Prognostic Value of EGFR Mutation and ERCC1 in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Undergoing Platinum-Based Chemotherapy

Background

In order to improve the outcome of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a biomarker that can predict the efficacy of chemotherapy is needed. The aim of this study was to assess the role of EGFR mutations and ERCC1 in predicting the efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy and the outcome of patients with NSCLC.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study to analyze the relationships between EGFR mutations or ERCC1 expression and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with NSCLC who received platinum-based chemotherapy. EGFR mutation status was determined using the peptide nucleic acid-locked nucleic acid polymerase chain reaction clamp method, and immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of ERCC1 in tumor samples obtained from the patients.

Results

Among the NSCLC patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy, the median PFS was significantly better in those who had never smoked and those with exon 19 deletion, and the median overall survival (OS) was significantly better in those who had never smoked, those with exon 19 deletion, and women. Cox regression analysis revealed that exon 19 deletion and having never smoked were significantly associated with both PFS and OS. Subset analysis revealed a significant correlation between ERCC1 expression and EGFR mutation, and ERCC1-negative patients with exon 19 deletion had a longer PFS than the other patients; ERCC1-positive patients without exon 19 deletion had a shorter PFS than the other patients.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that among NSCLC patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy, those with exon 19 deletion have a longer PFS and OS. Our findings suggest that platinum-based chemotherapy is more effective against ERCC1-negative and exon 19-positive NSCLC.     

晚期非小细胞肺癌p53 和ERCC1 表达状态与顺铂为主的 联合方案化疗的近期有效率的相关性研究*

目的:研究晚期非小细胞肺癌不同的p53和ERCC1表达状态与基于顺铂为主的姑息化疗近期有效率的相关性。方法:对经顺铂联合多西他赛或顺铂联合吉西他滨治疗的48例晚期非小细胞肺癌患者进行回顾性分析,利用既往免疫组化资料,观察基于顺铂为主的方案近期有效率(RR)的影响因素及化疗不良反应。结果:全组48例患者均完成至少两周期化疗,并行疗效评价。该组患者化疗的近期有效率为28例(58.3%),RR与不同的转移病灶部位(P=0.042)及病灶数目(P=0.034)有显著差异。该类方案的近期有效率与ERCC1状态(P=0.012)密切相关,而与p53表达状态(P=0.401)无关。毒性反应主要是骨髓抑制、脱发及消化道反应等。结论:晚期非小细胞肺癌ERCC1阴性患者较ERCC1阳性患者运用顺铂为主的联合方案化疗的近期有效率较高。ERCC1可能是顺铂疗效预测的敏感因子。p53的表达状态可能不是该类方案的疗效预测因子。     

ERCC1和RRM1在非小细胞肺癌组织中的表达及意义

目的:观察非小细胞肺癌中ERCC1和RRM1表达,并探讨其临床意义。方法:选择本院及西安交通大学第一附属胸外二科于2013年1月-2013年6月收治的经术后病理证实为非小细胞癌肺癌患者40例作为研究对象,均采取免疫组化技术测定组织中ERCC1和RRM1表达水平,并分析ERCC1和RRM1表达水平与患者年龄、病理分期、是否淋巴结转移等相关因素之间的关系。结果:40例非小细胞肺癌患者中,ERCC1表达阴性28例(70.0%),阳性12例(30.0%);RRM1表达阴性9例(22.5%),阳性31例(77.5%)。ERCC1和RRM1表达阴性非小细胞肺患者生存期均优于表达阳性患者,均P0.05。患者非小细胞癌TNM分期及淋巴结转移转移情况与ERCC1及RRM1表达情况具有相关性,均P0.05。结论:非小细胞肺癌ERCC1和RRM1表达水平测定有助于预后情况,具有重要临床价值。     

