Programmed death ligand-1 expression is associated with poor disease free survival in salivary gland carcinomas.
OBJECTIVE
The immune checkpoint ligand programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is expressed in various carcinomas and allows carcinoma cells to elude the immune system. PD-L1 expression is associated with the response to anti-programmed death 1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 drugs. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between PD-L1 expression and clinicopathological factors of salivary gland carcinomas (SGCs) and identify its clinical significance.


METHODS
PD-L1 expression was examined by immunohistochemical analysis using a tissue microarray comprised of 219 surgically resected SGC specimens. Detailed clinicopathological factors, including patient outcome, were available for all cases.


RESULTS
A case showing complete membranous expression of PD-L1 in more than 1% of whole carcinoma cells was considered positive by ROC analysis. A total of 50 (22.8%) patients showed PD-L1 expression in SGC cells. Positive PD-L1 expression was significantly associated with poor disease free survival (P < 0.001) and overall survival (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that positive PD-L1 expression was one of the independent predictors for poor disease free survival (hazard ratio = 2.287, 95% confidence interval = 1.24-4.15; P = 0.008).


CONCLUSIONS
Positive PD-L1 expression was significantly associated with poor disease free survival of SGCs, suggesting that antibody therapies targeting PD-1/PD-L1 may have potential application in SGCs. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;114:36-43. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan.|Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ehime University School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan.
Takashi
T
Mukaigawa
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan.
Ryuichi
R
Hayashi
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan.
Kazuki
K
Hashimoto
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ehime University School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan.
Toru
T
Ugumori
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Ehime University School of Medicine, Toon, Ehime, Japan.
Naohito
N
Hato
Division of Pathology, Exploratory Oncology Research and Clinical Trial Center, National Cancer Center, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan.
Satoshi
S
Fujii
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C423236:CD274 protein, human
immunotherapy; prognosis; programmed death 1 (PD-1); programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1); salivary gland carcinoma