Fig. 3

Kaplan–Meier curves for OS and RFS of LSCC cohort (n = 80). A and B Patients with positive TS CD68⁺iNOS⁺ M1 TAM showed higher OS (p-value = 0.0585) and RFS (p-value = 0.0303) than those with negative TS CD68⁺iNOS⁺ M1 infiltration; C and D Patients with positive TN CD68⁺CD206⁺ M2 TAM showed significantly worse OS (p-value < 0.0001) and RFS (p-value < 0.0001) outcome than those with no TN CD68⁺CD206⁺ M2 infiltration; E and F Patients with high TS CD68⁺CD206⁺ M2 TAM infiltrating level showed worst OS and RFS outcome among all patients, significantly worse than those of no and low TS CD68⁺CD206⁺ M2 infiltration (p-value < 0.0001, respectively); G and H Validation cohort using maximum IHC section of whole LSCC tumor tissue. G Representative CD68 and CD206, CD68 and iNOS IHC staining image in IHC serial section of LSCC tissues with different recurrence-free survival outcomes; H Patients who suffered from tumor recurrence within one year showed significantly higher CD68⁺CD206⁺ M2 high-infiltration rate than those who showed no tumor recurrence five years after initial surgery (p-value = 0.035). OS, Overall survival; RFS, Recurrence-free survival; TS, Tumor stroma; TN, Tumor nest; IHC, Immunohistochemical. OS and RFS rates were calculated according to the Kaplan–Meier method, and statistical differences between the different groups were calculated using the log-rank test