Further, the IHC of TIME showed that, in two tumor samples, the patient with a relatively higher level of ZBTB9 (sample #2, Additional file 2: Fig. S2B) have a relatively low staining intensity of CD8A (although the IHC result of CD8A in sample #2 was positive too, the proportion of high positive intensity was still lower than sample #1, Additional file 2: Fig. S2D), and FOXP3 (Additional file 2: Fig. S2F), which was basically consistent with previous conclusions, a negative correlation between ZBTB9 level and CD8+ T and Tregs in TIME. This evidence concerns the gene ZBTB9 and neoplasm.