Pub Date : 2025-11-25DOI: 10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104267
Zehong Zhang , Yuan’e Lian , Yijuan Wu , Zhongchang Weng , Jiaying Ye , Siqin Zhang , Lianhuang Li , Yannan Bai
The prognostic role of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive. This study explored the association between TIL aggregation in early-stage HCC tissues and patient survival. Individual patient-level data from 353 patients diagnosed with HCC who underwent radical hepatectomy were retrospectively analyzed. TIL aggregation was analyzed using an artificial neural network algorithm to define the immune phenotypes (IPs) within hematoxylin and eosin–stained whole-slide images. The association between TIL aggregation and survival was compared among IPs, and an optimized TIL phenotype was validated with clinical variables. Among the 8 IP features measured using the artificial neural network algorithm, TIL densityK50, a metric generated by an assigned density of each cell based on its distance with the 50 nearest lymphocytes, was associated with improved disease-free survival in univariate (hazard ratio, 0.282; 95% CI, 0.181-0.439; P < .0001) and multivariate analyses (hazard ratio, 0.315; 95% CI, 0.115-0.860; P = .024) after adjusting for clinical factors. When TIL densityK50 is combined with clinical factors (TIL-clinical–integrated [TCI] model), area under the curve performance for disease-free survival and overall survival was improved to 0.798 and 0.781 in the training cohort and 0.759 and 0.723 in the validation cohort, respectively. Furthermore, subgroup analyses indicated that its predictive value is particularly strong for very late recurrence and survival up to <8 years. Abundant TILs in HCC tissue are associated with reduced late recurrence risk and improved survival, suggesting a potential time-dependent prognostic role of TILs in early-stage HCC.
肿瘤浸润淋巴细胞(til)在肝细胞癌(HCC)中的预后作用仍然难以捉摸。本研究探讨了早期HCC组织中TIL聚集与患者生存之间的关系。回顾性分析了353例接受根治性肝切除术的HCC患者的个体数据。使用人工神经网络(ANN)算法分析TIL聚集情况,以确定苏木精和伊红染色全片图像中的免疫表型(IPs)。比较了不同IPs患者TIL聚集与生存之间的关系,并用临床变量验证了优化后的TIL表型。在使用人工神经网络算法测量的8个IP特征中,TIL密度k50(由每个细胞与最近的50个淋巴细胞的距离分配密度生成的度量)在单因素分析(风险比[HR], 0.282; 95%置信区间[CI],CI 0.181-0.439; P < 0.0001)和多因素分析(HR, 0.315; 95% CI, 0.115-0.860; P = 0.024)中与改善无病生存(DFS)相关。当TIL密度k50与临床因素(TIL- clinial - integrated model, TCI-model)相结合时,训练组DFS和总生存的AUC性能分别提高至0.798和0.781,验证组为0.759和0.723。此外,亚组分析表明,它对晚期复发和生存期< 8年的预测价值尤其强。HCC组织中大量的TILs与晚期复发风险降低和生存率提高相关,提示TILs在早期HCC中具有潜在的时间依赖性预后作用。
{"title":"Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte Aggregation Refines Prognosis in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma","authors":"Zehong Zhang , Yuan’e Lian , Yijuan Wu , Zhongchang Weng , Jiaying Ye , Siqin Zhang , Lianhuang Li , Yannan Bai","doi":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104267","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104267","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The prognostic role of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive. This study explored the association between TIL aggregation in early-stage HCC tissues and patient survival. Individual patient-level data from 353 patients diagnosed with HCC who underwent radical hepatectomy were retrospectively analyzed. TIL aggregation was analyzed using an artificial neural network algorithm to define the immune phenotypes (IPs) within hematoxylin and eosin–stained whole-slide images. The association between TIL aggregation and survival was compared among IPs, and an optimized TIL phenotype was validated with clinical variables. Among the 8 IP features measured using the artificial neural network algorithm, TIL density<sub>K50</sub>, a metric generated by an assigned density of each cell based on its distance with the 50 nearest lymphocytes, was associated with improved disease-free survival in univariate (hazard ratio, 0.282; 95% CI, 0.181-0.439; <em>P</em> < .0001) and multivariate analyses (hazard ratio, 0.315; 95% CI, 0.115-0.860; <em>P</em> = .024) after adjusting for clinical factors. When TIL density<sub>K50</sub> is combined with clinical factors (TIL-clinical–integrated [TCI] model), area under the curve performance for disease-free survival and overall survival was improved to 0.798 and 0.781 in the training cohort and 0.759 and 0.723 in the validation cohort, respectively. Furthermore, subgroup analyses indicated that its predictive value is particularly strong for very late recurrence and survival up to <8 years. Abundant TILs in HCC tissue are associated with reduced late recurrence risk and improved survival, suggesting a potential time-dependent prognostic role of TILs in early-stage HCC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17930,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Investigation","volume":"106 1","pages":"Article 104267"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145635287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-25DOI: 10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104266
Chencheng Li , Xixi Liu , Weiguang Zhang , Jing Yang , Xiaoli Zhang , Reaila Jianati , Pengjun Jiang , Fang Tian , Biqing Chen , Xuejun Zhu
