An Independent Poor-prognosis Subtype of Breast Cancer Defined by a Distinct Tumor Immune Microenvironment

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2019 Dec 5

PMID 31796750

Citations 98

Authors

Xavier Tekpli

Tonje Lien

Andreas Hagen Rossevold

Daniel Nebdal

Elin Borgen

Hege Oma Ohnstad

Jon Amund Kyte

Johan Vallon-Christersson

Marie Fongaard

Eldri Undlien Due

Lisa Gregusson Svartdal

My Anh Tu Sveli

Oystein Garred

Arnoldo Frigessi

Kristine Kleivi Sahlberg

Therese Sorlie

Hege G Russnes

Bjorn Naume

Vessela N Kristensen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

How mixtures of immune cells associate with cancer cell phenotype and affect pathogenesis is still unclear. In 15 breast cancer gene expression datasets, we invariably identify three clusters of patients with gradual levels of immune infiltration. The intermediate immune infiltration cluster (Cluster B) is associated with a worse prognosis independently of known clinicopathological features. Furthermore, immune clusters are associated with response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. In silico dissection of the immune contexture of the clusters identified Cluster A as immune cold, Cluster C as immune hot while Cluster B has a pro-tumorigenic immune infiltration. Through phenotypical analysis, we find epithelial mesenchymal transition and proliferation associated with the immune clusters and mutually exclusive in breast cancers. Here, we describe immune clusters which improve the prognostic accuracy of immune contexture in breast cancer. Our discovery of a novel independent prognostic factor in breast cancer highlights a correlation between tumor phenotype and immune contexture.

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