Tumor immune microenvironment is influenced by frameshift mutations and tumor mutational burden in gastric cancer

• Published in: Clinical & translational oncology 2022-03, Vol.24 (3), p.556-567
• Main Authors: Kim, H., Heo, Y. J., Cho, Y. A., Kang, S. Y., Ahn, S., Kim, K. -M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Frameshift Mutation; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Oncology; Research Article; Retrospective Studies; Stomach Neoplasms - genetics; Stomach Neoplasms - immunology; Stomach Neoplasms - pathology; Tumor Microenvironment - genetics; Tumor Microenvironment - immunology
• ISSN: 1699-048X; 1699-3055
• DOI: 10.1007/s12094-021-02714-6

Purpose Immunoscore can effectively predict prognosis in patients with colon cancer; however, its clinical application is limited. We modified the Immunoscore and created a tumor immune microenvironment (TIM) classification system for gastric carcinoma. Unlike previous studies that used small sample sizes or focused on particular immune-cell subtypes, our simplified system enables pathologists to classify gastric carcinomas intuitively using H&E-stained sections. Methods Samples from 326 patients with advanced gastric carcinoma were reviewed and analyzed by pathologists using simple determination and digital image analysis. Comprehensive results of cancer-panel sequencing, Epstein-Barr‒virus (EBV) status, and PD-L1, HER2, ATM, PTEN, MET, FGFR2, and EGFR immunohistochemistry were evaluated with respect to the TIM class. Results The TIM was classified as “hot” ( n  = 22), “immunosuppressed” ( n  = 178), “excluded” ( n  = 83), or “cold” ( n  = 43). TIM category was significantly associated with numbers of frameshift mutations ( P