Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-positive plasma cell infiltration is associated with the clinicopathologic traits and prognosis of pancreatic cancer after curative resection

• Published in: Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy Immunotherapy, 2016-08, Vol.65 (8), p.931-940
• Main Authors: Liu, Qiaofei, Niu, Zheyu, Li, Yuan, Wang, Mengyi, Pan, Boju, Lu, Zhaohui, Liao, Quan, Zhao, Yupei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Cancer Research; Female; Humans; Immunoglobulin G - immunology; Immunology; Macrophages - immunology; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Oncology; Original; Original Article; Pancreatic cancer; Pancreatic Neoplasms - immunology; Pancreatic Neoplasms - pathology; Pancreatic Neoplasms - surgery; Prognosis; Survival Rate
• ISSN: 0340-7004; 1432-0851
• DOI: 10.1007/s00262-016-1853-2

Interactions between pancreatic cancer cells and inflammatory cells play crucial roles in the biological behavior of pancreatic cancer. Abundant infiltration of immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-positive plasma cells in the pancreas is the most significant feature of autoimmune pancreatitis; however, the clinical significance of IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration in pancreatic cancer has not previously been reported. Herein, we analyzed intratumoral and peritumoral infiltrations of IgG4-positive plasma cells in 95 pancreatic cancer cases after curative resection. The correlations between IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration and the clinicopathologic traits and overall survival of pancreatic cancer were investigated. IgG4-positive plasma cells were found in 86 % of tumor tissue samples compared with 69 % of peritumoral tissue samples ( P  = 0.0063). The high-level infiltration of intratumoral IgG4-positive plasma cells was positively correlated with poor histological grade ( P  = 0.017). The high-level infiltration of intratumoral IgG4-positive plasma cells was significantly correlated with worse prognosis ( P  = 0.01) in multivariate analysis. We further found that intratumoral M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) were positively, linearly correlated with IgG4-positive plasma cells. In conclusion, IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration is correlated with the clinicopathologic traits and overall survival of pancreatic cancer. High-level intratumoral infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells is an independent predictor for poor overall survival in pancreatic cancer patients after curative resection. Intratumoral M2-polarized TAMs probably induce IgG4-positive plasma cells.