共刺激因子B7-H1和B7-H3蛋白表达与胆囊癌病例特征相关

本研究选取2015年3月至2017年5月在我院保存的胆囊癌标本55例,同选取癌旁正常组织(距癌边缘>5 cm)作为对照,采用免疫组化染色检测B7-H1和B7-H3蛋白表达,分析B7-H1和B7-H3表达与胆囊癌临床病理特征和预后的关系,探讨共刺激因子B7-H1和B7-H3蛋白在胆囊癌中的表达及意义。研究结果表明:胆囊癌组织B7-H1和B7-H3蛋白阳性表达率分别为76.36%和63.63%,明显高于癌旁组织(p<0.05);B7-H1蛋白表达与胆囊癌TNM分期、淋巴结转移和侵袭深度有关(p<0.05);B7-H3蛋白表达与胆囊癌TNM分期、分化程度、淋巴结转移和侵袭深度有关(p<0.05);胆囊癌组织中B7-H1与B7-H3蛋白表达呈正相关(rs=0.516, p<0.05);B7-H1和B7-H3表达双阳性者和B7-H1或B7-H3单一表达阳性者中位总生存时间分别为20个月和21个月,明显低于B7-H1和B7-H3表达双阴性者组,差异比较有统计学意义(p<0.05)。本研究结论认为:B7-H1和B7-H3蛋白表达与胆囊癌病理特征有关系,两者间有一定相关性,且与患者预后有关。     

B7-H4和FOXP3在乳腺癌中的表达及临床意义

目的:研究B7-H4和FOXP3在乳腺癌中的表达及其相互关系和临床意义.方法:应用S-P免疫组化法检测B7-H4蛋白和FOXP3蛋白在11例正常乳腺、25例乳腺良性病变、272例乳腺癌组织中的表达情况;运用原位杂交检查B7-H4 mRNA在10例正常乳腺、10例良性病变、20例乳腺癌组织中的表达情况.结果:B7-H4蛋白在乳腺癌中的阳性表达率(83.39%)高于乳腺良性病变组(64.00%)和乳腺正常组(54.55%),差异有统计学意义(p＜0.05);FOXP3在乳腺癌中的阳性表达率(82.67%)高于乳腺良性病变组(60.00%)和乳腺正常组(54.55%),差异有统计学意义(p＜0.05);B7-H4和FOXP3在乳腺癌中的阳性表达率与患者年龄、肿块大小和组织学分型无关(p＞0.05),而与组织学分级和淋巴结转移相关(p＜0.05);B7-H4和FOXP3在乳腺癌组织中的表达呈正相关(r=0.306,p＜0.001);B7-H4 mRNA在正常乳腺组、乳腺良性病变组、乳腺癌组中的阳性表达率差异没有统计学意义(p＞0.05);B7-H4 mRNA在乳腺癌中的阳性表达率与年龄、肿块大小、组织学分级、淋巴结转移无关(p＞0.05).结论:B7-H4和FOXP3在乳腺癌中表达上调,可能与乳腺癌的转移和预后相关.     

血清B7-H4水平对肝细胞癌的诊断及预后价值

目的:探讨肝细胞癌(HCC)患者血清B7-H4水平及其临床意义。方法:采用ELISA方法检测和比较116例HCC患者和60例健康对照人群的血清B7-H4水平,并分析血清B7-H4水平和HCC患者临床参数和生存情况的关系。结果:(1)HCC患者的血清B7-H4水平显著高于健康对照组(P0.001);(2)血清B7-H4水平与HCC患者血清AFP水平(r=0.653,P=0.012)和TNM分期(r=0.713,P=0.003)相关;(3)高血清B7-H4组HCC患者5年总体生存率较低血清B7-H4组显著降低(P=0.028);(4)血清B7-H4水平是HCC预后的独立预测因子(P=0.034)。结论:HCC患者的血清B7-H4水平显著上调,对于HCC的诊断及预后判断具有重要的参考意义。     

共刺激分子B7-H4在宫颈癌中的表达及意义

目的:肿瘤微环境中免疫共刺激分子B7-H4与其配体结合后可提供免疫抑制信号,调控肿瘤组织中的免疫应答。本研究探讨B7-H4、Fas及Caspase-3裂解片段在宫颈鳞状细胞癌中的表达及其与临床病理因素的关系,分析其参与肿瘤免疫逃逸的机制。方法:应用免疫组织化学SP法检测23例正常宫颈上皮、38例宫颈上皮内瘤变(CIN)和132例宫颈鳞状细胞癌组织中B7-H4、Fas及Caspase-3裂解片段的表达水平,分析其与宫颈癌各临床病理因素的相关性。结果:B7-H4在正常宫颈上皮组织中不表达,在CIN组织中微弱表达,在宫颈鳞状细胞癌组织中高表达。B7-H4表达与肿瘤的临床分期、淋巴结转移、原发肿瘤大小和肿瘤浸润深度有关,B7-H4与Fas蛋白表达呈现负相关,与Caspase-3裂解片段存在共表达关系。结论:B7-H4在宫颈鳞状细胞癌中过表达可引起Fas蛋白表达下调和Caspase-3裂解片段增多,抑制肿瘤细胞发生凋亡,参与肿瘤逃避宿主的免疫监视,从而促发宫颈癌的发生和发展。阻断B7-H4通路途径,有望成为宫颈鳞状细胞癌治疗的新靶点。     

共刺激因子B7-H3 在非小细胞肺癌中的表达研究

目的:探讨共刺激椅子B7-H3在人不同非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)细胞系和组织中的表达及其临床意义。方法:实时定量反转录-聚合酶链式反应及蛋白印迹法检测B7-H3在5种人NSCLC细胞系中的表达量,利用免疫组化法检测121例NSCLC、33例癌旁组织及36例良性病变组织中B7-H3的表达量,并收集患者临床资料,分析B7-H3与临床参数的关系。结果:5个NSCLC细胞系中均见B7-H3的表达,A549及SPAC-1中表达较H466、H1299及H460中表达较低;B7-H3在NSCLC组织中高于癌旁组织及良性病变组织(P0.001);分化程度高者平均IOD高于分化程度中、低的患者(P0.05)。发生淋巴结转移和未发生淋巴结转移的患者B7-H3的平均IOD之间存在显著性差异(P0.05)。结论:B7-H3在NSCLC组织中高表达,可能是疾病治疗或诊断的靶因子。     

子宫内膜异位症患者血清可溶性B7-H4的水平及意义

目的:探讨子宫内膜异位症患者血清可溶性B7-H4(sB7-H4)的水平及其临床意义。方法:用ELISA夹心法检测43例子宫内膜异位症患者术前血清sB7-H4的水平及40例子宫内膜异位症患者术后血清sB7-H4的水平,同时选取30例体检健康妇女血清sB7-H4水平作为对照。结果:子宫内膜异位症患者血清sB7-H4水平为(36.23±5.67)μg/L,体检健康者血清sB7-H4水平为(31.24±4.56)μg/L,两者比较差异有统计学意义(P0.01)。手术前,子宫内膜异位症患者血清sB7-H4水平为(36.23±5.67)μg/L,明显高于术后(32.54±4.27)μg/L(P0.05)。子宫内膜异位症患者血清sB7-H4水平与CA125水平呈显著正相关(r=0.531,P0.01)。结论:血清可溶性B7-H4可能与子宫内膜异位症的发病有关,检测血清中可溶性B7-H4水平对内异症的辅助诊断和疗效观察可能具有一定的临床意义。     

乳腺浸润性癌患者血清标记物B7-H4分子含量变化的临床意义研究

目的:探讨新发现的血清标记物B7-H4在乳腺浸润性癌患者血清中的含量变化及其临床诊断价值.方法:通过RT-PCR技术检测确诊为乳腺浸润性癌的58例患者治疗前后及30例健康妇女的血清中B7-H4mRNA含量变化,用ELISA夹心法检测患者血清中的B7-H4分子的水平变化,采用CA125 Ⅱ试剂盒检测所有患者CA125水平的变化,分析比较检测过程中B7-H4分子与CA125分子的特异性与敏感度.结果:RT-PCR检测结果发现大部分乳腺浸润性癌患者血清中B7-H4基因的mRNA含量明显升高(P<0.05);治疗后其水平明显下降但一般仍高于正常水平(P<0.05),Western-blot检测也得到了类似的结果.在乳腺浸润性癌的检测过程中:B7-H4分子的特异度明显低于CA125分子,而其敏感度却明显高于CA125分子;二者联合使用时检测的特异度与敏感度均显著提高(P<0.05).结论:血清中B7-H4分子的含量升高可以作为一个癌变的高危指标.     

小鼠B7-H4基因的真核表达及其对淋巴细胞增殖的影响

目的构建小鼠B7-H4胞外段的真核表达载体,观察其在体外对淋巴细胞增殖的影响,为深入研究B7-H4在T细胞活化及移植排斥反应中的作用提供实验材料。方法提取小鼠肺、脾脏总RNA,RT-PCR反转录cDNA,以此为模板,扩增B7-H4胞外段基因,将其导入pGEM-T Easy载体,构建TA-mB7-H4质粒。用XBaI和HindIII双酶切后琼脂糖凝胶电泳分析和测序鉴定。将测序证实的mB7-H4酶切后装入MYC-HIS-EGFP-N荧光表达载体中,构建B7-H4-EGFP真核表达载体,转化JM109感受态细菌,提取重组质粒,酶切后琼脂糖凝胶电泳分析和测序鉴定。同时构建control-EGFP载体。应用脂质体法将重组质粒转染CHO细胞,经G418筛选,获得稳定表达B7-H4-EGFP的CHO细胞株,用MTT分析其分别对BALB/c小鼠、C57小鼠淋巴细胞和二者混合淋巴细胞增殖的影响。结果经测序证实,所克隆的小鼠B7-H4 cDNA和构建的重组质粒基因序列正确;转染的CHO细胞能稳定地表达跨膜型重组蛋白B7-H4;表达的B7-H4对淋巴细胞增殖具有明显抑制作用。结论成功构建了B7-H4真核表达系统,能表达有生物学活性的B7-H4分子,为进一步探讨B7-H4在T细胞活化和移植排斥反应中的作用奠定了基础。     

肿瘤特异性蛋白B7-H4纳米抗体的筛选和鉴定

羊驼体内存在天然缺少轻链的重链抗体,克隆重链抗体可变区(VHH),即可构建单域抗体(single-domain antibodies,sdAbs),又称纳米抗体(nanobody,Nb)。利用非免疫羊驼噬菌体文库筛选肿瘤特异性蛋白B7-H4的纳米抗体,经过4轮淘选,ELASE鉴定阳性克隆噬菌体,测序获得其DNA序列后体外转录为mRNA,将修饰纯化后的mRNA转染到肿瘤细胞,利用细胞免疫荧光检测mRNA在肿瘤细胞内是否表达,Western印迹进一步验证其表达情况;通过CCK-8法鉴定其对肿瘤细胞的增殖抑制能力;划痕实验鉴定其对肿瘤细胞迁移能力的影响;Transwell法鉴定其对肿瘤细胞的侵袭能力的影响;裸鼠荷瘤模型瘤旁注射mRNA,鉴定其在体内实验对肿瘤组织的作用。结果显示,通过淘选获得1个高亲和性的噬菌体株菌H6;DNA测序并导出的氨基酸序列符合羊驼纳米抗体结构;将其mRNA导入肿瘤细胞,能有效表达出纳米抗体H6;转染H6-mRNA的肿瘤细胞(0.84±0.08)与未转染H6-mRNA的对照组(1.83±0.04)相比,其增殖能力明显受到抑制,P<0.01,其迁移和侵袭能力(78.60±5.36)明显低于空白对照组(197.80±21.04),效果优于B7-H4 mRNA的siRNA(95.40±16.56);在裸鼠乳腺癌模型中能有效抑制肿瘤生长,效果优于紫杉醇和B7-H4 mRNA的siRNA。这说明筛选所得抗B7-H4纳米抗体H6能特异结合B7-H4蛋白并封闭其功能,导致肿瘤细胞的增殖、迁移和侵袭受到抑制。该结果为利用B7-H4作为治疗癌症的靶点提供了实验基础。     

