Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the expression of PD-L1 in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and the prognostic factors. METHODS: PD-L1 expression was investigated by immunohistochemical staining of resected specimens from 50 OSCC patients who were randomly selected from 104 patients with complete follow-up data. The relationships among PD-L1 expression, clinicopathological factors and prognosis were assessed by statistical analysis. RESULTS: The expression of PD-L1 was positive in 27 (54%, positive cells' proportion > 25%) and negative in 23 (46%, positive cells proportion ≤25%) of 50 cases, and PD-L1 expression was negative in all pericarcinomatous tissues (P > 0.05). The 5-year survival rate of patients with PD-L1-positive expression was 22.2% (6 of 27), which was less than that of patients with PD-L1-negative expression (47.8%; 11 of 23) (P < 0.05). The results showed significant differences in the depth of tumour invasion, lymph node status, postoperative pathological stage and PD-L1 expression (P < 0.05). Multivariable analysis showed that PD-L1 expression was an independent prognostic factor for survival. CONCLUSIONS: The depth of tumour invasion, lymph node status, postoperative pathological stage and PD-L1 expression are important factors affecting the prognosis of patients with thoracic OSCC; in particular, high PD-L1 expression was a significant independent poor prognostic factor in thoracic OSCC patients.