83.2%, and 95.8% were positive for Trop2 in renal pelvis, ureter, bladder and urethral cancers, respectively. Overall, 71.9%, 50.7%, and 65.3% of patients had consistent expression of HER3, Nectin4 and Trop2 in mLNs, respectively. Survival analysis indicated that the overexpression of HER2, HER3 and Trop2 in advanced urothelial cancers was associated with poor OS (p=0.001, 0.025 and 0.022, respectively). More importantly, we found that patients with higher HER2 expression in mLNs at primary sites had a worse prognosis (p=0.006). Conclusions: We first investigated the heterogeneity of ADC-related marker expression in primary urothelial tumors and mLNs in a large single cohort, especially in patients who underwent radical lymphadenectomy. Therapy targeting HER2-ADCs might show better homogeneity in advanced disease, but it is more recommended to detect IHC staining both in primary and metastatic tissues if possible.

HER2 status results in an unstable switch from primary to recurrent breast cancer.

Accurately distinguishing HER2-2+ tumors from HER2-0/1+ tumors via immunohistochemistry (IHC) is still very challenging. HER2 IHC 2+ is considered to indicate moderate expression and is easier to distinguish, with more reliable results in previous and current clinical practice. We focused on HER2-2+ patients and evaluated the switch in HER2 status between primary and paired recurrent disease patients to evaluate the discordance of HER2-2+ expression. We included patients who were HER2-2+ of primary or rebiopsy tumor samples, to evaluate the evolution of HER2-2+ expression. In the cohort with a total of 159 patients with HER2-2+ expression in either primary tumor or locoregional/distant metastasis samples, 44.0% had HER2-2+ in primary tumor and 88.8% in recurrent disease. Among patients with primary and recurrent HER2-2+ breast cancers, 18.5% and 15.2% of the patients, respectively, had HER2 gene amplification via ISH. The overall rate of discordance in HER2 IHC results was 67.1%. Among primary HER2-2+ patients, 74.6% were maintained in the HER2-2+ cohort at the recurrence. The discordance was mostly driven by patients switching from HER2-2+ to HER2-1+ (64.7%). Among HER2-2+ recurrent patients, discordance in the IHC results was mostly driven by switching from HER2-0 to HER2-2+ (47.1%). When HER2-low was added to the analysis, the overall rate of HER2 discordance was 40.4%. The proportion of patients with discordant HER2 expression was significantly greater among HR-positive patients than negative patients (44.1% vs. 21.7%, p=0.062). HER2 expression in primary and recurrent breast cancer samples was highly unstable. Discordance was more frequently observed in the HR-positive population.

Correlation of PD-L1 expression with different clinico-pathological and immunohistochemical features of ovarian surface epithelial tumors.

Primary carcinoma of the ovary (OCs) are responsible for a significant number of deaths related to cancer, and have the highest rate of death related to cancers of the female reproductive organs. Programmed cell death 1 (PD1) protein, acts as an immune checkpoint, and has an important role in the down-regulation of the immune system by preventing the activation of T-cells, which will weaken the autoimmunity and increases self-tolerance. This study aimed at the evaluation of the immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of PD-L1 in various primary surface ovarian epithelial tumours and to test its correlation with different clinicopathological parameters together with the expression of a panel of P53, ER and PR. A set of 102 cases of primary ovarian surface epithelial neoplasms (benign, borderline and malignant) were collected to construct Tissue Microarray (TMA) using 3 tissue cores from each case. IHC for PD-L1, p53, PR and ER was performed. The expression of PD-L1 was evaluated in relation to some clinicopathological parameters and to the expression patterns of other markers. Expression of PD-L1 was detected in about 51% (n = 36) of malignant tumours. The malignant group significantly showed PD-L1 positivity compared to borderline and benign groups. The malignant tumours significantly showed PD-L1 and total p53 positivity in comparison to borderline group. Also, malignant tumours significantly showed higher combined positivity of PD-L1 and either PR or ER compared to borderline and benign lesions. No significant correlation was appreciated between PD-L1 expression and with any of the studied clinicopathological parameters. This study showed a significant PD-L1 expression in malignant primary surface epithelial tumours. Construction of a panel of IHC markers, including PD-L1, could have a potential value to define patients those would benefit from the addition of immunotherapy to the treatment plan.

