The Association Between PD-L1 Expression and the Clinical Outcomes to Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Targeted Therapy in Patients With Metastatic Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Shin, Su‐Jin; Jeon, Yoon Kyung; Cho, Yong Mee; Lee, Jae‐Lyun; Chung, Doo Hyun; Park, Ji Young; Go, Heounjeong

Background. Vascular endothelial growth factor pathway (VEGF)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are used as the first-line treatment for patients with metastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (mCCRCC). Recently, programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) blockade emerged as promising therapy for renal cell carcinoma. However, the expression pattern and prognostic implication of programmed death-ligands (PD-Ls) in mCCRCC patients receiving VEGF-TKI remain unclear. Patients and Methods. PD-L1 and PD-L2 expression in tumor cells and the quantities of PD-11 tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes were immunohistochemically evaluated in 91 mCCRCC patients treated with VEGF-TKI, and their associations with VEGF-TKI responsiveness and clinical outcome were analyzed. Results. PD-L1 immunopositivity was observed in 17.6% and significantly associated with a high International Society of Urological Pathology grade (p = .031) and sarcomatoid features (p = .014). PD-L2 immunopositivity was observed in 39.6% and was not associated with any of the assessed clinicopathological variables. PD-L1-positive cases showed poor VEGF-TKI responsiveness (p = .012) compared with PD-L1-negative cases. In univariate survival analysis, PD-L1 immunopositivity was significantly associated with shorter overall survival (OS) (p = .037) and progression-free survival (PFS) (p = .043). Multivariate survival analysis revealed that PD-L1 expression was independently associated with poor OS (p = .038) and PFS (p = .013) in addition to tumor necrosis (p = .006; p = .029, respectively) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center score (p = .018; p = .032, respectively). PD-L2 expression was neither associated with VEGF-TKI responsiveness nor patients' outcome. Conclusion. PD-L1 expression was significantly related to lack of VEGF-TKI responsiveness and independently associated with shorter survival in mCCRCC patients after VEGF-TKI treatment. PD-L1 may have a predictive and prognostic value for determining the value of VEGF-TKI treatment in patients with mCCRCC.

SOUTH Korea; PROTEIN kinase inhibitors; ACADEMIC medical centers; APOPTOSIS; CHI-squared test; CONFIDENCE intervals; FISHER exact test; IMMUNOHISTOCHEMISTRY; LIGANDS (Biochemistry); METASTASIS; RENAL cell carcinoma; SURVIVAL analysis (Biometry); T-test (Statistics); VASCULAR endothelial growth factors; DATA analysis software; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; KARNOFSKY Performance Status; PROGNOSIS; THERAPEUTICS

Oncologist, 2015, Vol 20, Issue 11, p1253

1083-7159

Academic Journal

10.1634/theoncologist.2015-0151