Punctate LC3B expression is a common feature of solid tumors and associated with proliferation, metastasis and poor outcome
A partir de l'analyse de 1 400 échantillons tumoraux représentant 20 types de cancer, cette étude met en évidence le rôle joué par l'expression du gène LC3B, un marqueur de l'autophagie, dans la progression du cancer
Purpose: Measurement of autophagy in cancer and correlation with histopathologic grading or clinical outcomes has been limited. Accordingly, we investigated LC3B as an autophagosome marker by analyzing nearly 1400 tumors from 20 types of cancer, focussing on correlations with clinical outcomes in melanoma and breast cancer. Experimental Design: Staining protocols were developed for automated quantitative analysis (AQUA) using antibodies vs LC3 isoform B (LC3B) and Ki-67. Clinically annotated breast and melanoma TMA's and a multitumor array were employed. An AQUA program was developed to quantitate LC3B distribution in punctate and diffuse compartments of the cell. Results: LC3B staining was moderate to high in the large majority of tumors. The % area occupied by punctate LC3B was elevated 3-5 fold at high LC3B intensities. In breast cancer and melanoma TMAs, LC3B and Ki-67 showed strong correlations (p < 0.0001) and in multitumor TMAs mitotic figures were most often seen in tumors with highest LC3B expression (p < 0.002). In breast cancer, LC3B expression was elevated in node-positive vs node-negative primaries and associated with increased nuclear grade and shortened survival. In a melanoma TMA with no survival data, LC3B levels were highest in nodal, visceral and cutaneous metastases. Conclusions: The results reveal a common expression of LC3B in malignancy and support emerging evidence that autophagy plays a significant role in cancer progression. High LC3B was associated proliferation, invasion and metastasis, high nuclear grade and worse outcome. Thus autophagy presents a key target of therapeutic vulnerability in solid tumors.