Tumor immune microenvironment of primary colorectal adenocarcinomas metastasizing to the liver or lungs

Background Because of the heterogeneity of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), a genome-wide analysis was performed to characterize the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Methods RNA-seq analysis of 62 primary CRCs without and 63 with systemic metastasis (SM- and SM+ groups) was conducted, and the data were used in a training set after adjustment by propensity score matching. Samples were further subdivided into those with hepatic metastasis (CHM subgroup), pulmonary metastasis (CPM subgroup), or concurrent CHM and CPM (concurrent group). Validation was done by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction using another 40 primary CRC samples. Results Compared with the CHM or CPM subgroups, the concurrent group showed upregulated in inflammatory or immune processes, cytokine secretion, and myeloid leukocyte migration. Nine candidate genes were selected: SM-specific IDO1, JAM3, and PDE2A; CHM- or CPM-specific BIRC7; CPM-specific HISI1H2BK, and both SM-specific and CHM- or CPM-specific EPHB6, LPL, THBD, and PPBP. In a validation set of primary CRCs, JAM3 and IDO1 (p = 0.044 and p = 0.036, respectively) were confirmed to show significant upregulation and downregulation, respectively, in the SM+ group, whereas HIST1H2BK (p = 0.017) was significantly upregulated in the CPM subgroup. Conclusions Our findings indicate that a host-suppressive TIME is established in the primary tumor of mCRC and identify immune-related site-specific markers of mCRC.

Automated summary

The study revealed different immune microenvironments in mCRC patients with hepatic metastasis, pulmonary metastasis, or concurrent hepatic and pulmonary metastasis. Through RNA analysis and validation of gene expressions in the primary CRC samples, candidate genes associated with different metastasis patterns were identified. These findings help in identifying immune-related site-specific markers of mCRC.