IMR Press / CEOG / Volume 49 / Issue 11 / DOI: 10.31083/j.ceog4911249
Open Access Original Research
PD-L1 on Circulating Tumor Cells Indicates Poor Prognosis in Breast Cancer
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1 Breast Surgery Department, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Peking Union Medical College and Hospital, 100730 Beijing, China
2 Department of Thoracic Surgery, National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, 100021 Beijing, China
3 Molecular Pathology Research Center, Department of Pathology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 100730 Beijing, China
*Correspondence: sunqiangpumc2020@sina.com (Qiang Sun)
Academic Editor: Ambrogio Pietro Londero
Clin. Exp. Obstet. Gynecol. 2022, 49(11), 249; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.ceog4911249
Submitted: 8 June 2022 | Revised: 25 July 2022 | Accepted: 8 August 2022 | Published: 11 November 2022
Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

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 >1 CTC/10 mL peripheral blood. Among these, each had 1 CTC showing PD-L1. At baseline, there was no difference between groups with or without metastasis regarding CTCs and PD-L1 expression. Patients with high PD-L1 levels on CTCs had poor overall survival (p = 0.034). In the multivariate analysis, PD-L1 levels on CTCs and T stage were independent prognostic factors (p = 0.029, 0.010, respectively). Conclusions: High levels of PD-L1 on CTCs may prognose shorter overall survival in breast cancer.

Keywords
breast cancer
programmed-cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1)
overall survival
circulating tumor cell
Funding
2019Z/Tsinghua University-Peking Union Medical College Hospital Initiative Scientific Research Program
3332021012/Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
2021-I2M-C&T-B-018/CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (CIFMS)
Figures
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