Heterogeneity of IFN-Mediated Responses and Tumor Immunogenicity in Patients with Cervical Cancer Receiving Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy

Abstract

Purpose: To ask whether the expression of immune markers and IFN signaling in tumor biopsies changes during concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).

Experimental design: Tumor biopsies and peripheral mononuclear blood cells (PMBC) before and immediately after 20 Gy/10 fractions (F) of radiation treatment (RT) from 30 patients with cervical cancer receiving CCRT were evaluated by IHC and qRT-PCR for immune markers and correlated with the short-term response.

Results: Tumor immune response to radiation before and after 10F RT as reflected by CD8⁺ T-cell infiltration had substantial heterogeneity with increases, decreases, and no change all evident. Increases in CD8⁺ T cells during CCRT correlated with the presence of nuclear IRF1 in tumor cells (r = 0.68, P < 0.0001) and the patient short-term response (P < 0.01). Similarly, in a subset of patients (∼40%) PD-L1 positivity in tumor cells increased, which also correlated with nuclear IRF1 staining (r = 0.48, P < 0.01). Patients with augmented PMBC IFN signature expression after 10F had a significantly higher probability of PD-L1 induction (83% vs. 7%, P < 0.0001). Most patients exhibited abundant expression of SERPINB9 and CD47 in tumor cells, and tumor infiltration by CD68⁺ cells. SERPINB9 expression correlated with STAT1 signaling in tumor cells.

Conclusions: CCRT leads to differential tumor immunogenicity and IFN signaling in patients with cervical cancer, suggesting radiation induction of immunity is limited to a subset of patients and may reflect the heterogeneity of intratumoral induction of IFNs.See related commentary by Mondini and Deutsch, p. 3815.