Evaluación de la expresión de PD-L1 e infiltración linfocitaria intratumoral en carcinoma de mama invasivo triple negativo / Evaluation of PD-L1 expression and intratumoral lym phocytic infiltration in triple-negative invasive breast car cinoma

Resumen Introducción : El endofenotipo de cáncer de mama triple negativo (TNBC) es uno de los menos frecuentes y sin diana terapéutica, por tanto, se plantea estudiar la correlación del punto de control inmunológico PD-L1 con el establecimiento de microambiente tumoral evaluado por la infiltración linfocitaria intratumoral estromal (TILs) y su importancia en la práctica clínica. Métodos : Se realizó un estudio retrospectivo de casos y controles, con 31 casos de carcinoma infiltrante de la mama triple negativo y 57 controles no pareados de endofenotipo Luminal A, Luminal B y HER-2 atendidos en un año. Se evaluaron las variables: tipo y grado his tológico, expresión PD-L1 con el clon 22C3, TILs, invasión linfovascular, tamaño tumoral, compromiso de ganglios linfáticos y metástasis. El análisis estadístico se ejecutó con la prueba de chi cuadrado y prueba de coeficiente de correlación de Spearman. Resultados : Se encontró una correlación negativa estadísticamente significativa entre TILs y PD-L1 (rho - 0.106, p 0.025), indicando que a mayor expresión de PD-L1, es menor la infiltración linfocitaria intratumo ral. En los grupos de TILs B (10-40% TILs) y C (40-90% TILs) donde se presenta marcado infiltrado inflamatorio intratumoral se evidenció mayor número de pacientes negativos para PD-L1 (CPS <10) con 16 y 10 casos res pectivamente. Para los casos TNBC se logró identificar un coeficiente de asociación negativa (rho -0.378) y con significancia estadística (p 0.01). Discusión : Se estableció la asociación de TNBC, TILs y expresión de PDL1, lo cual es importante para la instau ración de terapias diana y el desarrollo de la medicina de precisión.

Abstract Introduction : Triple negative breast cancer endophe notype (TNBC) is one of the least frequent and without therapeutic target; therefore we propose to study the correlation of PD-L1 immune checkpoint with the es tablishment of tumor microenvironment assessed by intratumoral stromal lymphocyte infiltration (TILS) and its importance in clinical practice. Methods : A retrospective case-control study was performed, with 31 cases of triple-negative infiltrat ing breast carcinoma and 57 unmatched controls of Luminal A, Luminal B and HER-2 endophenotype seen in one year. The following variables were evaluated: histologic type and grade, PD-L1 expression with clone 22C3, TILS, lymphovascular invasion, tumor size, lymph node involvement and metastasis. Statistical analysis was performed with the chi-square test and Spearman correlation coefficient test. Results : a statistically significant negative correlation was found between TILS and PD-L1 (rho - 0.106, p 0.025), indicating that the higher the expression of PD-L1, the lower the intratumoral lymphocytic infiltration. In the TILS B (10-40% TILS) and C (40-90% TILS) groups where there was a marked intratumoral inflammatory infiltrate, a greater number of patients were negative for PD-L1 (CPS <10) with 16 and 10 cases, respectively. For TNBC cases a negative association coefficient was identified (rho -0.378) with statistical significance (p 0.01). Discussion : The association between TNBC, TILS and PDL1 expression was established, which is important for the establishment of target therapies and the develop ment of precision medicine.

Modified Danggui Beimu Kushen Pills Inhibit Tumor Growth and Regulates T Cell Subsets in H22 Hepatocellular Carcinoma-bearing Mice / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of modified Danggui Beimu Kushen pills on tumor growth and T-cell subsets in H22 hepatocellular carcinoma-bearing mice and to provide an experimental basis for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma with modified Danggui Beimu Kushen pills combined with immune checkpoint antibodies. MethodA H22 hepatocellular carcinoma-bearing mouse model was established. The modeled mice were randomized into model， cisplatin， low- （4 g·kg-1·d-1）， medium- （8 g·kg-1·d-1）， and high-dose （16 g·kg-1·d-1） modified Danggui Beimu Kushen pills groups. After continuous administration for 14 days， the mice were sacrificed on day 15. The tumor volume was measured on days 0， 4， 8， 12， 15 of drug administration. Tumors were weighed and thymus index and spleen index were calculated. Spleen lymphocytes were co-cultured with H22 hepatoma cells， and the tumor cell-killing rate was detected by the cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8）. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was carried to determine the mRNA levels of programmed cell death protein-1 （PD-1） and lymphocyte activation gene-3 （LAG-3） in spleen and tumor tissues. The number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and the expression of PD-1 and LAG-3 were detected by immunohistochemistry （IHC）. ResultOn day 8 of drug administration， tumor volumes in all treatment groups decreased compared with that in the model group. On day 15， both tumor volume and tumor weight were significantly lower in the treatment groups than in the model group （P<0.01）， with the cisplatin group showing the most pronounced reduction. Compared with the model and cisplatin groups， medium- and high-dose modified Danggui Beimu Kushen pills increased the thymus index （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， all treatment groups showed increased spleen index （P<0.05， P<0.01）， with the cisplatin group showing the most significant increase. Compared with the model and cisplatin groups， all the groups of modified Danggui Beimu Kushen pills demonstrated increased number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and tumor cell-killing rate in the spleen and tumor tissues （P<0.01） and down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of LAG-3 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The high-dose group of modified Danggui Beimu Kushen pills had lower mRNA level of PD-1 in the tumor tissue than the model and cisplatin groups （P<0.01）. ConclusionModified Danggui Beimu Kushen pills may promote the proliferation and tumor microenvironment infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in H22 tumor-bearing mice by down-regulating LAG-3 expression， thereby improving T-cell immune activity and inhibiting tumor growth. This study provides an experimental basis for the combination of modified Danggui Beimu Kushen pills and immune checkpoint antibodies in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Correlation of RBP7 mRNA Expression in Breast Cancer Tissues with Tumor Immune Cell Infiltration and Prognosis Based on TCGA Database / 现代检验医学杂志

