Single-Cell Analysis Reveals Characterization of Infiltrating T Cells in Moderately Differentiated Colorectal Cancer.

Abstract

Objective:

This study aimed to characterize the tumor-infiltrating T cells in moderately differentiated colorectal cancer.

Methods:

Using single-cell RNA sequencing data of isolated 1632 T cells from tumor tissue and 1252 T cells from the peripheral blood of CRC patients, unsupervised clustering analysis was performed to identify functionally distinct T cell populations, followed by correlations and ligand-receptor interactions across cell types. Finally, differential analysis of the tumor-infiltrating T cells between colon cancer and rectal cancer were carried out.

Results:

A total of eight distinct T cell populations were identified from tumor tissue. Tumor-Treg showed a strong correlation with Th17 cells. CD8+TRM was positively correlated with CD8+IEL. Seven distinct T cell populations were identified from peripheral blood. There was a strong correlation between CD4+TN and CD4+blood-TCM. Colon cancer and rectal cancer showed differences in the composition of tumor-infiltrating T cell populations. Tumor-infiltrating CD8+IEL cells were found in rectal cancer but not in colon cancer, while CD8+ TN cells were found in the peripheral blood of colon cancer but not in that of rectal cancer. A larger number of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ Tex (88.94%) cells were found in the colon cancer than in the rectal cancer (11.06%). The T cells of the colon and rectal cancers showed changes in gene expression pattern.

Conclusions:

We characterized the T cell populations in the CRC tumor tissue and peripheral blood.

• Authors: Xi Yang, Quan Qi, Yuefen Pan, Qing Zhou, Yinhang Wu, Jing Zhuang, Jiamin Xu, Mingyue Pan, Shuwen Han
• Journal: Frontiers in immunology (Front Immunol) Vol. 11 Pg. 620196 ( 2020) ISSN: 1664-3224 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 33584715 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2021 Yang, Qi, Pan, Zhou, Wu, Zhuang, Xu, Pan and Han.

Chemical References

• Cytokines
• Immune Checkpoint Proteins
• Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
• Ligands
• Neoplasm Proteins
• RNA, Neoplasm
• Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell

Topics

• Adenocarcinoma (blood, genetics, immunology, pathology)
• Cell Differentiation
• Cluster Analysis
• Colonic Neoplasms (blood, genetics, immunology, pathology)
• Cytokines (immunology)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
• Gene Ontology
• Humans
• Immune Checkpoint Proteins (immunology)
• Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins (immunology)
• Ligands
• Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating (immunology, pathology)
• Neoplasm Proteins (biosynthesis, genetics)
• Organ Specificity
• Protein Interaction Maps
• RNA, Neoplasm (analysis)
• Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell (immunology)
• Rectal Neoplasms (blood, genetics, immunology, pathology)
• Single-Cell Analysis
• T-Lymphocyte Subsets (immunology)
• Tumor Microenvironment