Fig. 5: Impact of preferred T helper 2 (Th2) cell polarization to microenvironment of primary tumors (PT).
A, B The ratios of Th2/Th1 cell type scores were negatively correlated with CD45 (A) and CD3D (B) expression from our paired primary tumor cohort (n = 15). Higher ratios of Th2/Th1 cell type scores in PTCold (n = 7) compared to PTHot (n = 8). C Th2 and tissue-repairing macrophages (TsRpM) cell type scores were significantly correlated from our paired PT cohort (n = 15). D TsRpM and cancer associated fibroblast (CAF) cell type scores were significantly correlated from our paired tumor cohort (n = 15). E–G Higher ratios of Th2/Th1 cell type scores (E, p = 6.0 × 10−4), higher relative IL4 expression from T cells (CD3D) (F, p = 1.2 × 10−3), and higher relative PDGFC expression from macrophages (CD68) (G, p = 3.0 × 10−4) in cold paired PTs (n = 7) compared to hot ones (n = 8). H, I The ratios of Th2/Th1 cell type scores were negatively correlated with CD45 (H) and CD3D (I) expression in the PTs from METABRIC-TNBC cohort (n = 299). Higher ratios of Th2/Th1 cell type scores. J Th2 and TsRpM cell type scores were significantly correlated in the PTs from METABRIC-TNBC cohort (n = 299). K TsRpM and CAF cell type scores were significantly correlated in the PTs from METABRIC-TNBC cohort (n = 299). L–N Higher ratios of Th2/Th1 cell type scores (L, p < 1.0 × 10−4), higher relative IL4 expression from T cells (CD3D) (M, p < 1.0 × 10−4), and higher relative PDGFC expression from macrophages (CD68) (N, p < 1.0 × 10−4) in cold PTs (n = 105) compared to hot ones (n = 105) in METABRIC-TNBC cohort. O T cell scores in cold tumors (nEpithelium = 16, nStroma = 16) were significantly higher than the ones in hot tumors (nEpithelium = 22, nStroma = 22) in both epithelium (padj = 2.8 × 10−3) and stroma (padj = 1.7 × 10−3) regions. Multiple Mann–Whitney tests with Holm–Sidak p-value adjustment were used here. P Average T cell scores crossing cold/hot tumors and epithelium/stroma regions. Q CAF scores in cold tumors (nEpithelium = 16, nStroma = 16) were significantly higher than the ones in hot tumors (nEpithelium = 22, nStroma = 22) in stroma regions (padj = 2.2 × 10−3) but not epithelium regions (padj = 0.08). Multiple Mann–Whitney tests with Holm–Sidak p-value adjustment were used here. R Average CAF scores crossing cold/hot tumors and epithelium/stroma regions. Data in (E–G, L–O, Q) were presented as mean values ± the standard errors of the mean. All the outliers were identified by ROUT method with Q = 1%. 95% confidence bands of the best fit line were shown as shaded regions in (A–D) and (H–K). The null hypothesis testing of no correlation (p values shown in the subfigures) was implemented in (A–D) and (H–K). Calculated p values are displayed as “ns”, p > 0.05; *, p ≤ 0.05; **, p ≤ 0.01; ***, p ≤ 0.001; ****, p ≤ 0.0001. Source data including outliers are provided as a Source Data file.
