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BMC Cancer
Published in: BMC Cancer 1/2023

Open Access 01-12-2023 | Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors | Research

E-cadherin expression in the tumor microenvironment of advanced epidermal growth factor receptor-mutant lung adenocarcinoma and the association with prognosis

Authors: Yu-Ping Chang, Gong-Kai Huang, Yung-Che Chen, Kuo-Tung Huang, Yu-Mu Chen, Chiung-Yu Lin, Chao-Cheng Huang, Meng-Chih Lin, Chin-Chou Wang

Published in: BMC Cancer | Issue 1/2023

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Abstract

Background

The expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), E-cadherin, and vimentin in lung cancer tumor microenvironment is known to impact patient survival or response to therapy. The expression of these biomarkers may also differ between primary lung tumors and brain metastatic tumors. In this study, we investigated the interaction between these biomarkers in lung tumors with or without concomitant brain metastasis and the interaction with paired brain metastatic tumors.

Methods

The study included 48 patients with stage IV epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant lung adenocarcinoma. Sixteen of the forty-eight patients were diagnosed with brain metastasis, while the remaining thirty-two were not. All sixteen patients with brain metastasis had brain tumors. The expression of PD-L1, TILs (CD8+ T lymphocytes and FOXP3+ regulatory T lymphocytes), E-cadherin, and vimentin were evaluated using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining.

Results

Patients with brain metastasis exhibited a higher frequency of exon 19 deletion and uncommon EGFR mutations, a higher lung tumor vimentin score, worse progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) than patients without brain metastasis. IHC staining showed no difference between paired lung and brain tumors. Patients with low PD-L1 expression had better PFS and OS. After multivariate analysis, higher body mass index, the presence of brain metastasis, bone metastasis, and uncommon EGFR mutations were correlated with worse PFS, while the presence of brain metastasis and high lung tumor E-cadherin score was associated with worse OS.

Conclusions

In patients with stage IV EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma, high E-cadherin expression in the lung tumor might be associated with worse OS. Vimentin expression in the lung tumor was positively related to the risk of brain metastasis.
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Metadata
Title
E-cadherin expression in the tumor microenvironment of advanced epidermal growth factor receptor-mutant lung adenocarcinoma and the association with prognosis
Authors
Yu-Ping Chang
Gong-Kai Huang
Yung-Che Chen
Kuo-Tung Huang
Yu-Mu Chen
Chiung-Yu Lin
Chao-Cheng Huang
Meng-Chih Lin
Chin-Chou Wang
Publication date
01-12-2023
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Cancer / Issue 1/2023
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2407
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-023-10980-6

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