Fig. 8

Tumors with high HIF-1α score notably associated with immunosuppressive phenotype and high non-response rate to immune checkpoint blockade. A Heatmap to exhibit the 18 immune-related terms in the three HIF-1α score groups. B Enrichment levels of MDSC, Tregs, Th2 cells, T follicular helper cells, and dendritic cells (Plasmacytoid, immature, and activated) in the three HIF-1 score groups. C Stepwise increasing portions of ICB-non-response HCC patients were found from low to high HIF-1α score groups. D Higher HIF-1α scores were found in ICB-non-responsive tumors when compared with ICB-responsive tumor. E The IPS-CTLA-4 and IPS-PD-1/PD-L1/PD-L2 were significantly lowest in patients in the high HIF-1α score group. F–K Higher HIF-1α scores significantly associated with higher PD-1 (F), PD-L1 (G), CTLA-4 (H), B7-H3 (I), CD47 (J), and CD80 (K) expressions in HCC. L–Q Tumors in high HIF-1α score group exhibited highest expressions of PD-1 (L), PD-L1 (M), CTLA-4 (N), B7-H3 (O), CD47 (P), and CD80 (Q), while those in the low-HIF-1α score group exhibited the lowest