Relationship between PD-L1 expression, CD8+ T-cell infiltration and prognosis in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients

Cancer Cell International

Xu Fu¹  Yu-Dong Qiu¹  Xiao-Peng Yan¹  Min Deng²  Shao-Hua Li²  Rong-Ping Guo²  Jun Chen³ 

[1] Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, 321 Zhong-Shan Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China;Department of Liver Surgery, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng East Road, Guangzhou, China;State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangzhou, China;Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China;Department of Pathology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China;

关键词: Intrahepatic;    Cholangiocarcinoma;    Programmed death-ligand 1;    CD8+ T cell;    Prognosis;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12935-021-02081-w

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundProgrammed death- ligand 1 (PD-L1) seems to be associated with the immune escape of tumors, and immunotherapy may be a favorable treatment for PD-L1-positive patients. We evaluated intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) specimens for their expression of PD-L1, infiltration of CD8+ T cells, and the relationship between these factors and patient survival.MethodsIn total, 69 resections of ICC were stained by immunohistochemistry for PD-L1, programmed death factor-1 (PD-1), and CD8+ T cells. CD8+ T-cell densities were analyzed both within tumors and at the tumor-stromal interface. Patient survival was predicted based on the PD-L1 status and CD8+ T-cell density.ResultsThe expression rate of PD-L1 was 12% in cancer cells and 51% in interstitial cells. The expression rate of PD-1 was 30%, and the number of CD8+ T-cells increased with the increase of PD-L1 expression (p < 0.05). The expression of PD-L1 in the tumor was correlated with poor overall survival(OS) (p = 0.004), and the number of tumor and interstitial CD8+ T-cells was correlated with poor OS and disease-free survival (DFS) (All p < 0.001).ConclusionsThe expression of PD-L1 in the tumor is related to poor OS, and the number of tumor or interstitial CD8+ T-cells is related to poor OS and DFS. For patients who lose their chance of surgery, PD-L1 immunosuppressive therapy may be the focus of future research as a potential treatment.

【 授权许可】

CC BY