PD-1 high expression predicts lower local disease control in stage IV M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) play a critical role in tumor immune surveillance and immune suppression. Understanding tumor infiltrating T cell subset density, location and PD-1/PD-L1 expression might provide insight for the prediction of tumor therapeutic response and clinical outcome. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression and localization of CD8, FoxP3, PD-1, and PD-L1 in primary tumor tissues and their effects on prognosis of stage IV M0 locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients.

Sixty NPC patients with stage IV M0 locally advanced disease were treated with definitive chemoradiation. Tumor biopsies from primary lesion were analyzed for the expression and localization of CD8, FoxP3, PD-1, and PD-L1 by immunohistochemistry. Their associations with local disease control and survival of NPC were analyzed.

The average follow-up time was 43 months (range from 14 to 61 months). High expression of CD8^+, FoxP3⁺, PD-1⁺ and PD-L1⁺ was observed in 60, 86.7, 56.7, and 91.7% of patients, respectively. There was no correlation between clinicopathological features and the expression of these immune markers. High PD-1 expression was found to be associated with lower local disease control (5-year LRFS 23.2% vs 96.8%, p < 0.001) and unfavorable clinical outcome (5-year OS 47.4% vs 73.3%, p = 0.014). In multivariate analysis, PD-1 expression was also an adverse prognostic factor for 5-year OS (HR: 3.68, P = 0.023) and LRFS (HR: 16.89, 1.27–11.84, P = 0.007). Those with PD-1 distribution in both stroma and tumor region had the poorest prognosis. However, PD-1 expression has no significant correlation with 5-year RRFS (p = 0.980) and DMFS (p = 0.865). Patients with both PD-1 and PD-L1 high expression had significant poor local disease control (5-year LRFS 96.0% vs 43.0%, p < 0.001) and overall survival (5-year OS 80.8% vs 45.1%, p < 0.001) compared with the others. Other immune markers were not found having corrections with disease control and survival.

PD-1 high expression, especially with PD-L1 co-expression, is associated with high local recurrence and unfavorable clinical outcome for stage IV M0 NPC patients, and might be a potential target for immunotherapy.