eISSN: 1897-4309
ISSN: 1428-2526
Contemporary Oncology/Współczesna Onkologia
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SCImago Journal & Country Rank
1/2024
vol. 28
 
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abstract:
Original paper

High tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes correlate with distinct gene expression profile and favourable survival in single hormone receptor-positive breast cancer

Aleksandra Ciarka
1
,
Michał Kunc
1
,
Marta Popęda
1
,
Aleksandra Łacko
2, 3
,
Barbara Radecka
4, 5
,
Marcin Braun
6
,
Joanna Pikiel
7
,
Maria Litwiniuk
8
,
Katarzyna Pogoda
9
,
Ewa Iżycka-Świeszewska
10
,
Anna Zeller
11
,
Magdalena Niemira
11
,
Rafał Pęksa
1
,
Wojciech Biernat
1
,
Elżbieta Senkus
12

  1. Department of Pathology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
  2. Department of Oncology, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
  3. Department of Oncology, Breast Unit, Lower Silesian Oncology Centre, Wroclaw, Poland
  4. Department of Oncology, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Opole, Opole, Poland
  5. Department of Clinical Oncology, Tadeusz Koszarowski Cancer Centre in Opole, Opole, Poland
  6. Department of Pathology, Chair of Oncology, Medical University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
  7. Department of Oncology, Morski Hospital, Gdynia, Poland
  8. Department of Clinical Oncology, Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznań, Poland
  9. Department of Breast Cancer and Reconstructive Surgery, Maria Sklodowska Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warsaw, Poland
  10. Department of Pathology and Neuropathology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
  11. Laboratory of Translational Oncology, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
  12. Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
Contemp Oncol (Pozn) 2024; 28 (1): 75–83
Online publish date: 2024/05/03
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Introduction:
This study aimed to evaluate the impact of tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) on the expression of immune-related genes and prognosis in single hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.

Material and methods:
Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes were analysed according to the guidelines of the International TILs Working Group in a cohort of 206 patients with single hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Of these, 44.7% were classified as ER+/PgR–/HER2–, 18.4% as ER+/PgR–/HER2+, 26.2% as ER–/PgR+/HER2–, and 10.7% as ER–/PgR+/HER2+. Moreover, in 52 samples the analysis of gene expression profiling was performed using nCounter technology.

Results:
Most cases (74.3%) showed at least 1% of stromal TILs, with a median of 4%, mean of 16.3%, and interquartile range of 0–20%. ER–/PgR+ tumours displayed significantly higher TILs density than ER+/PgR– cases (p < 0.001, Wilcoxon test), regardless of HER2 status. The abundance of TILs was positively associated with ER–/PgR+ phenotype, higher Ki-67, and higher grade, but not with age, tumour size, or regional and distant metastases at diagnosis. Additionally, in ER+/PgR– subgroup higher TILs were associated with HER2-positive status. Stromal TILs > 5% were associated with better survival in the whole group, but this effect was less prominent in ER–/PgR+ patients. We identified 50 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between single hormone receptor-positive breast tumours with high and low TILs, including 39 up-regulated and 11 down-regulated genes in the high TILs group.

Conclusions:
The up-regulated expression of immune-related genes was consistent also among separately analysed single hormone receptor-positive groups (ER+/PgR– and ER–/PgR+).

keywords:

gene expression, tumour infiltrating lymphocytes, prognosis, breast cancer

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