Spatial distribution of tertiary lymphoid structures in the molecular and clinical context of non-small cell lung cancer.

• Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are lymphocyte aggregates resembling secondary lymphoid organs and are pivotal in cancer immunity. The ambiguous morphological definition of TLS makes it challenging to ascertain their clinical impact on patient survival and response to immunotherapy. This study aimed to characterize TLS in hematoxylin-eosin tissue sections from lung cancer patients, assessing their occurrence in relation to the local immune environment, mutational background, and patient outcome.Two pathologists evaluated one whole tissue section from each resection specimen of 680 NSCLC patients. TLS were spatially quantified within the tumor area or periphery and further categorized based on the presence of germinal centers (mature TLS). Metrics were integrated with immune cell counts, genomic and transcriptomic data, and correlated with clinical parameters.Out of 536 evaluable cases, TLS were present in 86% of tumor samples, predominantly in the tumor periphery, with a median of eight TLS per case. TLS with germinal centers were found in 24% of cases. TLS presence correlated positively with increased plasma cell (CD138+) and lymphocytic cell (CD3+, CD8+, FOXP3+) infiltration. Tumors with higher tumor mutational burden (TMB) exhibited higher periphery TLS numbers. The overall TLS quantity was associated with improved patient survival, irrespective of TLS maturation status. This prognostic association held true for periphery TLS but not for tumor TLS.In conclusion, TLS occurrence in NSCLC is common and its correlation with a specific immune phenotype suggests biological relevance in the local immune reaction. The prognostic significance of this scoring system on routine hematoxylin-eosin sections has the potential to augment diagnostic algorithms for NSCLC patients.

Ämnesord

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Cancer och onkologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Cancer and Oncology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Tertiary lymphoid structures

lung cancer

immunotherapy

checkpoint inhibitors

tumor microenvironment

prognosis

PD-L1

lymphocytes

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

ovr (ämneskategori)