Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42243754›Full record

ArticleBMC cancer2026

The expression status and clinical value of TIM-3 in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Ziwen Yin, Jiexu Li, Le Liu, Lin Zhang, Wei Zhang, Bingqi Ma

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Article in BMC cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Ziwen Yin *Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China.
Jiexu Li *Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China.
Le LiuDepartment of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China.
Lin ZhangDepartment of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China.
Wei ZhangDepartment of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China.
Bingqi MaDepartment of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University, Weifang, China. mabingqi@126.com.

Funding

Research and Development Fund Project of Affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University 2024FYM024Research and Innovation Project of Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University 2022BSQD07Science and Technology Development Plan of Weifang in 2022 (Medical Science) 2022YX026Shandong Provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Project M20244301
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundT cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing protein 3 (TIM-3) is an immune checkpoint that plays a crucial role in immune exhaustion. High expression of TIM-3 has been implicated in exerting immunosuppression across a variety of malignant tumors. Elucidating the expression profile of TIM-3 and its prognostic impact may hold great significance for the therapeutic management of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).

methodsWe analyzed 117 ICC patients using immunohistochemical staining for TIM-3 and other immune checkpoints to examined their expression and immune cell infiltration in ICC tissue samples. Furthermore, the correlation of checkpoint expression with clinical characteristics and prognosis were analyzed.

resultsHigh expression of TIM-3 in tumor cells was observed in 61 patients (52.1%) and was significantly correlated with poorer tumor differentiation (P = 0.019). Survival analysis showed that high TIM-3 expression in tumor cells was a prognostic factor for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in univariate analysis, and an independent risk predictor for DFS in multivariate analysis (P = 0.048, HR = 1.589, 95%CI = 1.004-2.515). Furthermore, TIM-3 expression in ICC tissues was significantly correlated with CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (both P < 0.005).

conclusionPatients with high TIM-3 expression in tumor cells had shorter DFS and OS, which could serve as a valuable biomarker for predicting the inflammatory status and prognosis of ICC. Targeting TIM-3 may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for ICC.

Indexed as

Bile Duct NeoplasmsBiomarkers, TumorCholangiocarcinomaHepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2AdultAgedFemaleHumansImmunohistochemistryLymphocytes, Tumor-InfiltratingMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisBiomarkers, TumorHAVCR2 protein, humanHepatitis A Virus Cellular Receptor 2Immune checkpiontsImmunologyIntrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC)PrognosisT cell immunoglobulin and mucin-domain containing protein 3 (TIM-3)Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs)

Identifiers

PMID42243754
PMCPMC13455267

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