{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,30]],"date-time":"2025-07-30T15:58:38Z","timestamp":1753891118430,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,30]],"date-time":"2025-05-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1748563200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Immunol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein 1 (TIM-1) has been identified as a promoter of tumor cell viability, migration, and invasion. However, the precise role and distribution characteristics of TIM-1 within the tumor microenvironment (TME) remain critical areas of investigation.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>In this study, multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) was performed on tissue slides from 126 patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) to investigate the distribution patterns of TIM-1 and the prognostic significance of three TIM-1 positive immune cell populations in both the primary tumor and tumor-draining lymph nodes (TDLN).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Compared to the primary tumor, TIM-1+CD8+T cells and TIM-1+B cells exhibited significantly greater density in the TDLN (p&amp;lt;0.0001, p&amp;lt;0.0001 respectively). In the primary tumor, lower TIM-1+B cell density was associated with longer overall survival (OS) (mOS, 84 vs. 54 months; p&amp;lt;0.0001, HR=2.574) and disease-free survival (DFS) (mDFS, 53.0 vs. 23.1 months; p=0.018, HR=1.721). In the TDLN, lower TIM-1+B cell density was also correlated with longer OS (mOS, not reached vs. 64.7 months; p=0.0019, HR=2.3502) and DFS (mDFS, 68.5 vs. 28.9 months; p=0.016, HR=1.707). Higher TIM-1+B cell density in the TDLN was associated with a lower proportion of mature tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) (p=0.0009, r=-0.3990) and increased density of TIM-1+B cells in the tumor was linked to reduced CD8+ T cell density (p=0.016, r=-0.2788).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title><jats:p>Our findings confirm the immunosuppressive role of TIM-1+B cells in LUAD and suggest that TIM-1+B cells exert immune suppression by inhibiting TLS maturation and CD8+ T cell density. These findings highlight TIM-1+ B cells as a potential therapeutic target.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2025.1602868","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,30]],"date-time":"2025-05-30T04:13:01Z","timestamp":1748578381000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Distribution characteristics and prognostic value of TIM-1 in patients with lung 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