卵巢癌细胞与巨噬细胞共培养对B7-H1表达的影响及机制

为了探讨卵巢癌细胞与巨噬细胞共培养后对B7．H1表达的影响及其可能机制,利用佛波酯（PMA）诱导THP-1或外周血单核细胞分化为巨噬细胞后,与人卵巢癌细胞株SKOV3体外非接触共培乔24h,qRT-PCR、Western blot以及流式细胞术分别检测SKOV3与巨噬细胞B7-H1的表达：进一步利用NF-KB、JAK2／STAT3、p38MAPK信号通路的抑制剂作用于共培养体系,检测B7-H1表达的变化,以探讨其机制。结果显示,共培养24h后,SKOV37L巨噬细胞B7-H1mRNA和蛋白的表达较非共培养组均显著升高（P〈0．05）,而阻断NF-κB、JAK2／STAT3、p38MAPK信号通路后,B7-H1的上调均明显被抑制（P〈0．05）。SKOV3与巨噬细胞共培养后B7-H1的表达升高伊〈0．05）,其机制可能涉及到NF—κB、JAK2／STAT3、p38MAPK信号通路的激活。     

Tumor expression of B7-H4 predicts poor survival of patients suffering from gastric cancer

To establish the prognostic value of B7-H4 expression by tumor cells in gastric cancer patients, we evaluated the association of B7-H4 expression with clinicopathologic factors and overall survival of gastric cancer patients. A retrospective cohort study including 156 gastric cancer patients was performed in the present report. Immunohistochemical assay was used to evaluate the expression of B7-H4 in the surgical specimens of gastric cancer tissues. Multi-univariate COX model was then used to evaluate the association of B7-H4 expression with the patients’ survival and clinicopathological parameters. B7-H4 expression in the gastric cancer cells was observed in about 44.9% gastric cancer specimens. Univariate analysis demonstrated that there was no correlation between B7-H4 expression and sex, age, histological type, pathological grade or tumor size. In contrast, B7-H4 expression correlated positively with cancer invasiveness and lymph node metastasis. In addition, the median overall survival time of patients with lower B7-H4 expression was 13 months longer than that of patients with higher expression (χ² = 12.38, P < 0.0001), and the median disease-free survival time of patients with lower B7-H4 expression was significantly longer than that of patients with higher expression (33 vs. 16 months, χ² = 14.977, P < 0.0001). After adjustment for other confounding factors, the COX model analysis indicated that the death risk was significantly higher in patients with higher B7-H4 expression than those with lower expression (RR = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.15–2.96). The present study demonstrated that higher B7-H4 expression in cancer cells was associated with poor prognosis of gastric cancer patients. This is consistent with the idea that B7-H4 promotes cancer progression, likely via inhibition of anti-tumor immune responses.     

Immunohistochemical Staining of B7-H1 (PD-L1) on Paraffin-embedded Slides of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Tissue

B7-H1/PD-L1, a member of the B7 family of immune-regulatory cell-surface proteins, plays an important role in the negative regulation of cell-mediated immune responses through its interaction with its receptor, programmed death-1 (PD-1) ^1,2. Overexpression of B7-H1 by tumor cells has been noted in a number of human cancers, including melanoma, glioblastoma, and carcinomas of the lung, breast, colon, ovary, and renal cells, and has been shown to impair anti-tumor T-cell immunity^3-8.Recently, B7-H1 expression by pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues has been identified as a potential prognostic marker^9,10. Additionally, blockade of B7-H1 in a mouse model of pancreatic cancer has been shown to produce an anti-tumor response¹¹. These data suggest the importance of B7-H1 as a potential therapeutic target. Anti-B7-H1 blockade antibodies are therefore being tested in clinical trials for multiple human solid tumors including melanoma and cancers of lung, colon, kidney, stomach and pancreas¹².In order to eventually be able to identify the patients who will benefit from B7-H1 targeting therapies, it is critical to investigate the correlation between expression and localization of B7-H1 and patient response to treatment with B7-H1 blockade antibodies. Examining the expression of B7-H1 in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues through immunohistochemistry will give a better understanding of how this co-inhibitory signaling molecule contributes to the suppression of antitumor immunity in the tumor''s microenvironment. The anti-B7-H1 monoclonal antibody (clone 5H1) developed by Chen and coworkers has been shown to produce reliable staining results in cryosections of multiple types of human neoplastic tissues^4,8, but staining on paraffin-embedded slides had been a challenge until recently^13-18. We have developed the B7-H1 staining protocol for paraffin-embedded slides of pancreatic adenocarcinoma tissues. The B7-H1 staining protocol described here produces consistent membranous and cytoplasmic staining of B7-H1 with little background.     

