The impact of tertiary lymphoid structures on tumor prognosis and the immune microenvironment in non-small cell lung cancer

Abstract Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a common malignancy whose prognosis and treatment outcome are influenced by many factors. Some studies have found that tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) in cancer may contribute to prognosis and the prediction of immunotherapy efficacy However, the combined role of TLSs in NSCLC remains unclear. We accessed The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases to obtain mRNA sequencing data and clinical information as the TCGA cohort, and used our own sample of 53 advanced NSCLC as a study cohort. The samples were divided into TLS+ and TLS- groups by pathological tissue sections. Patients of the TLS+ group had a better OS (p = 0.022), PFS (p = 0.042), and DSS (p = 0.004) in the TCGA cohort, and the results were confirmed by the study cohort (PFS, p = 0.012). Furthermore, our result showed that the count and size of TLSs are closely associated with the efficacy of immunotherapy. In addition, the TLS+ group was associated with better immune status and lower tumor mutation load. In the tumor microenvironment (TME), the expression levels of CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells of different phenotypes were associated with TLSs. Overall, TLSs are a strong predictor of survival and immunotherapeutic efficacy in advanced NSCLC, and T cell-rich TLSs suggest a more ordered and active immune response site, which aids in the decision-making and application of immunotherapy in the clinic.