Table 7.
Analyses of immune cell subsets in ALNs in women with LLABCs undergoing NAC.
| Immune cell subsets | Groups | ALN median (range)(4) | p value(5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CD68+ macrophages (n = 16) | Nonmetastatic ALNs (n = 9) | 25.0 (14.8–34.0) | 0.918 |
| Metastatic ALNs (n = 7) | 29.0 (13.8–33.0) | ||
| CD163+ macrophages (n = 33) | Nonmetastatic ALNs (n = 9) | 21.0 (16.0–29.0) | 1.000 |
| Metastatic ALNs (n = 24) | 23.0 (10.0–33.0) | ||
| CD1a+ DCs (n = 16) | Nonmetastatic ALNs (n = 9) | 12.8 (0.8–62.0) | 0.536 |
| Metastatic ALNs (n = 7) | 23.8 (6.6–67.0) | ||
| CD66b+ PMNs (n = 16) | Nonmetastatic ALNs (n = 9) | 5.2 (0.6–94.0) | 0.837 |
| Metastatic ALNs (n = 7) | 8.4 (1.0–163.0) |
ALNs: axillary lymph nodes; LLABCs: large and locally advanced breast cancers; NAC: neoadjuvant chemotherapy; (4)average percentage of positively stained cells out of all the lymphoid cells in the ALN sections examined for CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages, average cell count of positively stained cells per 400x high-power field in the ALN sections examined for CD1a+ DCs and CD66b+ PMNs; (5)Mann–Whitney U test; DCs: dendritic cells; PMNs: polymorphonuclear leukocytes.