Association of PD-L1 and HIF-1α Coexpression with Poor Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Association of PD-L1 and HIF-1α Coexpression with Poor Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Transl Oncol. 2018 Mar 08;11(2):559-566

Authors: Dai X, Pi G, Yang SL, Chen GG, Liu LP, Dong HH

Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between the expression of PD-L1 and HIF-1α in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue and further analyze the association with clinical parameters and the prognostic value of coexpression in HCC patients.
METHODS: We assessed the expression of PD-L1 and HIF-1α by immunohistochemistry in tumor tissue from 90 HCC patients who underwent curative hepatectomy. The results were validated in an independent cohort of additional 90 HCC patients.
RESULTS: PD-L1 and HIF-1α exhibited in tumor tissue high expression rates of 41.11% (37/90) and 43.33% (43/90), respectively, and their expressions were positively correlated (r = 0.563, P < .01). High expression of PD-L1 was significantly associated with low albumin levels (P < .05); high expression of HIF-1α was significantly correlated with high alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels and low albumin levels (P < .05); high expression of both PD-L1 and HIF-1α was also significantly associated with high AFP levels and low albumin levels (P < .05). High expression of PD-L1, HIF-1α, as well as both PD-L1 and HIF-1 α was respectively significantly associated with worse overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) (P < .05). Patients with co-overexpression of PD-L1 and HIF-1α had the worst prognosis compared with other groups. Additionally, multivariate Cox regression models suggested that high expression of PD-L1, HIF-1α, as well as both PD-L1 and HIF-1α was an independent prognostic factor for OS and DFS (P < .05). Furthermore, the positive correlation and prognostic values of PD-L1 and HIF-1α were validated in an independent data set.
CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that HCC patients with co-overexpression of PD-L1 and HIF-1α in tumor tissue had a significantly higher risk of recurrence or metastasis and death compared with others. Therefore, more frequent follow-up is needed for patients with co-overexpression of PD-L1 and HIF-1α. At the same time, a combinational therapy with HIF-1α inhibitors in conjunction with PD-L1 blockade may be beneficial for HCC patients with co-overexpression in the future.

PMID: 29525633 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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