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Cancer Cell International
Published in: Cancer Cell International 1/2020

01-12-2020 | Melanoma | Primary research

A pooled analysis of the prognostic value of PD-L1 in melanoma: evidence from 1062 patients

Authors: Jing Yang, Meilian Dong, Yifang Shui, Yue Zhang, Zhigang Zhang, Yin Mi, Xiaoxiao Zuo, Li Jiang, Ke Liu, Zheyan Liu, Xiaobin Gu, Yonggang Shi

Published in: Cancer Cell International | Issue 1/2020

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Abstract

Background

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) was the first identified ligand of programmed death-1 (PD-1). PD-1/PD-L1 interactions inhibit T cell-mediated immune responses, limit cytokine production, and promote tumor immune escape. Recently, many studies have investigated the prognostic value of PD-L1 expression in patients with melanoma. However, the results of these analyses remain a subject of debate. We have therefore carried out a meta-analysis to identify the prognostic role of PD-L1 in melanoma.

Methods

A thorough medical literature search was performed in the databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase until October 2019. The pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated to evaluate the correlation between PD-L1 overexpression and prognosis. Publication bias was evaluated using Begg’s test and Egger’s test.

Results

Thirteen articles with 1062 enrolled patients were included in this meta-analysis. High PD-L1 expression did not correlate with overall survival (OS) (HR = 0.93, 95% CI 0.57–1.52, P = 0.781) or progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 0.82, 95% CI 0.43–1.54, P = 0.535). However, PD-L1 overexpression correlated with the absence of lymph node (LN) metastasis (OR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.22–0.95, P = 0.036). Further, there was no significant relationship between PD-L1 expression and sex (OR = 1.29, 95% CI 0.90–1.84, P = 0.159), age (OR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.51–1.57, P = 0.708), or Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.06–4.83, P = 0.592).

Conclusions

This meta-analysis suggested that PD-L1 expression did not predict an inferior prognosis in patients with melanoma. However, high PD-L1 expression was associated with absence of LN metastasis in such patients.
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Metadata
Title
A pooled analysis of the prognostic value of PD-L1 in melanoma: evidence from 1062 patients
Authors
Jing Yang
Meilian Dong
Yifang Shui
Yue Zhang
Zhigang Zhang
Yin Mi
Xiaoxiao Zuo
Li Jiang
Ke Liu
Zheyan Liu
Xiaobin Gu
Yonggang Shi
Publication date
01-12-2020
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Cancer Cell International / Issue 1/2020
Electronic ISSN: 1475-2867
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12935-020-01187-x

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