The Role of Soluble LAG3 and Soluble Immune Checkpoints Profile in Advanced Head and Neck Cancer: A Pilot Study

Andrea Botticelli; Ilaria Grazia Zizzari; Simone Scagnoli; Giulia Pomati; Lidia Strigari; Alessio Cirillo; Bruna Cerbelli; Alessandra Di Filippo; Chiara Napoletano; Fabio Scirocchi; Aurelia Rughetti; Marianna Nuti; Silvia Mezi; Paolo Marchetti

doi:10.3390/jpm11070651

Journal of Personalized Medicine (Jul 2021)

The Role of Soluble LAG3 and Soluble Immune Checkpoints Profile in Advanced Head and Neck Cancer: A Pilot Study

Andrea Botticelli,
Ilaria Grazia Zizzari,
Simone Scagnoli,
Giulia Pomati,
Lidia Strigari,
Alessio Cirillo,
Bruna Cerbelli,
Alessandra Di Filippo,
Chiara Napoletano,
Fabio Scirocchi,
Aurelia Rughetti,
Marianna Nuti,
Silvia Mezi,
Paolo Marchetti

Affiliations

Andrea Botticelli: Department of Clinical and Molecular Oncology, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy
Ilaria Grazia Zizzari: Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Cell Therapy, Department of Experimental Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy
Simone Scagnoli: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy
Giulia Pomati: Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy
Lidia Strigari: Medical Physics Unit, “S. Orsola-Malpighi” Hospital, 40138 Bologna, Italy
Alessio Cirillo: Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy
Bruna Cerbelli: Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy
Alessandra Di Filippo: Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Cell Therapy, Department of Experimental Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy
Chiara Napoletano: Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Cell Therapy, Department of Experimental Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy
Fabio Scirocchi: Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Cell Therapy, Department of Experimental Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy
Aurelia Rughetti: Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Cell Therapy, Department of Experimental Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy
Marianna Nuti: Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Cell Therapy, Department of Experimental Medicine, Policlinico Umberto I, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00161 Rome, Italy
Silvia Mezi: Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomo-Pathological Science, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy
Paolo Marchetti: Department of Clinical and Molecular Oncology, University of Rome “Sapienza”, 00185 Rome, Italy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm11070651
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 7
p. 651

Abstract

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Unresectable recurrent and/or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M HNSCC) has a very poor prognosis. Soluble immune checkpoints (sICs) are circulating proteins that result from the alternative splicing of membrane proteins and can modulate the immune response to cancer cells. The aim of our pilot study was to determine the possible role of a comprehensive evaluation of sICs in the classification of prognosis and response to treatment in patients with advanced disease. We evaluated several sICs (CD137, CTLA-4, PD-1, PD-L1, PD-L2, TIM3, LAG3, GITR, HVEM, BTLA, IDO, CD80, CD27, and CD28) from peripheral blood at baseline and investigated the association with clinical characteristics and outcomes. A high baseline soluble LAG3 (sLAG3 > 377 pg/mL) resulted in an association with poor PFS and OS (p = 0.047 and p = 0.003, respectively). Moreover, sLAG3 emerged as an independent prognostic factor using an MVA (p = 0.005). The evaluation of sICs, in particular sLAG3, may be relevant for identifying patients with worse prognoses, or resistance to treatments, and may lead to the development of novel targeted strategies.

Published in Journal of Personalized Medicine

ISSN: 2075-4426 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/jpm

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