Objective To explore the role of retinol binding protein 7(RBP7)in breast cancer by bioinformatics.Methods R sofrware was used to explore the differential expression of the RBP7 gene in breast cancer by the cancer genome atlas(TCGA)dataset and the human protein atlas(HPA).Relationship between RBP7 and clinical data of breast cancer was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.Correlation between high and low RBP7 expression groups and different tumor-infiltrating immune cells(TIICs)were analyzed based on the TCGA database.Gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA)was used to assess the distribute trends of RBP7 in gene tables sorted by phenotypic relatedness.Results RBP7 mRNA expression levels were down-regulated in breast cancer compared to paracancerous tissues,which were expressed in the nucleus.ROC curve analysis showed that the area under curve(AUC)of RBP7 for the diagnosis of breast cancer was 0.943(95%CI:0.926～0.960),and the best cut-off value of RBP7 was 6.29,with a sensitivity and specificity of 82.32%and 93.69%,respectively.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that low expression of RBP7 was associated with overall survival rate in breast cancer patients(HR=0.68,95%CI:0.49～0.93,P=0.017),indicating that RBP7 was an independent risk factor for breast cancer.Spearman correlation showed that RBP7 was positively associated with pDC cells and NK cells(r=0.290,0.253,all P<0.05),and negatively associated with Th2 cells(r=-0.217,P<0.05)in breast cancer.GSEA showed that RBP7 was enriched in pathways such as adipogenesis,ribosome,peptiden ligand binding receptors,and calcium signaling pathway(all P<0.001).Conclusion RBP7 affects the occurrence and development of breast cancer,which may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Deficiency in infiltration of CD8/CD3 positive lymphocytes and macrophages plays a role in lip carcinogenesis: an immunohistochemical study

Abstract Objective To evaluate the immunoexpression profile for CD8, CD3, CD20 and CD68 in the process and carcinogenesis of Carcinoma of the vermilion lip. Methods Average cell count with positive expression for CD3, CD8, CD20 and CD68. The CD8/CD3 ratio calculated in the region was based on the percentage of positive cells in a total of malignant cells. Kruska-Wallis/Dunn, Mann-Whitney and Spearman correlation tests (SPSS, p< 0.05) were used. Results In the Aquitic Cheilitis samples, there was an increase in intraepithelial CD8+ and CD68+. In LSCCs, there was an increase in peritumoral and intratumoral CD3+, CD8+, CD20+ and CD68+ cells. In peritumoral LSCC, CD3+ and CD8+ showed a direct correlation (p= 0.004), and CD68+ and CD8+ (p= 0.017). In the intraepithelial region, CD8+ correlated with CD20+ (p= 0.014) and CD68+ (p= 0.013). In the CAs, CD3 (p< 0.001) and CD8 (p= 0.025) correlated intraepithelial and subepithelial. In LSCC CD3+ (p= 0.002), CD8+ (p= 0.001) and CD68+ (p= 0.030) had intra and peritumoral correlation. Conclusion CD68+ is the first interacting cell with the greatest capacity to migrate to the tumor and interact with CD3, CD8 and CD20. Apparently, CD20 affects perineural invasion. Level of evidence: Level 2.

