T-Cell Immunoglobulin Mucin 3 Expression on Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes as a Positive Prognosticator in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.
- Author:
Kyung Do BYUN
1
;
Hyo Jun HWANG
;
Ki Jae PARK
;
Min Chan KIM
;
Se Heon CHO
;
Mi Ha JU
;
Jin Hwa LEE
;
Jin Sook JEONG
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Prognosis; T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing molecule 3; Triple-negative breast neoplasms; Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes
- MeSH: Antibodies; Breast; Breast Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Ductal; Disease-Free Survival; Humans; Immunoglobulins*; Immunohistochemistry; Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating*; Mucin-3*; Mucins*; Multivariate Analysis; Prognosis; Recurrence; T-Lymphocytes*; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms*
- From:Journal of Breast Cancer 2018;21(4):406-414
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: PURPOSE: T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing molecule 3 (TIM-3) is an emerging immune response molecule related to T-cell anergy. There has been tremendous interest in breast cancer targeting immune checkpoint molecules, especially in the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This study was designed to investigate TIM-3 expression on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), its relationships with clinicopathological para-meters and expression of programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1)/programmed death receptor ligand 1 (PD-L1), and its prognostic role. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry on tissue microarray blocks produced from 109 samples of invasive ductal carcinoma type TNBC was performed with antibodies toward TIM-3, PD-1, PD-L1 and breast cancer-related molecular markers. Associations between their expression and clinicopathological parameters as well as survival analyses were performed. RESULTS: TIM-3 was expressed in TILs from all 109 TNBCs, consisting of 17 cases ( < 5%), 31 cases (6%–25%), 48 cases (26%–50%), and 13 cases (>51%). High TIM-3 was significantly correlated with younger patients (p=0.0101), high TILs (p=0.0029), high tumor stage (p=0.0018), high PD-1 (p=0.0001) and high PD-L1 (p=0.0019), and tended to be associated with higher histologic grade, absence of extensive in situ components and microcalcification. High TIM-3 expression was significantly associated with a combinational immunophenotype group of high PD-L1 and high PD-1 (p < 0.0001). High TIM-3 demonstrated a significantly better disease-free survival (DFS) (p < 0.0001) and longer overall survival (OS) (p=0.0001), together with high TILs and high PD-1. In univariate survival analysis, high TIM-3 showed reduced relapse risk (p < 0.0001) and longer OS (p=0.0003), together with high PD-1 expression. In multivariate analysis, high TIM-3 was statistically significant in predicting prognosis, showing better DFS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.0994; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.0296–0.3337; p=0.0002) and longer OS (HR, 0.1109; 95% CI, 0.0314–0.3912; p=0.0006). CONCLUSION: In this study, we demonstrate that TIM-3 expression is an independent positive prognostic factor in TNBC, despite its association with poor clinical and pathologic features.
