title: Immune checkpoints in aggressive breast cancer subtypes.
abstract: Immune checkpoints are molecules referred to inhibitory pathways in the immune system that play a pivotal role in prevention of autoimmunity and oncogenesis. The aim of the study was to evaluate expression levels of selected immune checkpoints- PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1), and PD-L1 (programmed cell death 1 ligand 1) in breast cancer patients, suitable for breast conservation and sentinel node biopsy and determine their associations with clinicopathological factors.Expression of the genes coding for PD-1 and PD-L1 was analyzed in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens using real-time PCR. mRNA expression levels were determined using beta actin (ACTB) as an endogenous control. There was a trend towards significance between higher PD-1 and PD-L1 levels in triple negative breast cancers (p=0.1). Higher PD-L1 expression was also found in aggressive breast cancer subtypes e.g. triple negative and HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) -positive as compared with subtypes with better prognosis such as luminal A and luminal BHER2-negative (p=0.05). There was a trend towards significance in higher PD-1 levels in triple negative and HER-2 positive breast cancers (p=0.1). A statistically significant difference was found between PD-L1 expression and tumor grade (p=0.01). Elevated PD-L1 levels were noted in G3 tumors. Immunogenicity appears to be gaining importance in triple negative and HER2-positive molecular subtypes of breast cancer, and the results in this study provide a basis for further investigation into the role of immune checkpoints in breast cancer.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zawlik
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gablo
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Szymanska
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pawlowska
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chudobinski
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chalubinska-Fendler
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Morawiec
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zielinska-Blizniewska
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morawiec-Sztandera
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kolacinska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D064726:Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D061026:Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C423236:CD274 protein, human; C105992:PDCD1 protein, human; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human
keywords: PD-1; PD-L1.; breast cancer; immune checkpoints