The prognostic value of tumor-associated macrophages in glioma patients

Glioma is a complex tumor composed of both neoplastic and non-neoplastic cells, including tumor-infiltrating leukocytes (TILs), and each cell type contributes to tumor formation and malignant progression. Among TILs, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are of great importance and play a key role in the immune response to cancer. In this study, 22 types of adaptive and innate TILs were evaluated in gliomas. TAMs, which account for 38.7% of all these cells, are the most abundant immune infiltrates in the tumor microenvironment. In addition, we observed different immune cell patterns in low-grade glioma and glioblastoma. Our research indicated that there was a connection between TILs, and 13 of 22 TILs were significantly associated with patient outcomes. Finally, the prognosis and diagnostic value of TAMs were revealed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. We identified the optimal cutoff point of TAMs at an infiltrating level of 0.47 to predict patient prognosis, with a median overall survival of 448 days in patients with higher TAM infiltration levels and 2660 days in patients with lower TAM infiltration levels. These findings provide a new idea for glioma to regulate tumor-specific immunity, clarify the potential effects of TAMs on disease pathology, and provide a theoretical basis for immune intervention treatment of gliomas.