Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42738393›Full record

ArticleCancers2026

Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma with Terminal Immune Exhaustion Phenotype Correlates with Increased Risk of Lymph Node Metastasis: An Exploratory Study Combining Flow Cytometry and TCGA.

Shixu Wang, Huizhu Cai, Ruochan Zhang, Kun Chen, Wan Liu, Zehao Huang, Dangui Yan, Chunfeng Qu, Zhengjiang Li

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cancers, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Shixu WangDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
Huizhu CaiDepartment of Gastroenterological Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China.
Ruochan ZhangDepartment of Immunology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
Kun ChenDepartment of Immunology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.ORCID 0000-0003-3146-2577
Wan LiuDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
Zehao HuangDepartment of Thyroid and Breast Surgery, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100035, China.
Dangui YanDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
Chunfeng QuDepartment of Immunology, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
Zhengjiang LiDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82373439
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPapillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common thyroid malignancy, with lymph node metastasis (LNM) being a key predictor of recurrence and poor prognosis. Preoperative detection of LNM remains challenging due to the limitations of imaging modalities, leading to inadequate surgical resection in 20-30% of patients. While immune checkpoint molecules have been implicated in PTC progression, the heterogeneity of CD8

methodsFresh PTC tissues from 40 patients (22 LNM-positive and 18 LNM-negative) were analyzed via flow cytometry (FCM) to quantify immune cell subsets, inflammatory cytokines, and chemokines. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) validated CD45

resultsLNM-positive PTC exhibited a unique inflammatory milieu with significantly elevated IL-6, IL-1ra, CCL5, and IL-9 levels (all

conclusionsOur findings suggest a terminal immune exhaustion phenotype (characterized by PD-1

Indexed as

lymph node metastasispapillary thyroid carcinomaterminal immune exhaustiontumor microenvironment

Identifiers

PMID42738393
PMCPMC13564956

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.