Journal Article

Impact of lymph node metastasis on immune microenvironment and prognosis in colorectal cancer liver metastasis: insights from multiomics profiling

Zhou, Haitao, Ma, Jian, Zhang, Zhen, Wang, Xishan, Ma, Xiaolong, Xi, Yanfeng, Liu, Haiyi, Jiang, Zheng, Meng, Yongsheng, Zhao, Zhixun, Chen, Haipeng, Li, Jiangtao, Wang, Guiyu, Guan, Xu, Wu, Deng, Zhang, Yueyang, Jiao, Shuai

2025

Overview

This study aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of lymph node metastasis (LNM) on patients with colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM) and elucidate the underlying immune mechanisms using multiomics profiling. We enrolled patients with CRLM from the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cohort and a multicenter Chinese cohort, integrating bulk RNA sequencing, single-cell RNA sequencing and proteomics data. The cancer-specific survival (CSS) and immune profiles of the tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLNs), primary tumors and liver metastasis were compared between patients with and without LNM. Pathological evaluations were used to assess immune cell infiltration and histological features. The CRLM patients with LNM had significantly shorter CSS than patients without LNM in two large cohorts. Our results showed that nonmetastatic TDLNs exhibited a greater abundance of immune cells, including CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and CD19+ B cells, whereas metastatic TDLNs were enriched with fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and macrophages. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed elevated levels of CD3+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and CD19+ B cells in nonmetastatic TDLNs. The presence of nonmetastatic TDLNs was associated with enhanced antitumor immune responses in primary tumors, characterized by a higher Klintrup-Makinen (KM) grade and the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures. Furthermore, liver metastasis in patients with nonmetastatic TDLNs were predominantly of the desmoplastic growth pattern (dHGP), while those with metastatic TDLNs were predominantly of the replacement growth pattern (rHGP). This research highlights the adverse prognostic impact of LNM on patients with CRLM and reveals potential related mechanisms through multiomics analysis. Our research paves the way for further refinement of the AJCC TNM staging system for CRLM in clinical practice.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group,Nature Publishing Group UK
• Subject: Aged / Antitumor activity / Biological analysis / CD19 antigen / CD3 antigen / CD4 antigen / CD8 antigen / Colorectal cancer / Colorectal Neoplasms - genetics / Colorectal Neoplasms - immunology / Colorectal Neoplasms - mortality / Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology / Endothelial cells / Epidemiology / Female / Growth patterns / Humans / Liver / Liver cancer / Liver Neoplasms - genetics / Liver Neoplasms - immunology / Liver Neoplasms - secondary / Lymph nodes / Lymph Nodes - immunology / Lymph Nodes - pathology / Lymphatic Metastasis - immunology / Lymphatic Metastasis - pathology / Lymphatic system / Lymphocytes / Lymphocytes B / Lymphocytes T / Macrophages / Male / Medical prognosis / Metastases / Metastasis / Microenvironments / Middle Aged / Multiomics / Prognosis / Proteomics / SEER Program / Tumor Microenvironment - immunology / Tumors