Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40205358›Full record

ArticleBMC gastroenterology2025

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis reveals prognosis-related stromal signatures that potentiate stratification of patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Chen Ni, Rulin Hua, Yuanyuan Yang, Jialu Liang, Wentao Liu, Linlin Wang, Xiaohan Yao, Anqi Li, Long Yu, Ruo Feng and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC gastroenterology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Chen Ni *Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Medical Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China. nichen904@163.com.
Rulin Hua *Institute of Cancer Stem Cell, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, 116044, China.
Yuanyuan YangDepartment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Medical Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China.
Jialu LiangDepartment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Medical Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China.
Wentao LiuDepartment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Medical Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China.
Linlin WangDepartment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Medical Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China.
Xiaohan YaoDepartment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Medical Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China.
Anqi LiDepartment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Medical Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China.
Long YuDepartment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Medical Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China.
Ruo FengDepartment of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450000, China.
Dekang LvInstitute of Cancer Stem Cell, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, Liaoning, 116044, China. dekanglv@dmu.edu.cn.
Zhihai QinDepartment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Medical Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China. zhihai@ibp.ac.cn.
Wenlong ZhaiDepartment of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Medical Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China. fcczhaiwl@zzu.edu.cn.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 32370973National Natural Science Foundation of China 82372911the Key Project of Medical Science and Technology of Henan Province SBGJ202302037, YQRC2023005 and 232102311050
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundExtrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCA) is a rare but refractory cancer with dense desmoplasia. Prognosis-associated stromal cells in eCCA remain poorly characterized. Here, we profiled the tumor cellular composition and identified prognosis-related stromal signatures by single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) in eCCA. ECCA patients were further stratified into different categories based on identified stromal signatures.

methodsUsing scRNA-seq, we profiled the transcriptomes of 37,498 individual cells from eight eCCA biopsies, including five tumor tissues and three paired adjacent normal tissues. Bulk RNA sequencing (bRNA-seq) was also performed on 43 eCCA tumor tissues. Stromal cell composition and heterogeneity were examined through differential gene expression and gene set enrichment analyses. By assessing the expression levels of marker genes in bRNA-seq data, the correlation of stromal cell clusters with survival was explored. The GSVA scores of the cell-specific signature genes of the prognosis-related stromal cell subtypes were calculated and used to stratify eCCA patients.

resultsThe results revealed that tumor stroma in eCCA were composed of hematopoietic progenitor-like cells (HPLCs), fibroblasts (Fb), Schwann cells (Sch), endothelial cells and immune cells. Prognosis-associated stromal cell subpopulations included MKI67 + HPLC, TMEM158 + C3-Fb, FOXP3 + regulatory T cells (Treg), SLIT2 + Sch, TPSD1 + C2-mast cells (MC) and CTSG + C3-MC. Based on these stromal signatures, the eCCA tumors were categorized into three classes: proliferative Group 1 with enrichment of MKI67 + HPLC, inflammatory and fibrotic Group 2 with enrichment of TPSD1 + C2- MC, FOXP3 + Treg and TMEM158 + C3-Fb, and neuronal Group 3 with enrichment of SLIT2 + Sch and CTSG + C3-MC. ECCA patients in Group 3 had a better prognosis when compared to Group 1 and 2, reflecting different impact of stromal subtypes on tumor progression.

conclusionSingle-cell transcriptomic analysis reveals prognosis-related stromal signatures that potentiate the stratification of eCCA into proliferative, inflammatory and fibrotic, and neuronal phenotypes, which has important implications on molecular classification and exploring therapeutic targets in eCCA.

Indexed as

Bile Duct NeoplasmsCholangiocarcinomaStromal CellsAgedFemaleGene Expression ProfilingHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisSingle-Cell AnalysisTranscriptomeTumor MicroenvironmentExtrahepatic cholangiocarcinomaMolecular classificationPatient stratificationPrognosisSingle-cell RNA sequencingTumor stroma

Identifiers

PMID40205358
PMCPMC11983802

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