Proteomic Profiling of Small Extracellular Vesicles Isolated from the Plasma of Vietnamese Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Reveals Some Potential Biomarkers

Background: Considering the poor prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the objective of this study was to examine the potential of plasma-derived vesicles as a source of lung cancer-specific proteins. Extracellular vesicle (EV) cargos are specific to the source cells, hence they have the potential of being a source of cancer-specific proteins.  Methods: The proteins differently expressed in cancer were determined and derived from EVs isolated from the plasma of NSCLC patients at the National Lung Hospital. To this end, purification was done using gel filtration chromatography and ultracentrifugation. In addition, nano liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) was used for analyzing. Results: Fifty-seven EV-derived proteins related to NSCLC were highlighted in this research. Some of them have not been addressed before, such as EEF1A1 (elongation factor 1-α1), KPNB1 (Importin subunit beta 1), SRC (proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase) and ACTC1 (actin, alpha cardiac muscle 1). This list was further confirmed through a comparison with ExoCarta and Vesiclepedia. Conclusion: This study is the first work to show the involvement of several novel proteins of small EV (EEF1A1, KPNB1, SRC, and ACTC1) in the progression of NSCLC. The results suggested that they could serve as novel biomarkers for non-small cell lung cancer in the future.     

Cancer Cell-Specific Major Histocompatibility Complex II Expression as a Determinant of the Immune Infiltrate Organization and Function in the NSCLC Tumor Microenvironment

IntroductionIn patients with NSCLC, the prognostic significance of the tumor microenvironment (TME) immune composition has been revealed using single- or dual-marker staining on sequential tissue sections. Although these studies reveal that relative abundance and localization of immune cells are important parameters, deeper analyses of the NSCLC TME are necessary to refine the potential application of these findings to clinical care. Currently, the complex spatial relationships between cells of the NSCLC TME and potential drivers contributing to its immunologic composition remain unknown.MethodsWe used multispectral quantitative imaging on the lung adenocarcinoma TME in 153 patients with resected tumors. On a single slide per patient, we evaluated the TME with markers for CD3, CD8, CD14, CD19, major histocompatibility complex II (MHCII), cytokeratin, and 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI). Image analysis, including tissue segmentation, phenotyping, and spatial localization, was performed.ResultsSpecimens wherein greater than or equal to 5% of lung cancer cells expressed MHCII (MHCII^hi TME) had increased levels of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells and CD14⁺ cell infiltration. In the MHCII^hi TME, the immune infiltrate was closer to cancer cells and expressed an activated phenotype. Morphologic image analysis revealed cancer cells in the MHCII^hi TME more frequently interfaced with CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells. Patients with an MHCII^hi TME experienced improved overall survival (p = 0.046).ConclusionsLung cancer cell-specific expression of MHCII associates with levels of immune cell infiltration, spatial localization, and activation status within the TME. This suggests that cancer cell-specific expression of MHCII may represent a biomarker for the immune system’s recognition and activation against the tumor.     

Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 Expression in Untreated EGFR Mutated Advanced NSCLC and Response to Osimertinib Versus Comparator in FLAURA

