Li Ya, Liu Jia, Qi Liwen, Yuan Xin, Yang Kaige, Ren Yilin, Shi Qi, Xu Guixuan, Wang Weinan, Luo Chenghua, Wang Lianghai, Liang Weihua, He Zengtao, Zhou Wenhu, Fei Jing, Chen Weigang, Gu Wenyi, Li Feng, Hu Jianming
Department of Pathology, Shihezi University School of Medicine / Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University, Xinjiang 832002, China; Medical Research Center & Department of Pathology, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine and Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100020, China.
Department of Pathology, Shihezi University School of Medicine / Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Shihezi University, Xinjiang 832002, China.
Dig Liver Dis. 2025 Jan;57(1):149-159. doi: 10.1016/j.dld.2024.08.003. Epub 2024 Aug 24.
The prognostic value and clinical relevance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain unclear.
To investigate the prognostic value and functional involvement of TILs in ESCC.
We included 40 patients across different stages of ESCC from Xinjiang. Multiplex fluorescent immunohistochemistry characterized TILs and TAMs. TILs in different tumor regions were quantified and correlated with overall survival (OS) using log-rank test and Cox regression analyses.
Invasive ESCC exhibited increased CD4 T cells and Tregs compared to carcinoma in situ, with a higher Tregs/CD4 T cells ratio (p < 0.05). TAMs, primarily in stromal regions, were significantly associated with Foxp3+ cells (p < 0.05). Higher infiltration of stromal TAMs and a higher CD4/CD8 T cells ratio correlated with poorer OS, while a higher CD8 T/Foxp3+ cells ratio indicated better survival. Multivariate Cox analysis revealed TNM stage, tumor length, and stromal CD4/CD8 T cells ratio as independent prognostic factors (p < 0.05). An immune prognostic risk score-based nomogram was constructed to predict patient outcomes.
The spatial distribution and abundance of TILs significantly correlated with prognosis, providing a useful immune classification for ESCC.