Natural killer T cells (NKT), a unique subset of T lymphocytes, remain incompletely understood in terms of their development and functional regulation. Well-characterized immortalized cell lines are critical tools for investigating NKT cell biology in vitro. We established and maintained a novel NKT cell line, NKT617, derived from the peripheral blood of a patient with aggressive large granular lymphocyte leukemia. Cell morphology was assessed using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Flow cytometry characterized the cell phenotype, whereas T-cell receptor (TCR) clonal gene rearrangement determined lineage. RNA sequencing compared gene expression profiles of NKT617 with other hematological tumor cell lines, such as natural killer (NK) cells, T cells, B cells, and monocytes. Tumorigenic potential was evaluated via in vitro colony formation assays and in vivo zebrafish xenograft models. NKT617 has been continuously cultured for >2 years, exceeding 100 passages, demonstrating monoclonal immortalization. It proliferates in a low-dose recombinant human interleukin-2–dependent manner and grows in suspension culture as single cells and aggregates. Flow cytometric analysis showed that NKT617 exhibits an NK-cell phenotype CD56+, CD158a+, NKp46+, membrane-bound CD3−, and T-cell features cytoplasmic CD3+, CD2+, CD4+, CD8+, CD45RA+, and CD45RO+, with clonal TCRβ rearrangement. NKT617 was negative for B-cell and myeloid markers and positive for the TCRα chain (Vα24-Jα18), confirming its identity as a type I NKT cell. Transcriptome analysis showed shared markers with NK-cell and T-cell lines but a gene expression profile closer to NK cells. In vitro and in vivo assays confirmed its tumorigenic capacity. We report the first Epstein-Barr virus–negative human type I NKT cell line, NKT617, which offers significant potential for studying NKT cell development and advancing chimeric antigen receptor–based therapies. This cell line serves as a valuable tool for exploring NKT cell biology and developing targeted immunotherapies.
{"title":"Establishment and Multidimensional Characterization of a Novel Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)–Negative Human Type I Natural Killer T-Cell Line NKT617","authors":"Chencheng Li , Xixi Liu , Weiguang Zhang , Jing Yang , Xiaoli Zhang , Reaila Jianati , Pengjun Jiang , Fang Tian , Biqing Chen , Xuejun Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104266","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104266","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Natural killer T cells (NKT), a unique subset of T lymphocytes, remain incompletely understood in terms of their development and functional regulation. Well-characterized immortalized cell lines are critical tools for investigating NKT cell biology in vitro. We established and maintained a novel NKT cell line, NKT617, derived from the peripheral blood of a patient with aggressive large granular lymphocyte leukemia. Cell morphology was assessed using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Flow cytometry characterized the cell phenotype, whereas T-cell receptor (TCR) clonal gene rearrangement determined lineage. RNA sequencing compared gene expression profiles of NKT617 with other hematological tumor cell lines, such as natural killer (NK) cells, T cells, B cells, and monocytes. Tumorigenic potential was evaluated via in vitro colony formation assays and in vivo zebrafish xenograft models. NKT617 has been continuously cultured for >2 years, exceeding 100 passages, demonstrating monoclonal immortalization. It proliferates in a low-dose recombinant human interleukin-2–dependent manner and grows in suspension culture as single cells and aggregates. Flow cytometric analysis showed that NKT617 exhibits an NK-cell phenotype CD56<sup>+</sup>, CD158a<sup>+</sup>, NKp46<sup>+</sup>, membrane-bound CD3<sup>−</sup>, and T-cell features cytoplasmic CD3<sup>+</sup>, CD2<sup>+</sup>, CD4<sup>+</sup>, CD8<sup>+</sup>, CD45RA<sup>+</sup>, and CD45RO<sup>+</sup>, with clonal TCRβ rearrangement. NKT617 was negative for B-cell and myeloid markers and positive for the TCRα chain (Vα24-Jα18), confirming its identity as a type I NKT cell. Transcriptome analysis showed shared markers with NK-cell and T-cell lines but a gene expression profile closer to NK cells. In vitro and in vivo assays confirmed its tumorigenic capacity. We report the first Epstein-Barr virus–negative human type I NKT cell line, NKT617, which offers significant potential for studying NKT cell development and advancing chimeric antigen receptor–based therapies. This cell line serves as a valuable tool for exploring NKT cell biology and developing targeted immunotherapies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17930,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Investigation","volume":"106 1","pages":"Article 104266"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145635203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104262
Chiara Caraccio , Josie van de Klashorst , Shelby Cherkas , Sara Ancel , Tim Noah Kempchen , Gustavo Vazquez , Yury Goltsev , Yu Xin Wang , Garry P. Nolan , John W. Hickey
Antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs) have emerged as versatile tools with applications spanning diagnostics, therapeutics, and high-dimensional imaging. One major application of these is in multiplexed imaging techniques, such as CO-Detection by indEXing, which allow for the visualization of tissue networks at the single-cell level. In this study, we evaluated 4 methods—maleimide-modified, amine-modified, dibenzocyclooctyne (DBCO)-modified, and a site-specific enzyme-based method—to optimize the generation of AOCs for multiplexed imaging applications. Our assessment focused on key performance parameters, including conjugation efficiency, signal brightness, stability, reproducibility, and cost-effectiveness. Each conjugation chemistry proved effective, though the azide chemistry with DBCO oligonucleotides demonstrated more consistent conjugation success and stable signal retention over time. Compared with other protocols, this method produced reliably bright images and offered a more favorable cost profile, as further confirmed in a full-scale CO-Detection by indEXing multiplexed imaging experiment that yielded reproducible spatial data. The observed stability and reproducibility of the DBCO approach suggest that it may help reduce reagent waste and labor costs while facilitating the development of more comprehensive antibody panels. These findings indicate that the DBCO-modified oligonucleotide conjugation method is a valuable option for generating AOCs for multiplexed imaging and target current shortcomings, enabling more consistent, broader, and deeper multiplexed profiling.
