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Updated: Jan 16, 2026
03:55
Computer-Aided Three-Dimensional Visualization in the Treatment of Locally Advanced Thyroid Cancer
Published on: June 9, 2023
937
Tertiary lymphoid structures in thyroid cancer
Katia Sakimi Nakadaira1, Kelly Cristina Saito1, Cesar Seigi Fuziwara1
1Departamento de Biologia Celular e do Desenvolvimento, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Archives of Endocrinology and Metabolism
|September 26, 2025
Summary
Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) were found in 41% of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) samples, with B cells present in mature TLSs. These findings suggest TLSs may serve as immunobiomarkers in thyroid cancer.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Pathology
Background:
- Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are organized immune cell aggregates found in non-lymphoid tissues during chronic inflammation or infection.
- Their presence in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is increasingly recognized for its role in modulating anti-tumor immunity.
- Understanding TLS formation and composition in thyroid cancer is crucial for developing novel immunotherapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence, location, and maturation status of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).
- To identify tumor-infiltrating B cells within the germinal centers of TLSs in the PTC TME.
- To correlate TLS presence with clinical and molecular characteristics of PTC.
Main Methods:
- Morphological assessment of hematoxylin and eosin-stained histological samples from 112 PTC patients.
- Immunofluorescence staining to detect B cells within mature TLSs.
- Analysis of 499 scanned slides from The Cancer Genome Atlas - Thyroid Carcinoma (TCGA-THCA) dataset via cBioPortal.
Main Results:
- TLSs were identified in 41% of PTC samples, with most located in peritumoral regions.
- Mature TLSs containing B cells and germinal centers were observed in 15% of cases.
- TLSs were found in 8.4% of TCGA-THCA cases, often associated with the BRAFV600E mutation and elevated immune markers.
Conclusions:
- TLSs are present in the tumor microenvironment of papillary thyroid carcinoma.
- The morphological characterization of TLSs and their B cell content offers potential as immunobiomarkers.
- TLSs may play a significant role in modulating tumor-immune interactions in thyroid cancer.
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