Table 2 Germinal centers in involved and cancer-free lymph nodes.

From: Systemic immune reaction in axillary lymph nodes adds to tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in triple-negative breast cancer prognostication

 

All cases

HER2

TNBC

 

sTILs < 20%

sTILs≥20%

 
 

n = 161

n = 62

n = 99

P value

n = 86

n = 75

P value

LN assessment

 All LNs, median (range)

17 (10–37)

17 (10–29)

17 (10–37)

 

17 (10–31)

17 (10–37)

 

  Cancer-free LNs, median (range)

14 (2–31)

13 (2–24)

16 (3–31)

 

14 (2–26)

16 (3–31)

 

  Involved LNs, median (range)

3 (1–18)

4 (1–18)

2 (1–18)

 

3 (1–17)

3 (1–18)

 

GC assessment in LNs per patient basis

 All LNs, n (%)

  GC absent

11 (6.8)

5 (8.1)

6 (6.1)

 

10 (11.6)

1 (1.3)

 

  GC present

150 (93.2)

57 (91.9)

93 (93.9)

0.624a

76 (88.4)

74 (98.7)

0.010a

 Cancer-free LNs

  GC NAc

1

 

1

  

1

 

  GC absent

23 (14.4)

10 (16.1)

13 (13.3)

 

18 (20.9)

5 (6.8)

 

  GC present

137 (85.6)

52 (83.9)

85 (86.7)

0.615a

68 (79.1)

69 (93.2)

0.011a

 Involved LNs

  GC NAd

13 (8.1)

4 (6.5)

9 (9.1)

 

5 (5.8)

8 (10.7)

 

  GC absent

26 (16.1)

8 (12.9)

18 (18.2)

 

19 (22.1)

7 (9.3)

 

  GC present

122 (75.8)

50 (80.6)

72 (72.7)

0.333a

62 (72.1)

60 (80)

0.038a

LN number GC present

  Cancer-free LN, median (range)

3 (1–22)

3 (1–13)

3 (1–22)

0.552b

2 (1–17)

4 (1–22)

0.002b

  Involved LN, median (range)

1 (1–16)

2 (1–16)

1 (1–12)

0.294b

1 (1–7)

1 (1–16)

0.598b

Total number of GCs across all assessed LNs per patient

  Cancer-free LN, median (range)

8 (0–175)

6 (0–142)

9 (0–175)

0.139b

6 (0–145)

12 (0–175)

0.002b

  Involved LN, median (range)

8 (0–214)

9 (0–198)

7 (0–214)

0.508b

5 (0–198)

14 (0–214)

0.002b

Max GC number in a LN across all assessed LNs per patient

  Cancer-free LN, median (range)

5 (0–63)

4 (0–59)

5 (0–63)

0.076b

4 (0–59)

6 (0–63)

0.002b

  Involved LN, median (range)

7 (0–76)

7 (0–76)

6 (0–54)

0.611b

3 (0–76)

10 (0–54)

0.003b

Average GC number

  Cancer-free LN, median (range)

3 (0–35)

3 (0–19)

3 (0–35)

0.091b

3 (0–17)

4 (0–35)

0.001b

  Involved LN, median (range)

5 (0–43)

5 (0–40)

5 (0–43)

0.942b

3 (0–40)

8 (0–43)

0.001b

  1. aChi-squared test
  2. bMann–Whitney U test
  3. cUninterpretable LN slide
  4. dWhole LN involved
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