{"title":"Comparative Evaluation of Antibody-Oligonucleotide Conjugation Strategies for Multiplexed Imaging Applications","authors":"Chiara Caraccio , Josie van de Klashorst , Shelby Cherkas , Sara Ancel , Tim Noah Kempchen , Gustavo Vazquez , Yury Goltsev , Yu Xin Wang , Garry P. Nolan , John W. Hickey","doi":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104262","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104262","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antibody-oligonucleotide conjugates (AOCs) have emerged as versatile tools with applications spanning diagnostics, therapeutics, and high-dimensional imaging. One major application of these is in multiplexed imaging techniques, such as CO-Detection by indEXing, which allow for the visualization of tissue networks at the single-cell level. In this study, we evaluated 4 methods—maleimide-modified, amine-modified, dibenzocyclooctyne (DBCO)-modified, and a site-specific enzyme-based method—to optimize the generation of AOCs for multiplexed imaging applications. Our assessment focused on key performance parameters, including conjugation efficiency, signal brightness, stability, reproducibility, and cost-effectiveness. Each conjugation chemistry proved effective, though the azide chemistry with DBCO oligonucleotides demonstrated more consistent conjugation success and stable signal retention over time. Compared with other protocols, this method produced reliably bright images and offered a more favorable cost profile, as further confirmed in a full-scale CO-Detection by indEXing multiplexed imaging experiment that yielded reproducible spatial data. The observed stability and reproducibility of the DBCO approach suggest that it may help reduce reagent waste and labor costs while facilitating the development of more comprehensive antibody panels. These findings indicate that the DBCO-modified oligonucleotide conjugation method is a valuable option for generating AOCs for multiplexed imaging and target current shortcomings, enabling more consistent, broader, and deeper multiplexed profiling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17930,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Investigation","volume":"106 1","pages":"Article 104262"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145573939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Neuroblastoma (NB) accounts for 10% to 15% of cancer-related deaths among children. In rare cases, NB is associated with opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS), a neurological paraneoplastic syndrome. These low-risk (LR) NBs with OMS have a favorable prognosis and an immune-enriched microenvironment. The recruitment of dendritic cells (DCs) and T lymphocytes into tumors is known to be mediated by CCL2 and CXCL12, respectively. We investigated whether intratumor CCL2 and CXCL12 promote DC recruitment within the microenvironment of OMS-associated LR-NBs. We conducted a multicentric retrospective case-control study on 44 pediatric patients with NBs associated or not with OMS. The non-OMS population was subdivided into an LR-NB group versus a high-risk (HR)-NB group, with or without MYCN amplification. Immunohistochemistry was performed using anti-CCL2 and anti-CXCL12 antibodies. DC subpopulations were stained using OPAL spectral multiplex immunofluorescence. Immunostaining scores were established by semiquantitative optical analysis. Gene signatures of DC, as well as CCL2 and CXCL12 mRNA expressions, were also analyzed on a public RNA-Seq data set of NB. We observed a significantly higher protein expression of CCL2 in OMS-associated LR-NBs compared with MYCN-amplified HR-NBs, whereas CXCL12 was not preferentially expressed by any of the NB groups. Furthermore, DC infiltrate was more abundant in OMS-associated LR-NBs compared with any other NB risk groups and positively correlated with CCL2 expression. In silico analysis of public RNA-Seq data demonstrated a higher CCL2 expression in LR-NB with or without OMS compared with HR groups, and that the DC transcriptomic signature was higher in OMS-associated LR-NBs compared with HR-NB groups. We also observed a positive correlation between the DC gene signature and CCL2 or CXCL12 mRNA expression, to a lesser extent. Our results suggest that a DC-prone microenvironment might explain the favorable oncologic outcome of OMS-associated LR-NBs. CCL2 could be a therapeutic target to mobilize DCs in HR-NBs or in tumors characterized by a paucity of tumor-infiltrating DCs.
