Predictive value of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes for neoadjuvant therapy response in triple-negative breast cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Table 2 Subgroup analysis examining heterogeneity among the included studies

Analysis	No. of studies	Risk ratio (95%CI)	I2 statistic (%)	P value for heterogeneity	Analytical model	P value for subgroup differences
Study design
RCT	5	1.42 (1.23-1.64)	41	0.15	FEM
Prospective cohort	2	2.24 (1.77-2.83)	0	0.64	FEM
Retrospective cohort	18	2.27 (1.84-2.80)	58	0.01	REM
Not reported	7	2.05 (1.77-2.36)	45	0.09	FEM	0.02
Cut-off
60%	2	2.01 (1.57-2.58)	0	0.90	FEM
50%	8	2.31 (1.95-2.74)	0	0.71	FEM
40%	3	3.06 (1.60-5.84)	78	0.01	REM
30%	3	2.33 (1.61-3.37)	46	0.16	FEM
20%	4	1.68 (1.29-2.20)	67	0.03	REM
10%	10	1.63 (1.24-2.15)	49	0.04	REM
Locations
Asia	12	1.90 (1.62-2.24)	46	0.04	FEM
Europe	11	2.07 (1.58-2.71)	77	0.01	REM
Americas	9	2.01 (1.76-2.30)	34	0.14	FEM	0.35
Sample size
n ≤ 80	16	2.62 (2.14-3.20)	35	0.08	FEM
n > 80	16	1.82 (1.56-2.12)	69	0.01	REM	0.04
NAT regimens
AC-T	14	2.13 (1.72-2.63)	56	0.01	REM
TAC	4	1.99 (1.43-2.75)	0	0.44	FEM
AC-T + targeted therapy	3	1.73 (1.12-2.67)	82	0.01	REM
AC-TCb	4	1.57 (1.31-1.90)	43	0.15	FEM
AC-T + Fu	2	2.75 (1.28-5.92)	0	0.61	FEM	0.02

AC: Anthracycline combined with cyclophosphamide; AC-T: Anthracycline combined with cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel or docetaxel; AC-T + Fu: Anthracycline combined with cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel or docetaxel, and fluorouracil; AC-TCb: Anthracycline combined with cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel or docetaxel, and platinum; FEM: Fixed-effects model; NAT: Neoadjuvant therapy; TAC: Paclitaxel or docetaxel combined with anthracycline, and cyclophosphamide; REM: Random-effects model.