High PD-L1 expression associates with low T-cadherin expression and poor prognosis in human papillomavirus-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Abstract

This study aimed at exploring the correlation between T-cadherin and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), as well as their prognostic value in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Immunohistochemical staining was used to identify the protein expression of T-cadherin and PD-L1. Spearman linear correlation analysis was used to determine their association. Kaplan-Meier analysis was utilized to plot overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) curves. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to conduct univariate and multivariate analysis. The results showed a negative association between protein expression of T-cadherin and PD-L1 (r=-0.760, p < 0.001), positive expression of T-cadherin was associated with a better OS (p < 0.001) and DFS (p < 0.001), while positive PD-L1 expression was associated with a worse OS (p=0.002) and DFS (p < 0.001). The expression of T-cadherin and PD-L1 were independent prognostic predictors for OS and DFS. In conclusion, expression of T-cadherin and PD-L1 were largely inversely correlated and independent prognostic factors for patients with HPV-negative HNSCC.