Abstract:

Objective To analyze the correlation between the expression levels of carbonic anhydrase Ⅸ （CAⅨ）and CD8+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes（TIL）and lymph node metastasis（LNM）in cervical cancer（CC）， and evaluate the clinical predictive value of CAIX combined with CD8 + TIL for LNM. Methods The expression levels and distribution patterns of CAIX and CD8 + TIL in 75 samples of CC by surgical resection were detected by immunohistochemical staining. The correlation between the two parameters and clinicopathological features of patients was statistically analyzed. The predictive efficacy of them for LNM was also assessed. Results The expres⁃ sion of CAⅨ was negatively correlated with the number of intraepithelial CD8+ TIL（P < 0.001），whereas positively correlated with the number of stromal CD8 + TIL（P < 0.001）.The expression of CAⅨ was significantly correlated with LNM（P = 0.002）. The expression of CAⅨ was significantly up⁃regulated with LNM（P = 0.001），whereas the number of intraepithelial CD8+ TIL was significantly decreased with LNM（P < 0.001）. The area under curve of CA Ⅸ combined with intraepithelial CD8+ TIL for predicting LNM（0.837，P < 0.001），specificity（100%），positive pre⁃ dictive value（100%）and accuracy（85.3%）were higher compared with those of CAⅨ combined with stromal CD8+ TIL and CAⅨ alone. Conclusion Hypoxia is probably involved in the regulation of CD8 + TIL. Hypoxia and in⁃ traepithelial CD8+ TIL may be closely associated with LNM is in CC. Combined detection of CAⅨ and intraepithelial CD8+ TIL could serve as a predictor for LNM in CC and reduce the misdiagnosis of LNM. 

Key words:

cervical cancer, hypoxia, carbonic anhydrase Ⅸ, CD8+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, lymph node metastasis