title: The role of lymph node size and FOXP3+ regulatory T cells in node-negative colon cancer.
abstract: Recently, we demonstrated that the intratumoural density of CD3+ and CD8+ T cells is independently prognostic and associated with lymph node (LN) harvest and LN size in node-negative colon cancer. We assumed that FOXP3+ T cells (Tregs) could be inversely associated with these LN features. Therefore, we performed a retrospective immunohistochemical analysis using an already well-characterised collection of stage I/II colon cancer cases. Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed the optimal cut-off for predicting cancer-related death to be 70 FOXP3+ Tregs/mm2at the invasion front. Other than T-stage, none of the relevant histopathological parameters were associated with the density of FOXP3+ cells. In particular, no relation to LN size and count were found. Cancer-specific survival was significantly improved in cases with high densities (115 vs 86 months; p=0.026) in univariable but not in multivariable analysis. In contrast to other cancers, FOXP3+ T cells are associated with a favourable outcome.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Klinikum Augsburg, Augsburg, Bayern, Germany.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7704-850X
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Märkl
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Klinikum Augsburg, Augsburg, Bayern, Germany.
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Klinikum Augsburg, Augsburg, Bayern, Germany.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schaller
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Klinikum Augsburg, Augsburg, Bayern, Germany.
authors.forename: Hallie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kretsinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Visceral Surgery, Klinikum Augsburg, Augsburg, Bayern, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kriening
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Population-Based Cancer Registry of Augsburg, Augsburg, Bayern, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schenkirsch
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors
keywords: COLORECTAL CANCER; LYMPH NODES; LYMPHOCYTE MARKERS