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Updated: Aug 25, 2025

Author Spotlight: A Model to Study the Systemic and Local Dynamics of CD8+ T Cells During LN Metastasis
Published on: January 26, 2024
Tertiary Lymphoid Structures, Immune Response, and Prognostic Relevance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Alexandra Giatromanolaki1, Paschalis Chatzipantelis1, Constantinos A Contrafouris2
1Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece.
Abstract:
We assessed the presence of 'tertiary lymphoid structures' (TLS) in a series of surgically treated non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC). The TLS-density in the tumor periphery (pTLS) ranged from 0 to 1.8 (median 0.45), while in inner tumor areas (iTLS) ranged from 0 to 1.0 (median 0); (p < 0.0001). High pTLS-density was linked with early stage of the disease. Glycolysis-related enzyme expression (MCT1, Hexokinase 2) was linked with high pTLS-density (p < 0.05). High pTLS and iTLS densities were linked with better postoperative prognosis (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively). Assessment of TLS is a useful prognostic marker in NSCLC.
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