Human germinal center B cells and marginal zone B cells associate with clinical features in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Introduction Tumor infiltrating B cells (TIL-Bs) have both anti- and pro- tumor abilities, as they can act as effector B cells within tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs), or as regulatory B cells with immunosuppressive effects. Recently, germinal center B cells (GCBs) were identified in several cancer entities. Also, marginal zone B cells (MZBs) have been discovered in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of breast cancer. Here, we analyzed the presence of GCBs and MZBs in the blood and tumor tissues of head and neck cancer (HNSCC) patients, and investigated their correlation with clinical characteristics.

Methods The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from HNSCC patients (n = 114) and healthy donors (n = 64), and the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from HNSCC patients (n = 20) were analyzed by flow cytometry. One dataset (GSE139324; n = 63) of single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was utilized for verification.

Results Although higher expressed within the tumor milieu, GCBs and MZBs can be found both in PBMCs and TILs of HNSCC patients. The quantity of MZBs showed a positive correlation with tumor stages, while GCBs behaved the opposite way. For HPV+ HNSCC patients, higher numbers of MZBs and GCBs were found compared to HPV- HNSCC patients and healthy donors. The same tendency also appeared in our scRNA-seq findings.

Conclusions The distinct expression differences of GCBs and MZBs for HPV status and tumor stages imply their functional discrepancies within the TME. Critical for first-line antigen detection and B cell maturation, the formerly neglected TIL-B cell subtypes may be an important adjuvant to current T cell-based immunotherapies.

This study was supported by the DFG (BR 2891/11-1), and the China Scholarship Council (No. 202106090002).

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
12. Mai 2023