Prognostic significance of tumour infiltrating B lymphocytes in breast ductal carcinoma in situ.
OBJECTIVE
Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are an important component of the immune response to cancer and have a prognostic value in breast cancer. Although several studies have investigated the role of T lymphocytes in breast cancer, the role of B lymphocytes (TIL-Bs) in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) remains uncertain. This study aimed to assess the role of TIL-Bs in DCIS.


RESULTS
Eighty DCIS cases (36 pure DCIS and 44 mixed with invasive cancer) were stained immunohistochemically for B lineage markers CD19, CD20 and the plasma cell marker CD138. TIL-Bs density and localization were assessed, including relation to the in-situ and invasive components. An association with clinicopathological data and patient outcome was performed. Pure DCIS showed a higher number of TIL-Bs and lymphoid aggregates than DCIS associated with invasion. In pure DCIS, a higher number of peri- and paratumoral TIL-Bs was associated significantly with large tumour size (P = 0.016), hormone receptor (ER/PR) negative (P = 0.008) and HER2+status (P = 0.010). In tumours with mixed DCIS and invasive components, cases with high-density B lymphocytes, irrespective of their location or topographic distribution, were associated significantly with variables of poor prognosis, including larger size, high grade, lymphovascular invasion, lymph node metastases, ER/PR-negative and HER2+status. Outcome analysis showed that pure DCIS associated with higher numbers of B lymphocytes had shorter recurrence-free interval (P = 0.04); however, the association was not significant with the CD138+plasma cell count (P = 0.07).


CONCLUSIONS
Assessment of TIL-B cells based on location and topographic distribution can provide prognostic information. Validation in a larger cohort is warranted.
Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, UK.|Histopathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Monofiya University, Egypt.
Islam
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5223-2426
I
Miligy
Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, UK.
Priya
P
Mohan
General Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Monofiya University, Egypt.
Ahmed
A
Gaber
Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, UK.|Histopathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Monofiya University, Egypt.
Mohammed A
MA
Aleskandarany
Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, UK.
Christopher C
CC
Nolan
Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, UK.
Maria
M
Diez-Rodriguez
Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, UK.
Abhik
A
Mukherjee
Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, UK.
Caroline
C
Chapman
Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, UK.
Ian O
IO
Ellis
Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, UK.
Andrew R
AR
Green
Division of Cancer and Stem Cells, School of Medicine, The University of Nottingham and Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, UK.|Histopathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Monofiya University, Egypt.
Emad A
EA
Rakha
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies

DCIS
; B lymphocytes; breast cancer; duct carcinoma in situ