Cancer Management and Research (Dec 2020)
PD-L1 in Combination with CD8+TIL and HIF-1α are Promising Prognosis Predictors of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Abstract
Zihan Zhou,1,2 Dianbin Mu,3 Dexian Zhang,3 Xianbin Zhang,2 Xingchen Ding,2 Jia Yang,2 Xinbin Bai,4 Man Hu2 1Department of Oncology, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Pathology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Oncology, Jining Cancer Hospital, Jining, Shandong, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Man HuDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Shandong Cancer Hospital and Institute, Shandong First Medical University and Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jiyan Road 440, Jinan 250117, Shandong, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86-531-67626152Fax +86-531-67626153Email [email protected]: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognosis effect of PD-L1 in combination with CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) or HIF-1α in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).Methods: A total of 63 patients who underwent surgical resection were included in this study. The level of PD-L1, CD8+ TIL, and HIF-1α was determined by immunohistochemical analysis. The survival of patients was evaluated by Kaplan–Meier analysis. The prognostic power of these parameters was evaluated by C-index.Results: We observed that the survival of patients, who had a high level of PD-L1 in tumor cells, was significantly shorter than those who had a low level of PD-L1. However, the survival of patients who had a high level of PD-L1 in tumor microenvironment was significantly longer than patients with a low level of PD-L1 in tumor microenvironment. In addition, high level of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte or low level of HIF-1α level suggests a better prognosis. Moreover, we observed that PD-L1 in combination with CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte and HIF-1α could significantly improve the prognostic effect of current TNM stage.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the level of PD-L1, CD8+TIL, and HIF-1α are useful prognostic biomarkers for patients with HNSCC. Incorporating these biomarkers into current TNM stage of HNSCC improve the discriminatory capability of TNM stage.Keywords: PD-L1, HIF-1α, CD8+TIL, HNSCC, prognosis