Programmed cell death protein 1 is a marker for neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in triple-negative breast cancer

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are detectable in up to 75% of triple-negative breast cancer. The composition of these infiltrates may influence prognosis and is not known regarding regulatory or effector lymphocytes. The objectives of this study were to describe and quantify the composition of the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes before and after chemotherapy (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) and to evaluate their association with complete pathological response and overall survival. METHODS: This was a retrospective observational study. Clinical and pathological data from 38 triple-negative breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy at the University Hospital (HUCFF/UFRJ), between November 2004 and November 2018, were analyzed. The Stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (Stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes) have been identified on hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections according to the guidelines of the "International tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes Working Group." Immunohistochemistry studies were performed to identify T-cell subsets (i.e., CD3, CD4, CD8, and FOXP3) and T-cell exhaustion (i.e., programmed cell death protein 1). RESULTS: Statistically significant changes in stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte categories were observed before and post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy, with 32% of intermediate cases becoming high. The correlation between pre-neoadjuvant chemotherapy stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and pathological response, pre-neoadjuvant chemotherapy and post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and overall survival was not statistically significant. However, we noticed an increase of cells that favor the antitumor activity (i.e., CD3, CD8, and CD8/FOXP3 ratio) and decreased levels of cells inhibiting tumor activities (i.e., FOXP3 and programmed cell death protein 1) post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Importantly, programmed cell death protein 1 expression pre-neoadjuvant chemotherapy showed an association with pathological response. CONCLUSION: In this study, we observed that chemotherapy significantly increases stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, CD8 T cells, as well as CD8/FoxP3 ratio. Most importantly, programmed cell death protein 1 expression before neoadjuvant chemotherapy positively correlates with pathological response suggesting the use of programmed cell death protein 1 as a prognostic marker before neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Pathological features and immune microenvironment in HER-2 intratumoral heterogeneous breast cancers / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To observe the clinical pathology features, and immune microenvironment of HER-2 intratumoral heterogeneity breast cancer. Methods: Thirty cases of HER-2 intratumoral heterogeneous breast cancer were retrospectively analyzed in Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital from November 2017 to June 2020. HER-2 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry and verified by dual color silver-enhanced in-situ hybridization (D-SISH). HER-2 intratumoral positive and negative regions were divided. The pathological characteristics, subtype, and the level of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and the expression of programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) were evaluated respectively. Results: The proportion of HER-2 positive cells of the breast cancer ranged from 10% to 90%. The pathological type was mainly invasive non-special typecarcinoma. Six cases presented different pathological types between HER-2 positive and negative regions. The HER-2-positive areas included 2 cases of carcinoma with apocrine differentiation, and the negative areas included 2 cases of invasive micropapillary carcinoma, 1 case of invasive papillary carcinoma, and 1 case of carcinoma with apocrine differentiation. In HER-2 positive regions, 17 cases were Luminal B and 13 cases were HER-2 overexpressed types. There were 22 cases of Luminal B and 8 cases of triple negative tumors in the HER-2 negative areas. The levels of TILs in HER-2 positive and negative areas accounted for 53.3% (16/30) and 26.7% (8/30), respectively, with a statistically significant difference (P=0.035). The positive expression of PD-L1 in HER-2 positive area and HER-2 negative area were 6 cases and 9 cases, respectively. Among 8 cases with HER-2 negative regions containing triple negative components, 4 cases were positive for PD-L1 expression. Conclusions: In the case of HER-2 intratumoral heterogeneity, it is necessary to pay attention to both HER-2 positive and negative regions, and evaluate subtype separately as far as possible. For HER-2 intratumoral heterogeneous breast cancer containing triple negative components, the treatment mode can be optimized by refining the intratumoral expression of PD-L1.

Research advances in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in treatment of biliary tract cancer / 临床肝胆病杂志

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are a heterogeneous subset of lymphocytes, mainly T cells, present in tumor parenchyma and stroma. After being digested and isolated from tumor tissue and then cultured in vitro for activation and multiplication, it can be infused back into the patient's body to kill tumor cells. TILs have the advantages of high diversity of TCR, excellent ability to infiltrate into tumor sites, and low toxicity and are considered promising for the treatment of malignant solid tumors. At present, TIL therapy has been tested as a second-line treatment in a variety of solid tumors and has achieved preliminary results. Although there is still no clinical cohort report on the application of TILs in biliary tract cancer (BTC), recent clinical reports on multiple cancers have provided information on the efficacy of TIL therapy in a small number of BTC patients, which preliminarily confirmed the safety and efficacy of TIL therapy. However, since BTC is generally considered an immunologically repulsive tumor in which most effector T cells are sequestered at the tumor edge, the antitumor effect of TILs in BTC remains difficult to predict. Combination therapy with different anti-tumor methods and the development of new techniques to modify cells to enhance the anti-tumor ability of TILs are possible directions for breakthrough in the future.

