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The MIF promoter SNP rs755622 is associated with immune activation in glioblastoma
Tyler J. Alban, Matthew M. Grabowski, Balint Otvos, Defne Bayik, Wesley Wang, Ajay Zalavadia, Vlad Makarov, Katie Troike, Mary McGraw, Anja Rabljenovic, Adam Lauko, Chase Neumann, Gustavo Roversi, Kristin A. Waite, Gino Cioffi, Nirav Patil, Thuy T. Tran, Kathleen McCortney, Alicia Steffens, C. Marcela Diaz, J. Mark Brown, Kathleen M. Egan, Craig M. Horbinski, Jill S. Barnholtz-Sloan, Prajwal Rajappa, Michael A. Vogelbaum, Richard Bucala, Timothy A. Chan, Manmeet S. Ahluwalia, Justin D. Lathia
Tyler J. Alban, Matthew M. Grabowski, Balint Otvos, Defne Bayik, Wesley Wang, Ajay Zalavadia, Vlad Makarov, Katie Troike, Mary McGraw, Anja Rabljenovic, Adam Lauko, Chase Neumann, Gustavo Roversi, Kristin A. Waite, Gino Cioffi, Nirav Patil, Thuy T. Tran, Kathleen McCortney, Alicia Steffens, C. Marcela Diaz, J. Mark Brown, Kathleen M. Egan, Craig M. Horbinski, Jill S. Barnholtz-Sloan, Prajwal Rajappa, Michael A. Vogelbaum, Richard Bucala, Timothy A. Chan, Manmeet S. Ahluwalia, Justin D. Lathia
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Research Article Immunology Oncology

The MIF promoter SNP rs755622 is associated with immune activation in glioblastoma

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Abstract

Intratumoral heterogeneity is a defining hallmark of glioblastoma, driving drug resistance and ultimately recurrence. Many somatic drivers of microenvironmental change have been shown to affect this heterogeneity and, ultimately, the treatment response. However, little is known about how germline mutations affect the tumoral microenvironment. Here, we find that the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs755622 in the promoter of the cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is associated with increased leukocyte infiltration in glioblastoma. Furthermore, we identified an association between rs755622 and lactotransferrin expression, which could also be used as a biomarker for immune-infiltrated tumors. These findings demonstrate that a germline SNP in the promoter region of MIF may affect the immune microenvironment and further reveal a link between lactotransferrin and immune activation.

Authors

Tyler J. Alban, Matthew M. Grabowski, Balint Otvos, Defne Bayik, Wesley Wang, Ajay Zalavadia, Vlad Makarov, Katie Troike, Mary McGraw, Anja Rabljenovic, Adam Lauko, Chase Neumann, Gustavo Roversi, Kristin A. Waite, Gino Cioffi, Nirav Patil, Thuy T. Tran, Kathleen McCortney, Alicia Steffens, C. Marcela Diaz, J. Mark Brown, Kathleen M. Egan, Craig M. Horbinski, Jill S. Barnholtz-Sloan, Prajwal Rajappa, Michael A. Vogelbaum, Richard Bucala, Timothy A. Chan, Manmeet S. Ahluwalia, Justin D. Lathia

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Figure 5

Patients with GBM with high LTF expression are immunologically activated.

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Patients with GBM with high LTF expression are immunologically activated...
(A) TCGA_GBM mRNA-Seq data were analyzed to compare LTF-high (top 25% expression, n = 39) and LTF-low (bottom 25% expression, n = 39) patients, and differentially expressed genes are shown between the groups (red, > 1 log2FC and > –log10 adjusted P value; blue, < –1 log2FC and > –log10 adjusted P value). (B) GSEA was performed based on the ranked list of differentially expressed genes between LTF-high and LTF-low samples, with pathways enriched in LTF-high samples shown in red. Pathways highlighted in blue were enriched in LTF-low samples. (C) Highlighted GSEA plots of rank-ordered genes from the Hallmark pathways for Allograft Rejection and Complement Signaling, which are enriched in LTF-high patients, and Mitotic Spindle and Myc Targets, which are pathways that are enriched in LTF-low patients.

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