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Dias JM, Santana IVV, da Silva VD, Carvalho AL, Arantes LMRB. Analysis of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and PD-L1 Expression in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients in a Non-Endemic Region. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:11720. [PMID: 36233023 PMCID: PMC9569432 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231911720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate the status of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and the expression of programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in tumor samples from patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS Evaluation of EBV infection was performed through the detection of EBV-encoded small ribonucleic acids (EBER) by in situ hybridization, and PD-L1 expression was performed through immunohistochemistry. RESULTS In total, 124 samples were evaluated for EBER and 120 for PD-L1 expression. A total of 86.3% of cases were positive for EBER and 55.8% were positive for PD-L1. There was a correlation between EBER positivity and the presence of undifferentiated carcinoma histology (p = 0.007) as well as the absence of tobacco history (p = 0.019). There was a correlation between PD-L1 expression and EBER positivity (p = 0.004). There was no statistically significant difference between overall survival (OS) and EBER (p = 0.290) or PD-L1 (p = 0.801) expression. CONCLUSIONS This study corresponds to one of the largest cohorts of NPC in a non-endemic region. Phase III studies with checkpoint inhibitors are ongoing and may provide more data about the role of PD-L1 expression in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josiane M. Dias
- Clinical Oncology Department, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos 14784-400, SP, Brazil
| | - Iara V. V. Santana
- Pathology Department, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos 14784-400, SP, Brazil
| | | | - André L. Carvalho
- Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos 14784-400, SP, Brazil
- Early Detection, Prevention & Infections Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, 69372 Lyon, France
| | - Lidia M. R. B. Arantes
- Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos 14784-400, SP, Brazil
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2
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Jiang S, Li X, Huang L, Xu Z, Lin J. Prognostic value of PD-1, PD-L1 and PD-L2 deserves attention in head and neck cancer. Front Immunol 2022; 13:988416. [PMID: 36119046 PMCID: PMC9478105 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.988416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancer has high heterogeneity with poor prognosis, and emerging researches have been focusing on the prognostic markers of head and neck cancer. PD-L1 expression is an important basis for strategies of immunosuppressive treatment, but whether it has prognostic value is still controversial. Although meta-analysis on PD-L1 expression versus head and neck cancer prognosis has been performed, the conclusions are controversial. Since PD-L1 and PD-L2 are two receptors for PD-1, here we summarize and analyze the different prognostic values of PD-1, PD-L1, and PD-L2 in head and neck cancer in the context of different cell types, tissue localization and protein forms. We propose that for head and neck cancer, the risk warning value of PD-1/PD-L1 expression in precancerous lesions is worthy of attention, and the prognostic value of PD-L1 expression at different subcellular levels as well as the judgment convenience of prognostic value of PD-1, PD-L1, PD-L2 should be fully considered. The PD-L1 evaluation systems established based on immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are not fully suitable for the evaluation of PD-L1 prognosis in head and neck cancer. It is necessary to establish a new PD-L1 evaluation system based on the prognosis for further explorations. The prognostic value of PD-L1, PD-L2 expression in head and neck cancer may be different for early-stage and late-stage samples, and further stratification is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqing Jiang
- Department of Comprehensive Chemotherapy/Head and Neck Cancer, Hunan Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xin Li
- Department of Pain Management and Anesthesiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lihua Huang
- Center for Experimental Medicine, Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhensheng Xu
- Department of Oncologic Chemotheraphy, Affiliated Haikou Hospital of Xiangya Medical College, Central South University, Haikou, China
- *Correspondence: Zhensheng Xu, ; Jinguan Lin,
| | - Jinguan Lin
- Department of Comprehensive Chemotherapy/Head and Neck Cancer, Hunan Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
- *Correspondence: Zhensheng Xu, ; Jinguan Lin,
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3
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Zhang Y, Chen X, Zheng H, Zhan Y, Luo J, Yang Y, Ning Y, Wang H, Wang W, Fan S. Expression of cancer cell-intrinsic PD-1 associates with PD-L1 and p-S6 and predicts a good prognosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. J Cancer 2021; 12:6118-6125. [PMID: 34539884 PMCID: PMC8425204 DOI: 10.7150/jca.60739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Aims: Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) is the ligand of programmed death 1 (PD-1), which is a host immunity inhibitory receptor. Expression of PD-L1 in diverse tumor types has been widely discussed, while there is little research about tumor intrinsic-PD-1. Phospho-S6 (p-S6) is an important downstream effector in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Our study was focused on investigating expression of cancer cell-intrinsic PD-1, PD-L1 and p-S6 proteins and aimed to illustrate their relationship and clinical significances in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods: The expression of PD-1, PD-L1 and p-S6 proteins in tissues of NPC, non-cancerous nasopharyngeal epithelia, primary cancer and matching metastatic lesion was detected by immunohistochemistry. Results: Expression of PD-1, PD-L1 and p-S6 proteins and co-expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 were significantly higher in NPC (all P<0.05). The expression of PD-1 and co-expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in paired metastatic NPC were significantly increased (all P<0.01). NPC patients with positive expression of PD-L1 showed significantly higher overall survival rate (P =0.035). However, NPC patients with positive expression PD-1 and p-S6 showed significantly lower overall survival rate (P =0.031, P=0.044, respectively). Interestingly, NPC patients with co-expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 had lower overall survival rate (P=0.042). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis confirmed that positive expression of PD-L1 and p-S6 were independent prognostic factors for NPC patients. Conclusions: Expression of cancer cell-intrinsic PD-1 associates with PD-L1 and p-S6 proteins, PD-L1 might serve as a good prognostic biomarker, while p-S6 could be an independent poor prognostic biomarker for NPC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Zhang
- Department of Pathology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Xianyong Chen
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Xiangnan University, Chenzhou City, Hunan, 423000, China
| | - Hongmei Zheng
- Department of Pathology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Yuting Zhan
- Department of Pathology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Jiadi Luo
- Department of Pathology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Pathology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Yue Ning
- Department of Pathology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Haihua Wang
- Department of Pathology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Weiyuan Wang
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China
| | - Songqing Fan
- Department of Pathology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
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4
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Guo Y, Zhai J, Zhang J, Zhou H. NGAL protects in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by inducing apoptosis and blocking epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Oncol Lett 2020; 19:3711-3718. [PMID: 32391093 PMCID: PMC7204640 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2020.11527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has been considered to be a key molecule in different cancer types and its carcinogenesis may be related to the NGAL/MMP-9 complex. However, its expression pattern and role in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has rarely been reported. In the current study, 158 tumor tissues from NPC patients were collected and immunohistochemistry was performed to determine the NGAL protein expression, to investigate the correlation between its expression and clinical and pathological parameters using Chi square analysis. Furthermore, by over-expressing NGAL in NPC cell lines, biological alteration of NPC cells with respect to cell proliferation, migration and invasion was analyzed. Results suggested that high expression of NGAL predicts better prognosis and longer survival. Overexpression of NGAL significantly reduced the proliferation and migration of NPC cells, and induced the apoptosis by activating caspase 3, 8 and 9, and blocking epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2/3 phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Guo
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Heping, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Jianhua Zhai
- Department of Emergency Internal Medicine, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Heping, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Heping, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Huifang Zhou
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Heping, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
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5
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Gondhowiardjo SA, Handoko, Adham M, Rachmadi L, Kodrat H, Tobing DL, Haryoga IM, Dwiyono AG, Kristian YA, Mayang Permata TB. Tumor microenvironment predicts local tumor extensiveness in PD-L1 positive nasopharyngeal cancer. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230449. [PMID: 32191754 PMCID: PMC7082005 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor microenvironment have been implicated in many kind of cancers to hold an important role in determining treatment success especially with immunotherapy. In nasopharyngeal cancer, the prognostic role of this immune cells within tumor microenvironment is still doubtful. We conducted a study that included 25 nasopharyngeal cancer biopsy specimens to seek a more direct relationship between tumor infiltrating immune cells and tumor progression. Apart from that, we also checked the PD-L1 protein through immunohistochemistry. The PD-L1 was positively expressed in all our 25 samples with nasopharyngeal cancer WHO type 3 histology. Majority samples have >50% PD-L1 expression in tumor cells. We also found that denser local tumor infiltrating immune cells population have relatively much smaller local tumor volume. The inverse applied, with the mean local tumor volumes were 181.92 cm3 ± 81.45 cm3, 117.13 cm3 ± 88.72 cm3, and 55.13 cm3 ± 25.06 cm3 for mild, moderate, and heavy immune cells infiltration respectively (p = 0.013). Therefore, we concluded that tumor infiltrating immune cells play an important role in tumor progression, hence evaluating this simple and predictive factor may provide us with some valuable prognostic information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soehartati A. Gondhowiardjo
- Department of Radiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Handoko
- Department of Radiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Marlinda Adham
- Department of Ear, Nose and Throat–Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Lisnawati Rachmadi
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Henry Kodrat
- Department of Radiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Demak Lumban Tobing
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Dharmais National Cancer Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - I. Made Haryoga
