Brain metastasis PD-L1 and CD8 expression is dependent on primary tumor type and its PD-L1 and CD8 status

Abstract

BackgroundBrain metastases (Bmets) are frequent; however, limited data exist on the efficacy of immunotherapy in these lesions. The aims of the study were to analyze the immunohistochemical expressions of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and CD8 in Bmets and to compare them with their expressions in paired primary tumors, as well as correlate the results with clinicopathological features.MethodsThis is a retrospective study of 233 patients with Bmets and 111 paired primaries. Clinical, histological, and molecular data were recorded and compared with the immunohistochemical results of PD-L1 and CD8 expressions. The statistical analysis included χ2 test, Cramer’s V test, factorial analyses of variance, simple regression analysis, and Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank product limit estimation.ResultsPD-L1 expression was found in 23.6% of Bmets and in 29.0% of primary tumors with concordant expression between them in 75.5% of cases. Bmets PD-L1 expression was associated with primary tumor PD-L1 expression and the primary tumor type. Significant CD8 peritumoral expression was found in 68.6% of Bmets and in 87.7% of primary tumors. CD8 expression was concordant between primary and metastatic tumors in 73.3% of cases. Bmets CD8 expression was associated with primary tumor CD8 expression and primary tumor type. PD-L1 expression was associated with CD8 expression in both primary and metastatic tumors. The concordance between primary and metastatic tumor PD-L1 expression was independent of all factors studied. The concordance between primary and metastatic CD8 expressions was marginally associated to the time of Bmets development. No prognostic role for PD-L1 and CD8 expression in Bmets was found.ConclusionPD-L1 and CD8 Bmets expressions are associated with the primary tumor type and its PD-L1 and CD8 expressions. No factor predicts the discordance for PD-L1 expression, while time to Bmets development is associated with CD8 expression discordance.

PD-L1 Expression in Chinese Patients with Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): A Multi-Center Retrospective Observational Study

“…The expression pattern of PD-L1 did not differ from those of other sample tissues. A recent study reported concordant PD-L1 expression between brain metastases and primary tumors [47]. However, the prognostic role of PD-L1 expression in brain metastases has not been fully discovered although encouraging results suggest that immunotherapy may be active in the central nervous system (CNS) in NSCLC patients with high PD-L1 expression [48,49].…”

The Immune Microenvironment of Chordomas: An Immunohistochemical Analysis

“…Immunohistochemical evaluation for CD8, CD4, CD20, CD163, and PD-L1 expression by immune cells was performed, as previously described, in a semiquantitative manner: 0, no cells; 1, few cells (<10%); 2, a moderate number of positive cells (≥10% and <40%); and 3, abundant cells (≥40%). A binary system of low (scores 0 and 1) and high (scores 2 and 3) scores for CD8, CD4, CD20, and CD163 was used for further statistical analysis [3,11], while a system of absent (score 0) or present (score 1-3) was used for PD-L1+ immune cells. Immune cells were predominantly found in the peritumoral compartment, and assessment was performed for this immune cell compartment.…”

“…The tumor immune microenvironment has become a major subject of recent literature, revealing important pathophysiological pathways in various tumors [1,2]. Treatments intervening in the tumor microenvironment with the aim to boost the cytotoxic effects of patients' immune responses have gained great interest after showing efficacy in numerous malignancies [3]. Fewer data exist regarding the details of the immune microenvironment of sarcomas [4].…”

Autophagic Markers in Chordomas: Immunohistochemical Analysis and Comparison with the Immune Microenvironment of Chordoma Tissues

“…We evaluated the immune cells in a semiquantitative manner (0: no cells, 1: few cells (<10%), 2: moderate number of positive cells (≥10% and <40%), and 3: abundant cells (≥40%). This resulted in low (scores 0 and 1) and high (scores 2 and 3) groups for CD8, CD20 and CD163; and present (score 0) or absent (score 1–3) for PD-L1+ immune cells [ 17 , 18 ]. Quantification of the number of CD34+ and MECA-79+ blood vessels (vascular density) was performed on 5 high power 20× (1 mm 2 ) fields per section, and these were counted and averaged, as previously proposed [ 19 ] while their median value was used as a cut-off for the classification into two groups.…”