Application value of high-resolution CT in the diagnosis of early lung adenocarcinoma / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the application value of high-resolution CT in the diagnosis of early lung adenocarcinoma.Methods:The clinical data of 90 patients with early lung adenocarcinoma who received treatment from January to December 2021 in Quzhou People's Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into a non-invasive group ( n = 27) and an invasive group ( n = 63) according to whether they had invasive lung adenocarcinoma or not. In the non-invasive group, there were 10 patients with atypical adenomatous hyperplasia and 17 patients with in situ adenocarcinoma. In the invasive group, there were 38 patients with minimally invasive adenocarcinoma and 25 patients with invasive adenocarcinoma. A pathological diagnosis was performed in all patients. All patients underwent a high-resolution CT examination. The incidence of lung adenocarcinoma was compared between different loci. CT signs were compared between the non-invasive group and the invasive group. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the sensitivity and specificity of high-resolution CT in the differential diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma prior to invasion. Results:There was no significant difference in the incidence of lung adenocarcinoma among the left upper lobe, right upper lobe, left lower lobe, and right lower lobe of the lung in each group (all P > 0.05). The detection rates of pleural indentation sign, spicule sign, and vascular bundle sign in the invasive group were 28.6% (18/63), 31.57% (20/63), and 27.0% (17/63), respectively, which were significantly higher than 7.41% (2/27), 11.11% (3/27), and 7.41% (2/27) in the non-invasive group ( χ2 = 4.90, 4.23, 4.35, all P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in detection rates in the lobar sign and air bronchogram sign between the two groups (both P > 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis results showed that the sensitivity and specificity of high-resolution CT in differentiating pre-invasive lesions were 100.0% and 64.7%, respectively. Conclusion:High-resolution CT has a good diagnostic value for early lung adenocarcinoma. It can clearly display various signs of early lung adenocarcinoma, which is worthy of clinical reference.

Endoscopic characteristics of colorectal laterally spreading tumors and the risk factors for carcinogenesis and submucosal invasion / 中华消化内镜杂志

Objective:To analyze the endoscopic and pathological features of laterally spreading tumors (LST) and to explore the risk factors for carcinogenesis and submucosal invasion.Methods:From January 2019 to August 2021, the gender, age, endoscopic and pathological characteristics of patients with colorectal LST who underwent endoscopic treatment in the First Hospital of China Medical University were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate analysis was used to determine the risk factors for carcinogenesis and submucosal invasion, and the factors with significant differences were included in multivariate logistic regression analysis.Results:A total of 422 patients were enrolled, including 224 males and 198 females, with the mean age of 63.45±9.23 years. A total of 456 LST lesions were detected. The length of endoscopic resection specimens was 3.01 ± 0.48 cm and the length of lesions was 2.37±1.59 cm. One hundred and fifteen (25.2%) lesions were located in the rectum, 40 (8.8%) in the sigmoid colon, 26 (5.7%) in the descending colon, 109 (23.9%) in the transverse colon, 112 (24.6%) in the ascending colon, 54 (11.8%) in the caecum. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), endoscopic mucosal resection(EMR), EMR with pre-cutting, and ESD with snare were performed in 237 (52.0%), 95 (20.8%), 113 (24.8%) and 11 (2.4%) lesions. Hemorrhage occurred in 4 lesions and perforations occurred in 5. Pathological results showed 119 cases (26.1%) of low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, 221 cases (48.5%) of high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, 82 cases (18.0%) of intramucosal carcinoma, and 34 cases (7.5%) of submucosal invasive carcinoma. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the size of the lesion more than 2 cm, the location of the lesion in the rectum, the endoscopic classification of LST-NG pseudodepressed type (LST-NG-PD), LST-G homogenous type (LST-G-H) and LST-G nodular mixed type (LST-G-M), and the presence of large nodules were independent risk factors for carcinogenesis. Endoscopic classification of LST-NG-PD and LST-G-M and the presence of large nodules were independent risk factors for submucosal infiltration.Conclusion:There are significant differences in the endoscopic and pathological features of the four subtypes of LST. The size and the location of the lesion, the endoscopic classification and the presence of large nodules are independent risk factors for carcinogenesis. Endoscopic classification and the presence of large nodules are independent risk factors for submucosal infiltration. Endoscopic treatment of LST is safe and effective with less complications. Different endoscopic treatment methods have their own advantages.

Recent progress of tumor infiltrating lymphocyte therapy for advanced cervical cancer / 肿瘤研究与临床

Tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy is an emerging immunotherapy for the treatment of solid tumors in recent years, with strong specificity and targeting. Cervical cancer is a solid tumor suitable for immunotherapy with strong immunogenicity, and current studies suggest that TIL therapy can bring a new breakthrough in the treatment of advanced cervical cancer. This article reviews the recent progress of TIL therapy for advanced cervical cancer.