B7-H3 is expressed in human hepatocellular carcinoma and is associated with tumor aggressiveness and postoperative recurrence

B7-H3, a novel B7 family member, positively or negatively regulates T-cell responses. We investigated the clinical relevance and prognostic significance of B7-H3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Western blotting showed B7-H3 upregulation in 17 of 24 (70.8 %) HCC tissues compared with nontumor liver tissues (p = 0.028). B7-H3 immunostaining on tissue microarrays containing 240 HCC patient samples indicated that 225 (93.8 %) tumors had aberrant B7-H3 expression, with strong intensity in 79 (32.9 %) cases, whereas B7-H3 expression in peritumor liver cells was weak in most cases (226; 94.2 %). Notably, patients with high/moderate tumor cell B7-H3 expression showed significantly poorer survival (p = 0.009) and increased recurrence (p = 0.002). After multivariable adjustment, high/moderate B7-H3 expression remained significant for an increased risk of recurrence (hazard ratio = 1.79; 95 % confidence interval = 1.19–2.70; p = 0.005). B7-H3 expression correlated with invasive phenotypes like vascular invasion and advanced tumor stage, and the metastatic potential of HCC cell lines. Flow cytometry showed that B7-H3 expression is inversely correlated with proliferation and interferon-γ production by infiltrating T cells. Interferon-γ stimulation significantly upregulated B7-H3 expression in HCC cells in vitro, implicating B7-H3 expression as a feedback mechanism to evade anti-tumor immunity. Importantly, the prognostic value of B7-H3 expression was validated in an independent cohort of 206 HCC patients. Collectively, our data suggest that B7-H3 was abundantly expressed in HCC and was associated with adverse clinicopathologic features and poor outcome. Thus, B7-H3 represents an attractive target for diagnostic and therapeutic manipulation in human HCC.     

The immunomodulatory protein B7-H4 is overexpressed in breast and ovarian cancers and promotes epithelial cell transformation

B7-H4 protein is expressed on the surface of a variety of immune cells and functions as a negative regulator of T cell responses. We independently identified B7-H4 (DD-O110) through a genomic effort to discover genes upregulated in tumors and here we describe a new functional role for B7-H4 protein in cancer. We show that B7-H4 mRNA and protein are overexpressed in human serous ovarian cancers and breast cancers with relatively little or no expression in normal tissues. B7-H4 protein is extensively glycosylated and displayed on the surface of tumor cells and we provide the first demonstration of a direct role for B7-H4 in promoting malignant transformation of epithelial cells. Overexpression of B7-H4 in a human ovarian cancer cell line with little endogenous B7-H4 expression increased tumor formation in SCID mice. Whereas overexpression of B7-H4 protected epithelial cells from anoikis, siRNA-mediated knockdown of B7-H4 mRNA and protein expression in a breast cancer cell line increased caspase activity and apoptosis. The restricted normal tissue distribution of B7-H4, its overexpression in a majority of breast and ovarian cancers and functional activity in transformation validate this cell surface protein as a new target for therapeutic intervention. A therapeutic antibody strategy aimed at B7-H4 could offer an exciting opportunity to inhibit the growth and progression of human ovarian and breast cancers.