Table 1.
Prognostic impact of B cells and TLS in human cancers
Cancer typeNumber of casesResultReference
Biliary tract cancer 323 CD20 and CD8 infiltration correlate with improved OS Goeppert et al., 2013  
BC 60 The B cell–attracting chemokine CXCL13 correlates with PFS long-term survival Gu-Trantien et al., 2017  
BC 1,200 CD20+ infiltration correlates with DSS and PFS Mahmoud et al., 2012  
BC 269 CD38+ plasma cells infiltration correlates with better disease-free survival, but not OS Yeong et al., 2018  
BC 489 Coexistence of B reg and T reg cells in TLS correlates with shorter metastasis-free survival Ishigami et al., 2019  
BC 728 B cell signatures correlates with improved PFS Iglesia et al, 2016  
ccRCC 526 (TCGA); 28 B cell lineage signature demonstrates no impact on survival; B cell signature correlates with response to ICIs Helmink et al., 2020  
CRC 107 B (CD20) cell and T (CD8) cell infiltration and B cell–attracting CXCL13 chemokine correlate with longer PFS Bindea et al., 2013  
CRC 351 stage II and III TLS density correlates with longer PFS in stage II, but not stage III, patients Di Caro et al., 2014  
CRC 557 CD20, CD138, and IGKC infiltration correlate with improved OS Berntsson et al., 2018  
CRC 316 High infiltration of CD20+ B cells correlates with improved DSS and slightly increases the prognostic effect of CD8+ T lymphocytes while having no prognostic effect on patients with tumors poorly infiltrated by CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes Edin et al., 2019  
Gastric cancer 59 IL-10+CD19+ cells are associated with shorter survival Murakami et al., 2019  
Gastric cancer 226 Majority of B cells in gastric cancer are located in TLSs and associated with better OS Yamakoshi et al., 2020  
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors 111 TLS density (H&E) correlates with longer OS and PFS Lin et al., 2020  
HCC 462 TLS density (H&E) correlates with longer OS and PFS Li et al., 2020a  
HCC 273 and 226 Density of mature TLS (H&E) and TLS signature associated with lower risk of early recurrence Calderaro et al., 2019  
HCC 120 and 200 CD20+ B cells located in the invasive margin colocalize and correlate with CD8, and a positive correlation is found between the density of B cells and OS or RFS; simultaneously, high densities of CD20+ and CD8+ cells are significantly associated with both prolonged OS and recurrence-free survival Shi et al., 2013  
HCC 112 Density of tumor-infiltrating CD19+ B cells correlates with superior survival; CD20 and CD3 correlates with high intratumoral densities of both CD20+ B cells, and CD3+ T cells had longer survival compared with those with low densities of both subsets Garnelo et al., 2017  
Head and neck cancer 30 Peritumoral B cell infiltration correlates with prolonged OS irrespective of IL-12 treatment van Herpen et al., 2008  
Lung 118 Follicular CD20+ B cells and TLS density correlate with longer DSS Germain et al., 2014  
Lung 138 TLSs are associated with good prognosis in untreated lung squamous cell carcinoma; corticosteroids may be detrimental to TLS formation Siliņa et al., 2018  
Melanoma, primary cutaneous 82 Mature DC/T cell aggregate density correlates with favorable prognosis Ladányi et al., 2007  
Melanoma 25 Frequency of plasmablast-like cells and naive B cells in pretherapy melanomas is higher in patients responding to ICB Griss et al., 2019  
Melanoma 164 CD20 and CD8 infiltration correlates with improved survival; a CD20+ and CD8+ cell combination is the best prognosticator of survival; TLS gene signature predicts prognosis and response to ICI Cabrita et al., 2020  
Melanoma 136, 28, and 21 B cell lineage signature demonstrates prolonged OS; CD20+, B cell signature, and TLS densities predict response to ICI Helmink et al., 2020  
Melanoma, primary cutaneous 98 CD20 infiltration associated with longer OS Garg et al., 2016  
