Expression of the costimulatory molecule B7-H3 is associated with prolonged survival in human pancreatic cancer

• Published in: BMC cancer 2009-12, Vol.9 (1), p.463-463, Article 463
• Main Authors: Loos, Martin, Hedderich, Dennis M, Ottenhausen, Malte, Giese, Nathalia A, Laschinger, Melanie, Esposito, Irene, Kleeff, Jörg, Friess, Helmut
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis; Antigens, CD - genetics; Antigens, CD - metabolism; B7 Antigens; Cancer cells; Carcinoma - diagnosis; Carcinoma - genetics; Carcinoma - metabolism; Carcinoma - mortality; Care and treatment; Diagnosis; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Interferon-gamma - genetics; Interferon-gamma - metabolism; Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating - pathology; Male; Middle Aged; Pancreatic cancer; Pancreatic Neoplasms - diagnosis; Pancreatic Neoplasms - genetics; Pancreatic Neoplasms - metabolism; Pancreatic Neoplasms - mortality; Prognosis; Receptors, Immunologic - genetics; Receptors, Immunologic - metabolism; Survival Analysis; T cells; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1471-2407; 1471-2407
• DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-9-463

Costimulatory signaling has been implicated as a potential regulator of antitumor immunity in various human cancers. In contrast to the negative prognostic value of aberrant B7-H1 expression by pancreatic cancer cells, the role of B7-H3 is still unknown. Therefore, we investigated the expression pattern and clinical significance of B7-H3 expression in human pancreatic cancer. B7-H3 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 68 patients with pancreatic cancer who underwent surgical tumor resection. Expression data was correlated with clinicopathologic features and with the number of tumor-infiltrating T cells. B7-H3 expression was significantly upregulated in pancreatic cancer compared to normal pancreas (p < 0.05). In 60 of 68 examined tumors B7-H3 protein was detectable in pancreatic cancer cells. Patients with high tumor B7-H3 levels had a significantly better postoperative prognosis than patients with low tumor B7-H3 levels (p = 0.0067). Furthermore, tumor B7-H3 expression significantly correlated with the number of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells (p = 0.018). We demonstrate for the first time that B7-H3 is abundantly expressed in pancreatic cancer and that tumor-associated B7-H3 expression significantly correlates with prolonged postoperative survival. Our findings suggest that B7-H3 might play an important role as a potential stimulator of antitumor immune response in pancreatic cancer.