Fig. 1

Evolution of immune components around FL-cells in the follicles during POD24. A The lymph node structure shows that areas between the follicular and peri-follicular boundaries were clearly displayed with SMA, vimentin, and CD21; B–C Cells were divided into 12 categories including four FL subsets (clusters 1, 8, 10, and 11), two subsets of CD4⁺ helper T cells (Th) classified by inducible T cell costimulator (ICOS) expression including ICOS⁻Th (cluster 2) and ICOS⁺Th (cluster 12), two types of tumor-associated Mφs (TAMs): CD163⁺Mφs (cluster 4) and CD163⁻Mφs (cluster 6), CD8⁺ T cells (cluster 5); normal B cells (cluster 9); and Tregs (cluster 7) and fibrotic reticular cells (FRCs, cluster 3) according to the indicated markers displayed by the heatmap (B) and t-SNE (C). D–E Pie charts of cellular components around FL-cells at diagnosis (D) and POD24 (E); F alterations in the frequency of immune cells surrounding FL-cells during POD24. G Heatmap of phenotypic alterations (left), and PD-L1/2 expression (right) in CD163⁻ macrophages during progression of disease within 24 months (POD24) in FL. H Heatmap of phenotypic alterations (left), and PD-1 and LAG-3 expression (right) in CD8⁺T cells during POD24 in FL. (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ordinate represent “Expression Arcsin Ratio to Ctrl,” which were calculated as follows: (Arcsin of POD24 – arcsin of primary)/Arcsin of primary