Associations between Calcium Intake and T-cell Infiltration in Colorectal Tumors

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• T cell infiltration in colorectal tumors is linked to better prognosis.
• Calcium signaling is crucial for T cell function.
• The impact of dietary calcium on T cell infiltration in colorectal cancer remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between dietary calcium intake and T cell subsets within the colorectal cancer tumor microenvironment.
• To explore how calcium intake influences immune cell infiltration relevant to cancer prognosis.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 943 participants across three cohort studies.
• Quantification of immune cell infiltration using digital image analysis and machine learning with a 9-plex multispectral immunofluorescence assay.
• Assessment of associations between pre-diagnostic calcium intake and T cell densities using multivariable logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Higher dietary calcium intake was positively associated with increased density of CD3+CD4-CD8- double-negative T cells in both epithelial and stromal tumor tissue.
• No significant associations were found between calcium intake and CD4+ or CD8+ T cell infiltration after multiple testing correction.

Conclusions:

• Dietary calcium intake is associated with a higher density of double-negative T cells in colorectal tumors.
• Calcium intake does not appear to influence the infiltration of CD4+ or CD8+ T cells in this context.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the role of calcium in tumor immunity and clinical outcomes.