Gene expression profiling of mouse embryonic stem cell subpopulations

We previously demonstrated that mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells show a wide variation in the expression of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM1) and that the level of expression is positively correlated with the pluripotency of ES cells. We also found that PECAM1-positive ES cells could be divided into two subpopulations according to the expression of stage-specific embryonic antigen (SSEA)-1. ES cells that showed both PECAM1 and SSEA-1 predominantly differentiated into epiblast after the blastocyst stage. In the present study, we performed pairwise oligo microarray analysis to characterize gene expression profiles in PECAM1-positive and -negative subpopulations of ES cells. The microarray analysis identified 2034 genes with a more than 2-fold difference in expression levels between the PECAM1-positive and -negative cells. Of these genes, 803 were more highly expressed in PECAM1-positive cells and 1231 were more highly expressed in PECAM1-negative cells. As expected, genes known to function in ES cells, such as Pou5f1(Oct3/4)and Nanog, were found to be upregulated in PECAM1-positive cells. We also isolated 23 previously uncharacterized genes. A comparison of gene expression profiles in PECAM1-positive cells that were either positive or negative for SSEA-1 expression identified only 53 genes that showed a more than 2-fold greater difference in expression levels between these subpopulations. However, many genes that are under epigenetic regulation, such as globins, Igf2, Igf2r, andH19, showed differential expression. Our results suggest that in addition to differences in gene expression profiles, epigenetic status was altered in the three cell subpopulations.     

HSP 27 as possible prognostic factor in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma

HSP27 belongs to the Heat shock protein (HSP) family, which plays essential functions in cells under physiological conditions and prevents stress-induced cellular damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the biological role of HSP27 in oral tumorigenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-nine cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma and 10 cases of normal mucosa were analysed for HSP27 expression by immunohistochemistry. Moreover, the western blot analysis was performed on two cases of normal mucosa and five cases of OSCC. RESULTS: Normal oral mucosa showed a suprabasal expression of HSP27. Twenty-four cases of SCC (30.7%) showed a diffuse staining for HSP27, and 48 cases (60.3%) showed instead a decrease in staining, which was diffuse, homogeneous, or with alternation of positive and negative areas in a single tumor ("mosaic" pattern). Only 7 cases of OSCC (7.5%) were completely negative for HSP27. Frequency of lymph node metastases was higher in HSP27-negative tumours (3/7, 42.8%) than in HSP-reduced (16/48, 33.3%) or positive ones (5/26, 19.2%). Regard staging, stages I and II had a higher score than stages III and IV (stage I > stage II > stage III > stage IV). There was also a statistically significant correlation between HSP27 expression and grade: HSP27 expression was reduced in poorly differentiated tumours (P < 0.05). When analysed for prognostic significance, patients with negative/reduced HSP27 expression had poorer survival rates than the group with positive HSP27 expression (P < 0.05). The statistical analysis of these findings showed no significant correlation between HSP27 expression, sex, and tumour size. CONCLUSION: Cases with reduced expression were more aggressive and poorly differentiated. These data suggest that HSP27 expression may be useful in order to identify cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma with more aggressive and invasive phenotype providing novel diagnostic and prognostic information on individual patient survival with oral cancers.     

Genes involved in phosphatidylcholine biosynthesis correlate with nuclear factor-κB in biliary tract cancer patients: Evidence from 1H NMR and computational analyses

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is an aggressive malignancy of gastrointestinal tract. Due to uncontrolled growth, GBC cells rapidly synthesize biomolecules including lipids. The lipids are integral component of cell membrane with a wide range of cellular functions. In this study, we measured the clinicopathological features in 40 cases of histologically confirmed GBC and 16 cases of chronic cholecystitis (CC). The female to male ratio in the GBC and CC groups were 3.44:1 and 2.2:1, respectively. The GBC patients exhibited well to poorly differentiated tumor. In the CC group, all patients showed cholecystitis with no evidence of dysplasia or malignancy. The majority of GBC and CC patients reported pain. Using ¹H NMR spectroscopy, we observed 4-folds increase in the level of choline containing phospholipids (CCPLs) in the gallbladder of GBC patients as compared to CC patients. Other lipid metabolites such as cholesterol ester, C18-cholesterol and saturated fatty acids were insignificantly changed between GBC and CC patients. Moreover, the level of CCPLs in the GBC patients with BMI <25 kg/m² was significantly higher as compared to CC patients. Further, a significant increase in the CCPLs level was observed in GBC female patients in comparison to CC patients. From the computational analyses, we observed that the genes involved in the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) indirectly interact with the RELA, which encodes the NF-κB p65 subunit. The genes involved in the PtdCho biosynthesis were also correlated with the overall and disease-free survival of cholangiocarcinoma patients. The study opens new window for exploring the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of CCPLs in GBC patients.     

