Austin Health

Title
Distinctive subpopulations of stromal cells are present in human lymph nodes infiltrated with melanoma.
Publication Date
2020-06-24
Author(s)
Eom, Jennifer
Park, Saem Mul
Feisst, Vaughan
Chen, Chun-Jen J
Mathy, Joanna E
McIntosh, Julie D
Angel, Catherine E
Bartlett, Adam
Martin, Richard
Mathy, Jon A
Cebon, Jonathan S
Black, Michael A
Brooks, Anna E S
Dunbar, P Rod
Type of document
Journal Article
OrcId
0000-0002-2002-0194
0000-0002-0999-0245
0000-0002-3455-1201
0000-0002-5907-9257
0000-0003-1737-8539
0000-0002-3898-950X
0000-0003-1174-6054
0000-0001-9626-2600
DOI
10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-19-0796
Abstract
Metastasis of human tumors to lymph nodes (LNs) is a universally negative prognostic factor. LN stromal cells (SCs) play a crucial role in enabling T cell responses, and since tumor metastases modulate their structure and function, this interaction may suppress immune responses to tumor antigens. The SC subpopulations that respond to infiltration of malignant cells into human LNs have not been defined. Here, we identify distinctive subpopulations of CD90+ SCs present in melanoma-infiltrated LNs and compare them to their counterparts in normal LNs. The first population (CD90+ podoplanin+ CD105+ CD146+ CD271+ VCAM-1+ ICAM-1+ α-SMA+) corresponds to fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) that express various T cell modulating cytokines, chemokines and adhesion molecules. The second (CD90+ CD34+ CD105+ CD271+) represents a novel population of CD34+ SCs embedded in collagenous structures, such as the capsule and trabeculae, that predominantly produce extracellular matrix (ECM). We also demonstrated that these two SC subpopulations are distinct from two subsets of human LN pericytes- CD90+ CD146+ CD36+ NG2- pericytes in the walls of high endothelial venules and other small vessels, and CD90+ CD146+ NG2+ CD36- pericytes in the walls of larger vessels. Distinguishing between these CD90+ SC subpopulations in human LNs allows for further study of their respective impact on T cell responses to tumor antigens and clinical outcomes.
Link
Citation
Cancer immunology research 2020; 8(8): 990-1003
Jornal Title
Cancer immunology research

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