High Grade Sinonasal Carcinoma Immune Transcriptome

The skull base is the location of a wide variety of malignant tumors. Among them is sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC), a highly aggressive sinonasal neoplasm that was recently reclassified into subgroups of high-grade carcinomas with unique genomic events (e.g., SMARC-deficient carcinoma, nuclear protein in testis NUT carcinoma). Other high-grade carcinomas in this location are neuroendocrine carcinomas, sinonasal adenocarcinomas, and teratocarcinosarcomas. Given the rarity of these tumors, little transcriptomic data is available. The aim of this study was to characterize the immune-oncology gene expression profile in SNUC and other high-grade sinonasal carcinomas.Next-generation sequencing was performed in 30 high-grade sinonasal carcinoma samples using the HTG EdgeSeq Precision Immuno-Oncology Panel. Ingenuity pathway analysis was performed to understand the immunobiology, signaling, and functional perturbations during tumor development.This immune-oncology gene expression analysis of 3 groups of high-grade sinonasal carcinoma with emphasis on SNUC identified a number of differentially expressed transcripts reflecting effects on tumorigenesis. Identification of immune pathways should be further investigated for possible integration of immunotherapy into a multidisciplinary approach to these cancers and personalized treatment.

颅底是多种恶性肿瘤的好发部位。其中包括鼻窦未分化癌（sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma, SNUC），这是一种高侵袭性鼻窦肿瘤，近期被重新归类为具有独特基因组事件的高级别癌亚型（例如SMARC缺陷癌、睾丸核蛋白NUT癌）。该部位的其他高级别癌还包括神经内分泌癌、鼻窦腺癌以及畸胎癌肉瘤。鉴于这类肿瘤极为罕见，可用转录组学数据寥寥无几。本研究旨在刻画鼻窦未分化癌及其他高级别鼻窦癌的免疫肿瘤学基因表达谱。研究采用HTG EdgeSeq精准免疫肿瘤学检测面板（HTG EdgeSeq Precision Immuno-Oncology Panel），对30例高级别鼻窦癌样本实施了下一代测序（next-generation sequencing）。通过Ingenuity通路分析（Ingenuity pathway analysis）解析肿瘤发生过程中的免疫生物学特征、信号传导通路与功能扰动状态。本研究对3组高级别鼻窦癌（重点聚焦鼻窦未分化癌）开展的免疫肿瘤学基因表达分析，鉴定出一批差异表达转录本，其表达变化可反映肿瘤发生的相关效应。免疫通路的相关发现有待进一步研究，以探讨将免疫疗法整合至这类癌症的多学科诊疗与个性化治疗方案中的潜在可能。