Fig. 8: ZIP1^high fibroblasts are associated with poor survival and chemoresistance in patients with lung cancer.

a Representative ZIP1 staining in lung adenocarcinoma (LA) tissues. A human liver section was used as a positive control. Arrow, ZIP1⁺ fibroblasts. Representative staining results from 68 lung cancer samples are shown. b Survival curve of patients with lung adenocarcinoma with stroma ZIP1^high or stroma ZIP1^low status. c Double-staining of ZIP1 and α-SMA in lung cancer tissues including tumour and paratumour tissue. Representative staining results from 90 tumour and 90 corresponding paratumour samples are shown. d ZIP1 expression levels in fibroblasts and percentage of ZIP1⁺ fibroblasts in tumour and paratumour tissues (n = 90). Data are presented as median with interquartile range. Two-tailed t-test. e, f Overall survival (e) and progression-free survival (f) of patients with lung cancer with ZIP1^high or ZIP1^low status. g, h Overall survival of patients with no observed relapse (g) or with pathological grade 2 lung adenocarcinoma (h). i, j Overall survival (i) or progression-free survival (j) of patients with ZIP1^high and ZIP1^low status in response to chemotherapy with paclitaxel/docetaxel-containing regimens (Taxane). k Correlation of ABCB1 expression in tumours with ZIP1 expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) (n = 19). Representative co-staining of ABCB1, ZIP1 and α-SMA is shown. Arrowhead, ZIP1⁺ fibroblasts. Asterisk, cancer cell. Log-rank test for survival curve comparison. Mann–Whitney test for two-group comparison. Source data are provided as a Source Data file (b, d–k).