Melanoma, primary cutaneous 473 Memory B cell score and increased clonality of the BCR repertoire are associated with longer OS; lack of an assembled BCR in pretreatment tumor tissues is associated with a lack of antitumor response to a CTLA-4 inhibitor; B reg cell score is associated with shorter OS and lack of response to CTLA4 Selitsky et al., 2019  
Lung 118 Follicular CD20+ B cell and TLS density correlates with longer DSS Germain et al., 2014  
Oral cancer 65 TLS density correlates with longer PFS and OS Li et al., 2020b  
Ovarian cancer 172 Tumor-infiltrating plasma cells are associated with TLSs, cytolytic response, and favorable prognosis Kroeger et al., 2016  
Ovarian cancer 194 CD20+ infiltration improves the favorable impact of CD8+ T cells on DSS; tumors positive for both CD8 and CD20 TIL showed markedly greater DSS compared with those positive for CD8 TIL alone Nielsen et al., 2012  
Ovarian cancer 199 CD20+ and CD8+ immune infiltrates and the combination correlate with improved DSS Milne et al., 2009  
Ovarian cancer 135 CD20 infiltrate correlates with improved 5-yr and 10-yr survival Santoiemma et al., 2016  
Ovarian cancer, omental metastases 92 B cells support the development of antitumor immune response Montfort et al., 2017  
Pancreas 534 TLS density (H&E) correlate with longer DSS Hiraoka et al., 2015  
Several tumor types 3,485 B and T cell signatures correlate with improved OS in BC (821), lung cancer (267), and melanoma (329); BCR diversity associated with OS in melanoma (329) and RCC (461) Iglesia et al, 2016  
STS 496 and 47 B cell lineage signature associated with longer OS independently of T cell signature and PD1, PD-L1, and Foxp3 gene expression; TLS-rich group predicts PFS and response to ICIs independently of STS histology Petitprez et al., 2020  
Urothelial urinary bladder cancer 31 CD20+ B cells in follicle-like structures correlate with longer survival; B reg cells may negatively affect prognosis Zirakzadeh et al., 2020  
Cancer typeNumber of casesResultReference
Biliary tract cancer 323 CD20 and CD8 infiltration correlate with improved OS Goeppert et al., 2013  
BC 60 The B cell–attracting chemokine CXCL13 correlates with PFS long-term survival Gu-Trantien et al., 2017  
BC 1,200 CD20+ infiltration correlates with DSS and PFS Mahmoud et al., 2012  
BC 269 CD38+ plasma cells infiltration correlates with better disease-free survival, but not OS Yeong et al., 2018  
BC 489 Coexistence of B reg and T reg cells in TLS correlates with shorter metastasis-free survival Ishigami et al., 2019  
BC 728 B cell signatures correlates with improved PFS Iglesia et al, 2016  
ccRCC 526 (TCGA); 28 B cell lineage signature demonstrates no impact on survival; B cell signature correlates with response to ICIs Helmink et al., 2020  
CRC 107 B (CD20) cell and T (CD8) cell infiltration and B cell–attracting CXCL13 chemokine correlate with longer PFS Bindea et al., 2013  
CRC 351 stage II and III TLS density correlates with longer PFS in stage II, but not stage III, patients Di Caro et al., 2014  
CRC 557 CD20, CD138, and IGKC infiltration correlate with improved OS Berntsson et al., 2018  
CRC 316 High infiltration of CD20+ B cells correlates with improved DSS and slightly increases the prognostic effect of CD8+ T lymphocytes while having no prognostic effect on patients with tumors poorly infiltrated by CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes Edin et al., 2019  
Gastric cancer 59 IL-10+CD19+ cells are associated with shorter survival Murakami et al., 2019  
Gastric cancer 226 Majority of B cells in gastric cancer are located in TLSs and associated with better OS Yamakoshi et al., 2020  
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors 111 TLS density (H&E) correlates with longer OS and PFS Lin et al., 2020  
HCC 462 TLS density (H&E) correlates with longer OS and PFS Li et al., 2020a  
HCC 273 and 226 Density of mature TLS (H&E) and TLS signature associated with lower risk of early recurrence Calderaro et al., 2019  
