Spatial organization of neutrophil and macrophage populations in surgically treated hepatocellular carcinoma: a practical tissue-based immunophenotyping study

Background and aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a spatially heterogeneous immune microenvironment, but the compartment-specific distribution of tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs) and its relationship with systemic inflammation remain incompletely defined. This study characterized CD177-defined neutrophil populations and other immune components across HCC tissue compartments and examined their associations with peripheral neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR).

Methods

Paired tumor center (TC), tumor margin/interface (IM), and adjacent non-neoplastic liver (NNL) specimens from 28 patients with HCC were analyzed using immunofluorescence microscopy and quantitative immunohistochemistry. Total neutrophil elastase-positive (NE+) and CD177+NE+ neutrophils, CD8+ lymphocytes, CD68+ and CD163+ macrophages, and CD34+ microvascular density were quantified.