Radiomics Biomarkers Correlate with CD8 Expression and Predict Immune Signatures in Melanoma Patients.

Abstract

Treatment for metastatic melanoma includes targeted and/or immunotherapy. Although many patients respond, only a subset has complete response. As late-stage patients often have multiple tumors in difficult access sites, non-invasive techniques are necessary for the development of predictive/prognostic biomarkers. PET/CT scans from 52 patients with stage III/IV melanoma were assessed and CT image parameters were evaluated as prognostic biomarkers. Analysis indicated patients with high standard deviation or high mean of positive pixels (MPP) had worse progression-free survival (P = 0.00047 and P = 0.0014, respectively) and worse overall survival (P = 0.0223 and P = 0.0465, respectively). Whole-exome sequencing showed high MPP was associated with BRAF mutation status (P = 0.0389). RNA-sequencing indicated patients with immune "cold" signatures had worse survival, which was associated with CT biomarker, MPP4 (P = 0.0284). Multiplex immunofluorescence confirmed a correlation between CD8 expression and image biomarkers (P = 0.0028). IMPLICATIONS: CT parameters have the potential to be cost-effective biomarkers of survival in melanoma, and reflect the tumor immune-microenvironment. VISUAL OVERVIEW: http://mcr.aacrjournals.org/content/molcanres/19/6/950/F1.large.jpg.

• Authors: Lauren G Aoude, Bernadette Z Y Wong, Vanessa F Bonazzi, Sandra Brosda, Shaun B Walters, Lambros T Koufariotis, Marjan M Naeini, John V Pearson, Harald Oey, Kalpana Patel, Julia J Bradford, Conor J Bloxham, Victoria Atkinson, Phillip Law, Geoffrey Strutton, Gerard Bayley, Samuel Yang, B Mark Smithers, Nicola Waddell, Kenneth Miles, Andrew P Barbour
• Journal: Molecular cancer research : MCR (Mol Cancer Res) Vol. 19 Issue 6 Pg. 950-956 (06 2021) ISSN: 1557-3125 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 33811161 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: ©2021 American Association for Cancer Research.

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)

Topics

• Biomarkers, Tumor (genetics)
• CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes (metabolism)
• Humans
• Immunotherapy (methods)
• Kaplan-Meier Estimate
• Melanoma (diagnostic imaging, genetics, therapy)
• Mutation
• Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography (methods)
• Prognosis
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf (genetics, metabolism)
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) (genetics, metabolism)
• RNA-Seq (methods)
• Skin Neoplasms (diagnostic imaging, genetics, therapy)
• Tumor Microenvironment (genetics)
• Exome Sequencing (methods)