[Infiltration of dendritic cells and lymphocytes in hepatocellular carcinoma tissue]

To explore the clinical significances of dendritic cells and lymphocytes infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue.

Clinicopathological data were collected from 44 patients with HCC who had under/gone curative tumor resection in our hospital. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the infiltration of dendritic cells in the tumor tissue, and lymphocytes infiltration was assessed simultaneously. The correlation between the infiltration of dendritic cells and lymphocytes and postoperative tumor recurrence and survival rate was analyzed.

Tumor recurrence was markedly late in patients with dendritic cells count >/= 20 and positive lymphocytes infiltration (group A, n = 17) as compared with those who did not meet both criteria simultaneously (group B, n = 27), with a median interval of 21.6 months for group A and 4.1 months for group B (U value = 105.5, P = 0.009). The 1-, 3-, 4-year survival rates were significantly greater in group A than in group B; they were 83.5% vs. 42.2%, 61.8% vs. 28.4% and 48.7% vs. 23.0%, respectively (Log rank = 7.68, P < 0.01).

The infiltration of dendritic cells and lymphocytes in HCC tissue, as an independent prognostic factor, was closely related to postoperative prognosis.