- Department of Radiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Agustinus Gatot Dwiyono
- Department of Radiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Yoseph Adi Kristian
- Department of Radiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Tiara Bunga Mayang Permata
- Department of Radiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia / Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia
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6
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Wotman M, Herman SW, Costantino P, Tham T. The Prognostic Role of Programmed Death-Ligand 1 in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. Laryngoscope 2020; 130:2598-2606. [PMID: 32112431 DOI: 10.1002/lary.28523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is an immune checkpoint protein that may be a useful prognostic biomarker in nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC). The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate the relationship between PD-L1 expression and survival in NPC. METHODS PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from inception to present. A predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to select articles. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled for overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and disease metastasis-free survival (DMFS). RESULTS Eleven studies published from 2014 to 2018 were included, with 1,356 total participants. PD-L1 expression was not associated with OS (HR = 1.10, 95% CI: 0.79-1.55), DFS (HR = 1.66, 95% CI: 0.68-4.03), or DMFS (HR = 1.18, 95% CI: 0.44-3.20). CONCLUSIONS The prognostic role of PD-L1 in NPC remains unsubstantiated. Future research is needed. Laryngoscope, 130:2598-2606, 2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Wotman
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, New York
| | - Saori W Herman
- Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, New York, U.S.A
| | - Peter Costantino
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, New York
| | - Tristan Tham
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, New York
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7
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The ICOSL Expression Predicts Better Prognosis for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma via Enhancing Oncoimmunity. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 2020:9756732. [PMID: 31998801 PMCID: PMC6973197 DOI: 10.1155/2020/9756732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor with poor prognosis, high morbidity, and mortality. Currently, immunocheckpoint therapy has led to new treatment strategies for almost all cancers, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Inducible T-cell aggregation ligand (ICOSL) belongs to the b7-cd28 immunoglobulin superfamily, which is a ligand of ICOS, and also begins to draw attention for its potential usage in cancer treatment. Previous studies from our laboratory have suggested that ICOS expression in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes is correlated with beneficial outcome, but little is known about the role of ICOSL in NPC. In the current study, ICOSL expression in NPC tumor sections was stained by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and both lymphatic metastasis and distant metastasis showed decreased expression, which was negatively correlated with TNM stage of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Importantly, high ICOSL expression was significantly associated with overall survival (OS) in patients with NPC (n = 225, p < 0.001), and multivariate analysis confirmed that high ICOSL expression was an independent prognostic factor. Fresh nasopharyngeal carcinoma specimens were excised, and the specific expression of cytokines was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression level of ICOSL is positively correlated with interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) concentration in tumor tissues, which is characteristic of T helper 1 (Th1) cells. Knocking down ICOSL by RNAi did not influence the proliferation, migration, and invasion ability of NPC cells. Conclusively, ICOSL expression is associated with increased survival rate in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which may be a clinical biomarker for prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
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8
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Minichsdorfer C, Oberndorfer F, Krall C, Kornek G, Müllauer L, Wagner C, Fuereder T. PD-L1 Expression on Tumor Cells Is Associated With a Poor Outcome in a Cohort of Caucasian Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients. Front Oncol 2019; 9:1334. [PMID: 31850219 PMCID: PMC6895019 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2019.01334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is endemic in East Asia but rare in the western world. Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on NPC correlates with clinical outcomes. However, data for Caucasian NPC patients are missing. Thus, we performed this retrospective analysis for investigating the potential association of immune checkpoint protein expression with outcome parameters in Caucasian NPC patients. Methods: Fifty-five patients with NPC treated between 1993 and 2018 at the Medical University of Vienna were identified. After the exclusion of Asian patients, data on baseline demographic, tumor stage, overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) of 30 patients were analyzed. Their tumor samples were stained and scored (low vs. high) for PD-L1, programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1), lymphocyte activating gene 3 (LAG3), and cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8) antibodies. Statistical analysis was performed with Kaplan-Meier plots and log-rank test. Estimated hazard ratios of dichotomized analysis were calculated, together with 95% confidence intervals and p-values of Wald tests. Results: PD-L1 expression was ≥50% in 6 (20%) patients, whereas 19 (63%) had ≥1% expression and 5 (17%) tumor samples were PD-L1-negative. While sex and age had no impact on DFS or OS, <50% PD-L1 expression on tumor cells (TC) was associated with a significantly longer OS (log rank test p = 0.037; HR 0.275; 95% CI 0.073–1.03). There was no influence on DFS (log rank test p = 0.34; HR 0.599; 95% CI 0.208–1.728). However, <10% PD-L1 expression on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) was correlated with a worse DFS (log rank test p = 0.0057; HR 4.06; 95% CI 1.389–11.868). LAG3 expression or the number of TILs did not play any prognostic role in our population. Conclusion: The PD-L1 expression rate on Caucasians was comparable to that in Asian patients. Although these results have to be interpreted with caution due to the limited number of Caucasian patients available, our data suggest that ≥50% PD-L1 expression on TC is associated with a poor outcome, while ≥10% PD-L1 expression on TILs is correlated with improved DFS. A prospective biomarker analysis of a predefined Caucasian NPC subpopulation would be desirable in future trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Minichsdorfer
