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The adaptive immune and immune checkpoint landscape of neoadjuvant treated esophageal adenocarcinoma using digital pathology quantitation

Authors: Humphries, Matthew P.; Craig, Stephanie G.; Kacprzyk, Rafal; Fisher, Natalie C.; Bingham, Victoria; McQuaid, Stephen; Murray, Graeme I.; McManus, Damian; Turkington, Richard C.; James, Jacqueline; Salto-Tellez, Manuel

Online: https://bmccancer.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12885-020-06987-y

Issue: BMC Cancer. 2020 Jun 1;20(1):500.

Abstract

Background: Limited studies examine the immune landscape in Esophageal Adenocarcinoma (EAC). We aim to identify novel associations, which may inform immunotherapy treatment stratification.

Methods: Three hundred twenty-nine EAC cases were available in Tissue Microarrays (TMA) format. A discovery cohort of 166 EAC cases were stained immunohistochemically for range of adaptive immune (CD3, CD4, CD8 and CD45RO) and immune checkpoint biomarkers (ICOS, IDO-1, PD-L1, PD-1). A validation cohort of 163 EAC cases was also accessed. A digital pathology analysis approach was used to quantify biomarker density.

Results: CD3, CD4, CD8, CD45RO, ICOS and PD-1 were individually predictive of better overall survival (OS) (Log rank p = < 0.001; p = 0.014; p = 0.001; p = < 0.001; p = 0.008 and p = 0.026 respectively). Correlation and multivariate analysis identified high CD45RO/ICOS patients with significantly improved OS which was independently prognostic (HR = 0.445, (0.223-0.886), p = 0.021). Assessment of CD45RO and ICOS high cases in the validation cohort revealed an associated with improved OS (HR = 0.601 (0.363-0.996), p = 0.048). Multiplex IHC identified cellular co-expression of high CD45RO/ICOS. High CD45RO/ICOS patients have significantly improved OS.

Conclusions: Multiplexing identifies true cellular co-expression. These data demonstrate that co-expression of immune biomarkers are associated with better outcome in EAC and may provide evidence for immunotherapy treatment stratification.

Keywords: Esophageal adenocarcinoma; Image analysis; Immune checkpoint; Multiplex IHC.