Clin Cancer Res. 2021 May 07. pii: clincanres.4394.2020. [Epub ahead of print]
Céline M Laumont,
Maartje C A Wouters,
Julian Smazynski,
Nicole S Gierc,
Elizabeth A Chavez,
Lauren C Chong,
Shelby Thornton,
Katy Milne,
John R Webb,
Christian Steidl,
Brad H Nelson.
PURPOSE: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) are strongly associated with survival in most cancers; however, the tumor-reactive subset that drives this prognostic effect remains poorly defined. CD39, CD103, and PD-1 have been independently proposed as markers of tumor-reactive CD8+ TIL in various cancers. We evaluated the phenotype, clonality and prognostic significance of TIL expressing various combinations of these markers in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC), a malignancy in need of more effective immunotherapeutic approaches.
EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Expression of CD39, CD103, PD-1, and other immune markers was assessed by high-dimensional flow cytometry, single-cell sequencing, and multiplex immunofluorescence of primary and matched pre/post-chemotherapy HGSC specimens.
RESULTS: Co-expression of CD39, CD103, and PD-1 ("triple-positive" phenotype) demarcated subsets of CD8+ TIL and CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) with a highly activated/exhausted phenotype. Triple-positive CD8+ TIL exhibited reduced TCR diversity and expressed genes involved in both cytolytic and humoral immunity. Triple-positive Tregs exhibited higher TCR diversity and a tumor-resident phenotype. Triple-positive TIL showed superior prognostic impact relative to TIL expressing other combinations of these markers. TIGIT was uniquely upregulated on triple-positive CD8+ effector cells relative to their CD4+ Treg counterparts.
CONCLUSIONS: Co-expression of CD39, CD103, and PD-1 demarcates highly activated CD8+ and CD4+ TIL with inferred roles in cytolytic, humoral and regulatory immune functions. Triple-positive TIL demonstrate exceptional prognostic significance and express compelling targets for combination immunotherapy, including PD-1, CD39 and TIGIT.