CLDN18 and hepatocellular carcinoma: By applying the Multivariable Cox Proportional hazard model, we found that high CD8 + T cell infiltration levels predicted better survival in HCC with low CLDN18 expression (P = 0.0091, HR = 0.345), whereas high CLDN18 expression combined with infiltration of neutrophils (P = 0.0352, HR = 1.85), monocytes (P = 0.00729, HR = 2.31) and M1 macrophages (P = 0.00452, HR = 2.3) predicted poor prognosis (Fig. 7A-D).