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Open Access 01-07-2019 | Breast Cancer | Original Article

The composition of T cell infiltrates varies in primary invasive breast cancer of different molecular subtypes as well as according to tumor size and nodal status

Authors: Anna Glajcar, Joanna Szpor, Diana Hodorowicz-Zaniewska, Katarzyna Ewa Tyrak, Krzysztof Okoń

Published in: Virchows Archiv | Issue 1/2019

Abstract

T lymphocytes are the most numerous immune cells in tumor-associated infiltrates and include several subpopulations of either anticancer or pro-tumorigenic functions. However, the associations between levels of different T cell subsets and breast cancer molecular subtypes as well as other prognostic factors have not been fully established yet. We performed immunohistochemistry for CD8 (cytotoxic T cells (CTL)), FOXP3 (regulatory T cells (Tregs)), and GATA3 (Th2 cells) in 106 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded invasive breast cancer tissue samples and analyzed both the numbers and percentages of investigated cells in tumor-associated infiltrates. We observed that triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and HER2+ non-luminal breast tumors were associated with more numerous CTLs and Tregs and a higher Treg/Th2 cell ratio as compared with luminal A subtype. A higher Treg percentage was related to a decreased hormone receptor expression, an increase in the Ki67 level, a greater tumor size of luminal tumors, and the presence of lymph node metastases. Moreover, differences in the composition of T cell infiltrates were associated with HER2 status and histologic grade and type, and a distinct immune pattern was observed in tumors of different phenotypes regarding pT stage and nodal status. The results of our work show the diversity of T cell infiltrates in primary invasive breast cancers of different phenotypes and suggest that progression of luminal or non-luminal tumors is related to distinct tumor-associated T cell composition.

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Title: The composition of T cell infiltrates varies in primary invasive breast cancer of different molecular subtypes as well as according to tumor size and nodal status
Authors: Anna Glajcar
Joanna Szpor
Diana Hodorowicz-Zaniewska
Katarzyna Ewa Tyrak
Krzysztof Okoń
Publication date: 01-07-2019
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Keywords: Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer
Published in: Virchows Archiv / Issue 1/2019
Print ISSN: 0945-6317
Electronic ISSN: 1432-2307
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-019-02568-y

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The composition of T cell infiltrates varies in primary invasive breast cancer of different molecular subtypes as well as according to tumor size and nodal status

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