Abstract:
Objective To investigate prognostic factors related to different histological subtypes, airway spread, pleural invasion, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein expression, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Methods Clinicopathological data of 233 patients with lung adenocarcinoma confirmed based on pathology findings in The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2018 to December 2020 were collected. Combined with the morphological characteristics observed on H & E sections using light microscopy, the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) (PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx) in lung cancer tissue was observed using immunohistochemical staining, and the EGFR gene fragment was detected using the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS).
Results PD-L1 expression was positive in 89 patients with lung adenocarcinoma (38.2%). The positive rate was higher in males; those aged ≥65 years; and those with poor differentiation, maximum tumor diameter ≥2cm, lymph node metastasis, airway spread, and pleural vascular invasion (P<0.05). The positive rate of EGFR mutation was 70.8%, which was significantly correlated with sex (P<0.05). Furthermore, PD-L1 expression and EGFR mutation double positive or double negative were significantly correlated with the invasive ability of tumors (P<0.05). PD-L1 expression was significantly correlated with adherent, micronipple, and solid structures (P<0.05), while the mutation status of the EGFR gene was related to nipple and solid structures (P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the expression of PD-L1 was negatively correlated with adherent structure (r=-0.252, P<0.001), and positively correlated with micropapilla and solid structures (r=0.271, r=0.473, P<0.001). PD-L1 had no correlation with acinar and nipple structures. There was a significant correlation between PD-L1 expression and Exon19 Del mutations in EGFR genes (P<0.001), and PD-L1 expression was higher in patients without EGFR Exon19 Del mutation.
Conclusions PD-L1 expression in patients with lung adenocarcinoma is significantly correlated with poor prognostic factors such as histological structure, differentiation, airway dissemination, and pleural vascular invasion. Moreover, PD-L1 expression is significantly correlated with EGFR Exon19 Del mutation. Therefore, patients without Exon19 Del mutation may become the dominant population receiving immunotherapy with PD-L1 inhibitors. These would provide a more reliable scientific basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.