Altered B cell immunoglobulin signature exhibits potential diagnostic values in human colorectal cancer

Antibody-secreting B cells have long been considered the central element of gut homeostasis; however, tumor-associated B cells in human colorectal cancer (CRC) have not been well characterized. Here, we show that the clonotype, phenotype, and immunoglobulin subclasses of tumor-infiltrating B cells have changed compared to adjacent normal tissue B cells. Remarkably, the tumor-associated B cell immunoglobulin signature alteration can also be detected in the plasma of patients with CRC, suggesting that a distinct B cell response was also evoked in CRC. We compared the altered plasma immunoglobulin signature with the ex-isting method of CRC diagnosis. Our diagnostic model exhibits improved sensi-tivity compared to the traditional biomarkers, CEA and CA19-9. These findings disclose the altered B cell immunoglobulin signature in human CRC and highlight the potential of using the plasma immunoglobulin signature as a non-invasive method for the assessment of CRC.

Automated summary

In this study, the altered clonotype, phenotype, and immunoglobulin subclasses of tumor-infiltrating B cells in colorectal cancer were identified. Remarkably, the changes in the B cell immunoglobulin signature could also be detected in the plasma of CRC patients, suggesting a distinct B cell response in CRC. The diagnostic model based on the altered plasma immunoglobulin signature showed improved sensitivity compared to traditional biomarkers, indicating its potential as a non-invasive method for CRC assessment.