Exploring membranous NECTIN-4 expression patterns and enfortumab vedotin response in prostate cancer.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) represent a novel type of targeted cancer therapy combining the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the cytotoxicity of conventional chemotherapy. Recently, ADCs have demonstrated practice-changing efficacy across diverse solid cancers. The anti-NECTIN-4 ADC enfortumab vedotin (EV) has just been approved for patients with urothelial cancer and is currently under investigation for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC e.g. Phase II ENCORE trial). Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of EV in established prostate cancer (PCa) cell lines and to examine the membranous NECTIN-4 expression in primary tumours (PRIM) and distant metastases (MET). NECTIN-4 was heterogeneously expressed in the panel of PCa cell lines. EV led to growth inhibition in NECTIN-4 expressing PCa cells (22Rv1 and LNCaP), whereas the NECTIN-4-negative PC-3 cells were significantly less responsive to EV, emphasizing the dependence of EV response on its target expression. Immunohistochemical staining revealed moderate membranous NECTIN-4 expression only in a small subgroup of CRPC patients with lung and peritoneal MET [n = 3/22 with H-score ≥100, median H-score 140 (IQR 130-150)], while 100% of PRIM (n = 48/48) and 86.4% of common MET sites (n = 19/22), including lymph node, bone and liver MET, were NECTIN-4 negative. In summary, EV may be effective in NECTIN-4-positive PCa. However, our findings demonstrate that the tumoural NECTIN-4 expression is predominantly low in metastatic PCa, which suggests that EV may only be effective in a biomarker-stratified subgroup.

USP11 modulates mitotic progression and senescence by regulating the p53-p21 axis through MDM2 deubiquitination

USP11 is overexpressed in colorectal cancer (CRC) and breast cancer tissues compared to normal tissues, suggesting a role in promoting cell proliferation and inhibiting cell death. In this study, we observed that depleting USP11 inhibits cell proliferation and delays cell cycle progression. This depletion leads to increased p53 protein levels due to an extended half-life, resulting in elevated p21 mRNA levels in a p53-dependent manner. The rise in p53 protein upon USP11 depletion is linked to a reduced half-life of MDM2, a known E3 ligase for p53, via enhanced polyubiquitination of MDM2. These findings indicate that USP11 might act as a deubiquitinase for MDM2, regulating the MDM2-p53-p21 axis. Additionally, USP11 depletion promotes the induction of senescent cells in a manner dependent on its deubiquitinase activity. Our findings provide insights into the physiological significance of high USP11 expression in primary tumors and its reduction in senescent cells, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target.

An essential gene signature of breast cancer metastasis reveals targetable pathways

BackgroundThe differential gene expression profile of metastatic versus primary breast tumors represents an avenue for discovering new or underappreciated pathways underscoring processes of metastasis. However, as tumor biopsy samples are a mixture of cancer and non-cancer cells, most differentially expressed genes in metastases would represent confounders involving sample biopsy site rather than cancer cell biology.MethodsBy paired analysis, we defined a top set of differentially expressed genes in breast cancer metastasis versus primary tumors using an RNA-sequencing dataset of 152 patients from The Breast International Group Aiming to Understand the Molecular Aberrations dataset (BIG-AURORA). To filter the genes higher in metastasis for genes essential for breast cancer proliferation, we incorporated CRISPR-based data from breast cancer cell lines.ResultsA significant fraction of genes with higher expression in metastasis versus paired primary were essential by CRISPR. These 264 genes represented an essential signature of breast cancer metastasis. In contrast, nonessential metastasis genes largely involved tumor biopsy site. The essential signature predicted breast cancer patient outcome based on primary tumor expression patterns. Pathways underlying the essential signature included proteasome degradation, the electron transport chain, oxidative phosphorylation, and cancer metabolic reprogramming. Transcription factors MYC, MAX, HDAC3, and HCFC1 each bound significant fractions of essential genes.ConclusionsAssociations involving the essential gene signature of breast cancer metastasis indicate true biological changes intrinsic to cancer cells, with important implications for applying existing therapies or developing alternate therapeutic approaches.

