口腔癌中 β-连环蛋白与肿瘤免疫微环境相关的预后意义

The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic relevance of -catenin expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to explore relationships with the tumor immune microenvironment. Expression of -catenin and PD-L1, as well as lymphocyte and macrophage densities, were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 125 OSCC patient specimens. Membranous -catenin expression was detected in 102 (81. 6%) and nuclear -catenin in 2 (1. 6%) tumors. There was an association between -catenin expression, tumoral, and stromal CD8 + T-cell infiltration (TIL) and also the type of tumor immune microenvironment (TIME).

Tumors harboring nuclear -catenin were associated with a type II TIME (i. e. , immune ignorance defined by a negative PD-L1 expression and low CD8 + TIL density), whereas tumors with membranous -catenin expression were predominantly type IV (i. e. , immune tolerance defined by negative PD-L1 and high CD8 + TIL density).

Combined, but not individual, high stromal CD8 + TILs and membranous -catenin expression was independently associated with better disease-specific survival (HR = 0. 48, p = 0. 019). Taken together, a combination of high stromal CD8 + T-cell infiltration and membranous -catenin in the tumor emerges as an independent predictor of better survival in OSCC patients.