3280 - Comparison of freshly prepared and frozen cells from colorectal cancer surgical samples for phenotyping experiments- a pilot study

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading cancer with the 55% survival rate. The analysis of tumor microenviroment in fresh surgical samples by flow cytometry focuses on the presence of immune cells. However, no direct access to fresh tumor sample is always possible. Moreover, transport of interesting fresh tumor tissue specimens to distant labs is sometimes neccesary. Therefore, we analyzed both fresh and frozen cells isolated from tumor tissue, stored in hibernation buffer for 1 to 3 days and compared the percentage of EpCAM+, CD45+ and CD3+ cells. We analyzed 26 surgical samples of primary CRC and metastatic samples.

Methods

Surgical samples were obtained from patients with CRC and processed for an isolation of a single cell suspension (SCS) prepared using standard protocol with collagenase. After washing and blocking with mouse serum, cells were stained with fluorescently labeled antibodies (EpCAM-PE, CD45-FITC, CD3-APC). The cells were phenotyped using the FACS ARIAII instrument. Samples were obtained from freshly prepared (n = 19) and frozen cells, stored in DMSO supplemented medium (n = 8). 1 sample was phenotyped both from freshly prepared and frozen cells.

Results

From freshly prepared SCS, the average amount of EpCAM+ and CD45+ cells was 78.7% and 14.7%, respectively. In 12 out of 19 cases we also used anti CD3 antibodies. 2% of infiltrated cells were found to be positive for CD3. When using frozen SCS, we detected a higher positivity for EpCAM (92.85%), CD45 (62%) and CD3 (6%) compared to freshly prepared SCS.

Conclusions

We phenotyped human CRC samples for EpCAM, CD45 and some samples for CD3 marker. We found that for the FACS analysis, the stability of tumor tissue samples seems to be acceptable for isolation of SCS from CRC if stored in hibernation buffer, at 4 °C for 1 to 3 days. When isolated SCS from frozen stocks were used, we detected higher percentages of positive cells for EpCAM, CD45, CD3 markers. Therefore, we do not recommend to compare freshly isolated cells with previously frozen cells in FACS experiments.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

The authors.

Funding

grants APVV (no.16–0066), VEGA (no. 1/0380/18).

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.