Intratumoral T cells
tumor, tumors
TUMOR, TUMORS
ITCs were defined as T cells that shared the same clonotypes between pretreatment and post-treatment tumors. T cell clonal space was defined and calculated as the summed frequency of clones in each of the four respective groups relative to the total T cell repertoire. ITCs were ranked according to their frequency of 10The proportion of clonality and richness of ITCs between well and poor responders were compared by mean ± s.d. We further systematically evaluated T cell dynamics in peripheral blood from patients who had both tumor tissue and peripheral blood available at baseline, week 3 and week 6. Mean and s.e.m. were calculated at each time point. Circulating ITCs were defined as those that shared the same clonotypes between peripheral T cells and ITCs, implying that pre-existing ITCs also existed in peripheral blood. In addition, circulating ITCs were divided into circulating expanded and contracted ITCs; the former were defined as those that shared same clonotypes between peripheral TCRs and clonally expanded ITCs, suggesting that expanded ITCs also existed in peripheral blood. Circulating new T clonotypes were defined as those that shared the same clonotypes between peripheral TCRs and new T clonotypes in post-treatment tumors.