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

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundThis 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).MethodsImmunohistochemical 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.ResultsThe 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.ConclusionsIn conclusion, expression of T‐cadherin and PD‐L1 were largely inversely correlated and independent prognostic factors for patients with HPV‐negative HNSCC.