Analysis of mutations with immune markers revealed that ADCY8 and PIK3CA mutations were associated with markedly decreased tumoral PD-L1 expression, LUSCs with PIK3CA mutations exhibited elevated CD45ro levels and CDKN2A-mutant tumors displayed an up-regulated immune response.
Promoter methylation of four candidate tumor suppressor genes (adenylate cyclase 8 (ADCY8), cadherin 8, type 2 (CDH8), MGMT, and zinc finger protein 582 (ZNF582)) out of 48 genes screened was quantified by bisulfite-pyrosequencing of genomic DNA.
Genes (RAB27b RAS family, IL-1RA, IL-33, chemokine ligand 6, epiregulin, EGF-like domain and cathepsin) related to cancer development (Wnt signaling pathway) and inflammation (chemokine/cytokine signaling pathway, Toll receptor signaling) were up-regulated while genes (troponin, tropomodulin 2, endothelial lipase, FGFR4, integrin alpha8 and adenylate cyclase 8) related to the tumor suppression such as p53 pathway, TGF-beta signaling pathway and cadherin signaling pathway were down-regulated by K-ras oncogene.