Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33929583›Full record

ArticleCancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII2021

Immune infiltrate diversity confers a good prognosis in follicular lymphoma.

Anna-Maria Tsakiroglou, Susan Astley, Manàs Dave, Martin Fergie, Elaine Harkness, Adeline Rosenberg, Matthew Sperrin, Catharine West, Richard Byers, Kim Linton

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer immunology, immunotherapy : CII, 2021. 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
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 14% 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, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Topological importance of CD8Annals of hematology · 2025
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
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

10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Anna-Maria TsakiroglouDivision of Cancer Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Susan AstleyDivision of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Manàs DaveDivision of Dentistry, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre School of Medical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Martin FergieDivision of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Elaine HarknessDivision of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Adeline RosenbergSchool of Medical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Matthew SperrinDivision of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Catharine WestDivision of Cancer Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Richard Byers *Division of Cancer Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. Richard.Byers@mft.nhs.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0796-0365
Kim Linton *Division of Cancer Sciences, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. Kim.Linton@manchester.ac.uk.
Manchester Academic Health Science Centre · GBUniversity of Manchester · GB

Funding

Manchester Biomedical Research Centre IS-BRC-1215-20007
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFollicular lymphoma (FL) prognosis is influenced by the composition of the tumour microenvironment. We tested an automated approach to quantitatively assess the phenotypic and spatial immune infiltrate diversity as a prognostic biomarker for FL patients.

methodsDiagnostic biopsies were collected from 127 FL patients initially treated with rituximab-based therapy (52%), radiotherapy (28%), or active surveillance (20%). Tissue microarrays were constructed and stained using multiplex immunofluorescence (CD4, CD8, FOXP3, CD21, PD-1, CD68, and DAPI). Subsequently, sections underwent automated cell scoring and analysis of spatial interactions, defined as cells co-occurring within 30 μm. Shannon's entropy, a metric describing species biodiversity in ecological habitats, was applied to quantify immune infiltrate diversity of cell types and spatial interactions. Immune infiltrate diversity indices were tested in multivariable Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis for overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

resultsIncreased diversity of cell types (HR = 0.19 95% CI 0.06-0.65, p = 0.008) and cell spatial interactions (HR = 0.39, 95% CI 0.20-0.75, p = 0.005) was associated with favourable OS, independent of the Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index. In the rituximab-treated subset, the favourable trend between diversity and PFS did not reach statistical significance.

conclusionMultiplex immunofluorescence and Shannon's entropy can objectively quantify immune infiltrate diversity and generate prognostic information in FL. This automated approach warrants validation in additional FL cohorts, and its applicability as a pre-treatment biomarker to identify high-risk patients should be further explored. The multiplex image dataset generated by this study is shared publicly to encourage further research on the FL microenvironment.

Indexed as

BiomarkersBiomarkers, TumorCohort StudiesFemaleFluorescent Antibody TechniqueHumansKaplan-Meier EstimateLymphocytes, Tumor-InfiltratingLymphoma, FollicularMalePrognosisProgression-Free SurvivalRituximabTumor MicroenvironmentBiomarkersBiomarkers, TumorRituximabDiversityFollicular lymphomaMultiplexPrognosisSpatial heterogeneityTumour microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID33929583
PMCPMC8571143
OpenAlexW3157234889

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.