Tumor-infiltrating tryptase+ mast cells predict unfavorable clinical outcome in solid tumors

Int J Cancer. 2018 Feb 15;142(4):813-821. doi: 10.1002/ijc.31099. Epub 2017 Nov 3.

Abstract

The prognostic role of tumor-infiltrating tryptase+ mast cells in human solid tumors remains controversial. Herein, we conducted a meta-analysis including 28 published studies with 4224 patients identified from PubMed and EBSCO to assess the prognostic impact of tumor-infiltrating tryptase+ mast cells in human solid tumors. We found that tryptase+ mast cell infiltration significantly decreased overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in all types of solid tumors. In stratified analyses, tryptase+ mast cell infiltration was significantly associated with worse OS in non-small cell lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and 5-year survival in colorectal cancer. And these cells were inversely associated with DFS in hepatocellular and colorectal cancer. In addition, high density of intratumoral tryptase+ mast cells significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis of solid tumor. In conclusion, Tryptase+ mast cell infiltration leads to an unfavorable clinical outcome in solid tumors, implicating that it is a valuable biomarker for prognostic prediction for human solid malignances and targeting it may have a potential for effective treatment.

Keywords: meta-analysis; solid tumor; tumor-infiltrating tryptase+ mast cells; unfavorable outcome.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mast Cells / enzymology*
  • Mast Cells / pathology
  • Neoplasms / enzymology
  • Neoplasms / mortality
  • Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Survival Rate
  • Tryptases / metabolism*

Substances

  • Tryptases