CD248 Cleaved Form in Human Colorectal Cancer Stroma: Implications for Tumor Behavior and Prognosis

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Cancer Biology
• Immunology

Background:

• CD248 (endosialin) is upregulated in various cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC).
• Its precise role in tumor progression and interaction with the tumor microenvironment is not fully understood.
• Previous research suggests CD248's extracellular domain mediates interactions crucial for tumor invasion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the expression of CD248 in human CRC samples.
• To analyze the association between CD248 expression levels and clinicopathologic features, including metastasis, immune cell infiltration, and patient survival.
• To evaluate CD248 as a potential prognostic biomarker in CRC.

Main Methods:

• Immunohistochemistry was used to assess CD248 stromal expression in 117 human CRC samples.
• Analysis included correlation with metastasis rates (lymph node and distant).
• Intratumoral immune cell density (CD163, FoxP3, CD8, PD-L1) and overall survival were evaluated.

Main Results:

• High CD248 stromal expression was observed in 76.1% of CRC samples.
• CD248-low tumors showed significantly higher rates of metastasis (75.0% vs 49.4%, P = .02).
• CD248-low tumors exhibited reduced infiltration of CD163-positive macrophages and FoxP3-positive regulatory T cells (P < .05), and were associated with lower overall survival (5-year survival 35.7% vs 57.3%, P = .01).
• Multivariate analysis confirmed CD248-low tumors as an independent negative prognostic factor (HR = 1.93, P = .02).

Conclusions:

• CD248 stromal expression is associated with tumor behavior and prognosis in colorectal cancer.
• Lower CD248 expression correlates with increased metastasis and reduced survival.
• CD248 may serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker for CRC, influencing the tumor microenvironment.