CD47 Expression in Circulating Tumor Cells and Circulating Tumor Microemboli from Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Cancer Biology
• Liquid Biopsy

Background:

• Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor microemboli (CTMs) offer a non-invasive approach for prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
• CTCs can form clusters with platelets via TGF-β/TGFβRI signaling and express CD47, an immune evasion marker inhibiting phagocytosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To isolate and quantify CTCs/CTMs from metastatic NSCLC patients.
• To analyze the expression of TGFβRI and CD47 in CTCs/CTMs.
• To correlate CTC/CTM presence and marker expression with progression-free survival (PFS).

Main Methods:

• Blood samples were collected from 45 NSCLC patients at two time points (pre-treatment and 60 days later).
• CTCs were isolated using ISET® technology.
• Immunocytochemistry was employed to assess TGFβRI and CD47 expression on CTCs/CTMs.

Main Results:

• CTCs were detected in 82.2% of patients at baseline and 94.5% at follow-up.
• CTMs were found in 24.5% of patients and significantly correlated with poorer PFS (10 vs. 17 months) and disease progression (p=0.017).
• CTMs expressing CD47 (CTMs CD47+) were associated with significantly poorer PFS (p=0.041), while TGFβRI expression showed no PFS association.

Conclusions:

• NSCLC CTCs/CTMs express immune evasion markers TGFβRI and CD47.
• The presence of CD47-expressing CTMs is a significant indicator of poor PFS in NSCLC patients.
• This study is the first to report on CD47 expression in NSCLC CTCs/CTMs and its association with clinical outcomes.