There are important but ill-defined interactions between benign immune cell subsets and neoplastic B cells within follicular lymphoma (FL). Using the novel technique of correlation matrix analysis (CMA) of publicly available FL whole-tumor gene expression profiling (GEP) data, we have identified signatures of immune cell subsets. Overall survival correlated most highly with a model using signatures of macrophages, T cells, and stroma, which was able to add significantly to existing clinical prognostic tools. From our own data of a cohort of 43 FL tumors sorted into B-cell and non-B cell (NB) fractions for GEP, CMA of the tumor infiltrating NB fraction revealed additional immune cell subset signatures, including T follicular helper (TFH) cells. Comparison of gene signatures between FL and tonsils (n=24) suggested that TFH cells and macrophages are qualitatively distinct in FL from normal tissue. “Cross-correlation”, between FL NB fraction signatures and individual B fraction genes, suggests that TFH cells promote proliferation, germinal center stage differentiation, B-cell receptor signaling, and induction of CCL17 and CCL22 by tumor B cells. This novel analytical approach may be broadly applicable to define gene signatures of rare immune cell subsets in the tumor microenvironment, determine their prognostic impact, discover novel therapeutic targets, and identify patients likely to benefit from therapies targeting tumor-stroma interactions.
","abstract_html":"<p>There are important but ill-defined interactions between benign immune cell subsets and neoplastic B cells within follicular lymphoma (FL). Using the novel technique of correlation matrix analysis (CMA) of publicly available FL whole-tumor gene expression profiling (GEP) data, we have identified signatures of immune cell subsets. Overall survival correlated most highly with a model using signatures of macrophages, T cells, and stroma, which was able to add significantly to existing clinical prognostic tools. From our own data of a cohort of 43 FL tumors sorted into B-cell and non-B cell (NB) fractions for GEP, CMA of the tumor infiltrating NB fraction revealed additional immune cell subset signatures, including T follicular helper (TFH) cells. Comparison of gene signatures between FL and tonsils (n=24) suggested that TFH cells and macrophages are qualitatively distinct in FL from normal tissue. “Cross-correlation”, between FL NB fraction signatures and individual B fraction genes, suggests that TFH cells promote proliferation, germinal center stage differentiation, B-cell receptor signaling, and induction of CCL17 and CCL22 by tumor B cells. This novel analytical approach may be broadly applicable to define gene signatures of rare immune cell subsets in the tumor microenvironment, determine their prognostic impact, discover novel therapeutic targets, and identify patients likely to benefit from therapies targeting tumor-stroma interactions.<strong></strong></p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Westin, Jason R."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Masters of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis (MS)","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Richard Eric Davis, M.D.","Sattva Neelapu, M.D.","Scott Kopetz, M.D., Ph.D."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:49:23Z","subjects":["Follicular lymphoma","lymphoma","correlation matrix","gene signatures","gene expression profiling","immune cells","B-cell lymphoma","Biological Phenomena, Cell Phenomena, and Immunity","Diagnosis","Genetic Phenomena","Genetic Processes","Hematology","Investigative Techniques","Medical Genetics","Medicine and Health Sciences","Oncology","Other Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment","Therapeutics"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/utgsbs_dissertations/585","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Richard Eric Davis, M.D.","Sattva Neelapu, M.D.","Scott Kopetz, M.D., Ph.D."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Westin, Jason R."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-05-11T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis (MS)"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Masters of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Follicular lymphoma","lymphoma","correlation matrix","gene signatures","gene expression profiling","immune cells","B-cell lymphoma","Biological Phenomena, Cell Phenomena, and Immunity","Diagnosis","Genetic Phenomena","Genetic Processes","Hematology","Investigative Techniques","Medical Genetics","Medicine and Health Sciences","Oncology","Other Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment","Therapeutics"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/utgsbs_dissertations/585"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["There are important but ill-defined interactions between benign immune cell subsets and neoplastic B cells within follicular lymphoma (FL). Using the novel technique of correlation matrix analysis (CMA) of publicly available FL whole-tumor gene expression profiling (GEP) data, we have identified signatures of immune cell subsets. Overall survival correlated most highly with a model using signatures of macrophages, T cells, and stroma, which was able to add significantly to existing clinical prognostic tools. From our own data of a cohort of 43 FL tumors sorted into B-cell and non-B cell (NB) fractions for GEP, CMA of the tumor infiltrating NB fraction revealed additional immune cell subset signatures, including T follicular helper (TFH) cells. Comparison of gene signatures between FL and tonsils (n=24) suggested that TFH cells and macrophages are qualitatively distinct in FL from normal tissue. “Cross-correlation”, between FL NB fraction signatures and individual B fraction genes, suggests that TFH cells promote proliferation, germinal center stage differentiation, B-cell receptor signaling, and induction of CCL17 and CCL22 by tumor B cells. This novel analytical approach may be broadly applicable to define gene signatures of rare immune cell subsets in the tumor microenvironment, determine their prognostic impact, discover novel therapeutic targets, and identify patients likely to benefit from therapies targeting tumor-stroma interactions.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Correlation Matrix Analysis Identifies Gene Signatures of Immune Cell Subsets and Their Interactions In Follicular Lymphoma"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Richard Eric Davis, M.D.","Sattva Neelapu, M.D.","Scott Kopetz, M.D., Ph.D."],"dc:creator":["Westin, Jason R."],"dc:date.available":["2015-05-11T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["There are important but ill-defined interactions between benign immune cell subsets and neoplastic B cells within follicular lymphoma (FL). Using the novel technique of correlation matrix analysis (CMA) of publicly available FL whole-tumor gene expression profiling (GEP) data, we have identified signatures of immune cell subsets. Overall survival correlated most highly with a model using signatures of macrophages, T cells, and stroma, which was able to add significantly to existing clinical prognostic tools. From our own data of a cohort of 43 FL tumors sorted into B-cell and non-B cell (NB) fractions for GEP, CMA of the tumor infiltrating NB fraction revealed additional immune cell subset signatures, including T follicular helper (TFH) cells. Comparison of gene signatures between FL and tonsils (n=24) suggested that TFH cells and macrophages are qualitatively distinct in FL from normal tissue. “Cross-correlation”, between FL NB fraction signatures and individual B fraction genes, suggests that TFH cells promote proliferation, germinal center stage differentiation, B-cell receptor signaling, and induction of CCL17 and CCL22 by tumor B cells. This novel analytical approach may be broadly applicable to define gene signatures of rare immune cell subsets in the tumor microenvironment, determine their prognostic impact, discover novel therapeutic targets, and identify patients likely to benefit from therapies targeting tumor-stroma interactions.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/utgsbs_dissertations/585"],"dc:subject":["Follicular lymphoma","lymphoma","correlation matrix","gene signatures","gene expression profiling","immune cells","B-cell lymphoma","Biological Phenomena, Cell Phenomena, and Immunity","Diagnosis","Genetic Phenomena","Genetic Processes","Hematology","Investigative Techniques","Medical Genetics","Medicine and Health Sciences","Oncology","Other Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment","Therapeutics"],"dc:title":["Correlation Matrix Analysis Identifies Gene Signatures of Immune Cell Subsets and Their Interactions In Follicular Lymphoma"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis (MS)"],"thesis:degree_name":["Masters of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:49:23Z"}