Diagnostic value of peripheral blood immune profiling in colorectal cancer

Abstract

PurposeLittle is known about the clinical value of peripheral blood immune profiling. Here, we aimed to identify colorectal cancer (CRC)-related peripheral blood immune cells and develop liquid biopsy-based immune profiling models for CRC diagnosis.MethodsPeripheral blood from 131 preoperative patients with CRC and 174 healthy controls was analyzed by flow cytometry and automated hematology. CRC-related immune factors were identified by comparing the mean values of immune cell percentages and counts. Subsequently, CRC diagnostic algorithms were constructed using binary logistic regression.ResultsSignificant differences were observed in percentages and counts of white blood cells, lymphocytes, neutrophils, regulatory T cells, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) of patients and controls. The neutrophil/lymphocyte and Th1/Th2 ratios were also significantly different. Likewise, the percentages and counts of peripheral blood programed death 1, cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4, B-and T-lymphocyte attenuator, and lymphocyte activation gene-3 were higher in patients with CRC. The binary logistic regression model included 12 variables, age, CD3+%, NK%, CD4+CD279+%, CD4+CD25+%, CD4+CD152+%, CD3+CD366+%, CD3+CD272+%, CD3+CD223+%, CD158b−CD314+CD3−CD56+%, Th2%, and MDSCs cells/µL, for the prediction of cancer. Results of retrospective and prospective evaluation of the area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.980 and 0.940, 91.53% and 85.80%, and 93.50% and 86.20%, respectively.ConclusionPeripheral blood immune profiling may be valuable in evaluating the immunity of CRC patients. Our liquid biopsy-based immune diagnostic method and its algorithms may serve as a novel tool for CRC diagnosis. Future largescale studies are needed for better characterization of its diagnostic value and potential for clinical application.

Characterization of circulating T-, NK-, and NKT cell subsets in patients with colorectal cancer: the peripheral blood immune cell profile

“…This suggests that circulating immune cell profiles have prognostic value (i.e., biomarker candidates) for the identification of patients with low tumor grades with a high risk of developing metastatic disease. In general, it is hypothesized that decreased percentages of cytotoxic immune cell subsets or expression levels of activating receptors and increased percentages of regulatory immune cell subsets or expression levels of inhibitory receptors represent an immunocompromised state of the immune system and would therefore be correlated with shorter DFS in CRC patients [ 57 , 58 , 4 ]. In line with this hypothesis, our results revealed that CRC patients with high numbers of circulating T reg showed a trend towards shorter DFS compared to patients with low numbers of circulating T reg , an association also observed by others.…”

Prognostic Value of Peripheral Blood Lymphocyte Telomere Length in Gynecologic Malignant Tumors

“…Cancer immunity involves a combination of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and circulating peripheral blood lymphocytes [37]. Particularly, elevated levels of circulating cytotoxic CD8 + T cells in the tumor microenvironment are associated with prolonged PFS and OS [38], which is strongly correlated with long telomere length.…”

A Snapshot of The Tumor Microenvironment in Colorectal Cancer: The Liquid Biopsy

“…IL-6- and IL-10-induced p-STAT3 signatures in peripheral blood mononuclear cells may be used as diagnostic biomarkers to distinguish CRC patients from healthy individuals with a sensitivity and specificity of 91% and 88%, respectively. Similarly, another study in colorectal cancer patients showed higher percentages of Tregs, myeloid-derived suppressor cells and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in the blood of patients than in healthy controls [184]. In addition, several immune checkpoint molecules were deregulated in the peripheral blood immune compartment, for example, PD-1 in T cells.…”