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High number of PD ‐1 positive intratumoural lymphocytes predicts survival benefit of cytokine‐induced killer cells for hepatocellular carcinoma patients
Author(s) -
Chang Boyang,
Shen Lujun,
Wang Kefeng,
Jin Jietian,
Huang Tao,
Chen Qifeng,
Li Wang,
Wu Peihong
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
liver international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.873
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1478-3231
pISSN - 1478-3223
DOI - 10.1111/liv.13697
Subject(s) - hepatocellular carcinoma , medicine , immunohistochemistry , adjuvant , foxp3 , oncology , biomarker , gastroenterology , cytokine induced killer cell , group a , immunology , immune system , biology , cd3 , biochemistry , cd8
Background & Aims Adjuvant cytokine‐induced killer ( CIK ) cells treatment has shown potential in reducing the recurrence rate and prolonging the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC ). We aimed to identify the best predictive biomarker for adjuvant CIK cells treatment in patients with HCC after curative resection. Methods This study retrospectively included 145 pairs of HCC patients by one‐to‐one propensity score matching. One group received CIK cells transfusion after surgery (surgery‐ CIK group); the other one group underwent surgery only (surgery‐only group). Immunohistochemistry ( IHC ) was used to measure PD ‐1, PD ‐L1, CD 4, CD 8 and Foxp3 expression in tumour tissues of surgery‐ CIK group; IHC of PD ‐1 and PD ‐L1 was conducted in the surgery‐only group. Results The surgery‐ CIK group had a significantly higher disease‐free survival ( DFS ) and overall survival ( OS ) rates compared to the surgery‐only group. Of all the intratumoural biomarkers, in the surgery‐ CIK group, multivariate analysis showed that a high number of PD ‐1 + tumour infiltrative lymphocytes ( TIL s) was the only factor that independently predicted favourable OS and DFS . By contrast, in the surgery‐only group, no significant correlations between PD ‐1/ PD ‐L1 expression and survival of patients were identified. Further correlation analysis showed a high number of PD ‐1 + TIL s associated with a high number of both CD 4 + and CD 8 + TIL s in surgery‐ CIK group. Conclusions A high number of PD ‐1 + TIL s can serve as a potent biomarker for adopting CIK cells therapy in HCC patients after curative resection.