HCC 120 and 200 CD20+ B cells located in the invasive margin colocalize and correlate with CD8, and a positive correlation is found between the density of B cells and OS or RFS; simultaneously, high densities of CD20+ and CD8+ cells are significantly associated with both prolonged OS and recurrence-free survival Shi et al., 2013  
HCC 112 Density of tumor-infiltrating CD19+ B cells correlates with superior survival; CD20 and CD3 correlates with high intratumoral densities of both CD20+ B cells, and CD3+ T cells had longer survival compared with those with low densities of both subsets Garnelo et al., 2017  
Head and neck cancer 30 Peritumoral B cell infiltration correlates with prolonged OS irrespective of IL-12 treatment van Herpen et al., 2008  
Lung 118 Follicular CD20+ B cells and TLS density correlate with longer DSS Germain et al., 2014  
Lung 138 TLSs are associated with good prognosis in untreated lung squamous cell carcinoma; corticosteroids may be detrimental to TLS formation Siliņa et al., 2018  
Melanoma, primary cutaneous 82 Mature DC/T cell aggregate density correlates with favorable prognosis Ladányi et al., 2007  
Melanoma 25 Frequency of plasmablast-like cells and naive B cells in pretherapy melanomas is higher in patients responding to ICB Griss et al., 2019  
Melanoma 164 CD20 and CD8 infiltration correlates with improved survival; a CD20+ and CD8+ cell combination is the best prognosticator of survival; TLS gene signature predicts prognosis and response to ICI Cabrita et al., 2020  
Melanoma 136, 28, and 21 B cell lineage signature demonstrates prolonged OS; CD20+, B cell signature, and TLS densities predict response to ICI Helmink et al., 2020  
Melanoma, primary cutaneous 98 CD20 infiltration associated with longer OS Garg et al., 2016  
Melanoma, primary cutaneous 473 Memory B cell score and increased clonality of the BCR repertoire are associated with longer OS; lack of an assembled BCR in pretreatment tumor tissues is associated with a lack of antitumor response to a CTLA-4 inhibitor; B reg cell score is associated with shorter OS and lack of response to CTLA4 Selitsky et al., 2019  
Lung 118 Follicular CD20+ B cell and TLS density correlates with longer DSS Germain et al., 2014  
Oral cancer 65 TLS density correlates with longer PFS and OS Li et al., 2020b  
Ovarian cancer 172 Tumor-infiltrating plasma cells are associated with TLSs, cytolytic response, and favorable prognosis Kroeger et al., 2016  
Ovarian cancer 194 CD20+ infiltration improves the favorable impact of CD8+ T cells on DSS; tumors positive for both CD8 and CD20 TIL showed markedly greater DSS compared with those positive for CD8 TIL alone Nielsen et al., 2012  
Ovarian cancer 199 CD20+ and CD8+ immune infiltrates and the combination correlate with improved DSS Milne et al., 2009  
Ovarian cancer 135 CD20 infiltrate correlates with improved 5-yr and 10-yr survival Santoiemma et al., 2016  
Ovarian cancer, omental metastases 92 B cells support the development of antitumor immune response Montfort et al., 2017  
Pancreas 534 TLS density (H&E) correlate with longer DSS Hiraoka et al., 2015  
Several tumor types 3,485 B and T cell signatures correlate with improved OS in BC (821), lung cancer (267), and melanoma (329); BCR diversity associated with OS in melanoma (329) and RCC (461) Iglesia et al, 2016  
STS 496 and 47 B cell lineage signature associated with longer OS independently of T cell signature and PD1, PD-L1, and Foxp3 gene expression; TLS-rich group predicts PFS and response to ICIs independently of STS histology Petitprez et al., 2020  
Urothelial urinary bladder cancer 31 CD20+ B cells in follicle-like structures correlate with longer survival; B reg cells may negatively affect prognosis Zirakzadeh et al., 2020  

ccRCC, clear cell renal cell cancer; DSS, disease-specific survival; ICB, immune check-point blocker; IGKC, immunoglobulin K constant domain; RFS, relapse-free survival; TIL, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes.

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