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Open AccessArticle
Pre-Existing Immunity Predicts Response to First-Line Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients
by
Anastasia Xagara
Anastasia Xagara 1
,
Maria Goulielmaki
Maria Goulielmaki 2
,
Sotirios P. Fortis
Sotirios P. Fortis 2,
Alexandros Kokkalis
Alexandros Kokkalis 3,
Evangelia Chantzara
Evangelia Chantzara 3,
George Christodoulopoulos
George Christodoulopoulos 3,
Ioannis Samaras
Ioannis Samaras 3,
Emmanouil Saloustros
Emmanouil Saloustros 3,
Konstantinos Tsapakidis
Konstantinos Tsapakidis 3
,
Vasileios Papadopoulos
Vasileios Papadopoulos 3,
Ioannis S. Pateras
Ioannis S. Pateras 4,
Vasilis Georgoulias
Vasilis Georgoulias 5
,
Constantin N. Baxevanis
Constantin N. Baxevanis 2
and
Athanasios Kotsakis
Athanasios Kotsakis 1,3,*
1
Laboratory of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Thessaly, 41110 Larissa, Greece
2
Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy Center, Saint Savas Cancer Hospital, 171 Alexandras Ave., 11522 Athens, Greece
3
Department of Medical Oncology, University General Hospital of Larissa, 41110 Larissa, Greece
4
Second Department of Pathology, “Attikon” University Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15772 Athens, Greece
5
First Department of Medical Oncology, Metropolitan General Hospital, 15562 Athens, Greece
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Cancers 2024, 16(13), 2393; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16132393 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 25 May 2024
/
Revised: 24 June 2024
/
Accepted: 26 June 2024
/
Published: 28 June 2024
Simple Summary
The content as well as the status of immune cells before immunotherapy administration are indispensable for response. TAA-specific T cells have been associated with poor responses to chemotherapy. However, their role as predictive biomarkers for immunotherapy administration as well as their interplay with other immune system cells is not well understood. Our findings reveal that combined analysis of pre-existing immunity T cells of different immune parameters in treatment-naïve NSCLC patients leads to better prediction tools for immunotherapy response.
Abstract
T-cell-mediated anti-tumoral responses may have significant clinical relevance as a biomarker for response to immunotherapy. The value of peripheral blood pre-existing tumor antigen-specific T cells (PreI+) as a predictive immunotherapy biomarker in NSCLC patients was investigated, along with the frequency of various circulating immune cells. Fifty-two treatment-naïve, stage III/IV NSCLC patients, treated with front-line immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI)-containing regimens were enrolled. PreI was calculated as the percentages of CD3+IFNγ+ cells after in vitro co-cultures of PBMCs with peptides against four different Tumor-Associated Antigens (TAA). Immunophenotyping of peripheral blood immune cells was performed using multicolor flow cytometry. PreI+ T cells were detected in 44% of patients. Median overall survival (OS) was significantly higher in PreI+ patients compared to PreI– patients (not reached vs. 321 days, respectively; p = 0.014). PreI+ patients had significantly higher numbers of possible exhausted CD3+CD8+PD-1+ cells and lower percentages of immunosuppressive Tregs compared to PreI− patients. Additionally, patients with PreI+ and low numbers of peripheral blood M-MDSCs had a significant survival advantage compared to the rest of the patients. Thus, combining pre-existing tumor antigen-specific immunity before initiation of ICI in NSCLC patients with selected immune-suppressive cells could identify patients who have a favorable clinical outcome when treated with ICI-containing regimens.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Xagara, A.; Goulielmaki, M.; Fortis, S.P.; Kokkalis, A.; Chantzara, E.; Christodoulopoulos, G.; Samaras, I.; Saloustros, E.; Tsapakidis, K.; Papadopoulos, V.;
et al. Pre-Existing Immunity Predicts Response to First-Line Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients. Cancers 2024, 16, 2393.
https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16132393
AMA Style
Xagara A, Goulielmaki M, Fortis SP, Kokkalis A, Chantzara E, Christodoulopoulos G, Samaras I, Saloustros E, Tsapakidis K, Papadopoulos V,
et al. Pre-Existing Immunity Predicts Response to First-Line Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients. Cancers. 2024; 16(13):2393.
https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16132393
Chicago/Turabian Style
Xagara, Anastasia, Maria Goulielmaki, Sotirios P. Fortis, Alexandros Kokkalis, Evangelia Chantzara, George Christodoulopoulos, Ioannis Samaras, Emmanouil Saloustros, Konstantinos Tsapakidis, Vasileios Papadopoulos,
and et al. 2024. "Pre-Existing Immunity Predicts Response to First-Line Immunotherapy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients" Cancers 16, no. 13: 2393.
https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16132393
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