In contrast, among N1 and N2 patients, the densities of HIF-1α+CK+ cells, HIF-1α+CD4+ T cells, and HIF-1α+CD8+ cells in both the TC and IM regions were not significantly associated with NSCLC recurrence.<h4>Conclusions</h4>In patients with NSCLC, lymph node metastasis is closely associated with alterations in the densities of HIF-1α-related cellular subpopulations in the primary tumor. Here, CD4 is linked to metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.