Expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 and clinicopathological and immunological characteristics in fumarate hydratase-deficient renal cell carcinoma
10.3760/cma.j.cn112151-20230905-00132
- VernacularTitle:延胡索酸水合酶缺陷型肾细胞癌中PD-L1表达及其临床病理免疫特征
- Author:
Shi CHEN
1
;
Chaoran BAN
;
Xinting ZHANG
;
Yupeng CHEN
;
Caihong REN
;
Hong CHEN
Author Information
1. 福建医科大学附属第一医院病理科,福州 350005
- Keywords:
Fumarate hydratase;
Carcinoma,renal cell;
GATA3 transcription factor;
Programmed death-ligand 1
- From:
Chinese Journal of Pathology
2024;53(2):155-161
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective:To investigate the expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), clinicopathologic features, immunohistochemical expression and molecular characteristics in fumarate hydratase (FH)-deficient renal cell carcinoma and to explore the potential application of immunotherapy in the patients.Methods:There were six patients with FH-deficient renal cell carcinoma treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University between January 2020 and October 2022. The clinical data, histological morphology, immunophenotype, PD-L1 expression and next-generation sequencing results were tabulated and analyzed.Results:There were 6 patients, all male, age ranged from 37 to 72 years (mean 45.7 years). Four cases were high-grade (WHO/ISUP grade3-4) with 2 or more histologic patterns, including papillary (most common), glandular, tubular, vesicular, ethmoid, nest-like, cystic and solid structures. Two cases were low-grade which showed nest-like, glandular, or tubular arrangement with eosinophilic flocculent cytoplasm and small intracellular vacuoles. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed strong expression of 2SC in all 6 cases, negative expression of FH in 5 cases, and positive expression of GATA3 in 5 cases. In high-grade cases, the mean values of CD4 and CD8 positive T-lymphocytes in advanced tumor invasion were 180.3/mm 2 and 130.5/mm 2, respectively. PD-L1 combined positive scores (CPS) were 20, 50, 5 and 30, respectively. The Ki-67 proliferative index were 20%, 20%, 10% and 30%, respectively. In low-grade cases, the mean values of CD4 and CD8 positive T-lymphocytes were 123.0/mm 2 and 100.5/mm 2, respectively. The PD-L1 CPS score was 1, and the Ki-67 proliferation index was 3%. High-throughput sequencing showed FH gene somatic mutation in 3 cases, FH gene germline mutation in 2 cases, and FH gene mutation was not detected in one case. Conclusion:FH-deficient renal cell carcinoma is more commonly high-grade than low grade. FH and 2SC are immunohistochemical markers used in the diagnosis of FH-deficient renal cell carcinoma, and GATA3 positivity is supportive of the diagnosis. The tumor infiltration of high-grade FH-deficient renal cell carcinoma shows an increase in CD4 and CD8 positive T-lymphocytes, and high expression of PD-L1; thus, anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy can be used as a treatment option.