Objective:

To investigate the correlations of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features with axillary lymph node (ALN) metastasis of

breast cancer and the value of improving the diagnosis accuracy of ALN metastasis.

Methods:

The data of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and MRI characteristics of 348 patients with breast cancer were retrospectively analyzed

and the patients were divided into lymph node metastasis group and non-metastasis group according to the results of surgical evaluation of ALNs. The differences in clinicopathology

peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and breast MRI between the two groups were analyzed

and the independent factors of ALN of breast cancer were analyzed by logistic regression

and the diagnostic efficiency was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results:

Among the 348 breast cancer patients

103 patients had ALN metastasis and 245 patients had no metastasis; and patients with multiple lesions

positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)

Ki-67 proliferation index＞20% and lymphovascular invasion were more likely to have ALN metastasis (

P

＜0.05). The absolute numbers of total T lymphocytes and toxic T lymphocytes were decreased statistically in ALN metastasis group (

P

were 0.044 and 0.023

respectively). On MRI

patients with larger lesion size were morelikely to have ALN metastasis (

P

＜0.001); for MRI morphological diagnostic criteria

146 (42.0%) patients with suspected ALN metastasis were detected in our study

and the sensitivity

specificity and accuracy were 77.7%

73.1% and 74.4%

respectively. For diagnosis of ALN metastasis

the AUCs of the methods of clinicopathology and lesion MRI

MRI morphological diagnostic criteria and the combined were 0.761

0.755 and 0.851

respectively.

Conclusion:

The clinicopathology

peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and lesion MRI features were correlated with ALN metastasis in breast cancer

and clinicopathological and lesion MRI features are helpful to improve the accuracy of diagnosis of ALN metastasis.