Relationship between the expressions of PD-1 and LAG-3 in the immune microenvironment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Objective:To explore the levels of programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) and lymphocyte activating gene 3 (LAG-3) in the immune microenvironment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), their relationship with clinicopathological features, and their impact on prognosis.Methods:The tumor tissue sections and formaldehyde fixed paraffin embedded tissues from 174 DLBCL patients diagnosed at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from February 2012 to August 2017 were retrospectively collected. The tissue chips were prepared, and the immunohistochemistry (IHC) method was used to detect the expressions of PD-1 and LAG-3 proteins in tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) of tissue chips [including whether they were positive (positive for IHC score 1-9 points, negative for 0 point) and expression level (high expression was 4-9 points on IHC score, low expression was 0-3 points)]. The relationship between the expression levels of PD-1 and LAG-3 and the clinicopathological characteristics of patients was analyzed. Spearman correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between the expression levels of PD-1 and LAG-3. Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) curves of patients with different expression levels of PD-1 and LAG-3, and log-rank test was used for comparison between the groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze the influencing factors of OS and PFS in patients.Results:Of the 174 DLBCL patients, 95 (54.6%) were male and 79 (45.4%) were female; the median age was 60 years old (5-87 years old). The proportions of patients with PD-1 and LAG-3 positive in TIL of tumor tissues were 79.3% (138/174) and 78.8% (137/174), and the proportions of patients with high expression were 35.6% (62/174) and 37.9% (66/174), respectively. Among patients with bone marrow involvement, the proportion of patients with high expression of PD-1 [62.5% (15/24) vs. 32.5% (39/120), P= 0.006], the proportion of patients with high expression of LAG-3 [54.2% (13/24) vs. 32.5% (39/120), P= 0.050] were higher than those without bone marrow involvement. The expression levels of PD-1 and LAG-3 were not associated with gender, age, clinical stage, international prognostic index score, functional status (PS) score, lactate dehydrogenase level, whether there were B symptoms, whether it was intranodal, tumor length, whether it was germinal center B cell type, number of extranodal involvement sites, and whether it was treated with R-CHOP regimen (all P > 0.05). There was a positive correlation between PD-1 and LAG-3 expression levels in TIL of tumor tissues ( r = 0.202, P = 0.008). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that PS score (>2 points vs. ≤2 points: HR = 5.458, 95% CI 2.082-14.307, P = 0.001), R-CHOP regimen treatment (no vs. yes: HR = 2.181, 95% CI 1.086-4.379, P = 0.028) were independent influencing factors of OS, and PS score (>2 points vs. ≤2 points: HR = 3.913, 95% CI 1.579-9.698, P = 0.003), R-CHOP regimen treatment (no vs. yes: HR = 2.609, 95% CI 1.412-4.819, P = 0.024), LAG-3 expression level (low expression vs. high expression: HR = 0.531, 95% CI 0.283-0.995, P = 0.048) were independent influencing factors of PFS. There were no statistical differences in PFS and OS between patients with high and low PD-1 expression levels in TIL (both P > 0.05). PFS and OS in patients with high LAG-3 expression were worse than those in patients with low expression (both P < 0.05). OS in patients with high expressions of PD-1 and LAG-3 was worse than that in patients with low expressions of PD-1 and LAG-3 ( P = 0.044). Conclusions:The expression levels of PD-1 and LAG-3 in TIL of DLBCL patients' tumor tissues are related to bone marrow involvement, which are not related to most other clinicopathological features, and the prognosis of patients with high expressions of PD-1 and LAG-3 is poor.

Analysis of the relationship between different infiltrating lymphocytes and PD-L1 expression in triple-negative breast cancer and associated survival analysis (with video) / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective:To analyze the relationship between PD-L1 expression and the degree of infiltration of different types of TILs in triple-negative breast cancer, and the correlation with other pathological features to explore their clinical significance.Methods:Tumor tissues of 199 patients with triple-negative breast cancer in our hospital were selected, and the expression of PD-L1 and the distribution of TILs were analyzed using immunohistochemistry and counted using Image software. The relationship between CD8 +TILs, CD4 +TILs and PD-L1 expression was analyzed and compared, and survival analysis and correlation analysis between PD-L1 expression and pathological information were performed. Results:The density of CD4 + TILs ( χ2=8.75, P=0.003) and CD8 + TILs ( χ2=6.32, P=0.009) infiltration was higher in the PD-L1-positive group compared to that of the PD-L1-negative group. Among PD-L1-positive patients, patients with higher TILs infiltration compared to low infiltrating TILs could achieve longer overall survival time, and the difference was statistically significant ( P1=0.012, P2=0.023, P3=0.010). Patient PD-L1 expression was positively correlated with the number of positive lymph nodes, tumor stage, and ki-67 expression ( Pa=0.032, Pb=0.006, Pc=0.042), and was not related to age or tumor diameter ( Pd=1.031, Pe=0.672) . Conclusions:PD-L1 expression in triple negative breast cancer predicts higher infiltration of CD4 +TILs and CD8 +TILs, while higher infiltration of CD4 +TILs and CD8 +TILs predicts a relatively good survival prognosis.PD-L1 expression is associated with multiple pathological clinical factors and deserves further study to make PD-L1, TILs and other indicators better benefit triple-negative breast cancer patients.