{"title":"High Expression of CCL2 Correlated With Dendritic Cell Recruitment in Neuroblastomas Associated With Opsoclonus-Myoclonus Syndrome","authors":"Maureen Voirin , Alexia Gazeu , Benoit Dumont , Aurélien Voissière , Léo Jannot , Dominique Plantaz , Nathalie Sturm , Nicolas Ber , Pascal Chastagner , Cécile Picard , Frédérique Dijoud , Christophe Caux , Nathalie Bendriss-Vermare , Hervé Sartelet","doi":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104263","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104263","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Neuroblastoma (NB) accounts for 10% to 15% of cancer-related deaths among children. In rare cases, NB is associated with opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS), a neurological paraneoplastic syndrome. These low-risk (LR) NBs with OMS have a favorable prognosis and an immune-enriched microenvironment. The recruitment of dendritic cells (DCs) and T lymphocytes into tumors is known to be mediated by CCL2 and CXCL12, respectively. We investigated whether intratumor CCL2 and CXCL12 promote DC recruitment within the microenvironment of OMS-associated LR-NBs. We conducted a multicentric retrospective case-control study on 44 pediatric patients with NBs associated or not with OMS. The non-OMS population was subdivided into an LR-NB group versus a high-risk (HR)-NB group, with or without <em>MYCN</em> amplification. Immunohistochemistry was performed using anti-CCL2 and anti-CXCL12 antibodies. DC subpopulations were stained using OPAL spectral multiplex immunofluorescence. Immunostaining scores were established by semiquantitative optical analysis. Gene signatures of DC, as well as <em>CCL2</em> and <em>CXCL12</em> mRNA expressions, were also analyzed on a public RNA-Seq data set of NB. We observed a significantly higher protein expression of CCL2 in OMS-associated LR-NBs compared with <em>MYCN</em>-amplified HR-NBs, whereas CXCL12 was not preferentially expressed by any of the NB groups. Furthermore, DC infiltrate was more abundant in OMS-associated LR-NBs compared with any other NB risk groups and positively correlated with CCL2 expression. In silico analysis of public RNA-Seq data demonstrated a higher <em>CCL2</em> expression in LR-NB with or without OMS compared with HR groups, and that the DC transcriptomic signature was higher in OMS-associated LR-NBs compared with HR-NB groups. We also observed a positive correlation between the DC gene signature and <em>CCL2</em> or <em>CXCL12</em> mRNA expression, to a lesser extent. Our results suggest that a DC-prone microenvironment might explain the favorable oncologic outcome of OMS-associated LR-NBs. CCL2 could be a therapeutic target to mobilize DCs in HR-NBs or in tumors characterized by a paucity of tumor-infiltrating DCs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17930,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Investigation","volume":"106 1","pages":"Article 104263"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145574001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-19DOI: 10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104261
Maaike Anna Hempenius , Mieke C. Zwager , Jeppe Thagaard , Lorian Slagter-Menkema , Henk J. Buikema , Ellis Barbé , Michael A. den Bakker , Marjolein G.J. Heerema , Elisabeth G.E. de Vries , Carolina P. Schröder , Nils A. ’t Hart , Bert van der Vegt
Trastuzumab-deruxtecan, an antibody-drug conjugate targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), improves overall survival in patients with breast cancer showing low or ultralow HER2 expression. Differences in HER2 test results have been reported between various HER2 assays and between primary tumors and metastases, but an objective comparison with incorporation of the new HER2-ultralow cutoff values is needed. This study aimed to assess the performance of 4 routine clinical-grade HER2 assays across and between primary tumors and their metastases using digital image analysis. Primary tumors and metastases from 193 patients with breast cancer who participated in the IMaging PAtients for Cancer drug selecTion—Metastatic Breast Cancer trial were incorporated into 6 tissue microarrays. Samples were stained by 4 laboratories using their routine HER2 immunohistochemistry protocols: 4B5 ultraView, 4B5 OptiView, SP3, and HercepTest (DG44). HER2 scores were determined using digital image analysis. The 4 HER2 assays showed significant differences in HER2 status in both primary tumors and metastases. Eighty-five matched primary tumors and metastases were analyzed to investigate concordance in HER2 status. Although no significant differences were found in HER2 scores between primary tumors and metastases for SP3 and both 4B5 assays, DG44 showed significantly higher HER2 scores in the metastasis (P = .004). Concordance between primary tumors and metastases was highest for 4B5 ultraView (69.4%), followed by SP3 (61.2%) and 4B5 OptiView (51.8%). DG44 showed the most variability, with only 36.5% of matched samples receiving the same HER2 category. DG44 identified a significantly higher proportion of HER2-(ultra)low cases and showed the most variability in HER2 status between matched primary tumors and metastases compared with 4B5 and SP3. The choice of HER2 assay can lead to discrepancies in HER2 status assessment, which could directly influence patient eligibility for trastuzumab-deruxtecan treatment.
