A prospective study on implication value of lesion microenvironment's immune cell infiltration range on liver sampling in hepatic alveolar echinococcosis / 中华地方病学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the immune cell infiltration width on lesion microenvironment (LME) based on different hepatic alveolar echinococcosis lesion features to underlie referential sampling range for experimental and control tissues aiming at avoiding false negativity in basic researches.Methods:Using prospective research methods, from January 2017 to December 2019, patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis who were diagnosed and treated surgically at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University and met the multi-site sampling method (MSS method) were investigated. A total of 26 cases were included, aged 34 (15, 65) years old, with a gender ratio of 12/14. Lesions were classified into six groups based on heterogenic scales of calcification and liquefaction: A. non-calcified and non-liquefied; B. obvious calcified and non-liquefied; C. partial calcified and partial liquefied; D. obvious calcified and partial liquefied; E. partial calcified and subtotal liquefied; F. obvious calcified and subtotal liquefied. Liver specimens were acquired with 5 mm interval off the lesion shore in LME area using MSS method. Performed immunohistochemical staining of CD3, CD19, CD68, and Masson staining of fibrous tissue, and after pathological evaluation, the layer with a sharp decrease in immune cell infiltration abundance was determined as the maximum infiltration range (width, W value). The experimental group conservatively estimated the maximum sampling range for the integer value of Q1 of W value. The control group conservatively estimated the minimum sampling range for the integer value after Q3 rounding plus 5 mm of W value. Results were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis H and Mann-Whitney U tests, referential ranges were concluded. Results:Median W values (interquartile) for each group were 20.0 (12.5, 22.5), 15.0 (10.0, 15.0), 10.0 (10.0, 15.0), 5.0 (5.0, 10.0), 12.5 (6.3, 15.0), and 5.0 (5.0, 10.0) mm, among which A > D, A > F, C > D, and C > F ( P≤0.05); from the perspective of calcification, A > C + E, A > B + D + F ( P < 0.05), while A + B > C + D, A + B > E + F ( P < 0.05) from the perspective of liquefaction. In these groups, the experimental group conservatively estimated the maximum distance for sampling to be 12.0, 10.0, 10.0, 5.0, 6.0, and 5.0 mm, while the control group conservatively estimated the minimum distance for sampling to be 28.0, 20.0, 20.0, 15.0, 20.0, and 15.0 mm. Conclusions:Less calcification and liquefaction implicates wider immune cell infiltration range in those lesions. Tissue sampling should be individualized based on different lesion features in basic research to avoid false negativity.