| 1. |
- Edin, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
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Macrophages : Good guys in colorectal cancer
- 2013
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Ingår i: Oncoimmunology. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2162-4011 .- 2162-402X. ; 2:2, s. e23038-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Macrophages play a complex role in tumor progression since they can exert both tumor-preventing (M1 macrophages) and tumor-promoting (M2 macrophages) activities. In colorectal carcinoma (CRC), at odds to many other cancers, macrophage infiltration has been correlated with an improved patient survival. In a recent study, we have evaluated the distribution of M1 and M2 macrophage subtypes in CRC and their impact on patient prognosis.
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| 2. |
- Edin, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
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Phenotypic skewing of macrophages in vitro by secreted factors from colorectal cancer cells
- 2013
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : PLoS, Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 8:9, s. e74982-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Macrophages are cells with many important functions in both innate and adaptive immune responses and have been shown to play a complex role in tumor progression since they harbour both tumor preventing (M1 macrophages) and tumor promoting (M2 macrophages) activities. In many human cancers, infiltrating macrophages have been associated with a poor patient prognosis, and therefore suggested to be mainly of an M2 phenotype. However, we and others have previously shown that increased macrophage density in colorectal cancer (CRC) instead is correlated with an improved prognosis. It is an intriguing question if the different roles played by macrophages in various cancers could be explained by variations in the balance between M1 and M2 macrophage attributes, driven by tumor- or organ-specific factors in the tumor microenvironment of individual cancers. Here, we utilized an in vitro cell culture system of macrophage differentiation to compare differences and similarities in the phenotype (morphology, antigen-presentation, migration, endocytosis, and expression of cytokine and chemokine genes) between M1/M2 and tumor activated macrophages (TAMs), that could explain the positive role of macrophages in CRC. We found that secreted factors from CRC cells induced TAMs of a "mixed" M1/M2 phenotype, which in turn could contribute to a "good inflammatory response". This suggests that re-education of macrophages might allow for important therapeutic advances in the treatment of human cancer.
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| 3. |
- Edin, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
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The Distribution of Macrophages with a M1 or M2 Phenotype in Relation to Prognosis and the Molecular Characteristics of Colorectal Cancer
- 2012
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : PLoS One. - 1932-6203. ; 7:10, s. e47045-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High macrophage infiltration has been correlated to improved survival in colorectal cancer (CRC). Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) play complex roles in tumorigenesis since they are believed to hold both tumor preventing (M1 macrophages) and tumor promoting (M2 macrophages) activities. Here we have applied an immunohistochemical approach to determine the degree of infiltrating macrophages with a M1 or M2 phenotype in clinical specimens of CRC in relation to prognosis, both in CRC in general but also in subgroups of CRC defined by microsatellite instability (MSI) screening status and the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP). A total of 485 consecutive CRC specimens were stained for nitric oxide synthase 2 (NOS2) (also denoted iNOS) as a marker for the M1 macrophage phenotype and the scavenger receptor CD163 as a marker for the M2 macrophage phenotype. The average infiltration of NOS2 and CD163 expressing macrophages along the invasive tumor front was semi-quantitatively evaluated using a four-graded scale. Two subtypes of macrophages, displaying M1 (NOS2(+)) or M2 (CD163(+)) phenotypes, were recognized. We observed a significant correlation between the amount of NOS2(+) and CD163(+) cells (P<0.0001). A strong inverse correlation to tumor stage was found for both NOS2 (P<0.0001) and CD163 (P<0.0001) infiltration. Furthermore, patients harbouring tumors highly infiltrated by NOS2+ cells had a significantly better prognosis than those infiltrated by few NOS2+ cells, and this was found to be independent of MSI screening status and CIMP status. No significant difference was found on cancer-specific survival in groups of CRC with different NOS2/CD163 ratios. In conclusion, an increased infiltration of macrophages with a M1 phenotype at the tumor front is accompanied by a concomitant increase in macrophages with a M2 phenotype, and in a stage dependent manner correlated to a better prognosis in patients with CRC.
