Conserved Molecular Underpinnings and Characterization of a Role for Caveolin-1 in the Tumor Microenvironment of Mature T-Cell Lymphomas

PLoS One. 2015 Nov 13;10(11):e0142682. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142682. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Neoplasms of extra-thymic T-cell origin represent a rare and difficult population characterized by poor clinical outcome, aggressive presentation, and poorly defined molecular characteristics. Much work has been done to gain greater insights into distinguishing features among malignant subtypes, but there also exists a need to identify unifying characteristics to assist in rapid diagnosis and subsequent potential treatment. Herein, we investigated gene expression data of five different mature T-cell lymphoma subtypes (n = 187) and found 21 genes to be up- and down-regulated across all malignancies in comparison to healthy CD4(+) and CD8(+) T-cell controls (n = 52). From these results, we sought to characterize a role for caveolin-1 (CAV1), a gene with previous description in the progression of both solid and hematological tumors. Caveolin-1 was upregulated, albeit with a heterogeneous nature, across all mature T-cell lymphoma subtypes, a finding confirmed using immunohistochemical staining on an independent sampling of mature T-cell lymphoma biopsies (n = 65 cases). Further, stratifying malignant samples in accordance with high and low CAV1 expression revealed that higher expression of CAV1 in mature T-cell lymphomas is analogous with an enhanced inflammatory and invasive gene expression profile. Taken together, these results demonstrate a role for CAV1 in the tumor microenvironment of mature T-cell malignancies and point toward potential prognostic implications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biopsy
  • CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Caveolin 1 / metabolism*
  • Cytokines / metabolism
  • Down-Regulation
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Profiling*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Inflammation
  • Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • Lymphoma, T-Cell / genetics
  • Lymphoma, T-Cell / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Prognosis
  • Signal Transduction
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tumor Microenvironment*
  • Up-Regulation

Substances

  • CAV1 protein, human
  • Caveolin 1
  • Cytokines

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha Sponsored Program Office (TAH, TDS, HNS), Dr. George Haddix and the University of Nebraska Foundation (CEC), the Department of Biology, and the College of Arts and Sciences (TAH, CEC). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.