The number and microlocalization of tumor-associated immune cells are associated with patient's survival time in non-small cell lung cancer

作者：Fuqiang Dai, Lunxu Liu, Guowei Che, Nanbin Yu, Qiang Pu, Shangfu Zhang, Junliang Ma, Lin Ma, Zongbing You · 发表于：BMC Cancer · 年份：2010 · DOI：10.1186/1471-2407-10-220 · 被引用次数：150 · 研究领域：Cancer Immunotherapy and Biomarkers、Inflammatory Biomarkers in Disease Prognosis、Immunotherapy and Immune Responses

BACKGROUND: Tumor microenvironment is composed of tumor cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and infiltrating immune cells. Tumor-associated immune cells may inhibit or promote tumor growth and progression. This study was conducted to determine whether the number and microlocalization of macrophages, mature dendritic cells and cytotoxic T cells in non-small cell lung cancer are associated with patient's survival time. METHODS: Ninety-nine patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were included in this retrospective study. Paraffin-embedded NSCLC specimens and their clinicopathological data including up to 8-year follow-up information were used. Immunohistochemical staining for CD68 (marker for macrophages), CD83 (marker for mature dendritic cells), and CD8 (marker for cytotoxic T cells) was performed and evaluated in a blinded fashion. The numbers of immune cells in tumor islets and stroma, tumor islets, or tumor stroma were counted under a microscope. Correlation of the cell numbers and patient's survival time was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 13.0). RESULTS: The numbers of macrophages, mature dendritic cells and cytotoxic T cells were significantly more in the tumor stroma than in the tumor islets. The number of macrophages in the tumor islets was positively associated with patient's survival time, whereas the number of macrophages in the tumor stroma was negatively associated with patient's survival time in both univariate...