{"title":"Interassay Comparison With Digital Image Analysis of 4 Routine Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) Immunohistochemistry Assays in Primary Breast Cancer and Its Metastasis","authors":"Maaike Anna Hempenius , Mieke C. Zwager , Jeppe Thagaard , Lorian Slagter-Menkema , Henk J. Buikema , Ellis Barbé , Michael A. den Bakker , Marjolein G.J. Heerema , Elisabeth G.E. de Vries , Carolina P. Schröder , Nils A. ’t Hart , Bert van der Vegt","doi":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104261","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104261","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Trastuzumab-deruxtecan, an antibody-drug conjugate targeting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), improves overall survival in patients with breast cancer showing low or ultralow HER2 expression. Differences in HER2 test results have been reported between various HER2 assays and between primary tumors and metastases, but an objective comparison with incorporation of the new HER2-ultralow cutoff values is needed. This study aimed to assess the performance of 4 routine clinical-grade HER2 assays across and between primary tumors and their metastases using digital image analysis. Primary tumors and metastases from 193 patients with breast cancer who participated in the IMaging PAtients for Cancer drug selecTion—Metastatic Breast Cancer trial were incorporated into 6 tissue microarrays. Samples were stained by 4 laboratories using their routine HER2 immunohistochemistry protocols: 4B5 ultraView, 4B5 OptiView, SP3, and HercepTest (DG44). HER2 scores were determined using digital image analysis. The 4 HER2 assays showed significant differences in HER2 status in both primary tumors and metastases. Eighty-five matched primary tumors and metastases were analyzed to investigate concordance in HER2 status. Although no significant differences were found in HER2 scores between primary tumors and metastases for SP3 and both 4B5 assays, DG44 showed significantly higher HER2 scores in the metastasis (<em>P</em> = .004). Concordance between primary tumors and metastases was highest for 4B5 ultraView (69.4%), followed by SP3 (61.2%) and 4B5 OptiView (51.8%). DG44 showed the most variability, with only 36.5% of matched samples receiving the same HER2 category. DG44 identified a significantly higher proportion of HER2-(ultra)low cases and showed the most variability in HER2 status between matched primary tumors and metastases compared with 4B5 and SP3. The choice of HER2 assay can lead to discrepancies in HER2 status assessment, which could directly influence patient eligibility for trastuzumab-deruxtecan treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17930,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Investigation","volume":"106 1","pages":"Article 104261"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145573945","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis is one of the most important diseases, which progresses to hepatocellular carcinoma through hepatocellular dysfunction caused by steatosis and fibrosis. Recently, CD4+/programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)+/CD153+ cells (commonly referred to as senescence-associated T [SA-T] cells) have been identified as a senescence-associated secretory phenotype that produces chronic inflammation factors in a paracrine manner involved in osteopontin (OPN)-induced signal for the progression of steatosis in aging hepatocytes via antiapoptosis, alanine aminotransferase release, and so on. However, the detailed mechanisms are not fully elucidated. We identified a novel strain Nishiura (NI) mouse fed a normal diet that macroscopically showed yellowish orange discoloration of the liver at 36 weeks of age, followed by tumor-like masses at 48 weeks of age through a decrease in lineage−/CD34−/c-kit+/sca-1+ stem cells in the bone marrow and an increase in SA-T cells in the spleen at 24 weeks of age, infiltration of OPN+ or CD153+ cells in the PD-1+ liver at 36 weeks of age, and an increase in plasma OPN at 48 weeks of age. Conversely, SA-T cells, but not CD4+/PD-1+/CD153− cells, prepared from 36-week-old spleens of NI mice were transplanted into 12-week-old spleens of NI mice, but not into those of B6 mice, inducing severe hepatic steatosis and fibrosis at 36 weeks of age with an increase in OPN in the liver extract. Furthermore, in a cohort study, SA-T-cell rate in the biopsy specimen showed a positive correlation with the hepatitis activity index in patients with steatosis aged at least ≥60 years. In this paper, we discovered an association between CD4+/PD-1+/CD153+ cell infiltration to the aging liver and progression of hepatic steatosis in a novel metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis model NI mouse.