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| 4. |
- Eklöf, Vincy, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Cancer-associated fecal microbial markers in colorectal cancer detection
- 2017
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Ingår i: International Journal of Cancer. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0020-7136 .- 1097-0215. ; 141:12, s. 2528-2536
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer death in the western world. An effective screening program leading to early detection of disease would severely reduce the mortality of CRC. Alterations in the gut microbiota have been linked to CRC, but the potential of microbial markers for use in CRC screening has been largely unstudied. We used a nested case-control study of 238 study subjects to explore the use of microbial markers for clbA+ bacteria harboring the pks pathogenicity island, afa-C+ diffusely adherent Escherichia coli harboring the afa-1 operon, and Fusobacterium nucleatum in stool as potential screening markers for CRC. We found that individual markers for clbA+ bacteria and F. nucleatum were more abundant in stool of patients with CRC, and could predict cancer with a relatively high specificity (81.5% and 76.9%, respectively) and with a sensitivity of 56.4% and 69.2%, respectively. In a combined test of clbA+ bacteria and F. nucleatum, CRC was detected with a specificity of 63.1% and a sensitivity of 84.6%. Our findings support a potential value of microbial factors in stool as putative noninvasive biomarkers for CRC detection. We propose that microbial markers may represent an important future screening strategy for CRC, selecting patients with a "high-risk" microbial pattern to other further diagnostic procedures such as colonoscopy.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Eklöf, Vincy, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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The Combined Value of Faecal Haemoglobin andCalprotectin in Diagnosis of Colorectal Cancer inSymptomatic Patients Referred to Colonoscopy
- 2019
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Ingår i: Academic Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology (AJGH). - San Fransisco : Iris Publishers. ; 1:3, s. 1-7
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Aim: To investigate the diagnostic value of a combined analyses of faecal immunological haemoglobin (FIT) and faecal calprotectin (FC) in detection of colorectal cancer (CRC).Methods: Out-patients (n=1440) referred to the endoscopy unit were analysed for FIT and FC in stool samples collected before the colonoscopy bowel preparation. The samples were collected from one defecation by the patients at home. Patients with IBD were excluded leaving stool samples from 1133 patients for further analyses. FIT was analysed using the immunological Analyse F.O.B Test and FC was analysed using the CALPRO® Calprotectin Elisa Test. Sensitivity and specificity to detect CRC was calculated for the individual tests, as well as for combined FIT/FC tests.Results: Out of the included patients, 38 were diagnosed with CRC, 9 with high grade dysplasia (HGD), and 133 with low grade dysplasia (LGD). FIT was analysed in 673 (59.4%), FC in 1021 (90.1%) and both FIT and FC in 561 (49.5%) patients. A ROC curve analysis showed that the most accurate cut-off level for FC in detecting CRC in our study was 105.5 µg/g. The sensitivity for CRC when using FIT, FC (cut-off > 100 µg/g) and the combination of FIT and FC (at least one positive test) was 65.5%, 74.1% and 94.4%, respectively. The corresponding specificity was 84.8%, 74.9% and 68.3%, respectively.Conclusion: Combined analyses of FIT and FC improved sensitivity for detection of CRC. Further studies in larger cohorts are required to find the optimal cut-off levels for different combinations of tests.
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| 7. |
- Eklöf, Vincy, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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The prognostic role of KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA and PTEN in colorectal cancer
- 2013
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Ingår i: British Journal of Cancer. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 0007-0920 .- 1532-1827. ; 108:10, s. 2153-2163
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Mutations in KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA and PTEN expression have been in focus to predict the effect of epidermal growth factor receptor-blocking therapy in colorectal cancer (CRC). Here, information on these four aberrations was collected and combined to a Quadruple index and used to evaluate the prognostic role of these factors in CRC. Patients We analysed the mutation status in KRAS, BRAF and PIK3CA and PTEN expression in two separate CRC cohorts, Northern Sweden Health Disease Study (NSHDS; n = 197) and Colorectal Cancer in Umea Study (CRUMS; n = 414). A Quadruple index was created, where Quadruple index positivity specifies cases with any aberration in KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA or PTEN expression. Results Quadruple index positive tumours had a worse prognosis, significant in the NSHDS but not in the CRUMS cohort (NSHDS; P = 0.003 and CRUMS; P = 0.230) in univariate analyses but significance was lost in multivariate analyses. When analysing each gene separately, only BRAF was of prognostic significance in the NSHDS cohort (multivariate HR 2.00, 95% CI: 1.16-3.43) and KRAS was of prognostic significance in the CRUMS cohort (multivariate HR 1.48, 95% CI: 1.02-2.16). Aberrations in PIK3CA and PTEN did not add significant prognostic information. Conclusions Our results suggest that establishment of molecular subgroups based on KRAS and BRAF mutation status is important and should be considered in future prognostic studies in CRC.
