Open AccessCytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 expression in esophageal carcinoma: implications for prognosis
Author(s) -
Xiao Fei Zhang,
Ke Pan,
De Sheng Weng,
Chang Long Chen,
Qi Jing Wang,
Jing Zhao,
Qiu Zhong Pan,
Qing Liu,
Shan Jiang,
Yong Qiang Li,
Hong Xia Zhang,
Jian Chuan Xia
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
oncotarget
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.373
H-Index - 127
ISSN - 1949-2553
DOI - 10.18632/oncotarget.8476
Subject(s) - cytotoxic t cell , medicine , antigen , carcinoma , lymphocyte , immunology , cancer research , pathology , biology , in vitro , biochemistry
To examine the relationship between cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4) expression and esophageal carcinoma prognosis, CTLA-4 expression was immunohistochemically detected in paraffin-embedded primary tumor specimens from 158 patients with esophageal cancer. CTLA-4 was detected in the cytoplasm and cell membranes of esophageal cancer cells and in interstitial lymphocytes. In univariate analyses (log-rank), higher interstitial CTLA-4+ lymphocyte density and higher tumor CTLA-4 expression were associated with shorter overall survival (OS). After controlling for age and clinical stage, multivariate analysis (Cox) found that tumor CTLA-4 expression was an independent predictor of shorter OS (HR 2.016, P = 0.004). These results indicate that CTLA-4 expression in the tumor environment (both lymphocytes and tumor cells) is associated with poorer prognosis. In addition, CTLA-4 profiles may be useful for predicting the benefits and toxicity of CTLA-4 blockade in patients with esophageal carcinoma.