- Department of Internal Medicine I & Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Christoph Krall
- Center for Medical Statistics, Informatics and Intelligent Systems, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Gabriela Kornek
- Department of Internal Medicine I & Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Leonhard Müllauer
- Department of Pathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christina Wagner
- Department of Internal Medicine I & Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thorsten Fuereder
- Department of Internal Medicine I & Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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9
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Huang ZL, Liu S, Wang GN, Zheng SH, Ding SR, Tao YL, Chen C, Liu SR, Yang X, Chang H, Wang XH, Xia YF. The prognostic significance of PD-L1 and PD-1 expression in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer Cell Int 2019; 19:141. [PMID: 31139018 PMCID: PMC6530183 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-019-0863-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Whether PD-L1/PD-1 expression plays a significant role in the prognosis of NPC is still controversial. The present study mainly aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of PD-L1/PD-1 expression in patients with NPC. Methods A systematical research was performed in the PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases up to January 06, 2019. Eighteen studies met eligible criteria were included in the meta-analysis. Quality assessment of included articles was evaluated by Newcastle–Ottawa quality assessment scale (NOS). Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to elucidated the primary endpoint, overall survival (OS), and the secondary endpoints. Furthermore, the relationship between clinicopathological features of NPC and PD-L1/PD-1 expression was estimated by relative ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs. Results A total of 1836 patients from 15 included studies concerning PD-L1 and 678 patients from six studies regarding PD-1 were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled results revealed that PD-L1 expression in NPC did not correlate with OS (HR 1.34 95% CI 0.93–1.93, p = 0.11), DFS (HR 1.82, 95% CI 0.86–3.85, p = 0.12), PFS (HR 1.19, 95% CI 0.46–3.08, p = 0.72), and DMFS (HR 2.26, 95% CI 0.60–8.56, p = 0.23). Meanwhile, no statistically significant differences existed between the expression level of PD-1 in tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and the OS in NPC, with the pooled HR 1.29 (95% CI 0.68–2.42, p = 0.44). In subgroup analysis, higher expression of PD-L1 in immune cells correlated with better OS in patients with NPC, with a pooled HR 0.68 (95% CI 0.47–0.99, p = 0.04). Among the clinicopathological features included in our study, we found that the positive expression of PD-L1 in NPC associated with the higher expression of PD-1 (RR 1.25, 95% CI 1.02–1.52, p = 0.03). Conclusions Our meta-analysis indicated that higher/positive expression of PD-L1/PD-1 may not serve as suitable biomarkers for the prognosis of NPC, which was not in consistent with some previous studies about the prognostic value of PD-L1/PD-1 in other types of tumors. Despite the positive results in subgroup analysis and study about clinicopathological features, it may still need corroboration of prospective and large-scale studies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12935-019-0863-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Lu Huang
- 1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060 People's Republic of China.,2Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shan Liu
- 1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060 People's Republic of China.,2Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Guan-Nan Wang
- 1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060 People's Republic of China.,2Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.,3Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuo-Han Zheng
- 1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060 People's Republic of China.,2Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shi-Rong Ding
- 1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060 People's Republic of China.,2Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Ya-Lan Tao
- 1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060 People's Republic of China.,2Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Chen Chen
- 1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060 People's Republic of China.,2Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Song-Ran Liu
- 1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060 People's Republic of China.,4Department of Pathology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Yang
- 1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060 People's Republic of China.,2Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Chang
- 1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060 People's Republic of China.,2Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Hui Wang
- 1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060 People's Republic of China.,2Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun-Fei Xia
