1. The role of sex in the innate and adaptive immune environment of metastatic colorectal cancer
- Author
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Nathaniel Weygant, Sarah Adams, Robert A. Nofchissey, Michael B. Stout, Shaoxuan Guo, Megan A Reidy, Megan R. Lerner, Spencer L Hill, William L. Berry, Xiangyan Wu, Anita L. Ray, Eliseo F. Castillo, Maaz A Khan, and Katherine T. Morris
- Subjects
Male ,Cancer Research ,Chemokine ,Colorectal cancer ,T-Lymphocytes ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Cell ,Adaptive Immunity ,Biology ,Article ,Mice ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Immune system ,Cell Line, Tumor ,Tumor Microenvironment ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,Neoplasm Metastasis ,030304 developmental biology ,Sex Characteristics ,0303 health sciences ,Macrophages ,medicine.disease ,Survival Analysis ,Phenotype ,Immunity, Innate ,Cytokine ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Oncology ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Immunology ,biology.protein ,Cytokines ,Tumour immunology ,Immunohistochemistry ,Female ,Chemokines ,Colorectal Neoplasms ,Neoplasm Transplantation ,CD8 - Abstract
Background Women with colorectal cancer (CRC) have a significant survival advantage over men. Sex influences on the tumour microenvironment (TME) are not well characterised, despite the importance of immune response in CRC. We hypothesised that sex-divergent immune responses could contribute to survival. Methods Using a murine model of metastatic CRC, we examined T cells, macrophages, and cytokines locally and systemically. TME and serum cytokines were measured by multiplex bead-based arrays, while FCA was used to identify cells and phenotypes. IHC provided spatial confirmation of T cell infiltration. Results Females had increased survival and T cell infiltration. CD8, CD4 and Th2 populations correlated with longer survival. Males had increased serum levels of chemokines and inflammation-associated cytokines. Within the TME, males had lower cytokine levels than females, and a shallower cytokine gradient to the periphery. Female tumours had elevated IL-10+ macrophages, which correlated with survival. Conclusions These data demonstrate survival-associated differences in the immune response of males and females to metastatic CRC. Females showed changes in cytokine production accompanied by increased immune cell populations, biased toward Th2-axis phenotypes. Key differences in the immune response to CRC correlated with survival in this model. These differences support a multi-faceted shift across the TME.
- Published
- 2020
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