Mass cytometry-based peripheral blood analysis as a novel tool for early detection of solid tumours: a multicentre study

Abstract

ObjectiveEarly detection of a tumour remains an unmet medical need, and approaches with high sensitivity and specificity are urgently required. Mass cytometry time-of-flight (CyTOF) is a powerful technique to profile immune cells and could be applied to tumour detection. We attempted to establish diagnostic models for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).DesignWe performed CyTOF analysis for 2348 participants from 15 centres, including 1131 participants with hepatic diseases, 584 participants with pancreatic diseases and 633 healthy volunteers. Diagnostic models were constructed through random forest algorithm and validated in subgroups.ResultsWe determined the disturbance of systemic immunity caused by HCC and PDAC, and calculated a peripheral blood immune score (PBIScore) based on the constructed model. The PBIScore exhibited good performance in detecting HCC and PDAC, with both sensitivity and specificity being around 80% in the validation cohorts. We further established an integrated PBIScore (iPBIScore) by combining PBIScore and alpha-fetoprotein or carbohydrate antigen 19-9. The iPBIScore for HCC had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.99, 0.97 and 0.96 in training, internal validation and external validation cohorts, respectively. Similarly, the iPBIScore for PDAC showed an AUC of 0.99, 0.98 and 0.97 in the training, internal validation and external validation cohorts, respectively. In early-stage and tumour-marker-negative patients, our iPBIScore-based models also showed an AUC of 0.95–0.96 and 0.81–0.92, respectively.ConclusionOur study proved that the alterations of peripheral immune cell subsets could assist tumour detection, and provide a ready-to-use detection model for HCC and PDAC.

Exploring predictive markers for liver failure post-hepatectomy in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

“…Finally, this study opens avenues for exploring the role of these biomarkers in the broader spectrum of liver diseases and surgeries[ 6 ]. Future research could focus on whether these markers can predict outcomes in other liver surgeries or liver-related conditions, potentially broadening the scope of their clinical utility.…”

Phenotypic and functional alteration of CD45+ immune cells in the decidua of preeclampsia patients analyzed by mass cytometry (CyTOF)

“…CyTOF analyses were performed by PLTTech Inc. (Hangzhou, China) according to a previously described protocol (22)(23)(24). The original data of each marker were first normalized by a bead-based normalizer and then debarcoded.…”

Circulation immune cell landscape in canonical pathogenesis of colorectal adenocarcinoma by CyTOF analysis

“…They also established models based on selected cell markers and subsets obtained from CyTOF in detecting patients with malignancies. 26 …”