Study of the clinicopathological features of soluble PD-L1 in lung cancer patients

Takanobu Sasaki; Ryo Nonomura; Toshiharu Tabata; Naruo Yoshimura; Shuko Hata; Hiroki Shimada; Yasuhiro Nakamura

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Study of the clinicopathological features of soluble PD-L1 in lung cancer patients

VernacularTitle:Study of the clinicopathological features of soluble PD-L1 in lung cancer patients
Author: Takanobu SASAKI ¹ ; Ryo NONOMURA ² ; Toshiharu TABATA ¹ ; Naruo YOSHIMURA ¹ ; Shuko HATA ³ ; Hiroki SHIMADA ⁴ ; Yasuhiro NAKAMURA ⁴
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1. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan
2. Department of Public health, graduate school of medicine, Tohoku University, Japan
3. Department of Respirology, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan
4. Division of Pathology, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Japan
From:Journal of Rural Medicine 2023;18(1):42-49
CountryJapan
Language:English
Abstract: Objective: In recent years, an association between serum soluble immune checkpoint molecules (sICMs) and malignant tumors has been reported, which may become important biomarkers in the future. Although several reports have suggested a correlation between sICMs and prognosis, their origin is unclear. In this study, changes in serum soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) during the perioperative period and its origin were analyzed in patients with lung cancer.Patients and Methods: Patients with lung tumors (n=39) were included. Samples for sPD-L1 measurements were collected at five time points before and after surgery, and their changes over time were analyzed. ELISA was used to measure sPD-L1 levels.Results: Thirty-nine patients with lung tumors (31, males; 8, females; age, 74 (years) ± 7.7 (range: 51–89) years; malignancy/benign, 33/6) were enrolled. Eight cases of driver gene mutation-positive tumors were included. Twenty-eight (72%) patients were smokers, and their performance status was 0-1 in all 39 patients. PD-L1 TPS was ≥50%/1–49%/<1% in 8/10/14 patients. Stage I/II/III/IV/postoperative recurrence of lung cancer was observed in 21/0/6/5/1 patients, respectively. There were no significant correlations between sPD-L1 levels and clinicopathological features and no correlation with PD-L1 TPS. Comparing localized lesions (stages I–III) with advanced lesions (stage IV and postoperative recurrence), the distribution of sPD-L1 was slightly higher in advanced lesions, although the difference was not significant. No obvious changes in sPD-L1 expression were observed before and after surgery.Conclusion: sPD-L1 levels tended to be high in stage III and above lung cancer. There was no change in sPD-L1 levels before and after surgery. sPD-L1 levels did not correlate with the PD-L1 TPS.