{"title":"Association Between CD4+/Programmed Cell Death 1+/CD153+ Cell Infiltration to the Aging Liver and Progression of Hepatic Steatosis in a Novel Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis Model Nishiura Mouse","authors":"Nobuyoshi Suzuki , Hiroshi Nishiura , Misako Okuno , Mai Imasaka , Michihiko Sugimoto , Ikuo Nakamura , Toshiya Tachibana , Jiro Fujimoto , Masaki Ohmuraya","doi":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104260","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104260","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis is one of the most important diseases, which progresses to hepatocellular carcinoma through hepatocellular dysfunction caused by steatosis and fibrosis. Recently, CD4+/programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)+/CD153+ cells (commonly referred to as senescence-associated T [SA-T] cells) have been identified as a senescence-associated secretory phenotype that produces chronic inflammation factors in a paracrine manner involved in osteopontin (OPN)-induced signal for the progression of steatosis in aging hepatocytes via antiapoptosis, alanine aminotransferase release, and so on. However, the detailed mechanisms are not fully elucidated. We identified a novel strain Nishiura (NI) mouse fed a normal diet that macroscopically showed yellowish orange discoloration of the liver at 36 weeks of age, followed by tumor-like masses at 48 weeks of age through a decrease in lineage−/CD34−/c-kit+/sca-1+ stem cells in the bone marrow and an increase in SA-T cells in the spleen at 24 weeks of age, infiltration of OPN+ or CD153+ cells in the PD-1+ liver at 36 weeks of age, and an increase in plasma OPN at 48 weeks of age. Conversely, SA-T cells, but not CD4+/PD-1+/CD153− cells, prepared from 36-week-old spleens of NI mice were transplanted into 12-week-old spleens of NI mice, but not into those of B6 mice, inducing severe hepatic steatosis and fibrosis at 36 weeks of age with an increase in OPN in the liver extract. Furthermore, in a cohort study, SA-T-cell rate in the biopsy specimen showed a positive correlation with the hepatitis activity index in patients with steatosis aged at least ≥60 years. In this paper, we discovered an association between CD4+/PD-1+/CD153+ cell infiltration to the aging liver and progression of hepatic steatosis in a novel metabolic dysfunction–associated steatohepatitis model NI mouse.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17930,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Investigation","volume":"106 1","pages":"Article 104260"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145530757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-12DOI: 10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104259
Hyunchul Kim , Jinhyung Heo , Soo Ick Cho , Beodeul Kang , Jung Sun Kim , Chan Kim , Chang Il Kwon , Min Je Sung , Seok-Pyo Shin , Seok Jeong Yang , Incheon Kang , Sung Hwan Lee , Chansik An , Seungeun Lee , Jin Woo Oh , Hee Yeon Kay , Jiwon Shin , Taebum Lee , Sanghoon Song , Sukjun Kim , Hong Jae Chon
Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is a rare, aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. HER2 is overexpressed in a subset of BTC patients, and recent advances in HER2-targeted agents are expanding therapeutic options. However, accurately assessing HER2 expression is challenging in BTC, especially at low levels. This study compared HER2 interpretations in advanced BTC by pathologists (H.K., J.H., and G.K.) using light microscopy (LM) and digital pathology (DP) and evaluated the potential of artificial intelligence (AI)–powered pathology in enhancing HER2-scoring consistency. A total of 309 HER2 immunohistochemistry slides were obtained from advanced BTC patients who received systemic therapy at the CHA Bundang Medical Center between 2019 and 2022. Three pathologists independently evaluated HER2 expression twice, once using LM and once using DP, with a washout period between evaluations. An AI–powered whole slide image analyzer evaluated HER2 expression. The ground truth was selected based on consensus among pathologists. Pathologists showed complete agreement on HER2 results in 62.1% of LM evaluations and 63.4% of DP evaluations. For intraobserver variability, the weighted kappa values ranged from 0.979 to 0.984, whereas interobserver variability ranged from 0.819 to 0.863 for LM and 0.820 to 0.876 for DP. The overall concordance rate of HER2 categories between the AI and the ground truth was 83.5%. Clinical factors such as HER2 expression level and specimen type significantly influenced intraobserver and interobserver variability, whereas histologic grade was a key factor affecting the AI model’s performance. In this study, we quantified intraobserver and interobserver variability in HER2 evaluation for BTC by pathologists and demonstrated that AI–powered HER2 scoring showed high concordance with pathologists’ evaluations. Because the clinical factors underlying the discrepancies in the results from the AI model and pathologists were different, the AI model is expected to help pathologists make more objective assessments of BTC HER2 readings in the future.
{"title":"Pathologist-Artificial Intelligence Concordance in HER2 Interpretation for Advanced Biliary Tract Cancer: Intraobserver, Interobserver, and Human-Artificial Intelligence Variability","authors":"Hyunchul Kim , Jinhyung Heo , Soo Ick Cho , Beodeul Kang , Jung Sun Kim , Chan Kim , Chang Il Kwon , Min Je Sung , Seok-Pyo Shin , Seok Jeong Yang , Incheon Kang , Sung Hwan Lee , Chansik An , Seungeun Lee , Jin Woo Oh , Hee Yeon Kay , Jiwon Shin , Taebum Lee , Sanghoon Song , Sukjun Kim , Hong Jae Chon","doi":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104259","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104259","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is a rare, aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. HER2 is overexpressed in a subset of BTC patients, and recent advances in HER2-targeted agents are expanding therapeutic options. However, accurately assessing HER2 expression is challenging in BTC, especially at low levels. This study compared HER2 interpretations in advanced BTC by pathologists (H.K., J.H., and G.K.) using light microscopy (LM) and digital pathology (DP) and evaluated the potential of artificial intelligence (AI)–powered pathology in enhancing HER2-scoring consistency. A total of 309 HER2 immunohistochemistry slides were obtained from advanced BTC patients who received systemic therapy at the CHA Bundang Medical Center between 2019 and 2022. Three pathologists independently evaluated HER2 expression twice, once using LM and once using DP, with a washout period between evaluations. An AI–powered whole slide image analyzer evaluated HER2 expression. The ground truth was selected based on consensus among pathologists. Pathologists showed complete agreement on HER2 results in 62.1% of LM evaluations and 63.4% of DP evaluations. For intraobserver variability, the weighted kappa values ranged from 0.979 to 0.984, whereas interobserver variability ranged from 0.819 to 0.863 for LM and 0.820 to 0.876 for DP. The overall concordance rate of HER2 categories between the AI and the ground truth was 83.5%. Clinical factors such as HER2 expression level and specimen type significantly influenced intraobserver and interobserver variability, whereas histologic grade was a key factor affecting the AI model’s performance. In this study, we quantified intraobserver and interobserver variability in HER2 evaluation for BTC by pathologists and demonstrated that AI–powered HER2 scoring showed high concordance with pathologists’ evaluations. Because the clinical factors underlying the discrepancies in the results from the AI model and pathologists were different, the AI model is expected to help pathologists make more objective assessments of BTC HER2 readings in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17930,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Investigation","volume":"106 1","pages":"Article 104259"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145513249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-11DOI: 10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104258
Federico Repetto, Christine G. Lian, George F. Murphy
Skin is both the most immunogenic transplantable tissue and the easiest to observe clinically, making it an ideal system for understanding alloreactivity. We trace the concept of alloantigens from early transfusion work and the discovery of ABO and major histocompatibility complex/human leukocyte antigen to contemporary lessons learned by treating skin as both clinical grafts and experimental models. We then focus on 3 clinical arenas in which cutaneous alloimmunity is most visible: classic skin-graft rejection, rejection of vascularized composite allografts (VCAs), and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Across settings, acute injury is T-cell dominated but with different effector cell “provenance.” Target selection is likewise patterned rather than random. Basal keratinocytes and epidermal/follicular stem-cell niches may be early victims of cytotoxic and cytokine signals. In parallel, the vasculature emerges as a second critical target. Microvascular injury may accompany epithelial targeting in skin-graft and acute-VCA rejection, whereas chronic VCA rejection also shows macrovascular injury akin to inflammatory stages of arteriosclerosis culminating in dermal sclerosis with chronicity with similarities to chronic GVHD and scleroderma. Thus, many of these endpoints of various forms of alloreactivity mirror changes seen in “endogenous” dermatoses—fixed drug eruption for acute interface lesions and lupus/scleroderma for chronic fibrosing change—potentially revealing shared downstream pathways despite distinct triggers. We also highlight practical implications: site-oriented surveillance (notably oral/nasal mucosal biopsies that can outperform external skin early in VCA rejection), emerging tissue and circulating biomarkers, and therapeutic directions that pair immune regulation with tissue protection. Drawn from hundreds of biopsies across experimental models, skin allografts, VCAs, and GVHD, the unifying message is that who the effectors are (host vs donor), where they strike (stem-cell niches vs vasculature), and how those injuries unfold over time determine whether skin heals, scars, or fails—hopefully clarifying mechanisms and guiding more precise, tolerance-leaning, fibrosis-sparing care.
{"title":"Clues From Strange New Antigens: How Skin Responds to Nonself","authors":"Federico Repetto, Christine G. Lian, George F. Murphy","doi":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104258","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104258","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Skin is both the most immunogenic transplantable tissue and the easiest to observe clinically, making it an ideal system for understanding alloreactivity. We trace the concept of alloantigens from early transfusion work and the discovery of ABO and major histocompatibility complex/human leukocyte antigen to contemporary lessons learned by treating skin as both clinical grafts and experimental models. We then focus on 3 clinical arenas in which cutaneous alloimmunity is most visible: classic skin-graft rejection, rejection of vascularized composite allografts (VCAs), and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Across settings, acute injury is T-cell dominated but with different effector cell “provenance.” Target selection is likewise patterned rather than random. Basal keratinocytes and epidermal/follicular stem-cell niches may be early victims of cytotoxic and cytokine signals. In parallel, the vasculature emerges as a second critical target. Microvascular injury may accompany epithelial targeting in skin-graft and acute-VCA rejection, whereas chronic VCA rejection also shows macrovascular injury akin to inflammatory stages of arteriosclerosis culminating in dermal sclerosis with chronicity with similarities to chronic GVHD and scleroderma. Thus, many of these endpoints of various forms of alloreactivity mirror changes seen in “endogenous” dermatoses—fixed drug eruption for acute interface lesions and lupus/scleroderma for chronic fibrosing change—potentially revealing shared downstream pathways despite distinct triggers. We also highlight practical implications: site-oriented surveillance (notably oral/nasal mucosal biopsies that can outperform external skin early in VCA rejection), emerging tissue and circulating biomarkers, and therapeutic directions that pair immune regulation with tissue protection. Drawn from hundreds of biopsies across experimental models, skin allografts, VCAs, and GVHD, the unifying message is that who the effectors are (host vs donor), where they strike (stem-cell niches vs vasculature), and how those injuries unfold over time determine whether skin heals, scars, or fails—hopefully clarifying mechanisms and guiding more precise, tolerance-leaning, fibrosis-sparing care.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17930,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Investigation","volume":"106 1","pages":"Article 104258"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145513196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-04DOI: 10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104255
