Programmed death ligand-1 expression is associated with stage and histological grade of parotid carcinoma

Abstract

Background: The immune checkpoint ligand programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is expressed by various cancers, including those of the head and neck. However, the role of PD-L1 is still unknown.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between PD-L1 expression and survival rate in parotid carcinoma.

Methods: PD-L1 expression was investigated by immunohistochemical analysis in 127 patients with parotid carcinoma. The relationship between PD-L1 expression and stage, histological grade, and survival was assessed.

Results: PD-L1 expression was found in 28.3% of parotid carcinomas, with the expression being higher in tumors with a higher stage, a higher-grade, and node positive cases. However, the 5-year disease-specific survival rate was 82.2% for the patients with PD-L1 positive and 86.9% for those with PD-L1 negative tumors, showing no significant difference.

Conclusions: PD-L1 expression was positive in approximately 50% of high- grade carcinomas, which was similar to the level in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. In patients with other cancers, it has been reported that an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody was more effective against tumors with higher PD-L1 expression. Therefore, it could be a possible new therapeutic option for patients with highly malignant parotid tumors that have a poor prognosis.

Chinese abstract

背景：免疫检查点配体程序性死亡配体-1（PD-L1）在包括头颈部肿瘤在内的多种肿瘤中均有表达。然而, PD-L1的作用还不清楚。

目的：探讨腮腺癌中PD-L1表达与生存率的关系。

方法：采用免疫组化方法检测127例腮腺癌组织中PD-L1的表达。评估PD-L1表达与发展阶段、组织学等级和生存率的关系。

结果：PD-L1在腮腺癌组织中的表达率为28.3%, 发展阶段较高、等级较高、淋巴结阳性者的表达率较高。然而, PD-L1阳性和PD-L1阴性肿瘤的5年生存率分别为82.2%和86.9%, 无显著性差异。

结论：PD-L1在高级别恶性肿瘤中阳性表达率为50%, 与头颈鳞癌相似。据报道, 在其他癌症患者中, 抗PD-1单克隆抗体对PD-L1表达较高的肿瘤更有效。因此, 对预后差的重度恶性腮腺肿瘤患者来说, 这可能是一种新的治疗选择。

Keywords:

• Programmed death ligand-1
• parotid carcinoma
• prognosis
• histological grade
• anti-PD-L1 antibody

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest in relation to the contents of this article.