Fig. 1: The results of in vivo analysis.

a–c Representative images of 11β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSD) 1 (a), 11βHSD2 (b) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) (c) immunoreactivity in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) specimens (bar: 100 μm). Immunoreactivity for 11βHSD1 and 2 was detected in the cytoplasm of carcinoma cells, and that for GR was detected in the nucleus of carcinoma cells. d Haematoxylin and eosin (HE) stain of NSCLC specimens (bar: 100 μm). Intratumoural TILs were assessed by the number of TILs infiltrating into the tumour cell nests (defined as within one tumour cell diameter from the tumour nests), which were inside of the areas surrounded by lines. e, f Immunohistochemistry for CD3 (e) and CD8 (f) (bar: 100 μm). Intratumoural CD3- or CD8-positive T cells were assessed in the same way as above. g–i The correlation between immunoreactivity of 11βHSD1 and intratumoural immune cell infiltration levels in total cases (g), cases with adenocarcinoma (h) and cases with squamous cell carcinoma (i). 11βHSD1 immunoreactivity was significantly and negatively correlated with intratumoural TILs and CD3- positive T cells. It tended to correlate with intratumoural CD8-positive T cells in total cases and cases with squamous cell carcinoma negatively. In 11βHSD2-negative cases, 11βHSD1 immunoreactivity in total cases was significantly associated with intratumoural CD8-positive T cells, and it tended to be associated with them in cases with adenocarcinoma. j, k The correlation between mRNA level of 11βHSD1 and overall survival in cases with adenocarcinoma (j) and cases with squamous cell carcinoma (k). The high mRNA level of 11βHSD1 was independently and significantly associated with poor overall survival of patients with adenocarcinoma. There was no significant correlation between mRNA level of 11βHSD1 and overall survival of patients with squamous cell carcinoma. H score histological score (modified). *p value < 0.05, significant.