Tumor microenvironment in triple-negative breast cancer: The correlation of tumor-associated macrophages and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes

• H. Kuroda ^[4] ; T. Jamiyan ^[5] ; R. Yamaguchi ^[1] ; A. Kakumoto ^[6] ; A. Abe ^[2] ; O. Harada ^[3] ; A. Masunaga ^[7]
  1. [1] Kurume University Medical Center

     Kurume University Medical Center

     Japón

     
  2. [2] Dokkyo Medical University

     Dokkyo Medical University

     Mibu-machi, Japón

     
  3. [3] Showa University

     Showa University

     Japón

     
  4. [4] Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Medical Center East, 2-1-10 Nishiogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, 116-8567, Japan.Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, Japan
  5. [5] Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, Japan Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
  6. [6] Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Medical Center East, 2-1-10 Nishiogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, 116-8567, Japan Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Nasu Red Cross Hospital, Otawara, Japan
  7. [7] Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Medical Center East, 2-1-10 Nishiogu, Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, 116-8567, Japan

  Mostrar afiliaciones +
• Localización: Clinical & translational oncology, ISSN 1699-048X, Vol. 23, Nº. 12 (Diciembre), 2021, págs. 2513-2525
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen

  • Purpose Immune cells such as cytotoxic T cells, helper T cells, B cells or tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) contribute to the anti-tumor response or pro-tumorigenic effect in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). The interrelation of TAMs, T and B tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in TNBC has not been fully elucidated.

    Methods We evaluated the association of tumor-associated macrophages, T and B TILs in TNBC.

    Results TNBCs with a high CD68+, CD163+ TAMs and low CD4+, CD8+, CD20+ TILs had a significantly shorter relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) than those with low CD68+, CD163+ TAMs and high CD4+, CD8+, CD20+ TILs. TNBCs with high CD68+ TAMs/low CD8+ TILs showed a significantly shorter RFS and OS and a significantly poorer prognosis than those with high CD68+ TAMs/high CD8+ TILs, low CD68+ TAMs/high CD8+ TILs, and low CD68+/low CD8+. TNBCs with high CD163+ TAMs/low CD8+, low CD20 + TILs showed a significantly shorter RFS and OS and a significantly poorer prognosis than those with high CD163+ TAMs/high CD8+ TILs and high CD163+ TAMs /high CD20+ TILs.

    Conclusions Our study suggests that TAMs further create an optimal tumor microenvironment (TME) for growth and invasion of cancer cells when evasion of immunoreactions due to T and B TILs occurs. In TNBCs, all these events combine to affect prognosis. The process of TME is highly complex in TNBCs and for an improved understanding, larger validation studies are necessary to confirm these findings.