Peritumoral TIGIT+CD20+ B cell infiltration indicates poor prognosis but favorable adjuvant chemotherapeutic response in gastric cancer
Huifang Liu, Jing Wu, Xiaoyu Xu, Han Wang, Changhua Zhang, Songcheng Yin, Yulong He
Abstract
T cell immunoreceptor with immunoglobulin and ITIM domains (TIGIT) is a novel immunosuppressive molecule. This study aimed to investigate the expression of TIGIT on B cells and the function of TIGIT+CD20+ B cells in gastric cancer (GC). Tumor tissue paraffin-embedded sections and clinicopathological data from 194 patients with GC were collected. Dual immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of TIGIT on B cells. Multiplex immunofluorescence was used to initially explore the relationship between TIGIT+CD20+ B cells and the exhaustion of CD8+ T cells. In GC, TIGIT+CD20+ B cells were observed in intratumor, peritumor, and tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). Patients with GC having high peritumoral TIGIT+CD20+ B cells infiltration had inferior clinical outcomes and could benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT). In GC tissues, PD-1+CD8+ T cells were more closer to TIGIT+CD20+ B cells than to TIGIT-CD20+ B cells. Peritumoral TIGIT+CD20+ B cells infiltration was an independent prognostic predictor for patients with GC and a potential biomarker for ACT selection. TIGIT+CD20+ B cells might affect the exhaustion of CD8+ T cells in GC.