PD-L1 Expression Confers Better Prognosis in Locally Advanced Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Clinical trials with therapies targeting immune checkpoint molecules have shown promising results in several tumor types. However, the predictive and prognostic values of these immunological factors for locally advanced oral squamous cell carcinomas (LAOSCC) remain unclear. Our purpose was to evaluate the expression and prognostic value of programmed cell death-ligand1 (PD-L1) and PD-L2 and to correlate their expression with the degree of infiltration by CD8+cells in LAOSCC.



A total of 84 patients with LAOSCC were included. PD-L1, PD-L2 and CD8 expression was detected in the tumor tissue using immunohistochemistry and was tested for correlation with clinical outcome.



PD-L1 and PD-L2 were expressed in 52.4% and 23.8% of LAOSCC cases, respectively. PD-L1 positivity was significantly associated with superior disease-free (p=0.024) and overall (p=0.008) survival of the patients and retained significance in multivariate analysis. PD-L1 positivity was correlated with CD8 density.



PD-L1 expression was associated with CD8+tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes and better outcome in patients with LAOSCC.
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, and Otolaryngology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan y_koga@saitama-med.ac.jp.
Yasunao
Y
Kogashiwa
Department of Pathology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan.
Masanori
M
Yasuda
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Japan.
Hiroyuki
H
Sakurai
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, and Otolaryngology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan.
Mitsuhiko
M
Nakahira
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, and Otolaryngology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan.
Yoshie
Y
Sano
Department of Surgery, Japan Community Health Care Organization, Nihonmatsu, Japan.
Kenji
K
Gonda
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Japan.
Tetsuya
T
Ikeda
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, and Otolaryngology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan.
Hitoshi
H
Inoue
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, and Otolaryngology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan.
Kiyomi
K
Kuba
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, and Otolaryngology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan.
Susumu
S
Oba
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, and Otolaryngology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan.
Junichi
J
Ishikawa
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, and Otolaryngology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan.
Yuichiro
Y
Enoki
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, and Otolaryngology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan.
Satoko
S
Matsumura
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, and Otolaryngology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan.
Kazuhiko
K
Minami
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, and Otolaryngology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan.
Yasuhiro
Y
Ebihara
Department of Head and Neck Surgery, and Otolaryngology, Saitama Medical University International Medical Center, Hidaka, Japan.
Masashi
M
Sugasawa
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D060890:B7-H1 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D061027:Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 2 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D060890:B7-H1 Antigen; C423236:CD274 protein, human; C556977:PDCD1LG2 protein, human; D061027:Programmed Cell Death 1 Ligand 2 Protein
PD-L1; PD-L2; head and neck cancer; immune checkpoint; prognosis