Chemokine receptor patterns in lymphocytes mirror metastatic spreading in melanoma

J Clin Invest. 2016 Mar 1;126(3):921-37. doi: 10.1172/JCI80071. Epub 2016 Feb 8.

Abstract

Melanoma prognosis is dictated by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, the migratory and functional behavior of which is guided by chemokine or cytokine gradients. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the expression patterns of 9 homing receptors (CCR/CXCR) in naive and memory CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes in 57 patients with metastatic melanoma (MMel) with various sites of metastases to evaluate whether T cell CCR/CXCR expression correlates with intratumoral accumulation, metastatic progression, and/or overall survival (OS). Homing receptor expression on lymphocytes strongly correlated with MMel dissemination. Loss of CCR6 or CXCR3, but not cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA), on circulating T cell subsets was associated with skin or lymph node metastases, loss of CXCR4, CXCR5, and CCR9 corresponded with lung involvement, and a rise in CCR10 or CD103 was associated with widespread dissemination. High frequencies of CD8+CCR9+ naive T cells correlated with prolonged OS, while neutralizing the CCR9/CCL25 axis in mice stimulated tumor progression. The expansion of CLA-expressing effector memory CD8+ T cells in response to a single administration of CTLA4 blockade predicted disease control at 3 months in 47 patients with MMel. Thus, specific CCR/CXCR expression patterns on circulating T lymphocytes may guide potential diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Ipilimumab
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Lung Neoplasms / immunology
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Lung Neoplasms / mortality
  • Lung Neoplasms / secondary
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Male
  • Melanoma / immunology
  • Melanoma / metabolism*
  • Melanoma / mortality
  • Melanoma / secondary
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • ROC Curve
  • Receptors, Chemokine / metabolism*
  • Skin Neoplasms / immunology
  • Skin Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Skin Neoplasms / mortality
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Ipilimumab
  • Receptors, Chemokine