卵巢癌组织ERCC1、Vimentin表达与临床病理特征及预后的关系分析

目的:探讨卵巢癌组织切除修复交叉互补基因(ERCC1)、波形蛋白(Vimentin)表达与临床病理特征及预后的关系。方法:选取2015年3月～2016年2月期间首都医科大学附属北京世纪坛医院收治的卵巢癌患者83例为研究对象,收集每位患者的卵巢癌组织样本、癌旁正常组织样本,采用免疫组化SP法对各组织标本中的ERCC1、Vimentin的阳性表达率、表达水平进行检测,并分析ERCC1、Vimentin表达与卵巢癌临床病理特征间的关系,并对患者进行统一的手术治疗,分析ERCC1、Vimentin阳性表达组与阴性表达组患者的预后。结果:卵巢癌组织的ERCC1、Vimentin的阳性表达率分别为54.22%(45/83)、69.88%(58/83),高于癌旁正常组织的9.64%(8/83)、20.48%(17/83),差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。卵巢癌组织的ERCC1、Vimentin的表达水平均高于癌旁正常组织(P0.05)。ERCC1、Vimentin的阳性表达率与卵巢癌患者的年龄、病灶直径、病理分型无关,而与卵巢癌肿瘤的临床分期、分化程度、淋巴结转移有关。ERCC1、Vimentin阳性表达组患者的无进展生存期(PFS)、总体生存期(OS)均短于ERCC1、Vimentin阴性表达组(P0.05)。结论:ERCC1、Vimentin的表达水平与卵巢癌的分期、分化程度、淋巴结转移有关,在卵巢癌的发生发展过程中起重要作用,ERCC1、Vimentin可能作为卵巢癌患者预后评估的参考指标。     

Detection of Core2 β-1,6-N-Acetylglucosaminyltransferase in Post-Digital Rectal Examination Urine Is a Reliable Indicator for Extracapsular Extension of Prostate Cancer

To identify appropriate candidates for aggressive treatment such as radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy of localized prostate cancer (PCa), novel predictive biomarkers of PCa aggressiveness are essential. Core2 β-1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-1 (GCNT1) is a key enzyme that forms core 2-branched O-glycans. Its expression is associated with the progression of several cancers. We established a mouse IgG monoclonal antibody (mAb) against GCNT1 and examined the relationship of GCNT1 expression to the clinicopathological status of PCa. Paraffin-embedded PCa specimens were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for GCNT1 expression using a newly established mouse anti-GCNT1 mAb by ourselves. GCNT1-positive tumor showed significantly higher Gleason score and larger tumor volume. The number of GCNT1-positive cases was significantly lower in cases of organ-confined disease than in cases of extracapsular extension. GCNT1-negative tumors were associated with significantly better prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-free survival compared with GCNT1-positive tumors. Multivariate analysis revealed that detection of GCNT1 expression was an independent risk factor for PSA recurrence. We established new methods for GCNT1 detection from PCa specimens. Immunoblotting was used to examine post-digital rectal examination (DRE) urine from PCa patients. Over 90% of GCNT1-positive PCa patients with high concentrations of PSA showed extracapsular extension. In conclusion, GCNT1 expression closely associates with the aggressive potential of PCa. Further research aims to develop GCNT1 detection in post-DRE urine as a marker for PCa aggressiveness.     

