WCLC 2025 - Posters & ePosters-EP.06.80 Immunological Markers of Prognosis in Lung Cancer: T-Cell Subpopulations and Their Correlation With Clinical Outcomes

EP.06.80 Immunological Markers of Prognosis in Lung Cancer: T-Cell Subpopulations and Their Correlation With Clinical Outcomes

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This study by Negrini et al. examines the prognostic value of circulating T-cell subpopulations in patients with advanced lung cancer (aLC) undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Although ICIs have improved outcomes for aLC, reliable biomarkers predicting treatment response remain elusive. The authors focused on the immune landscape by profiling T-cell subsets in peripheral blood from 32 treatment-naïve aLC patients prior to ICI initiation, using flow cytometry to quantify CD3+, CD4+ (helper), CD8+ (cytotoxic), exhausted (Exh), exhausted-like (ExhL), and senescent (Sen) lymphocytes.<br /><br />Their findings reveal that a higher frequency of circulating CD4+ senescent T cells (ThSen) correlates significantly with improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), even after adjusting for confounding factors such as age, sex, body mass index, and smoking. Conversely, elevated levels of CD4+ exhausted T cells (ThExh) showed a trend towards worse PFS, indicating potential immune dysfunction. These relationships were demonstrated through Cox proportional hazards modeling and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses. Additionally, correlations between T-cell subpopulations and plasma metabolic biomarkers were explored.<br /><br />The study suggests that baseline profiling of circulating T-cell subsets, especially CD4+ senescent lymphocytes, may serve as a predictive biomarker for ICI efficacy in aLC. However, the authors emphasize the need for validation in larger, longitudinal cohorts to characterize the functional status of T-cell subsets comprehensively and confirm clinical utility. This could enhance personalized immunotherapy strategies by identifying patients likely to benefit from ICIs and understanding mechanisms underlying treatment resistance.<br /><br />In summary, circulating T-cell immunophenotyping represents a promising avenue for prognostication in lung cancer immunotherapy, possibly guiding more effective patient management and improving clinical outcomes.

Asset Subtitle

Federica Biello

Meta Tag

Speaker Federica Biello

Topic Pathology and Biomarkers

Keywords

circulating T-cell subpopulations

advanced lung cancer

immune checkpoint inhibitors

CD4+ senescent T cells

prognostic biomarkers

overall survival

progression-free survival

flow cytometry

immunotherapy response

immune dysfunction