title: Clinical significance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in neoplastic progression and lymph node metastasis of human breast cancer.
abstract: To investigate the clinical significance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) within the tumor milieu, we quantitatively measured and compared the subpopulations of TILs in 24 patients with stage I-III breast carcinoma. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), normal breast parenchyma-infiltrating lymphocytes (NILs), and TILs were isolated from tissue specimens and quantified by flow cytometry. The results showed that increased proportion of CD8(+) T cells, with decreased proportion of CD4(+) T cells, was significant in gated CD3(+) TILs as compared to autologous NILs or PBMCs (P<0.001). The tumor-infiltrating CD8(+) T cells significantly increased with stage progression, reflected in a more strongly decreased CD4/CD8 percentage (P=0.003). The CD4/CD8 percentage of TILs was strongly correlated with lymphovascular permeation and subsequent lymph node metastasis (P<0.001). Increased percentages of tumor-infiltrating CD8(+) T cells with decreased CD4/CD8 percentages are of prognostic importance for cancer progression in human breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, College of Medicine and The Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan. bcsheu@ntu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Bor-Ching
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Sheu
authors.forename: Wen-Hung
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Ruey-Jien
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Su-Cheng
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: King-Jen
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Song-Nan
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Chow
mesh_terms: D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000556:secondary; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D044584:Carcinoma, Ductal / Q000556:secondary; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000556:secondary; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000473:pathology*; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies