With underrepresentation of elderly patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) in anti-PD-1/PD-L1 clinical trials, better understanding of the interplay of PD-L1 and tumor-associated immune cells (TAICs) could assist clinicians in stratifying these patients for immunotherapy. One hundred and one patients with LADCs, stratified by age, were included for analysis of PD-L1 expression and density of TAICs expressing CD4, CD8, and CD33, by using multiplex chromogenic immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays and automated digital quantification. The CD4+/CD8+ ratio was significantly higher in elderly patients. In patients <75 years, the density of CD4+, CD8+, and PD-L1 in TAICs showed a positive significant correlation with PD-L1 expression in tumor cells (TCs), while a lower correlation was observed in the elderly population. In the latter, a high CD4+/CD8+ ratio, and combined PD-L1 expression ≥1% TCs with a low CD8+ density, low CD33+ density, and a high CD4+ density correlated to worse overall survival. We identified differences according to age in the CD4+/CD8+ ratio and in correlation between PD-L1 expression and the density of TAICs in LADC patients. Distinct groups of tumor microenvironments had an impact on the OS of elderly patients with LADC.
Objectives
To share our experience with digital slide telepathology for intraoperative frozen section consultations (IOCs) and to describe its evolution over time by reporting performance metrics and addressing organizational and economic aspects.
Methods
Since 2013, a technician has been alone at the surgical site. At the other site, the pathologist opens the digital slide from a local server via the intranet. Three periods were compared: a 6-month period of conventional IOC (period 1), a 24-month period of telepathology at 6 months after implementation (period 2), and a 12-month period of telepathology at 3.5 years after implementation (period 3).
Results
In total, 87 conventional IOCs and 464 and 313 IOCs on digital slides were performed respectively during periods 1, 2, and 3; mean turnaround time was 27, 36, and 38 minutes, respectively, and there were a mean number of 1.1, 1.1, and 1.3 slides, respectively, per IOC. Diagnostic accuracy was achieved in 95.4%, 92.7%, and 93.9%, respectively, of IOCs (not significant). The additional cost is in the same range as the cost of urgent transport by courier.
Conclusions
Developing IOC with digital slides is a challenge but is necessary to optimize medical time in the current context of pathologist shortage and budget restrictions.
Our study confirms the feasibility and accuracy of WSI diagnosis, even for cases having multiple samples and requiring special staining techniques, such as immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization.
e20500 Background: Elderly patients have an eroded immune characterized by a progressive decline in immune surveillance that favors infection and cancer development. Tumor cells can escape immune surveillance by upregulating inhibitory immune checkpoint such as PD-L1. High expression of PD-L1 was reported in association with CD8+T-cell exhaustion and increased levels of CD33+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Although low CD4/CD8 ratio is associated with increased mortality, the status of the CD4+T-cells as a clinical marker of immunosenescence is less well characterized in the field of aging. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of immunosenescence biomarkers according to age in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and to evaluate them as predictive biomarkers of patients’ outcome. Methods: One hundred NSCLC patients, matched by age (50 patients < 70 years, 50 patients ≥70 years) were included. An automated 4-Plex optical IHC assay was developed on the Discovery ULTRA automated stainer using monoclonal antibodies PD-L1 (SP263), CD4, CD8, and CD33. The stained slides were scanned with Nanozoomer HT 2.0 Scanner, and analyzed with Calopix software. Results: The CD4/CD8 ratio and PD-L1 expression in tumor and immune cells were significantly lower in elderly NSCLC patients ≥70 years than in age-paired patients, while absolute count of CD33+ was increased. Patients with CD4/CD8 ratio higher than two, high PD-L1 density and low CD33+ frequency achieved increase in median disease-free survival. Conclusions: Distribution of PD-L1, CD4, CD8, and CD33 cells was influenced by age in NSCLC patients. The proportion of CD8 + CD28- T cells, CD4+ T cells and CD4/CD8 ratio may be used as predictive biomarkers of anti-PD-L1 therapy efficacy in NSCLC patients. The automated 4-Plex IHC assay together with its respective digital analysis could serve as a tool for further characterizing tumors and their microenvironment and provide a better understanding of which patients may benefit from immunotherapy.
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