title: The prognostic value of intraepithelial and stromal CD3-, CD117- and CD138-positive cells in non-small cell lung carcinoma.
abstract: The major value of prognostic markers in potentially curable non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) should be to guide therapy after surgical treatment. Although tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes and plasma cells have been documented in NSCLC, a clear association with clinical outcome, especially for the stromal component, has not been well established. The aim of this study was to elucidate the prognostic significance of these cells/markers in the epithelial and stromal compartments of NSCLC. Tissue microarrays from 335 resected, stage I-IIIA, NSCLC were constructed by duplicate cores from viable neoplastic epithelial and stromal areas. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate the infiltration of CD3(+), CD117(+) as well as CD138(+) cells in epithelial and stromal areas. In univariate analyses, increasing numbers of stromal CD3(+) (p = 0.001) and epithelial CD3(+) cells (p = 0.004) correlated significantly with an improved disease-specific survival. No such relation was noted with CD3(+) or CD117(+) cells. In the multivariate analysis, stromal CD3(+) cells was an independent prognostic factor for disease-specific survival (HR 1.925, CI 1.21-3.04, p = 0.005). Increased presence of the pan T-cell marker, CD3, which is an independent factor, correlates with improved clinical outcome in NSCLC. This prognostic impact of T cells is clearer in the tumor stroma. Neither plasma cells nor mast cells were prognostic indicators in our cohort.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Nordland Central Hospital, Bodø, Norway. khalidshibli@gmail.com
authors.forename: Khalid
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Al-Shibli
authors.forename: Samer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Saad
authors.forename: Sigve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Donnem
authors.forename: Roy M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bremnes
authors.forename: Lill-Tove
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Busund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D053668:Syndecan-1 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017252:CD3 Complex; C508241:SDC1 protein, human; D053668:Syndecan-1; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit