Abstract

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a DNA damage-associated chronic inflammatory disease; the DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair pathway participates in UC-associated dysplasia/colitic cancer carcinogenesis. The DSB/interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1) pathway can induce PD-L1 expression transcriptionally. However, the association of PD-L1/DSB/IRF-1 with sporadic colorectal cancer (SCRC), and UC-associated dysplasia/colitic cancer, remains elusive. Therefore, we investigated the significance of the PD-L1/DSB repair pathway using samples from 17 SCRC and 12 UC patients with rare UC-associated dysplasia/colitic cancer cases by immunohistochemical analysis. We compared PD-L1 expression between patients with SCRC and UC-associated dysplasia/colitic cancer and determined the association between PD-L1 and the CD8+ T-cell/DSB/IRF-1 axis in UC-associated dysplasia/colitic cancer. PD-L1 expression in UC and UC-associated dysplasia/colitic cancer was higher than in normal mucosa or SCRC, and in CD8-positive T lymphocytes in UC-associated dysplasia/colitic cancer than in SCRC. Moreover, PD-L1 upregulation was associated with γH2AX (DSB marker) and IRF-1 upregulation in UC-associated dysplasia/colitic cancer. IRF-1 upregulation was associated with γH2AX upregulation in UC-associated dysplasia/colitic cancer but not in SCRC. Multicolour immunofluorescence staining validated γH2AX/IRF-1/PD-L1 co-expression in colitic cancer tissue sections. Thus, immune cell-induced inflammation might activate the DSB/IRF-1 axis, potentially serving as the primary regulatory mechanism of PD-L1 expression in UC-associated carcinogenesis.

Details

Title
PD-L1 upregulation is associated with activation of the DNA double-strand break repair pathway in patients with colitic cancer
Author
Ozawa Naoya 1 ; Yokobori Takehiko 2 ; Osone Katsuya 1 ; Katayama Chika 1 ; Suga Kunihiko 1 ; Komine Chika 1 ; Shibasaki Yuta 1 ; Shiraishi Takuya 1 ; Okada Takuhisa 1 ; Kato Ryuji 1 ; Ogawa Hiroomi 1 ; Sano Akihiko 1 ; Sakai Makoto 1 ; Sohda Makoto 1 ; Ojima Hitoshi 3 ; Miyazaki Tatsuya 4 ; Motegi Yoko 4 ; Ide Munenori 5 ; Yao, Takashi 6 ; Kuwano Hiroyuki 1 ; Shirabe Ken 1 ; Saeki, Hiroshi 1 

 Gunma University, Department of General Surgical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan (GRID:grid.256642.1) (ISNI:0000 0000 9269 4097) 
 Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Division of Integrated Oncology Research, Maebashi, Japan (GRID:grid.256642.1) (ISNI:0000 0000 9269 4097) 
 Gunma Prefectural Cancer Center, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Ohta, Japan (GRID:grid.256642.1) 
 Maebashi Red Cross Hospital, Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Maebashi, Japan (GRID:grid.416269.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 1774 6300) 
 Maebashi Red Cross Hospital, Department of Pathology Diagnosis, Maebashi, Japan (GRID:grid.416269.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 1774 6300) 
 Juntendo University, Department of Human Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo City, Tokyo, Japan (GRID:grid.258269.2) (ISNI:0000 0004 1762 2738) 
Publication year
2021
Publication date
2021
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2543894160
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.