Examining the spatial distribution of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in patients with stage I to IIIA LUAD

Abstract This study aimed to examine the spatial distribution of immune cells by application of Gcross function in 170 patients with stage I to IIIA lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and explore its prognostic value. A total of 170 stage I to IIIA LUAD patients who underwent radical surgery were enrolled. Paraffinized tumor sections were collected for 2 panels of multicolor immunofluorescence staining (panel 1: CD4, CD8, FOXP3, CD69, CD39, CD73, and DAPI; panel 2: CD68, CD163, CD20, CD11c, PDL1, IDO, and DAPI). The immune cells were categorized as CD8+, CD4+ T helper cell (CD4Th), regulatory T cell, macrophage type 1 (M1), M2, dendritic cell (DC), and B cell. The immune cell numbers were enumerated, and the immune cell proximity score was calculated employing the Gcross function. The correlation between immune cell variables and disease-free survival (DFS) was explored through univariate Cox regression analyses. Factors with P < 0.05 were subjected to multivariate analyses. According to univariate Cox regression analyses, total PDL1+ and PDL1+ DC counts were negative factors (P = 0.003 and 0.031, respectively). CD4Th and IDO−DC counts were positive factors (P = 0.022 and 0.024, respectively). The proximity score (M1 to M2) was a positive factor for DFS (P = 0.032), and the proximity score (PDL1 + DC to M1) was a negative factor (P = 0.009) according to univariate Cox analyses. In multivariate analyses, stage (IIIA vs I + II) (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.77 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.18–2.64], P = 0.006) and proximity score (PDL1 + DC to M1) (HR: 1.60 [95% CI: 1.07–2.37], P = 0.021) were independent negative factors and CD4Th counts (HR: 0.60 [95% CI: 0.40–0.90], P = 0.013) was an independent positive factor. Our study indicated that a higher level of tumor-infiltrating CD4Th cells predicted longer DFS, and a closer proximity of PDL1+ DCs to M1 cells was associated with dismal DFS in stage I to IIIA LUAD patients.