CCL5 is a well-known chemotactic cytokine for T cells, monocytes and others, and CCL5 has been reported to attract CD3- and CD8-positive T cells into various tumours as well as NSCLC resulting in good outcome.27,28 Therefore, the results of our present study did support our hypothesis based on those of immunohistochemical analyses in clinical materials, i.e., an association of 11βHSD1 in tumour cells with the inhibition of recruitment of CD3- and CD8-positive T cells. Here, CCL5 is linked to neoplasm.