Alrehaili Amani A, Gharib Amal F, Almalki Abdulraheem, Alghamdi Ahmed, Hawsawi Nahed M, Bakhuraysah Maha M, Alhuthali Hayaa M, Etewa Rasha L, Elsawy Wael H
Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif, SAU.
Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Sakaka, SAU.
Cureus. 2023 Aug 29;15(8):e44338. doi: 10.7759/cureus.44338. eCollection 2023 Aug.
Background and objective Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a prevalent cancer type that affects the mucosal lining of the upper aerodigestive tract. Soluble programmed death-ligand 1 (sPD-L1) is a significant factor in hindering T cells' function, which prevents cancer cells from being detected by the immune system. This means that sPD-L1 is an essential component in the immune evasion of cancer. This study aimed to explore the potential of sPD-L1 as a prognostic biomarker for patients with HNSCC undergoing concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Methodology The study included 106 patients with locally advanced HNSCC who received three courses of induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiation and 60 healthy subjects as controls. sPD-L1 levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit, and the cutoff value was determined based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results The results showed that sPD-L1 levels were significantly higher in HNSCC patients compared to healthy controls, with a cutoff value of 31.51 pg/mL. Higher sPD-L1 levels were associated with poorer overall survival rates. Conclusions These findings suggest that sPD-L1 may serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker for HNSCC patients undergoing concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The study highlights the importance of exploring new biomarkers and therapeutic strategies for HNSCC to improve patient outcomes and reduce morbidity and mortality rates associated with this disease.
背景与目的 头颈部鳞状细胞癌（HNSCC）是一种常见的癌症类型，影响上呼吸道和消化道的黏膜。可溶性程序性死亡配体1（sPD-L1）是阻碍T细胞功能的重要因素，可阻止癌细胞被免疫系统检测到。这意味着sPD-L1是癌症免疫逃逸的重要组成部分。本研究旨在探讨sPD-L1作为接受同步放化疗的HNSCC患者预后生物标志物的潜力。方法 该研究纳入了106例局部晚期HNSCC患者，他们接受了三个疗程的诱导化疗，随后进行同步放化疗，并以60名健康受试者作为对照。使用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）试剂盒测量sPD-L1水平，并根据受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析确定临界值。结果 结果显示，与健康对照相比，HNSCC患者的sPD-L1水平显著更高，临界值为31.51 pg/mL。较高的sPD-L1水平与较差的总生存率相关。结论 这些发现表明，sPD-L1可能作为接受同步放化疗的HNSCC患者的有价值的预后生物标志物。该研究强调了探索HNSCC新生物标志物和治疗策略以改善患者预后并降低与该疾病相关的发病率和死亡率的重要性。
