The distribution of immune cells within combined hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma predicts clinical outcome

• DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.11
• Publication Date: 2020-06-09T15:01:24Z
• Authors: Bo‐Hao Zheng; Jia‐Qiang Ma; Ling‐Yu Tian; Liang‐Qing Dong; Guo‐He Song; Jiao‐Men Pan; Yu‐Ming Liu; Shuai‐Xi Yang; Xiao‐Ying Wang; Xiao‐Ming Zhang; Jian Zhou; Jia Fan; Jie‐Yi Shi; Qiang Gao
• Keywords: Immune checkpoint

Abstract Background This study aimed to investigate the clinical relevance of immune microenvironment in patients with combined hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC‐ICC). Patients Methods The density tumor‐infiltrating CD3 + , CD8 CD163 Foxp3 cells, as well Programmed cell death 1, death‐ligand Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 4, was measured peritumor liver, tumor invasive margin, intratumor subregions 56 cHCC‐ICC by immunohistochemistry. index established stratify patients. Prognostic significance subsets indices evaluated. Results distribution cells highly heterogeneous among different cHCC‐ICC. As compared (HCC) component, lower T higher intensity Tregs checkpoints intrahepatic (ICC) component may indicate a stronger evasive ability ICC. Based on clustering classification or combination random forest lasso‐cox, two models were both identified independent prognostic factors for selected variables derived from HCC ICC subregions, indicating that prognosis complex interaction components. Conclusions contexture contributed differently patient prognosis. Immune score based densities might serve promising predictor