Lifei Kang , Jingjing Cao , Wenli Guo , Xiaohui Cui , Yangxuan Wei , Jiayu Zhang , Feiran Liu , Chenyang Duan , Qiang Lin , Ping Lvx , Zhiyu Ni , Jing Zuo , Haitao Shen
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Corrigendum to Tumor Necrosis Factor-α–Dependent Inflammation Upregulates High Mobility Group Box 1 To Induce Tumor Promotion and Anti–Programmed Cell Death Protein-1 Immunotherapy Resistance in Lung Adenocarcinoma”","authors":"Lifei Kang , Jingjing Cao , Wenli Guo , Xiaohui Cui , Yangxuan Wei , Jiayu Zhang , Feiran Liu , Chenyang Duan , Qiang Lin , Ping Lvx , Zhiyu Ni , Jing Zuo , Haitao Shen","doi":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104255","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104255","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":17930,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Investigation","volume":"105 12","pages":"Article 104255"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145452419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
p53 Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a reliable surrogate for determining TP53 mutation status in endometrial carcinomas (ECs). However, the correlation of p53 IHC patterns and TP53 mutation characteristics in mismatch repair deficiency (MMRd) and/or POLE-mutant ECs was not comprehensively investigated. In this study, we identified 4 p53 expression patterns in 40 MMRd and/or POLE-mutant ECs with TP53 mutations. Thirteen cases (33%) displayed a wild-type pattern. Nine cases (23%) showed atypical pattern, characterized by the presence of eye-catching clustered cells with strong nuclear staining or weak-to-moderate cytoplasmic staining, which were patchily distributed with blurred boundaries. Fourteen cases (35%) demonstrated subclonal pattern with distinct regions of wild-type and mutation-type staining, of which 3 cases were originally misdiagnosed as "mixed EC." Only 4 (10%) cases exhibited typical aberrant pattern. Tumors with wild-type and atypical patterns were predominantly associated with MMRd and POLE mutations, respectively. Among 52 TP53 mutations identified, 75% were missense and 25% were truncating, predominantly in DNA-binding domain. Gain-of-function missense mutations were more frequent in cases with subclonal patterns, whereas non-gain-of-function missense mutations predominated in wild-type or atypical patterns. Concurrent mutations were present in 25% of cases and were more common in aberrant or atypical patterns. Interestingly, 2 POLE wild-type cases with subclonal MMR expression showed p53 overexpression across the entire tumor, complicating molecular subtyping. These findings highlight the prevalence of atypical and subclonal p53 expression patterns in MMRd and/or POLE-mutant ECs with TP53 mutations, aiding in accurate IHC interpretation and thus more precise EC histological and molecular classification.
{"title":"Prevalence of Atypical and Subclonal p53 Immunohistochemistry Expression in Mismatch Repair Deficient and/or POLE-Mutant Endometrial Carcinomas with TP53 Mutation.","authors":"Jing Wang, Yumeng Cai, Jun Wang, Jiuyuan Fang, Junyi Pang, Hui Zhang, Junliang Lu, Zijuan Zhang, Huanwen Wu, Zhiyong Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104216","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.labinv.2025.104216","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>p53 Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a reliable surrogate for determining TP53 mutation status in endometrial carcinomas (ECs). However, the correlation of p53 IHC patterns and TP53 mutation characteristics in mismatch repair deficiency (MMRd) and/or POLE-mutant ECs was not comprehensively investigated. In this study, we identified 4 p53 expression patterns in 40 MMRd and/or POLE-mutant ECs with TP53 mutations. Thirteen cases (33%) displayed a wild-type pattern. Nine cases (23%) showed atypical pattern, characterized by the presence of eye-catching clustered cells with strong nuclear staining or weak-to-moderate cytoplasmic staining, which were patchily distributed with blurred boundaries. Fourteen cases (35%) demonstrated subclonal pattern with distinct regions of wild-type and mutation-type staining, of which 3 cases were originally misdiagnosed as \"mixed EC.\" Only 4 (10%) cases exhibited typical aberrant pattern. Tumors with wild-type and atypical patterns were predominantly associated with MMRd and POLE mutations, respectively. Among 52 TP53 mutations identified, 75% were missense and 25% were truncating, predominantly in DNA-binding domain. Gain-of-function missense mutations were more frequent in cases with subclonal patterns, whereas non-gain-of-function missense mutations predominated in wild-type or atypical patterns. Concurrent mutations were present in 25% of cases and were more common in aberrant or atypical patterns. Interestingly, 2 POLE wild-type cases with subclonal MMR expression showed p53 overexpression across the entire tumor, complicating molecular subtyping. These findings highlight the prevalence of atypical and subclonal p53 expression patterns in MMRd and/or POLE-mutant ECs with TP53 mutations, aiding in accurate IHC interpretation and thus more precise EC histological and molecular classification.</p>","PeriodicalId":17930,"journal":{"name":"Laboratory Investigation","volume":" ","pages":"104216"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144667953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}