Application of deep learning to the differenciation of the invasion depth in colorectal adenomas / 中华消化内镜杂志

Objective:To evaluate deep learning for differentiating invasion depth of colorectal adenomas under image enhanced endoscopy (IEE).Methods:A total of 13 246 IEE images from 3 714 lesions acquired from November 2016 to June 2021 were retrospectively collected in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Shenzhen Hospital of Southern Medical University and the First Hospital of Yichang to construct a deep learning model to differentiate submucosal deep invasion and non-submucosal deep invasion lesions of colorectal adenomas. The performance of the deep learning model was validated in an independent test and an external test. The full test was used to compare the diagnostic performance between 5 endoscopists and the deep learning model. A total of 35 videos were collected from January to June 2021 in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University to validate the diagnostic performance of the endoscopists with the assistance of deep learning model.Results:The accuracy and Youden index of the deep learning model in image test set were 93.08% (821/882) and 0.86, which were better than those of endoscopists [the highest were 91.72% (809/882) and 0.78]. In video test set, the accuracy and Youden index of the model were 97.14% (34/35) and 0.94. With the assistance of the model, the accuracy of endoscopists was significantly improved [the highest was 97.14% (34/35)].Conclusion:The deep learning model obtained in this study could identify submucosal lesions with deep invasion accurately for colorectal adenomas, and could improve the diagnostic accuracy of endoscopists.

Clinical significance of CD8 positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes density and programmed-death receptor ligand 1 expression in rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To investigate the correlation of CD8 positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (CD8 + TIL) density and programmed-death receptor ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in rectal cancer with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Methods:The clinicopathological data of 166 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) who received neoadjuvant therapy before surgery in the Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. CD8 + TIL density and PD-L1 expression were detected by using immunohistochemistry. The correlation of CD8 + TIL density and PD-L1 expression with clinicopathological characteristics of patients after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy was analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the disease-free survival (DFS) and Cox regression risk model was used to make univariate and multivariate analysis of the influencing factors for DFS. Results:Among 166 LARC patients, 81 cases (48.8%) had high density of CD8 + TIL, 85 cases (51.2%) had low density of CD8 + TIL; 63 cases (38.0%) had PD-L1 expression, and 103 cases (62.0%) had non-expression of CD8 + TIL. The expression rate of PD-L1 in CD8 + TIL high density group was higher than that in CD8 + TIL low density group [50.6% (41/81) vs. 25.9%(22/85), χ2 = 10.78, P < 0.001]. According to the density of CD8 + TIL and PD-L1 expression, immunophenotype was divided among 4 groups; the 3-year DFS rate of the CD8 + TIL high density /PD-L1 expression group was 87.1%, which was higher than that of the other groups (CD8 + TIL low density /PD-L1 expression group was 72.8%, CD8 + TIL high density /PD-L1 non-expression group was 67.0%, CD8 + TIL low density /PD-L1 non-expression group was 64.3%), and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that tumor differentiation degree, TNM stage, CD8 + TIL density, PD-L1 expression and CD8 + TIL density /PD-L1 expression were correlated with the DFS of patients (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis results showed that CD8 + TIL high density /PD-L1 expression was an independent protective factor for DFS ( HR = 0.049, 95% CI 0.005-0.497, P = 0.011), while TNM stage 3 was an independent risk factor for DFS ( HR = 2.752,95% CI 1.300-5.825, P = 0.008). Conclusions:In LARC after neoadjuvant therapy, CD8 + TIL density is positively correlated with the expression of PD-L1, and the high density of CD8 + TIL/PD-L1 expression is an independent influencing factor for good prognosis, suggesting that these patients may benefit from the immunotherapy.

