The clinical significance of signal regulatory protein alpha expression in the immune environment of gastric cancer.

Background: Signal regulatory protein alpha (SIRPα) inhibits phagocytosis by macrophages by interacting with CD47. Despite its known role in various cancers, the clinical significance of SIRPα in gastric cancer (GC) remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the clinical implications of SIRPα in GC, exploring its relevance to immunotherapy efficacy and the tumor microenvironment.

Methods: Two cohorts were studied: a gastrectomy cohort (137 patients) and an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI)-treated cohort (19 patients with unresectable advanced GC who received nivolumab). Immunohistochemistry was used to assess SIRPα, CD80, CD163, CD8, and PD-L1 expressions. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox models were used to analyze the clinical outcomes. In vitro experiments used peripheral blood mononuclear cells and THP-1 macrophage cell lines to examine SIRPα responses to interferon-γ (IFN-γ).

Results: In the gastrectomy cohort, high SIRPα expression correlated with advanced tumor invasion, distant metastasis, and poor recurrence-free and overall survival. SIRPα expression was also significantly associated with macrophage and CD8 + T cells infiltration and PD-L1 expression. In the ICI-treated cohort, high SIRPα expression was associated with better overall survival after nivolumab induced. Moreover, in vitro IFN-γ stimulation upregulated SIRPα expression on monocytes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and THP-1 cells, suggesting high SIRPα expression may reflect an active immune microenvironment.

Conclusion: SIRPα expression is not only a poor prognostic factor for GC, possibly through inhibition of the CD47-SIRP⍺ pathway, but may also be involved in the efficacy of ICI therapy in GC.