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| 8. |
- Ling, Agnes, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
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TAP1 down-regulation elicits immune escape and poor prognosis in colorectal cancer
- 2017
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Ingår i: Oncoimmunology. - 2162-4011 .- 2162-402X. ; 6:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The anti-tumor immune response has been shown to be of great prognostic importance in colorectal cancer (CRC) and so has the tumors ability for immune evasion. Our aim of this study was to investigate tumor factors that influence immunity. We used a gene expression array to search for potential mechanisms of tumor immune escape. One candidate gene identified was TAP1, involved in antigen presentation by MHC class I. TAP1 protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 436 CRC patients of the Colorectal Cancer in Umeå Study cohort. We found a significant association between a downregulated expression of TAP1 and low infiltration of various subtypes of lymphocytes as well as macrophages. A downregulated expression of TAP1 was further found to be independent of molecular characteristics, suggesting TAP1 down-regulation to reach beyond the well described highly immunogenic MSI CRCs. A low expression of TAP1 was also significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients with CRC, a result that stayed significant in tumor front of early stage tumors (stage I-II) through multivariable analyses. Furthermore, we found that TAP1 expression was inversely correlated with methylation at sites in close proximity to the promoter region. In summary, our results show down-regulation of TAP1 to be a general mechanism of tumor immune escape in CRC and a poor prognostic factor in stage I-II CRC patients. We also suggest that methylation of the TAP1 gene may be a putative mechanism for TAP1 downregulation.
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| 9. |
- Ling, Agnes, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
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The infiltration, and prognostic importance, of Th1 lymphocytes vary in molecular subgroups of colorectal cancer
- 2016
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Ingår i: The Journal of Pathology: Clinical Research. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2056-4538. ; 2:1, s. 21-31
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Giving strong prognostic information, T-cell infiltration is on the verge of becoming an additional component in the routine clinical setting for classification of colorectal cancer (CRC). With a view to further improving the tools for prognostic evaluation, we have studied how Th1 lymphocyte infiltration correlates with prognosis not only by quantity, but also by subsite, within CRCs with different molecular characteristics (microsatellite instability, CpG island methylator phenotype status, and BRAF and KRAS mutational status). We evaluated the Th1 marker T-bet by immunohistochemistry in 418 archival tumour tissue samples from patients who underwent surgical resection for CRC. We found that a high number of infiltrating Th1 lymphocytes is strongly associated with an improved prognosis in patients with CRC, irrespective of intratumoural subsite, and that both extent of infiltration and patient outcome differ according to molecular subgroup. In brief, microsatellite instability, CpG island methylator phenotype-high and BRAF mutated tumours showed increased infiltration of Th1 lymphocytes, and the most pronounced prognostic effect of Th1 infiltration was found in these tumours. Interestingly, BRAF mutated tumours were found to be more highly infiltrated by Th1 lymphocytes than BRAF wild-type tumours whereas the opposite was seen for KRAS mutated tumours. These differences could be explained at least partly by our finding that BRAF mutated, in contrast to KRAS mutated, CRC cell lines and tumour specimens expressed higher levels of the Th1-attracting chemokine CXCL10, and reduced levels of CCL22 and TGFB1, stimulating Th2/Treg recruitment and polarisation. In conclusion, the strong prognostic importance of Th1 lymphocyte infiltration in CRC was found at all subsites evaluated, and it remained significant in multivariable analyses, indicating that T-bet may be a valuable marker in the clinical setting. Our results also indicate that T-bet is of value when analysed in molecular subgroups of CRC, allowing identification of patients with especially poor prognosis who are in need of extended treatment.
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| 10. |
- Ling, Agnes, 1976-, et al.
(författare)
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The intratumoural subsite and relation of CD8(+) and FOXP3(+) T lymphocytes in colorectal cancer provide important prognostic clues
- 2014
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Ingår i: British Journal of Cancer. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 0007-0920 .- 1532-1827. ; 110:10, s. 2551-2559
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: To find improved tools for prognostic evaluation in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), we have analysed how infiltration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD8(+)) and regulatory T lymphocytes (FoxP3(+)) correlates to prognosis, not only according to quantity and relation, but also to subsite within tumours of different molecular characteristics (microsatellite instability and CpG island methylator phenotype status).Methods: CD8 and FOXP3 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 426 archival tumour tissue samples from patients surgically resected for CRC. The average infiltration of CD8(+) and FOXP3(+) cells was assessed along the tumour invasive front, in the tumour centre and within the tumour epithelium (intraepithelial).Results: We found that infiltration of CD8(+) T lymphocytes within the tumour epithelium provided the strongest prognostic information (P < 0.001). At the tumour invasive front and tumour centre, FOXP3 expression withheld the strongest association to prognosis (P < 0.001), suggesting FOXP3(+) T-lymphocyte infiltration to be a better prognostic tool than CD8(+) T lymphocytes at these intratumoural subsites. We further analysed the possible prognostic impact of the relation between these T-cell subsets, finding that a high intraepithelial CD8 expression was associated with a better patient outcome, independent of FOXP3 infiltration. In groups of low intraepithelial CD8 expression, however, a high infiltration rate of FOXP3(+) cells at the tumour invasive front, significantly improved prognosis.Conclusions: Analyses of intraepithelial infiltration of CD8(+) T lymphocytes, infiltration of FOXP3(+) T lymphocytes at the tumour front or centre, and the relation between these subsets, may be a valuable tool for predicting prognosis in colon cancer.
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