Examination of ERCC1 expression in lung cancer patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy

Platinum-based chemotherapies are widely used in the treatment of lung cancer. However, little is known about their effect in the expression of certain tissue biomarkers. We have studied the ERCC1 (excision repair cross-complementation group 1) expression in tissue samples of patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Fifty lung cancer tissue blocks of 25 patients (15 males, 10 females) were studied. They included 25 bronchoscopic biopsies (14 squamous cell carcinomas and 11 adenocarcinomas) together with their corresponding surgical biopsies after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Immunohistochemistry was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues to study the expression of ERCC1. Staining scores (0-300) were calculated by multiplying the percentage of positive tumor cells (0-100) by the staining intensity (0-3). All but one bronchosopic squamous cell carcinoma tissues (13/14) expressed ERCC1. Four of these cases became negative after neoadjuvant therapy, and in 8 cases the level of expression decreased. In the adenocarcinoma group all but one bronchosopic tissues (10/11) expressed ERCC1. Six of these cases became negative after neoadjuvant therapy, and in 4 cases the level of expression decreased. Comparison of staining scores before and after chemotherapy revealed more pronounced decrease in adenocarcinomas and in female patients. There was no newly expressed ERCC1-positive case in the surgical biopsy group. The results of the present study suggest that platinum-based chemotherapy affects the expression of tissue biomarker (ERCC1) which may have predictive value, and probably induces a selection of tumor cells with more aggressive phenotype. This knowledge might be of importance when designing treatment protocols for non-small cell lung cancer patients.     

The Prognostic Value of Excision Repair Cross-Complementation Group 1 (ERCC1) in Patients with Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) Receiving Platinum-Based Chemotherapy: Evidence from Meta-Analysis

Recently, the correlation between the efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy and ERCC1 expression in patients with SCLC has attracted wide-spread attention, and a lot of investigations have been conducted, whereas conflicting results were presented. Therefore, we performed the present meta-analysis of eligible studies to derive a more precise evaluation of the association between ERCC1 expression and the clinical outcome in SCLC patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy. A literature search for relevant studies was conducted in the electronic databases of PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science. The inclusive criteria were SCLC patients treated by platinum-based chemotherapy, and evaluated the relationship between ERCC1 expression and the clinical outcomes [including overall response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS)]. Odds ratio (OR) or hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to assess the risk. A total of nine studies including 1129 patients were included in final analysis. Our analysis indicated that positive/high ERCC1 expression was associated with unfavorable OS (HR = 1.18, 95%CI = 1.02–1.37) and PFS (HR = 1.46, 95%CI = 1.14–1.88). Subgroup analysis according to disease stage suggested the significant relationship was found in limited stage (LS-SCLC), but not in extensive stage (ES-SCLC). However, no significant association was found between ERCC1 expression and ORR. Our analysis suggested ERCC1 expression may be a prognostic factor in SCLC patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy, especially for LS-SCLC.     

Nestin 和SOX2 在皮肤恶性黑色素瘤中的表达及临床意义

目的:研究巢蛋白(Nestin)和SOX2在皮肤恶性黑色素瘤中的表达及临床意义。方法:选取2010年1月-2013年1月我院收治的恶性黑色素瘤21例患者(研究组),另选黑色素痣患者21例(对照组),应用免疫组织化学法检测Nestin和SOX2,并比较两组Nestin和SOX2表达,分析其与患者生存期和转移的关系。结果:研究组Nestin和SOX2阳性表达率显著高于对照组,两组比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);Nestin、SOX2阳性的恶性黑色素瘤患者生存期显著低于Nestin、SOX2阴性恶性黑色素瘤患者,两组比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05),Nestin、SOX2阳性的恶性黑色素瘤患者与Nestin、SOX2阴性的恶性黑色素瘤患者转移率比较无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:Nestin和SOX2表达阳性与恶性黑色素有关,且与恶性黑色素瘤的生存期有关。。     

ERCC1 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism C8092A,but Not Its Expression Is Associated with Survival of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients from Fujian Province,China

