Academic Editor: Ambrogio Pietro Londero
Background: In breast cancer, research concerning programmed
death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) on circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is limited. Besides, the
best cell type for determining the prognostic and predictive values of PD-L1 has
not been established. This study investigated associations between PD-L1 on tumor
cells (TCs), CTCs, and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs), respectively, and
prognosis and clinicopathological features in breast cancer. Methods:
Twenty patients with breast cancer were recruited; one was excluded for confirmed
lymphoma. The PD-L1 on TCs and TIICs was determined via immunohistochemistry;
PD-L1 mRNA expression on CTCs was analyzed. The chi-squared test and Kaplan-Meier
and Cox proportional hazards model analyses were applied. Results: The
median follow-up time was 60 months. Of the 19 patients, 14 had