TY - JOUR
T1 - Cancer Cell B7-H3 Expression Is More Prevalent in the Pancreato-Biliary Subtype of Ampullary Cancer Than in Pancreatic Cancer
AU - Geerdes, Emma E.
AU - Sideras, Kostandinos
AU - Aziz, M. Hosein
AU - van Eijck, Casper H.
AU - Bruno, Marco J.
AU - Sprengers, Dave
AU - Boor, Patrick P.C.
AU - Kwekkeboom, Jaap
N1 - Funding Information:
The study was funded by Erasmus MC, Rotterdam.
Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2021 Geerdes, Sideras, Aziz, van Eijck, Bruno, Sprengers, Boor and Kwekkeboom.
PY - 2021/4/29
Y1 - 2021/4/29
N2 - B7-H3 is an immunomodulatory member of the B7-superfamily with limited expression in normal tissues, but overexpression in several types of cancer. Therefore it is currently being explored as a potential target for cancer immunotherapy. The biological relevance of B7-H3 expression in pancreatic cancer is unclear, while there are no data on B7-H3 expression in ampullary cancer. We aimed to compare intra-tumoral B7-H3 expression between these two closely related cancer types and analyze its association with post-surgical disease course. B7-H3 expression levels were determined by immunohistochemistry in tissue microarrays of resected tumors of 137 pancreatic cancer patients and 83 patients with ampullary cancer of the pancreato-biliary subtype. B7-H3 was more frequently expressed in cancer cells of ampullary cancer patients compared to pancreatic cancer patients (51% versus 21%; p< 0.001). In ampullary cancer patients, but not in pancreatic cancer patients, B7-H3 cancer cell expression was associated with longer disease-free survival and patient survival. However, the prognostic value of B7-H3 was lost upon adjustment for CA19-9 levels. The frequencies of B7-H3 expression in tumor stroma did not differ between the two types of cancer (66% versus 63%). In both cancer types, stromal B7-H3 expression was not associated with post-surgical disease course. Compared to pancreatic cancer, B7-H3 is more frequently expressed in cancer cells of patients with the pancreato-biliary subtype of ampullary cancer. These data suggest that B7-H3 may represent an interesting potential target for immunotherapy in ampullary cancer rather than in pancreatic cancer.
AB - B7-H3 is an immunomodulatory member of the B7-superfamily with limited expression in normal tissues, but overexpression in several types of cancer. Therefore it is currently being explored as a potential target for cancer immunotherapy. The biological relevance of B7-H3 expression in pancreatic cancer is unclear, while there are no data on B7-H3 expression in ampullary cancer. We aimed to compare intra-tumoral B7-H3 expression between these two closely related cancer types and analyze its association with post-surgical disease course. B7-H3 expression levels were determined by immunohistochemistry in tissue microarrays of resected tumors of 137 pancreatic cancer patients and 83 patients with ampullary cancer of the pancreato-biliary subtype. B7-H3 was more frequently expressed in cancer cells of ampullary cancer patients compared to pancreatic cancer patients (51% versus 21%; p< 0.001). In ampullary cancer patients, but not in pancreatic cancer patients, B7-H3 cancer cell expression was associated with longer disease-free survival and patient survival. However, the prognostic value of B7-H3 was lost upon adjustment for CA19-9 levels. The frequencies of B7-H3 expression in tumor stroma did not differ between the two types of cancer (66% versus 63%). In both cancer types, stromal B7-H3 expression was not associated with post-surgical disease course. Compared to pancreatic cancer, B7-H3 is more frequently expressed in cancer cells of patients with the pancreato-biliary subtype of ampullary cancer. These data suggest that B7-H3 may represent an interesting potential target for immunotherapy in ampullary cancer rather than in pancreatic cancer.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85105981414&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fonc.2021.615691
DO - 10.3389/fonc.2021.615691
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85105981414
VL - 11
JO - Frontiers in Oncology
JF - Frontiers in Oncology
SN - 2234-943X
M1 - 615691
ER -
