Specific immune cell and lymphatic vessel signatures identified by image analysis in renal cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Pathology

Background:

• Novel treatments for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) include anti-angiogenic therapy and immune checkpoint inhibition.
• The tumor microenvironment (TME) contains components like macrophages and lymphocytes, which are potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
• The functional roles and clinical relevance of these TME components in RCC are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply Tissue Phenomics for standardized quantification of TME components in RCC.
• To investigate the correlation between specific TME features and patient outcomes.
• To explore the relationship between vascular and lymphatic vessel density and clinical results.

Main Methods:

• Tissue Phenomics, a quantitative image analysis method, was used to profile tissue sections from 56 clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients.
• Standardized quantification of macrophages (CD68+), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, vascular (CD34+), and lymphatic vessels (LYVE1+) within the TME.
• Analysis of spatial relationships between immune cells and vessel densities.

Main Results:

• A specific composition and spatial arrangement of macrophages and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes were associated with overall survival.
• An inverse relationship was observed between vascular and lymphatic vessel density.
• Higher blood vessel density correlated with better patient outcomes, while increased lymphatic vessel density was linked to worse outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Tissue Phenomics enables comprehensive visualization and quantification of immune and vascular components in the RCC TME.
• These findings provide novel contextual information and biological insights into RCC, potentially aiding in predicting treatment response.
• The study highlights the prognostic significance of TME composition and vascularization in renal cell carcinoma.