Mucinous differentiation in colonic adenocarcinoma is associated with a reduction in tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the density of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in colorectal carcinomas showing mucinous differentiation.


METHODS
We examined 33 adenocarcinomas showing variable mucinous differentiation and compared the density of TILs with that of 65 adenocarcinomas of no special type (NOS) showing no mucinous differentiation.


RESULTS
Mucinous differentiation is associated with a significantly lower density of TILs compared to adenocarcinoma NOS (P=0.0016; chi-squared test with continuity correction). This reduction in TILs is present also in adjacent foci of adenocarcinoma NOS within mucinous tumours.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a reduction in the number of TILs in all areas of colorectal adenocarcinomas that show mucinous differentiation, which may help explain the increased biological aggressiveness associated with this pattern of differentiation.
Millar
E K
EK
Discipline of Anatomical Pathology, Hunter Area Pathology Service and University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW 2310, Australia.
Beretov
J
J
Sarris
M
M
Lee
C S
CS
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology*; D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000473:pathology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011336:Probability; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor