Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36114487›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2022

A combined spatial score of granzyme B and CD68 surpasses CD8 as an independent prognostic factor in TNM stage II colorectal cancer.

Luca Noti, José A Galván, Heather Dawson, Alessandro Lugli, Richard Kirsch, Naziheh Assarzadegan, David Messenger, Philippe Krebs, Martin D Berger, Inti Zlobec

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC cancer, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 21% 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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Increased Infiltration of CD4Cancer reports (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2026
    Observational
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
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 5 institutions in 4 countries.

Luca NotiInstitute of Pathology, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 31, CH-3008, Bern, Switzerland.
José A GalvánInstitute of Pathology, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 31, CH-3008, Bern, Switzerland.
Heather DawsonInstitute of Pathology, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 31, CH-3008, Bern, Switzerland.
Alessandro LugliInstitute of Pathology, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 31, CH-3008, Bern, Switzerland.
Richard KirschDivision of Pathology and Lab Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Naziheh AssarzadeganDepartment of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
David MessengerDepartment of Coloproctology, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.
Philippe KrebsInstitute of Pathology, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 31, CH-3008, Bern, Switzerland.
Martin D BergerDepartment of Medical Oncology, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.
Inti ZlobecInstitute of Pathology, University of Bern, Murtenstrasse 31, CH-3008, Bern, Switzerland. inti.zlobec@pathology.unibe.ch.
University of Bern · CHUniversity Hospital of Bern · CHUniversity Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation TrustUniversity of Michigan–Ann Arbor · USUniversity of Toronto · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPrevious assessments of peritumoral inflammatory infiltrate in colorectal cancer (CRC) have focused on the role of CD8

methodsImmunohistochemical (IHC) staining was performed for CD8, GZMB, CD68 and CD163 on next-generation tissue microarrays (ngTMAs) in a primary cohort (n = 107) and a TNM stage II validation cohort (n = 151). Using digital image analysis, frequency of distinct immune cell types was calculated for tumour proximity (TP) zones with varying radii (10 μm-100 μm) around tumour cells.

resultsAssociations notably of advanced TNM stage were observed for low density of CD8 (p = 0.002), GZMB (p < 0.001), CD68 (p = 0.034) and CD163 (p = 0.011) in the primary cohort. In the validation cohort only low GZMB (p = 0.036) was associated with pT4 stage. Survival analysis showed strongest prognostic effects in the TP25μm zone at the tumour centre for CD8

conclusionCombined high expression of GZMB and CD68 within 25 μm to tumour cells is an independent prognostic factor in CRC and of superior prognostic value to the well-established CD8 in TNM stage II cancers. Thus, assessment of antitumoral effect should consider the quality of immune activation in peritumoral inflammatory cells and their actual proximity to tumour cells.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsCD8-Positive T-LymphocytesCell CountGranzymesHumansPrognosisTumor MicroenvironmentGranzymesColorectal cancerDigital pathologyTumour immune surveillanceTumour microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID36114487
PMCPMC9482175
OpenAlexW4296163140

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.