Tumoral inflammatory infiltrate does not predict metastases in thin primary cutaneous melanomas

Abstract Background In cutaneous melanomas in general, tumor inflammatory infiltrate (TII) can protect against distant metastases, but there is no consensus when only thin primary cutaneous melanomas (TPCM) are considered. Objective To investigate the presence of TII in TPCM and the relationship between TII and the occurrence of metastases. Methods Case-control study including 50 patients with TPCM, 22 metastatic (MC group) and 28 non-metastatic (NMC group). The presence of TII was evaluated and, if present, qualified as mild, moderate or marked. Results The mean age was 50.7 years in the MC and 56.2 years in the NMC group (p = 0.234), and the male sex predominated in the MC group (63.6%). The average Breslow thickness was higher in the MC when compared to that observed in the NMC (respectively 0.8 vs. 0.6 mm, p = 0.012). The presence of ulceration occurred in 22.7% of the MC and 17.9% of the NMC (p = 0.732). TII was present in all 50 TPCM, being marked or moderate in 67.9% of the NMC and 54.5% in the MC group (p = 0.503). In the multivariate analysis, the presence of moderate and marked TII had an Odds Ratio (OR) of 0.57 (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.18‒1.8) and adjusted OR of 0.68 (95% CI 0.13‒3.99). Study limitations Small sample size. Conclusions TII was present in all TPCM (with and without metastases), and it was not possible to demonstrate a protective effect of TII against the appearance of metastases.

Can TILs be associated with prognostic factors and survival rates in breast cancer? A retrospective analysis

Introduction: The relationship between the tumor inflammatory infiltrate, also known as tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and invasive breast carcinomas has been extensively studied in recent years to verify its association with prognosis and response to treatment. The goal of this study was to associate the presence of TILs with patient's survival time. Methods: We studied prognostic clinicopathological characteristics already established in the literature and their impact on overall five-year survival time of patients with invasive breast cancer treated at Hospital Santa Casa in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, in 2011 (n=290). This was an observational and retrospective study. Results: The presence of TILs was associated with tumors of no special type (p=0.018) and with younger age of the patients (p=0.042). Smaller tumor size (HR: 19.24; 95%CI 4.30­86.15; p<0.001), absence of metastasis to the axillary lymph nodes (HR: 2.80; 95%CI 1.02­7.70; p=0.002), positivity for progesterone receptor (HR: 0.39; 95%CI 0.17­0.87; p=0.022), and presence of TILs (HR: 0.23; 95%CI 0.08­0.65; p=0.005) were associated with longer survival times. Conclusions: This study suggests that the presence of TILs, along with other clinicopathological characteristics, is a prognostic factor in breast cancer

CD45RO+TILs: cellular biomarkers for larynx squamous cell carcinoma outcome

Abstract Objective: The prognostic importance of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs) in the tumor microenvironment of various cancers is increasingly recognized. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the prognostic value of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD45RO + TILs and their relation to histopathological features in larynx squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) samples from 63 primary larynx squamous cell carcinoma patients were immunostained for CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD45RO expression. Positive cells in micrographs from Invasive Margin (IM) and Tumor Center (CT) of tissue specimens counted by ImageJ software and their correlation with disease outcome were analyzed. Results: The expression level of TILs subpopulations was associated with clinicopathological markers as well as Overall Survival (OS) and Disease-Free Survival (DFS). In multivariate analysis, high frequency of CD45RO + cells in IM were confirmed as an independent prognostic marker for DFS (p = 0.007, HR = 4.968) and OS (p = 0.007, HR = 4.957). Similar findings were observed in the multivariate analysis of the combined frequency of CD45RO+cells in IM and CT. Conclusion: TILs are associated with patients clinicopathological features. Also, our findings indicate that CD45RO + TILs are a valuable marker for risk prediction in larynx SCC and could predict patients' outcomes.

Is there any correlation between tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and expression of EGFR in squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck? A retrospective observational study

Background: The dismal survival of one of the commonest malignancies of the world, head neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), has prompted researchers to probe into its various characteristics, especially those which reflect the outcome. Over the years, even though epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) have emerged as useful biomarkers of the disease, the two parameters have rarely been considered in conjunction. Aims and Objectives: The study aimed to assess if there is any correlation between TIL levels (both stromal and intratumoral) and site, grade, stage, and EGFR score of HNSCC. Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted in which histopathologically confirmed cases of HNSCC were included. The site of tumor, grade, stage, stromal and intratumoral TIL levels, and EGFR score were noted for each case. The data were analyzed using standard statistical tests. Results: The study population consisted of 122 patients with a mean age of 53.8 ± 9.2 years. The oral cavity was the commonest site of tumor (109 cases, 89.3%). Most cases were moderately differentiated (75, 61.5%). Pathological staging showed 66 cases (54%) to be in pT1, and 92 cases (75.4%) to be in pN0. In 68 cases (55.7%), stromal TIL level was high, and intratumoral TIL was low in 102 cases (83.6%). A statistically significant correlation was found between TIL levels and site, grade, pathological stage, and EGFR score of HNSCC. Conclusion: This pioneering study is unique in its exploration of the correlation between two significant biomarkers of HNSCC – TIL and EGFR score.

