Prognostic stratification of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma based on tumor immune microenvironment

Abstract

Our results suggest that PD-L1 expression on tumor cells in combination with CD8-positive TIL density could be a useful predictive biomarker for risk stratification in patients with NPC.

CD3+T-lymphocyte infiltration is an independent prognostic factor for advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

“…Our data show a positive expression of PD-L1 in 70% of cases, which is consistent with previous reports [12,17,18]. The correlation between PD-L1 expression and better prognosis is consistent with Zhu et al [14] and Lee et al [18] who found PD-L1 to correlate with favorable prognosis in NPC.…”

“…The correlation between PD-L1 expression and better prognosis is consistent with Zhu et al [14] and Lee et al [18] who found PD-L1 to correlate with favorable prognosis in NPC. Interestingly, when CD3+ TIL was combined with PD-L1 expression status as done previously for CD8+ TIL and PD-L1 by Ono et al [12], there was a correlation between patients having combination of low CD3 + TIL and lack tumoral PD-L1 (type II) with shorter OS. It is becoming increasingly evident that antitumor immune response plays a major role in the eradication and/or control of many types of cancer, including head and neck tumors.…”

“…2). Abbreviations: (+ and -) are number of positive and negative patients, *P values in bold represent significant data as calculated using χ 2 or Fisher's Exact Tests, ♣ Numbers between brackets are the percentages of patients Several studies have shown the prognostic value of TIL in various types of solid tumors [9], including Head and Neck cancers [10], and more specifically, NPC [11][12][13][14], although their studies were not devoted to LA-NPC. Wang et al [13] and Almangush et al [15] have studied total TIL in NPC using H&E stained sections and found a high correlation between total TIL and disease outcome using a large cohort (1490 patients).…”

“…Wang et al [13] and Almangush et al [15] have studied total TIL in NPC using H&E stained sections and found a high correlation between total TIL and disease outcome using a large cohort (1490 patients). On the other hand, Zhu et al [14], Lu et al [11], and Ono et al [12] investigated specific TIL like CD3+ and/or CD8+ TIL on survival of NPC. However, conclusions from these last three studies, in relation to CD3 + TIL, are not similar, possibly due to differences in methodology.…”

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells-derived IL-6 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma growth and resistance to cisplatin via upregulating CD73 expression

“…The tumor microenvironment (TME) is composed of cellular components such as infiltrating leucocytes, stromal cells and cancer cells, and non-cellular components such as extracellular matrix and various types of soluble biological factors or mediators. Recent studies have implicated the important role of TME, particularly, the function of stromal cells, in NPC pathogenesis and progression [4][5][6][7]. However, the potential mechanisms by which mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) in TME contribute…”