IntroductionEGFR mutated (EGFRm) NSCLC tumors occasionally express programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), although frequency and clinical relevance are not fully characterized. We report PD-L1 expression in patients with EGFRm advanced NSCLC and association with clinical outcomes following treatment with osimertinib or comparator EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in the FLAURA trial (phase III, NCT02296125).MethodsOf 231 tissue blocks available from the screened population (including EGFRm-positive and -negative samples), 197 had sufficient tissue for PD-L1 testing using the SP263 (Ventana, Tucson, Arizona) immunohistochemical assay. Tumor cell (TC) staining thresholds of PD-L1 TC greater than or equal to 1%, TC greater than or equal to 25%, and TC greater than or equal to 50% were applied. Progression-free survival (PFS) was investigator-assessed, per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumor, version 1.1, according to PD-L1 expressors (TC ≥ 1%) or negatives (TC < 1%) in randomized patients.ResultsPD-L1 staining was successful in 193 of 197 patient formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks; of these, 128 of 193 were EGFRm-positive and 106 of 128 patients were randomized to treatment (osimertinib: 54; comparator: 52). At the PD-L1 TC greater than or equal to 25% threshold, 8% (10 of 128) of EGFRm-positive tumors expressed PD-L1 versus 35% (23 of 65) of EGFRm-negative tumors. With the TC greater than or equal to 1% threshold, 51% (65 of 128) versus 68% (44 of 65) were mutation-positive and –negative, respectively, and with the TC greater than or equal to 50% threshold, 5% (7 of 128) versus 28% (18 of 65), were mutation-positive and -negative, respectively. For PD-L1 expressors (TC ≥ 1%), median PFS was 18.4 months with osimertinib and 6.9 months with comparator (hazard ratio = 0.30; 95% confidence interval: 0.15–0.60). For PD-L1–negative patients (TC < 1%), median PFS was 18.9 months with osimertinib and 10.9 months with comparator (hazard ratio = 0.37; 95% confidence interval: 0.17–0.74).ConclusionsClinical benefit with osimertinib was unaffected by PD-L1 expression status.     

两种化疗方案治疗晚期非小细胞肺癌的对比观察

目的比较化疗方案GP(吉西他滨和顺铂)和IVP(异环磷酰胺、长春地辛和顺铂)治疗晚期非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)的疗效和毒性.方法将62例晚期NSCLC患者随机分成两组,治疗组30例,采用GP方案:吉西他滨1000 mg/m^2第1、第8 d静脉滴注,顺铂80 mg/m^2第1 d静脉滴注,4周为一周期;对照组32例,采用IVP方案:异环磷酰胺1200 mg/m^2第1～第3 d静脉滴注,长春地辛2.5 mg/m^2第1、第8 d静脉推注,顺铂80 mg/m^2第1 d静脉滴注,4周为一周期.2个周期后评价其疗效及毒性.结果治疗组无一例完全缓解,部分缓解6例,总有效率20.0%;对照组亦无一例完全缓解,部分缓解8例,总有效率25.0%.两组无统计学差异(P＞0.05),但治疗组毒性小于对照组.结论双药化疗方案GP治疗NSCLC的疗效不低于三药方案IVP,且毒副作用轻微,更易为晚期肺癌患者所接受.     

雾化吸入IL-2联合化疗对原发性非小细胞肺癌疗效观察

观察雾化吸入ＩＬ－２联合化疗对非小细胞肺癌的临床疗效并与静滴ＩＬ－２及单纯化疗进行对比。方法：ＩＬ－２的雾化１０万ｕ／次，２次／ｄ，连用１月，化疗后３ｄ开始用；ＩＬ－２静滴４０万ｕ／次，１次／ｄ，加入５００ｍｌ液体中静滴，连用１月；化疗采用动脉灌注或全身化疗，药物及剂量为环磷酰胺４００ｍｇ／ｍ２＋ＤＤＰ８０ｍｇ／ｍ２。结果：用ＩＬ－２的两组ＣＲ＋ＰＲ显著高于单纯化疗组（Ｐ＜０．０１）；雾化ＩＬ－２组ＣＲ＋ＰＲ与静滴ＩＬ－２差别无显著性（Ｐ＞０．０５），但不良反应的发生率显著低于后者，而与单纯化疗类似，结论：雾化吸入ＩＬ－２联合化疗对非小细胞肺癌有较好的疗效，且副作用小，值得扩大样本进一步验证其疗效。     

流式细胞术检测非小细胞肺癌患者骨髓微转移

目的　应用流式细胞术检测非小细胞肺癌患者骨髓中的微转移。方法　骨髓经Ficoll梯度离心分离单核细胞后,用细胞角蛋白 19(Cytokeratin, CK19)单克隆抗体染色,应用流式细胞仪检测。结果　检测了 96例肺癌患者骨髓,发现 25例患者骨髓中有微转移。20例肺良性病变患者、10例正常人骨髓均无微转移。肺癌患者阳性率与患者病理分期、分化程度和细胞组织学类型密切相关 (P<0. 05)。结论　应用流式细胞术检测非小细胞肺癌患者骨髓中的微转移,有助于肺癌的综合治疗。