Tumour-draining axillary lymph nodes in patients with large and locally advanced breast cancers undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC): the crucial contribution of immune cells (effector, regulatory) and cytokines (Th1, Th2) to immune-mediated tumour cell death induced by NAC

Table 4 Analyses of Lymphocyte Subsets in ALNs^(a) in Women with LLABCs^(b) Undergoing NAC^(c): Comparison of Metastatic and Non Metastatic ALNs

Lymphocyte Subsets (n = 33)	Groups	ALN Median (Range)	P Value^(g)
CD4⁺	Non metastatic ALNs (n = 9)	63.0 (43.0-74.0)^(e)	0.796
CD4⁺	Metastatic ALNs (n = 24)	68.0 (32.0-75.0)	0.796
CD8⁺	Non metastatic ALNs (n = 9)	26.0 (15.4-34.0)^(e)	0.121
CD8⁺	Metastatic ALNs (n = 24)	20.5 (10.4-40.0)	0.121
FOXP3⁺	Non metastatic ALNs (n = 9)	4.4 (2.9-8.6)^(e)	0.736
FOXP3⁺	Metastatic ALNs (n = 24)	4.6 (0.2-10.8)	0.736
CTLA-4⁺	Non metastatic ALNs (n = 9)	16.8 (5.2-100.4)^(f)	0.193
CTLA-4⁺	Metastatic ALNs (n = 24)	11.0 (0.6-38.6)	0.193
PD-1^{+ (d)}	Non metastatic ALNs (n = 9)	6.4 (1.4-36.0)^(f)	0.408
PD-1^{+ (d)}	Metastatic ALNs (n = 7)	12.6 (2.0-72.6)	0.408
CD56⁺	Non metastatic ALNs (n = 9)	17.8 (15.8-52.8)^(f)	0.437
CD56⁺	Metastatic ALNs (n = 24)	18.3 (2.2-60.4)	0.437

^(a) ALNs: Axillary lymph nodes (paracortical areas: tumour deposits are excluded if present); ^(b) LLABCs: Large and locally advanced breast cancers; ^(c)NAC: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy; ^(d) PD-1⁺: Programmed death-1 (n = 16); ^(e)Average percentage of positively stained cells out of all the lymphoid cells in the ALN sections examined; ^(f) Average cell count of positively stained cells per 400× high-power field in the ALN sections examined; ^(g) Mann-Whitney U test

ISSN: 1471-2407