CD68 as a multi-omic prognostic biomarker in digestive system cancers: correlations with tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpoints
Background and objectiveCD68 plays a crucial role in promoting phagocytosis. However, its expression level, prognostic value and the correlations with tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) or common tumor immune checkpoints (TICs) in human digestive system cancers (DSC) remain poorly understood. T...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1599677/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849232652125601792 |
|---|---|
| author | Hui Li Hui Zhang Rujiang Dai Dian Zheng Jianghai Zhao Hong Jing Xuhui Ma Lin Zhang Weihong Sun Zhimin Suo |
| author_facet | Hui Li Hui Zhang Rujiang Dai Dian Zheng Jianghai Zhao Hong Jing Xuhui Ma Lin Zhang Weihong Sun Zhimin Suo |
| author_sort | Hui Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background and objectiveCD68 plays a crucial role in promoting phagocytosis. However, its expression level, prognostic value and the correlations with tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) or common tumor immune checkpoints (TICs) in human digestive system cancers (DSC) remain poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the expression levels, prognostic significance, and clinical implications of CD68, as well as its correlations with six TIICs and four common TICs in DSC.Materials and methodsWe analyzed CD68 mRNA and protein expression using online databases and immunohistochemistry (IHC) on tissue microarray (TMA) sections, comparing DSC tumor tissues with adjacent normal tissues. Overall survival (OS) was calculated to evaluate the prognostic value of CD68 in DSC. Additionally, correlations between CD68 expression and six TIICs (B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, macrophages, NK cells, and cancer-associated fibroblasts) or four common TICs (PDCD1, CTLA4, IDO1, and CD40) were assessed using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER).ResultsCD68 mRNA expression was significantly higher in esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) and stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues, but lower in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), and pancreas invasive ductal carcinoma (PAAD). Protein expression of CD68 was significantly higher in COAD than in adjacent normal tissues, but lower in ESCA, LIHC, PAAD, and STAD. CD68 protein expression served as a prognostic marker in COAD and STAD. Furthermore, CD68 expression showed strong positive correlations with the six TIICs and significant positive correlations with the four TICs in DSC.ConclusionCD68 may serve as an essential prognostic biomarker in COAD and STAD and could be a promising candidate for diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targeting in human DSC. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cb01db39190f484eb849b84fcc519b1f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-3224 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Immunology |
| spelling | doaj-art-cb01db39190f484eb849b84fcc519b1f2025-08-21T04:10:25ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-08-011610.3389/fimmu.2025.15996771599677CD68 as a multi-omic prognostic biomarker in digestive system cancers: correlations with tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpointsHui Li0Hui Zhang1Rujiang Dai2Dian Zheng3Jianghai Zhao4Hong Jing5Xuhui Ma6Lin Zhang7Weihong Sun8Zhimin Suo9Department of Digestion, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, ChinaDepartment of Digestion, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, ChinaDepartment of Digestion, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, ChinaDepartment of Digestion, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, ChinaDepartment of Digestion, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, ChinaDepartment of Pathology, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, ChinaDepartment of Digestion, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, ChinaDepartment of Medical Equipment, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, ChinaDepartment of Digestion, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, ChinaDepartment of Digestion, Huaihe Hospital of Henan University, Kaifeng, ChinaBackground and objectiveCD68 plays a crucial role in promoting phagocytosis. However, its expression level, prognostic value and the correlations with tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) or common tumor immune checkpoints (TICs) in human digestive system cancers (DSC) remain poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the expression levels, prognostic significance, and clinical implications of CD68, as well as its correlations with six TIICs and four common TICs in DSC.Materials and methodsWe analyzed CD68 mRNA and protein expression using online databases and immunohistochemistry (IHC) on tissue microarray (TMA) sections, comparing DSC tumor tissues with adjacent normal tissues. Overall survival (OS) was calculated to evaluate the prognostic value of CD68 in DSC. Additionally, correlations between CD68 expression and six TIICs (B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, macrophages, NK cells, and cancer-associated fibroblasts) or four common TICs (PDCD1, CTLA4, IDO1, and CD40) were assessed using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER).ResultsCD68 mRNA expression was significantly higher in esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) and stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues, but lower in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), and pancreas invasive ductal carcinoma (PAAD). Protein expression of CD68 was significantly higher in COAD than in adjacent normal tissues, but lower in ESCA, LIHC, PAAD, and STAD. CD68 protein expression served as a prognostic marker in COAD and STAD. Furthermore, CD68 expression showed strong positive correlations with the six TIICs and significant positive correlations with the four TICs in DSC.ConclusionCD68 may serve as an essential prognostic biomarker in COAD and STAD and could be a promising candidate for diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targeting in human DSC.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1599677/fullCD68digestive system cancersmacrophageprognosisbiomarkerimmune checkpoint |
| spellingShingle | Hui Li Hui Zhang Rujiang Dai Dian Zheng Jianghai Zhao Hong Jing Xuhui Ma Lin Zhang Weihong Sun Zhimin Suo CD68 as a multi-omic prognostic biomarker in digestive system cancers: correlations with tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpoints Frontiers in Immunology CD68 digestive system cancers macrophage prognosis biomarker immune checkpoint |
| title | CD68 as a multi-omic prognostic biomarker in digestive system cancers: correlations with tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpoints |
| title_full | CD68 as a multi-omic prognostic biomarker in digestive system cancers: correlations with tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpoints |
| title_fullStr | CD68 as a multi-omic prognostic biomarker in digestive system cancers: correlations with tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpoints |
| title_full_unstemmed | CD68 as a multi-omic prognostic biomarker in digestive system cancers: correlations with tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpoints |
| title_short | CD68 as a multi-omic prognostic biomarker in digestive system cancers: correlations with tumor-infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpoints |
| title_sort | cd68 as a multi omic prognostic biomarker in digestive system cancers correlations with tumor infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpoints |
| topic | CD68 digestive system cancers macrophage prognosis biomarker immune checkpoint |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1599677/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT huili cd68asamultiomicprognosticbiomarkerindigestivesystemcancerscorrelationswithtumorinfiltratingimmunecellsandimmunecheckpoints AT huizhang cd68asamultiomicprognosticbiomarkerindigestivesystemcancerscorrelationswithtumorinfiltratingimmunecellsandimmunecheckpoints AT rujiangdai cd68asamultiomicprognosticbiomarkerindigestivesystemcancerscorrelationswithtumorinfiltratingimmunecellsandimmunecheckpoints AT dianzheng cd68asamultiomicprognosticbiomarkerindigestivesystemcancerscorrelationswithtumorinfiltratingimmunecellsandimmunecheckpoints AT jianghaizhao cd68asamultiomicprognosticbiomarkerindigestivesystemcancerscorrelationswithtumorinfiltratingimmunecellsandimmunecheckpoints AT hongjing cd68asamultiomicprognosticbiomarkerindigestivesystemcancerscorrelationswithtumorinfiltratingimmunecellsandimmunecheckpoints AT xuhuima cd68asamultiomicprognosticbiomarkerindigestivesystemcancerscorrelationswithtumorinfiltratingimmunecellsandimmunecheckpoints AT linzhang cd68asamultiomicprognosticbiomarkerindigestivesystemcancerscorrelationswithtumorinfiltratingimmunecellsandimmunecheckpoints AT weihongsun cd68asamultiomicprognosticbiomarkerindigestivesystemcancerscorrelationswithtumorinfiltratingimmunecellsandimmunecheckpoints AT zhiminsuo cd68asamultiomicprognosticbiomarkerindigestivesystemcancerscorrelationswithtumorinfiltratingimmunecellsandimmunecheckpoints |