Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32577938›Full record

ArticleBreast cancer research and treatment2020

Levels of different subtypes of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes correlate with each other, with matched circulating lymphocytes, and with survival in breast cancer.

Rashmi Verma, Andrew M Hanby, Kieran Horgan, Eldo T Verghese, Milene Volpato, Clive R Carter, Thomas A Hughes

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Breast cancer research and treatment, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Rashmi VermaSchool of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Andrew M HanbySchool of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Kieran HorganDepartment of Breast Surgery, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
Eldo T VergheseDepartment of Histopathology, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK.
Milene VolpatoSchool of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Clive R CarterDepartment of Transplant Immunology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
Thomas A HughesSchool of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. t.hughes@leeds.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1169-3386
University of Leeds · GBLeeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust · GBSt James's University Hospital · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeBreast cancer tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes associate with clinico-pathological factors, including survival, although the literature includes many conflicting findings. Our aim was to assess these associations for key lymphocyte subtypes and in different tumour compartments, to determine whether these provide differential correlations and could, therefore, explain published inconsistencies. Uniquely, we also examine whether infiltrating levels merely reflect systemic lymphocyte levels or whether local factors are predominant in recruitment.

methodsImmunohistochemistry was used to detect tumour-infiltrating CD20+ (B), CD4+ (helper T), CD8+ (cytotoxic T) and FoxP3+ (regulatory T) cells in breast cancers from 62 patients, with quantification in tumour stroma, tumour cell nests, and tumour margins. Levels were analysed with respect to clinico-pathological characteristics and matched circulating levels (determined by flow-cytometry).

resultsCD4+ lymphocytes were the most prevalent subtype in tumour stroma and at tumour edge and CD8+ lymphocytes were most prevalent in tumour nests; FoxP3+ lymphocytes were rarest in all compartments. High grade or hormone receptor negative tumours generally had significantly increased lymphocytes, especially in tumour stroma. Only intra-tumoural levels of CD8+ lymphocytes correlated significantly with matched circulating levels (p < 0.03), suggesting that recruitment is mainly unrelated to systemic activity. High levels of stromal CD4+ and CD20+ cells associated with improved survival in hormone receptor negative cases (p < 0.04), while tumour nest CD8+ and FoxP3+ cells associated with poor survival in hormone receptor positives (p < 0.005).

conclusionsLymphocyte subtype and location define differential impacts on tumour biology, therefore, roles of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes will only be unravelled through thorough analyses that take this into account.

Indexed as

AdultAgedAntigens, CDBreast NeoplasmsCD4-Positive T-LymphocytesEstrogensFemaleForkhead Transcription FactorsHumansLymphocytes, Tumor-InfiltratingLymphocyte SubsetsMiddle AgedNeoplasm ProteinsNeoplasms, Hormone-DependentProgesteronePrognosisAntigens, CDEstrogensForkhead Transcription FactorsFOXP3 protein, humanNeoplasm ProteinsProgesteroneBreast cancerCirculating lymphocytesEstrogen receptorTILsTumour-infiltrating lymphocytes

Identifiers

PMID32577938
PMCPMC7376517
OpenAlexW3036265403

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.