Androgen Receptor Expression and T-Lymphocyte Infiltration as Prognostic Indicators in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer:...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Immunology
• Pathology

Background:

• Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous subtype with limited predictive biomarkers.
• Understanding immune microenvironment and potential markers like androgen receptor (AR) is crucial for TNBC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinicopathological associations of AR expression and immune markers (sTILs, CD4+, CD8+, CD4/CD8 ratio) in TNBC.
• To explore the relationship between these markers and 3-year overall survival (OS) in TNBC patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 86 treatment-naïve TNBC patients.
• Immunohistochemical assessment of AR and CD4/CD8 ratio; H&E scoring of stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs).
• Survival analysis using multivariable Cox regression for 3-year OS in stages I-III.

Main Results:

• High AR expression (≥10%) was observed in 23% of TNBC tumors.
• High AR expression correlated with lower CD8+ T-cell infiltration and lower tumor grade.
• No statistically significant independent associations were found between AR, immune markers, and 3-year OS, limited by low event counts.

Conclusions:

• AR status is associated with the tumor immune microenvironment, particularly reduced CD8+ infiltration in AR-high TNBC.
• Distinct AR-immune phenotypes may exist in TNBC.
• Larger prospective studies are required to validate prognostic implications and therapeutic potential due to limited survival data.