Esophageal carcinoma is one of the world''s deadliest cancers. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is more frequent than adenocarcenoma (AC) in China. Platinum-based chemotherapy with surgical resection is a common treatment approach for ESCC; however, the treatment response is uncertain. Evidence suggests polymorphisms in genes encoding excision repair cross-complementing group 1 (ERCC1), a protein involved in nuclear excision repair (NER), may help predict response to cisplatin and other platinum-based chemotherapeutics. Multiple ERCC1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been associated with platinum chemotherapy response. Two common SNPs occur at the C8092A and C118T loci. Our study aimed to determine if 1) an association exists between ERCC1 tumor expression and patient survival, 2) whether adjuvant therapy influence on survival is related to histological ERCC1 presence in tumor cell nuclei, and 3) whether other clinicopathological characteristics in a cohort of patients following surgery for various stages of ESCC are associated with tumor ERCC1 expression. One hundred eight patients were included in the study, and tumor biopsy was collected for genotyping and immunohistochemical analysis of ERCC1. Sixty-seven patients (62%) received no adjuvant therapy, and the rest had either platinum-based chemotherapy (28.5%), radiotherapy (6.5%) or both treatments (2.8%). Log-rank analysis revealed no significant connection between tumor ERCC1 expression (P = 0.12) or adjuvant therapy (P = 0.56) on patient survival. Also, non-parametric Mann-Whitney analysis showed no significant link between tumor size or nodus tumor formation and ERCC1 presence in patients in the study. Interestingly, C8092A SNP showed significant association with patient survival (P = 0.01), with patients homozygous for the mutant allele showing the most significantly reduced survival (P = 0.04) compared to those homozygous for the dominant allele (CC). Our results provide novel insight into the genotypic variation of patients from Quanzhou, Fujian province China.     

检测pT_(1-4a)N_(1-3)M_0期胃癌淋巴结微转移检测的临床意义

目的:探讨胃癌淋巴结微转移及临床病理因素对p T1-4aN1-3M0期胃癌患者术后5年无瘤生存率的影响。方法:选取我院2009年1月至12月期间胃肠外科单一手术组行D2胃癌根治术p T1-4aN1-3M0期患者63例1427枚HE染色阴性淋巴结,应用免疫组化法检测这些淋巴结中CK19表达,观察微转移的情况并分析发生微转移的胃癌患者临床病理特征及对患者5年无瘤生存率的影响。结果:临床病理分期p T1-4aN1-3M0胃癌患者中,经免疫组化染色,1427枚HE常规染色阴性淋巴结中CK19阳性表达率为15.49%(221/1427);63例胃癌患者中CK19表达阳性率39.68%(25/63);术后随访时间5.6~68.5月(平均时间43.88月),淋巴结中CK19阴性表达、阳性表达患者的总5年生存率分别为52.63%、28.00%;两者无瘤生存率差异有统计学意义(x2=8.677,P=0.003)。淋巴结CK19阳性表达与胃癌患者的肿瘤直径(P0.05)、浸润胃壁深度(P0.05)有关。COX生存回归分析显示淋巴结微转移为独立预后因素。25例患者发现淋巴结微转移并推荐再分期,再分期率39.68%(25/63)。结论:p T1-4aN1-3M0期胃癌病人,CK-19免疫组化法染色能检出常规HE染色阴性淋巴结中的微转移,有助于细化分期、判断预后及指导治疗。     

HE4、NF-κBp65和MMP-9在卵巢上皮性肿瘤中的表达及其临床意义

目的探讨HE4、NF-κBp65以及MMP-9的表达与上皮性卵巢肿瘤临床病理生物学行为的关系以及对患者预后的影响。方法应用免疫组化对80例卵巢上皮性癌、10例交界性上皮性肿瘤及10例良性上皮性肿瘤组织进行HE4、NF-κB p65及MMP-9蛋白的检测。结果 HE4、NF-κBp65及MMP-9蛋白的阳性表达率在卵巢癌组均高于交界性及良性肿瘤组（P〈0.05）。三个指标的表达与EOC的组织学分级、腹腔脏器及淋巴结转移以及PTNM临床分期有关（P〈0.05）;在EOC中,NF-κBp65分别与HE4、MMP-9的表达呈正相关（r1=0.673,P〈0.05;r2=0.775,P〈0.05）。多因素分析,PTNM分期、MMP-9的表达是影响卵巢癌术后患者预后的独立因素（P〈0.05）;HE4阳性组与阴性组5年生存率分别为12.7%和84.0%,MMP-9阳性组与阴性组5年生存率分别为8.7%和70.6%,差异均有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。结论 NF-κBp65可能通过上调HE4、MMP-9的表达促进EOC的浸润和转移,联合检测HE4、NF-κBp65以及MMP-9的表达可能作为预测和评价患者预后的生物学指标。     

