Sharma Amod, Sudan Sarabjeet Kour, Vikramdeo Kunwar Somesh, Khan Mohammad Aslam, Tahir Muhammad, Carter James E, Kendall Todd, Nelson Cindy, Singh Ajay P, Singh Seema
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
NPJ Breast Cancer. 2025 Jul 24;11(1):78. doi: 10.1038/s41523-025-00799-8.
Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with distinct molecular subtypes that disproportionately affects Black women. Immune cells are a key component of the tumor microenvironment, influencing tumor growth and treatment outcomes. Here, we explored immune landscape differences between TNBC and non-TNBC subtypes, assessing any race-specific patterns. TNBC showed higher infiltration of B-cells, Treg cells, Th1 cells, and CD8+ cells, and fewer mast cells than non-TNBC. Race-wise comparisons revealed that White TNBC had more Th1 cells than Black TNBC, while Black non-TNBC exhibited higher NK and Treg cells but lower DCs. KEGG pathway analysis identified immunosuppression in TNBC, with Black patients exhibiting the same regardless of molecular subtype. Higher TAM and lower T-cell infiltration were linked to metastatic disease. In White patients, lower immune cells (particularly T-cells, DCs, and NK cells) correlated with more metastasis, but not in Black patients. These race- and subtype-specific immune differences may guide tailored immunotherapies.
乳腺癌是一种异质性疾病，具有不同的分子亚型，对黑人女性的影响尤为严重。免疫细胞是肿瘤微环境的关键组成部分，影响肿瘤生长和治疗结果。在此，我们探讨了三阴性乳腺癌（TNBC）和非三阴性乳腺癌亚型之间的免疫格局差异，评估了任何种族特异性模式。与非TNBC相比，TNBC显示出B细胞、调节性T细胞（Treg细胞）、辅助性T细胞1（Th1细胞）和CD8 + 细胞的浸润更高，而肥大细胞更少。按种族进行的比较显示，白人TNBC的Th1细胞比黑人TNBC更多，而黑人非TNBC表现出更高的自然杀伤细胞（NK）和Treg细胞，但树突状细胞（DC）更低。京都基因与基因组百科全书（KEGG）通路分析确定TNBC存在免疫抑制，黑人患者无论分子亚型如何均表现出相同情况。更高的肿瘤相关巨噬细胞（TAM）和更低的T细胞浸润与转移性疾病相关。在白人患者中，更低的免疫细胞（特别是T细胞、DC和NK细胞）与更多转移相关，但在黑人患者中并非如此。这些种族和亚型特异性的免疫差异可能指导定制免疫疗法。
