Introduction. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic impact of intratumoral cytotoxic T cells, Natural Killer (NK) cells, neutrophils, and PD-L1 expression in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods. All patients diagnosed with high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) in Denmark in 2005 were included in the study. Immunohistochemical staining for PD-L1, CD8, CD66b, and CD57 was performed on tumor tissue from 283 patients. Cell densities were analyzed using a digital image analysis method. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Results. The median OS for HGSC patients was 30 months. It was 45 months in patients with high level of CD57+ NK cells (≥ 10 cells/mm 2) compared with 29 month in patients with low level (< 10 cells/mm 2) (p= 0.0310). The median OS was 37 and 25 months in patients with high vs. low level of CD8+ T cells (cut-off 80 cells/mm 2) (p=0.0008). In multivariate analysis, high numbers of CD57+ NK cells and CD8+ T cells remained independent markers of favorable OS, adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.67; p=0.041, and HR 0.72; p=0.020, respectively. PD-L1 expression was associated with improved OS (37 months vs. 22 months, p=0.0006), but was only borderline significant in the multivariate analysis (HR 0.77, p=0.061). CD66b+ neutrophils had no association with OS. Conclusions. In patients with high-grade serous carcinoma tumor-infiltrating CD57+ NK cells and CD8+ T cells had favorable prognostic impact, while PD-L1 expression had borderline favorable prognostic significance. CD66b+ neutrophils had no prognostic association. These findings may influence future immunotherapy development.
INTRODUCTION : The aim of the present study was to analyze the possible correlation between Natural Killer (NK) cell activity as measured by the NK Vue assay and treatment efficacy in patients with disseminated cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS : The study included four trials encompassing palliative treatment, i.e. one trial on prostate- and ovarian cancer, respectively, and two trials on colorectal cancer. The current results are based on 93 patients with mature data on treatment effect. Blood samples were collected at baseline and prior to each treatment cycle into NK Vue. Following 24 hours of stimulation the level of interferon-gamma (IFNγ) in the plasma was measured as a surrogate for NK cell activity. RESULTS : The relationship between NK cell activity and treatment response was similar across tumor types and treatment. The IFNγ either remained at or dropped to an abnormal level (<200 pg/mL) during treatment in group 1 (n = 35). In group 2 (n = 30) the level remained within a normal range (>200 pg/mL), while in group 3 (n = 28) it increased from an abnormal to a normal level. The response rate was 14%, 47%, and 82%, respectively, P < .001. The median progression free survival was 2.6 months (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.1–3.9), 10.0 months (95% CI 6.5–11.1), and 8.3 months (95% CI 6.5–8.7), respectively, P < .001 (log-rank). CONCLUSION : Patients lacking the ability to mount an immune response during the first 2 months of treatment have a poor prognosis, and their clinical benefit of the treatment is questionable.
Purpose: Biomarkers are needed to guide treatment decisions in recurrent ovarian cancer, as a high proportion of patients do not benefit from treatments. Data on immune subsets in patients receiving chemotherapy are scarce. We investigated the impact of T cells, B cells, neutrophils and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in ovarian cancer patients receiving palliative chemotherapy. Methods: Blood samples were collected prospectively at baseline in recurrent ovarian cancer (N = 72) receiving chemotherapy. T cells, B cells, neutrophils, and NLR were analyzed. Primary and secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and treatment response, respectively. Cutoffs for T and B cells were predefined. Results: In patients with low vs. high T and B cells counts, OS was 6.1 months vs 12.0 months (P = 0.017) and 6.1 months vs 12.0 months (P = 0.011, respectively. Low T and B cells analyzed as continuous variables were also associated with unfavorable OS, P = 0.011 and P = 0.007, respectively. Neutrophils had no significant prognostic impact. Median NLR was 4.1. High vs. low NLR was associated with poor survival, 7.4 months vs. 15.9 months (P = 0.012). In multivariate analysis including platinum sensitivity, number of prior lines of chemotherapy, and performance status, high NLR remained an independent poor prognostic factor HR: 2.17 (95% CI 1.21-3.88) (P = 0.009). High NLR was also significantly associated with lack of response, OR 0.15 (95% CI: 0.04-0.51) (P = 0.002). Conclusion: In recurrent ovarian cancer patients undergoing palliative chemotherapy, low T and B lymphocyte counts had an unfavorable prognostic impact. High NLR was associated with lack of response and a poor prognosis, and the parameter may be used in patient counselling and treatment decisions.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.