Immunological subtyping of salivary gland cancer identifies histological origin-specific tumor immune microenvironment

Abstract Gene expression analysis enhances proper cancer subtyping, a better understanding of the molecular characteristics of cancer, and strategies for precision medicine. However, salivary gland cancer (SGC) subtyping remains largely unexplored because of its rarity and diverse histopathological...

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Main Authors: Jiyun Hong, Eunwoo Choi, Dahee Kim, Mi-Kyoung Seo, Hyundeok Kang, BeumJin Park, Sangwoo Kim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-01-01
Series:npj Precision Oncology
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41698-024-00501-4
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author Jiyun Hong
Eunwoo Choi
Dahee Kim
Mi-Kyoung Seo
Hyundeok Kang
BeumJin Park
Sangwoo Kim
author_facet Jiyun Hong
Eunwoo Choi
Dahee Kim
Mi-Kyoung Seo
Hyundeok Kang
BeumJin Park
Sangwoo Kim
author_sort Jiyun Hong
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Gene expression analysis enhances proper cancer subtyping, a better understanding of the molecular characteristics of cancer, and strategies for precision medicine. However, salivary gland cancer (SGC) subtyping remains largely unexplored because of its rarity and diverse histopathological and immunological characteristics. This study aimed to determine whether the histological origin and immunological characteristics of SGC subtypes are intrinsic tumor immunity factors. We performed immune profiling of 94 RNA-seq of SGC tissues and found that the SGCs that originated from the excretory duct (ED), such as the salivary duct and mucoepidermoid carcinomas, exhibit higher immunity than those from the intercalated duct (ID), such as the adenoid cystic and myoepithelial carcinomas, based on the computationally predicted immune score (p < 0.001), immune cell enrichment in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) (p < 0.001), T-cell receptor diversity (p < 0.001), and expression of signal I (major histocompatibility complex, MHC, p < 0.001) and signal II (co-stimulatory, p < 0.001 and co-inhibitory, p < 0.001) genes. Further analysis revealed that tolerogenic dendritic cell-induced dysfunctional T-cell populations and T-cell exclusion in the TIME are the major immune evasive mechanisms of the ED-and ID-derived SGCs, respectively.
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spelling doaj.art-0e53d96e2525472ea73fa750f3c243302024-01-21T12:08:35ZengNature Portfolionpj Precision Oncology2397-768X2024-01-018111210.1038/s41698-024-00501-4Immunological subtyping of salivary gland cancer identifies histological origin-specific tumor immune microenvironmentJiyun Hong0Eunwoo Choi1Dahee Kim2Mi-Kyoung Seo3Hyundeok Kang4BeumJin Park5Sangwoo Kim6Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics and Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of MedicineDepartment of Biomedical Systems Informatics and Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of MedicineDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Yonsei University College of MedicineDepartment of Biomedical Systems Informatics and Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of MedicineDepartment of Biomedical Systems Informatics and Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of MedicineDepartment of Biomedical Systems Informatics and Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of MedicineDepartment of Biomedical Systems Informatics and Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of MedicineAbstract Gene expression analysis enhances proper cancer subtyping, a better understanding of the molecular characteristics of cancer, and strategies for precision medicine. However, salivary gland cancer (SGC) subtyping remains largely unexplored because of its rarity and diverse histopathological and immunological characteristics. This study aimed to determine whether the histological origin and immunological characteristics of SGC subtypes are intrinsic tumor immunity factors. We performed immune profiling of 94 RNA-seq of SGC tissues and found that the SGCs that originated from the excretory duct (ED), such as the salivary duct and mucoepidermoid carcinomas, exhibit higher immunity than those from the intercalated duct (ID), such as the adenoid cystic and myoepithelial carcinomas, based on the computationally predicted immune score (p < 0.001), immune cell enrichment in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) (p < 0.001), T-cell receptor diversity (p < 0.001), and expression of signal I (major histocompatibility complex, MHC, p < 0.001) and signal II (co-stimulatory, p < 0.001 and co-inhibitory, p < 0.001) genes. Further analysis revealed that tolerogenic dendritic cell-induced dysfunctional T-cell populations and T-cell exclusion in the TIME are the major immune evasive mechanisms of the ED-and ID-derived SGCs, respectively.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41698-024-00501-4
spellingShingle Jiyun Hong
Eunwoo Choi
Dahee Kim
Mi-Kyoung Seo
Hyundeok Kang
BeumJin Park
Sangwoo Kim
Immunological subtyping of salivary gland cancer identifies histological origin-specific tumor immune microenvironment
npj Precision Oncology
title Immunological subtyping of salivary gland cancer identifies histological origin-specific tumor immune microenvironment
title_full Immunological subtyping of salivary gland cancer identifies histological origin-specific tumor immune microenvironment
title_fullStr Immunological subtyping of salivary gland cancer identifies histological origin-specific tumor immune microenvironment
title_full_unstemmed Immunological subtyping of salivary gland cancer identifies histological origin-specific tumor immune microenvironment
title_short Immunological subtyping of salivary gland cancer identifies histological origin-specific tumor immune microenvironment
title_sort immunological subtyping of salivary gland cancer identifies histological origin specific tumor immune microenvironment
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41698-024-00501-4
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