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BMC Cancer
Published in: BMC Cancer 1/2024

Open Access 01-12-2024 | Metastasis | Research

Role of stromal PD-L1 expression in colorectal liver metastasis

Authors: Chie Takasu, Yuji Morine, Kozo Yoshikawa, Toshihiro Nakao, Takuya Tokunaga, Masaaki Nishi, Hideya Kashihara, Yuma Wada, Toshiaki Yoshimoto, Mitsuo Shimada

Published in: BMC Cancer | Issue 1/2024

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Abstract

Background and Aim

The outcomes of immune checkpoint blockade for colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment are unsatisfactory. Furthermore, the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade for liver metastasis of various cancer is poor. Here, we investigated the relationship between stromal programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM).

Methods

The present study enrolled 84 CRLM patients who underwent surgery (R0) for CRC. Immunohistochemistry was performed to analyze stromal PD-L1 expression in CRLM.

Results

Stromal PD-L1 was expressed in 52.3% of CRLM samples, which was associated with fewer not optimally resectable metastases (p = 0.04). Stromal PD-L1 also tended to associate with a lower tumor grade (p = 0.08). Stromal PD-L1-positive patients had longer overall survival (p = 0.003). Multivariate analysis identified stromal PD-L1 expression (p = 0.008) and poorer differentiation (p < 0.001) as independent prognostic indicators. Furthermore, stromal PD-L1 expression was correlated to a high number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Stromal PD-L1– and low TIL groups had shorter OS than stromal PD-L1 + and high TIL groups (46.6% vs. 81.8%, p = 0.05) Stromal PD-L1-positive patients had longer disease-free survival (DFS) (p = 0.03) and time to surgical failure (p = 0.001). Interestingly, stromal PD-L1 expression was positively related to the desmoplastic subtype (p = 0.0002) and inversely related to the replacement subtype of the histological growth pattern (p = 0.008).

Conclusions

Stromal PD-L1 expression may be a significant prognostic marker for CRLM.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Role of stromal PD-L1 expression in colorectal liver metastasis
Authors
Chie Takasu
Yuji Morine
Kozo Yoshikawa
Toshihiro Nakao
Takuya Tokunaga
Masaaki Nishi
Hideya Kashihara
Yuma Wada
Toshiaki Yoshimoto
Mitsuo Shimada
Publication date
01-12-2024
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Cancer / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2407
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-024-11869-8

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