Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes in triple negative breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Table 3 Comparison between tumor-infiltrating-lymphocytes evaluated in full-face and tissue microarrays sections

Features	H and E in the full-face section			H and E in TMA section
	n	Me ± IQD	P-value2	n	Me ± IQD	P-value3
Pre-NAC	91			30
Age			0.1427			0.6313
≤ 49	50	40 ± 20		19	20 ± 15
> 49	41	20 ± 15		11	20 ± 25
pCR			0.02511			0.2227
No	63	30 ± 20		15	30 ± 25
Yes	28	40 ± 17.5		15	20 ± 10
Inflammatory			0.6401			0.03871
Yes	27	40 ± 15		8	10 ± 6.5
No	64	35 ± 20		22	30 ± 15
DFS			0.00761			0.1601
< 32 mo	46	20 ± 20		20	15 ± 13.8
≥ 32 mo	45	40 ± 20		10	25 ± 25
OS			0.03341			0.7214
< 41 mo	51	30 ± 20		22	20 ± 15
≥ 41 mo	40	40 ± 20		8	20 ± 15
Post-NAC	80			58
Age			0.8547			0.5684
≤ 49	43	20 ± 15		31	10 ± 15
> 49	37	20 ± 15		27	10 ± 5
Inflammatory			0.4582			0.1299
Yes	26	15 ± 10		16	10 ± 0
No	54	20 ± 15		42	10 ± 15
pCR			0.6331			0.1299
No	63	20 ± 15		44	10 ± 7.5
Yes	17	20 ± 10		14	10 ± 7.5
DFS3			0.2450			0.2573
< 32 mo	35	20 ± 15		22	10 ± 0
≥ 32 mo	28	20 ± 15		22	10 ± 15
OS3			0.5973			0.6948
< 41 mo	40	20 ± 15		27	10 ± 10
≥ 41 mo	23	20 ± 15		17	10 ± 5

¹P < 0.05;

²U Mann Whitney test;

³Only cases with incomplete pathological response in post NAC. DFS: Disease free survival; Me ± IQD: Median ± interquartile deviation; OS: Overall survival; pCR: Pathologic complete response; NAC: Neoadjuvant-chemotherapy.