- 1State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060 People's Republic of China.,2Department of Radiation Oncology, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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Jia YQ, Yang B, Wen LL, Mu WX, Wang Z, Cheng B. Prognostic value of immune checkpoint molecules in head and neck cancer: a meta-analysis. Aging (Albany NY) 2019; 11:501-522. [PMID: 30668545 PMCID: PMC6366990 DOI: 10.18632/aging.101756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/01/2019] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint molecules are important targets in cancer immunotherapy, but their association with prognosis in patients with head and neck cancer is controversial. In this meta-analysis, we searched for 12 immune checkpoint molecules in the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library databases and retrieved 52 studies with 7127 participants. Among the molecules included in the search, indoleamine 2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO), programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), and programmed death 1 (PD-1) met the inclusion criteria for further analysis. Higher expression of IDO was associated with poorer overall survival in head and neck cancer patients (P = 0.011), but higher expression of PD-L1 correlated with better overall survival specifically in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients (P = 0.01). In a sensitivity analysis, higher PD-L1 expression correlated with better progression-free survival (P = 0.043), and was associated with better overall survival in Caucasian subjects (P = 0.02), nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients (P = 0.015), and studies with small sample sizes (P = 0.001). PD-1 had no prognostic significance. There was no publication bias affecting the results. Thus, among the immune checkpoint molecules, IDO and PD-L1 are potential prognostic predictors in head and neck cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Qun Jia
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510055, China
- Equal contribution
| | - Bo Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510055, China
- Equal contribution
| | - Li-Ling Wen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510055, China
| | - Wen-Xin Mu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510055, China
| | - Zhi Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510055, China
| | - Bin Cheng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510055, China
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The Infiltration of ICOS + Cells in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma is Beneficial for Improved Prognosis. Pathol Oncol Res 2018; 26:365-370. [PMID: 30361907 DOI: 10.1007/s12253-018-0509-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly malignant tumor, associated with poor patient prognoses, and high rates of morbidity and mortality. Currently, immune checkpoint therapy has brought new treatment strategy for NPC. The inducible T cell co-stimulator (ICOS) belongs to the B7-CD28 immunoglobulin superfamily, which is currently the subject of intense study due to great successes gained in treatment of different malignancies by disrupting their family members. However, the role of ICOS played in NPC remains poorly understood. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was stained with the ICOS specific antibody and ICOS expression is decreased in patients with either lymphatic or distant metastasis and inversely associated with TNM stage of NPC patients. Importantly, high ICOS expression is significantly correlated with overall survival (OS) of NPC patients (N = 185, p < 0.001), and ICOS expression is also proved to be an independent prognostic factor by multivariate analysis. Surgical excised fresh NPC specimens (N = 185) were homogenized to analyze the specific cytokine expression by ELISA assay. ICOS expression level is associated with increased cytotoxic T lymphocyte number and high interferon IFNγ expression, the characteristics of Th1 cells. In addition, the correlation between the percentage of ICOS+ T cells in tumor tissue and survival was detected. Conclusively, expression of ICOS is associated with improved survival in NPC and percentage of ICOS+ cells acting as Th1 cells in primary tumor tissue may be a clinical biomarker for good prognosis of NPC patients.
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Low PD-L1 Expression Strongly Correlates with Local Recurrence in Epstein-Barr Virus-Positive Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma after Radiation-Based Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2018; 10:cancers10100374. [PMID: 30304846 PMCID: PMC6211078 DOI: 10.3390/cancers10100374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The prognostic value of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is controversial, with previous studies showing conflicting results. Most NPCs in endemic areas are Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive. Our aim was to evaluate the clinical significance of PD-L1 expression in EBV-positive NPC. We retrospectively analyzed PD-L1 expression on tumor cells (TCs) and immune cells (ICs) by immunohistochemistry in 208 EBV-positive NPC patients who underwent radiotherapy (203 with concurrent chemotherapy). The percentages of TCs and ICs expressing PD-L1 were evaluated respectively. There was a strong correlation between local recurrence and low PD-L1 expression on ICs (p = 0.0012), TCs (p = 0.013) or both (p = 0.000044), whereas all clinical parameters had no influence on local recurrence. Using multivariate analysis, low PD-L1 expression on ICs was an independent adverse prognostic factor (p = 0.0080; HR = 1.88; 95% CI = 1.18⁻3.00) for disease-free survival. High PD-L1 expression on both ICs and TCs was an independent favorable prognostic factor (p = 0.022; HR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.24⁻0.89) for overall survival. We show for the first time that low PD-L1 expression on ICs and TCs strongly correlates with local recurrence in EBV-positive NPC patients after radiation-based therapy. A simple immunohistochemical study for PD-L1 can identify patients prone to local recurrence, and such patients might benefit from more aggressive treatment in future clinical trials.
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