SRC-1 and Twist1 Expression Positively Correlates with a Poor Prognosis in Human Breast Cancer

To evaluate the possible prognostic value of Steroid Receptor Coactivator-1 (SRC-1) and Twist1 expression in human breast cancer, we examined SRC-1 and Twist1 expression using immunohistochemistry on tissue microarray sections containing 137 breast cancer specimens. All patients were followed up for a median of 5 years following surgery. Survival curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazard regression model to assess the prognostic values. The results showed a positive correlation between SRC-1 and Twist1 expression at protein levels (P < 0.001). Also, SRC-1 expression positively correlated with HER2 expression (P = 0.024). The protein expression of Twist1 positively associated with lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001), but inversely correlated with PR status (P = 0.041). Patients with SRC-1 or Twist1-positive expression exhibited poorer overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) than did those with SRC-1 or Twist1-negative expression (P < 0.05 for all). In addition, SRC-1-negativeive/Twist1-negative patients had the best OS and DFS (P < 0.01 for both). In multivariate survival analysis, SRC-1 expression, tumor stage, and PR were found to be independent prognostic factors related to OS (P = 0.019, < 0.001 and 0.02, respectively) and Twist1 expression, lymph node status and PR were independent predictors of DFS (P = 0.006, 0.001 and 0.029, respectively). These results suggest that a combined SRC-1/Twist1 expression status could improve the prognostic judgment for breast cancer patients.     

ERCC1 expression as a prognostic and predictive factor in patients with non-small cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis

It is hypothesized that high expression of the excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) gene might be a positive prognostic factor, but predict decreased sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy. Results from the published data are inconsistent. To derive a more precise estimation of the relationship between ERCC1 and the prognosis and predictive response to chemotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), a meta-analysis was performed. An electronic search of the PubMed and Embase database was performed. Hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival (OS) was pooled in early stage patients received surgery alone to analyze the prognosis of ERCC1 on NSCLC. HRs for OS in patients received surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy and in patients received palliative chemotherapy and relative risk (RR) for overall response to chemotherapy were aggregated to analyze the prediction of ERCC1 on NSCLC. The pooled HR indicated that high ERCC1 levels were associated with longer survival in early stage patients received surgery alone (HR, 0.69; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.58–0.83; P = 0.000). There was no difference in survival between high and low ERCC1 levels in patients received surgery plus adjuvant chemotherapy (HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 0.93–2.12; P = 0.106). However, high ERCC1 levels were associated with shorter survival and lower response to chemotherapy in advanced NSCLC patients received palliative chemotherapy (HR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.39–2.22; P = 0.000; RR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.64–0.93; P = 0.007; respectively). The meta-analysis indicated that high ERCC1 expression might be a favourable prognostic and a drug resistance predictive factor for NSCLC.     

Computer‐aided assessment of the chemokine receptors CXCR3, CXCR4 and CXCR7 expression in gallbladder carcinoma

Gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is a vicious and invasive disease. The major challenge in the clinical treatment of GBC is the lack of a suitable prognosis method. Chemokine receptors such as CXCR3, CXCR4 and CXCR7 play vital roles in the process of tumour progression and metastasis. Their expression levels and distribution are proven to be indicative of the progression of GBC, but are hard to be decoded by conventional pathological methods, and therefore, not commonly used in the prognosis of GBC. In this study, we developed a computer‐aided image analysis method, which we used to quantitatively measure the expression levels of CXCR3, CXCR4 and CXCR7 in the nuclei and cytoplasm of glandular and interstitial cells from a cohort of 55 GBC patients. We found that CXCR3, CXCR4 and CXCR7 expressions are associated with the clinicopathological variables of GBC. Cytoplasmic CXCR3, nuclear CXCR7 and cytoplasmic CXCR7 were significant predictive factors of histology invasion, whereas cytoplasmic CXCR4 and nuclear CXCR4 were significantly correlated with T and N stage and were associated with the overall survival and disease‐free survival. These results suggest that the quantification and localisation of CXCR3, CXCR4 and CXCR7 expressions in different cell types should be considered using computer‐aided assessment to improve the accuracy of prognosis in GBC.