SPECT/CT imaging of tumor-infiltrating CD8 + T cell to predict the efficacy of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in mice / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To prepare 99Tc m-hydrazinonicotinamide(HYNIC)-αCD8/Fab ( 99Tc m-αCD8/Fab), and explore the predictive value of 99Tc m-αCD8/Fab SPECT/CT imaging for the efficacy of anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) immunotherapy. Methods:The αCD8/Fab was modified with HYNIC- N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) and IRDye800-NHS to form HYNIC-αCD8/Fab and IRDye800-αCD8/Fab (Dye-αCD8/Fab), respectively. 99Tc m-αCD8/Fab was prepared in sodium bicarbonate buffer (pH=8.5), with SnCl 2 being used as the reducing agent. The labeling yield and radiochemical purity of 99Tc m-αCD8/Fab and its stability in PBS and fetal bovine serum (FBS) were tested in vitro. The mouse spleen and human peripheral blood lymphocytes were isolated for cell-specific binding and blocking experiments of 99Tc m-αCD8/Fab in vitro. SPECT/CT imaging was used to analyze the specific binding ability of the 99Tc m-αCD8/Fab probe in CT26 colon cancer mouse models (BALB/c). The near infrared fluorescence imaging and SPECT/CT imaging were performed to detect the intra-tumoral CD8 + T cell infiltration after anti-PD-1 therapy in tumor bearing mice, and the results were further verified by HE and immunofluorescence staining. CD8 + T cell depletion study was performed to determine the role of CD8 + T cells in the tumor responses to anti-PD-1 therapy. Two-way analysis of variance was used to compare the data difference. Results:The labeling yield of 99Tc m-αCD8/Fab was 90% with a high radiochemical purity (95%) and good stability in vitro (radiochemical purity still more than 80% after 720 min in PBS and FBS). 99Tc m-αCD8/Fab could specifically bind to mouse CD8 + T cells ((10.30±0.81) percent added radioactive dose (%AD)/10 6 cells), compared with the binding ability in human peripheral blood lymphocytes group and CD8 antibody blocking group ((1.78±0.61) and (1.59±0.25) %AD/10 6 cells; F=10.07, P<0.001). SPECT/CT imaging showed that 99Tc m-αCD8/Fab had markedly higher tumor uptake in the CT26 colon cancer mouse models. Near-infrared fluorescence imaging showed that the tumor uptake of 99Tc m-αCD8/Fab in the responsive group was significantly higher than in the nonresponsive group after anti-PD-1 treatment ((8.9±1.1)% vs (7.1±0.8)%; F=4.69, P=0.024), and SPECT/CT imaging found the similar result. HE and immunofluorescence staining of tumor and lymph nodes showed that the proportion of lymphocyte infiltration was higher in the responsive group. Furthermore, CD8 + T cell depletion significantly reversed the therapeutic effect of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in tumor-bearing mice. Conclusions:In this study, 99Tc m-αCD8/Fab was successfully obtained. CD8-specific SPECT imaging could sensitively visualize the tumor-infiltrating CD8 + T cells, suggesting the potential application value to predict and evaluate the efficacy of immunotherapy in the clinical settings.

Establishment of a prediction model for colorectal cancer immune cell infiltration based on the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To study the correlation between immune cell infiltration in colorectal cancer tissue and clinical prognosis and to explore the levels of some immune cell genes for predicting the prognosis of patients with glioma colorectal cancer.@*METHODS@#In this study, we extracted colorectal cancer data from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA). Based on a deconvolution algorithm (called CIBERSORT) and clinically annotated expression profiles, the analysis assessed the infiltration patterns of 22 immune cells in colorectal cancer tissue to determine the association between each cell type and survival. Differences in five-year survival rate effectively illustrate the clinical prognostic value of each immune cell proportion in colorectal cancer, using a bar graph, correlation-based heatmap to represent the proportion of immune cells in each colorectal cancer sample.@*RESULTS@#A total of 473 colorectal cancer tissues and 41 normal control tissues were extracted from the TCGA database, and the comparative analysis showed that there were differences in the proportion of various TIICs in colorectal cancer tissues, which could characterize individual differences and have prognostic value. Among the cell subsets studied, the proportions of memory B cells, plasma cells, CD4+ T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, M0 macrophages, M2 macrophages, and activated mast cells were significantly different between normal and cancer tissues. Resting NK cells, CD8+ T cells, and plasma cells were associated with T phase, activated dendritic cells were associated with N phase, and eosinophils, M1 macrophages, and activated mast cells were associated with M phase. Survival analysis showed that activated dendritic cells were positively associated with five-year survival rate in colorectal cancer patients. Naive CD4+ T cells were inversely associated with five-year survival rate.@*CONCLUSION@#There are different degrees of immune cell infiltration in colorectal cancer tissues, and these differences may be important determinants of prognosis and treatment response. We conducted a new gene expression-based study of immune cell subtype levels and prognosis in colorectal cancer, which has potential clinical prognostic value in colorectal cancer patients.