MICROENVIRONMENT ALTERATIONS IN CONJUNCTIVAL NEOPLASTIC LEOSIONS WITH DIFFERENT PROLIFERATION-APOPTOTIC...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Oncology
• Immunology

Background:

• Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumor associated neutrophils (TANs) are crucial in malignant tumor progression.
• Understanding their role in conjunctival lesions is vital for early diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the distribution and characteristics of TILs and TANs in various conjunctival lesions.
• To investigate the correlation between immune cell infiltration and lesion progression markers.

Main Methods:

• Digital pathology software (QuPath) was used to evaluate H&E stained sections of normal conjunctiva, actinic keratosis, pterygia, conjunctival intraepithelial neoplasias (CoIN1-3), and conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC).
• Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess markers including Ki67, Bcl2, p53, CD3, CD8, and Foxp3.
• Quantitative analysis of TILs and TANs distribution was conducted.

Main Results:

• A significant increase in TILs and TANs was observed during the progression of conjunctival intraepithelial lesions.
• The counts of TILs and TANs showed a significant correlation with a higher proliferation index.
• Immune cell infiltration correlated with a lower apoptotic index and p53 mutation status.

Conclusions:

• TILs and TANs infiltration increases with the progression of conjunctival lesions, including precancerous and cancerous stages.
• Immune cell presence is linked to key indicators of tumor aggressiveness, such as proliferation and p53 mutations.
• These findings highlight the potential of TILs and TANs as biomarkers in conjunctival disease.