BioProject

Metastasis of human tumours to LNs is a universally negative prognostic factor. More...

Metastasis of human tumours to LNs is a universally negative prognostic factor. LN stromal cells (SCs) play a crucial role in enabling T cell responses, and since tumour metastases modulate their structure and function, this interaction may suppress immune responses to tumour antigens. However the SC subpopulations that respond to infiltration of malignant cells into human LNs have not been defined. Using microarray, we sought to assess gene expression profiles of two distinct SC subpopulations isolated from melanoma-infiltrated LNs. Our data demonstrate distinct profiles of two SC subpopulations isolated from melanoma-infiltrated LNs using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). FRCs express T cell modulating cytokines, chemokines and adhesion molecules, while CD34+ SCs predominantly express genes associated with ECM organization. Distinguishing between these two SC subpopulations in human LNs will now allow study of their respective impact on T cell responses to tumour antigens and clinical outcomes. Overall design: FRCs and CD34+ SCs isolated from 7 different melanoma-infiltrated LNs were examined by microarray. Transcriptomic analysis revealed the genes that were differentially expressed between these two SC populations. Less...