Work

B lymphocytes and tertiary lymphoid structures have a prognostic impact on penile squamous cell carcinoma

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Several prognostic markers, including tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes, which have been recently identified in penile squamous cell carcinoma (pSCC), have focused mostly on T cells. The prognostic role of B cells and tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) has not yet been sufficiently described. We examined whole tissue sections histopathologically for TLSs and immunohistochemically for CD20 and CD138. The B‐cell immunoscore (B‐IS) divided the cohort into five categories based on the expression of these two B‐cell/plasma cell markers (CD20 and CD138, respectively). Patients with fewer TLSs had worse overall survival (OS) [hazard ratio (HR) = 2.17; 95% CI: 0.94–5; p = 0.069]. A significant association was identified between a high TLS diameter and the presence of a lymphocytic infiltrate [odds ratio (OR) = 2.2442; 95% CI: 1.1022–4.55; p = 0.0208]. Patients with low B‐IS (HR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.18–3.03, p = 0.008), a low number of CD20 + cells in the tumor center (HR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.04–2.7, p = 0.035), and a low number of CD20 + cells at the tumor invasion front (HR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.06–2.78; p = 0.028) had significantly worse OS. High B‐ISs were strongly associated with a mutated p53 profile detected by immunohistochemistry (OR = 4.76, 95% CI: 1.32–25, p = 0.011), low T‐cell immunoscores (OR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.23–1.03; p = 0.051), and brisk lymphocytic infiltration (OR = 2.0417, 95% CI: 1.01–4.76; p = 0.037). High CD20 + cell counts at the invasion front were associated with histological grade 3 disease (OR = 2.44, 95% CI 1.15–5.26, p = 0.015). An association was also observed between low B‐IS and mutations in KMT2D (OR 0.31, 95% CI: 0.07–1.21, p = 0.057) and EGFR (OR = ∞, 95% CI: 0.86–∞, p = 0.053). In conclusion, high numbers of tumor‐infiltrating B cells within TLSs represent a favorable prognostic marker in pSCC. These findings emphasize the need to identify novel microscopic prognostic markers during pathological assessment to guide early and appropriate therapeutic strategies.

Source: The Journal of Pathology Clinical Research

DOI: 10.1002/2056-4538.70059