Insight into the signifcance of Foxp3+tumor‑infltrating lymphocytes in squamous cell lung cancer

• Kazu Shiomi ^[1] ; Shoko Hayashi ^[1] ; Dai Sonoda ^[1] ; Yasuto Kondo ^[1] ; Raito Maruyama ^[1] ; Masashi Mikubo ^[1] ; Yukitoshi Satoh ^[1] ; Masaaki Ichinoe ^[1] ; Yoshiki Murakumo ^[1] ; Ai Ushiwata ^[1] ; Koji Eshima ^[1] ; Ryo Nagashio ^[1]
  1. [1] Kitasato University

     Kitasato University

     Japón

     
• Localización: Clinical & translational oncology, ISSN 1699-048X, Vol. 26, Nº. 7, 2024, págs. 1708-1715
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Purpose Although developing a better understanding of tumor-infltrating Foxp3+lymphocytes (Foxp3+TILs) might provide essential knowledge to predict response to immunotherapy and prognosis, our current knowledge about Foxp3+TILs is inadequate. This study investigated the prognostic signifcance of tumor-infltrating Foxp3+lymphocytes (Foxp3+TILs) in squamous cell lung cancer (SQ-LC) objectively.

    Methods Among patients with SQ-LC surgically resected in our institution between 2011 and 2017, those with pathological stage IA3-IIIA were immunohistochemically studied to evaluate Foxp3+TILs in their tumor stroma. The impact of Foxp3+TILs on relapse-free survival (RFS) was analyzed with Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and multivariate analysis using a Cox proportional hazards model/Fine-Gray model.

    Results This study analyzed 100 patients. Multivariate analysis showed that a large number of Foxp3+TILs in the stroma does not associate with a poor prognosis, rather that a large number of Foxp3+TILs (≥64 cells) tend to be associated with a more favorable prognosis than a small number of Foxp3+TILs (<64 cells) (large vs small number: HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.17–1.83; P=0.34). Exploratory analysis also showed that in the two populations divided by a diference in Foxp3 expression levels, similar trends to the main analysis were observed.

    Conclusion Our results showed that a large number of Foxp3+TILs in the stroma may not associate with a poor prognosis in SQ-LC. To use the seemingly complicated information of Foxp3+TILs as biomarkers, better understanding the diversity and heterogeneity of Foxp3+TILs and analyzing their subpopulations that increase in the TME may be needed.