Tumor necrosis factor-α-dependent inflammation upregulates high mobility group box 1 to induce tumor promotion and anti-programmed cell death protein-1 immunotherapy resistance in lung adenocarcinoma.

Tumor-associated chronic lung inflammation depends on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α to activate several cytokines as part of an inflammatory loop, which plays a critical role in tumor progression in lung adenocarcinoma. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a cytokine that mediates inflammation. Whether TNF-α-induced inflammation regulates HMGB1 to contribute to tumor progression and promotion in lung adenocarcinoma remains unclear. Thus, human samples and a urethane-induced inflammation-driven lung adenocarcinoma (IDLA) mouse model were used to explore the involvement of HMGB1 in tumorigenesis, tumor progression, and efficacy of anti-programmed cell death protein (PD)-1 immunotherapy. High levels of HMGB1 were observed in human lung adenocarcinoma associated with poor overall survival in patients. HMGB1 upregulation was positively correlated with TNF-α-related inflammation and TIM3⁺ infiltration. TNF-α upregulated intracellular and extracellular HMGB1 expression to contribute to tumor promotion in A549 cells in vitro. Using a urethane-induced IDLA mouse model, we found HMGB1 upregulation was associated with increased TIM3⁺ T cell infiltration. Blocking TNF-α-dependent inflammation downregulated HMGB1 expression and inhibited tumorigenesis in the IDLA. Anti-PD-1 treatment alone did not inhibit tumor growth in the TNF-α-dependent IDLA, whereas anti-PD-1 combined with TNF-α blockade overcame anti-PD-1 immunotherapy resistance. Furthermore, anti-PD-1 combined with anti-HMGB1 also inhibited tumor growth in IDLA, suggesting increased HMGB1 release by TNF-α contributes to the resistance of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in IDLA. Thus, tumor-associated TNF-α-dependent inflammation upregulated intracellular and extracellular HMGB1 expression in an inflammatory loop, contributing to tumor promotion and anti-PD-1 immunotherapy resistance in lung adenocarcinoma.