Abstract PO3-24-08: Establishment of a selective culture method for breast cancer stem cells derived from patient tissue and a subgroup analysis of cancer stem cells

Abstract Purpose Cancer stem cells are considered to cause recurrence and metastasis due to their resistance to drug and radiation therapy. Breast cancer stem cells are therefore the true target for the treatment of breast cancer. In this study, we established a method to selectively culture breast cancer stem cells from patient-derived breast cancer tissue, and we analyzed their characteristics using immunostaining to identify gene expression. Method Breast cancer tissues from ER+, HER2- and drug-naive patients were fragmented and cultured using low-adherent plates (spheroid culture). We investigated the stemness of the breast cancer cells obtained by the spheroid culture by immunostaining the breast cancer stem cell markers and examining their proliferation and differentiation in a mouse transplantation model. The diversity of the cells was further examined by means of the expression of the EMT markers and genetic analysis. Results In 48 cases, the proportion of CD44+/CD24- breast cancer cells increased from 13.8% to 61.6% in the spheroid culture. In addition, even small numbers of cells obtained by the spheroid culture were transplanted into mice, and the transplanted cells subsequently differentiated in the mice, demonstrating their stemness. ER expression was negatively changed in 52.1% of cases, and the expression of EMT markers, Twist, Snail, and Vimentin, was increased from 43.8% to 75.0%, 12.9% to 58.1%, and 7.71% to 37.7%, respectively. A DNA microarray with 14 cases showed that breast cancer stem cells obtained from ER+ and HER2- breast cancer tissue were classified into two groups. Conclusion We demonstrated that breast cancer stem cells were selectively cultured from patient-derived breast cancer tissue in a spheroid culture. Furthermore, breast cancer stem cells have different characteristics from breast cancer cells in primary tumors and are diverse at an EMT level, and in genetic analyses. Table. Expression of primary tumors and spheroids Citation Format: Satoshi Sueoka, Takayuki Kadoya, Kai Azusa, Shinsuke Sasada, Akiko Emi, Morihito Okada, Yukino Kobayashi, Koh Nakayama. Establishment of a selective culture method for breast cancer stem cells derived from patient tissue and a subgroup analysis of cancer stem cells [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO3-24-08.

Abstract PO2-05-13: HER2 status presented an unstable switching from primary to recurrent breast cancer

Abstract Background: Breast cancer patients with HER2-2+ expression had heterogeneous characteristic. Treatment decision is of great importance after progression. Objective: We explored patients with HER2-2+ in matched primary or recurrent/metastatic tumor samples from January 2010 to June 2022 in our institute were included to evaluate the evolution from or to HER2-2+ expression. Meanwhile, with an emerging of novel entity as HER2-low expression breast cancer, we included this category when analysis as well. Results: In the cohort of a total of 159 breast cancer patients with HER2-2+ expression in either primary tumor or locoregional/distant metastases samples, HER2-2+ breast cancer accounted for 44.0% in primary tumor and 88.8% in recurrent diseases. There were 18.5% and 15.2% patients with HER2 gene amplification on ISH assay among primary and recurrent/metastatic HER2-2+ breast cancers, respectively. The overall rate of HER2 IHC discordance was 67.1%. Among primary HER2-2+ cases, 74.6% maintained in HER2-2+ when disease relapsed. Discordance was mostly driven by cases switching from HER2-2+ to HER2-1+ (64.7%). In HER2-2+ recurrent/metastatic cases, discordance was mostly driven by cases switching from HER2-0 to HER2-2+ (47.1%). The proportion of HER2 discordant cases got a higher statistically trend among HR-positive patients in compared with HR-negative patients (44.1% vs. 21.7%, p = 0.062). There were 35.0% in primary HR-positive/HER2-negative patients and 11.8% in primary triple-negative patients switching from HER2-0 to HER2-low when disease progressed, respectively. Meanwhile, HER2 discordance rate had a significant difference across different metastatic sites (p = 0.026). All contralateral breast and skin metastasis presented with discordant HER2 results. While, all central nervous system metastasis maintained the same HER2-low expression. HER2-positive phenotype in primary breast cancer samples loss their positivity in 42.1% cases. There was a total of 6.6% cases gained HER2 positivity in recurrent breast cancer samples. Conclusion: HER2 expression from primary to relapse breast cancer samples were highly unstable. Biopsy of recurrent sites was necessary to find novel treatment. Citation Format: Anjie Zhu, Hui-Ping Li. HER2 status presented an unstable switching from primary to recurrent breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO2-05-13.

Abstract PO5-06-05: DISCORDANCE BETWEEN HORMONE RECEPTORS AND HER2 STATUS IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS RELAPSE

Abstract Introduction: Breast cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease, and during its progression, the tumor phenotype can undergo changes that are often associated with a poor prognosis. In this study, we aim to compare the discordance in estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2), and Ki-67 expression between primary and recurrent/metastatic lesions. Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of 132 non-advanced breast cancer patients who experienced confirmed recurrence/metastasis at the Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas between 2011 and 2022. Descriptive analysis was conducted to assess the expressions of ER, PgR, HER-2, and Ki-67 in primary and metastatic breast cancer, as well as clinical variables. Normality tests, including Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk, were performed. The paired samples Wilcoxon test was used to determine significant differences between primary and recurrent/metastatic tumors. Additionally, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was employed to evaluate the relationships of expression discordance. Results: Fifty-nine percent of patients presented locoregional recurrence, while 41% presented visceral metastasis. In the primary tumor, ER and PR expression were found in 63.6% and 55.3% of cases, respectively. HER2 status was determined as 0 (36.3%), +1 (22%), +2 (14.4%), +3 (26.5%), and not determined (0.8%) by IHC. For the recurrent/metastatic tumor, ER and PR expression were found in 59% and 34% of cases, respectively. HER2 status was determined as 0 (27.3%), +1 (19.7%), +2 (25%), +3 (25%), and not determined (3%). The median Ki-67 levels were 37% in the primary tumor and 40% in the recurrent/metastatic tumor. Significant differences were found for ER (p=0.014), PR (p&amp;lt; 0.001), and HER2 (p=0.019), but not for Ki-67 percentage (p=0.139). The discordance rates of ER, PR, HER2, and Ki-67 expression were 27.9%, 47.7%, and 26.3%, respectively. Conclussions: Discordance in hormone receptor expression between primary and recurrent/metastatic tumors is a common phenomenon, with ER showing a discordance rate of 27.9% and PR showing a higher rate of 47.7%. HER2 status also displayed significant discordance, with a 26.3% rate of discordant expression between primary and recurrent/metastatic tumors. The findings from this study emphasize the dynamic nature of breast cancer and the importance of comprehensive evaluation of biomarker expression in both primary and recurrent/metastatic tumors, to choose the best treatment options. Citation Format: Katia Roque, Iris Otoya, Natalia Valdivieso, Zaida Morante, Hugo Fuentes, Silvia Neciosup, Henry Gómez, Jorge Cotito, Gonzalo Ziegler, Estefania Peña, Tatiana Vidaurre, Ramon Andrade de Mello, Carlos Castañeda. DISCORDANCE BETWEEN HORMONE RECEPTORS AND HER2 STATUS IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS RELAPSE [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-06-05.