Association of PD-1/PD-L1 expression and Epstein--Barr virus infection in patients with invasive breast cancer.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

Causative factors of breast cancer include infections, such as Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinicopathological features of EBV-positive (IBC) and determine if EBV affects programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-1)/PD ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in IBC, similar to other EBV-infected tumors with PD-L1/PD-1 expression.

METHODS:

We collected 140 samples of IBC tissues and 25 samples of adjacent tissues. All patients were followed-up by telephone from the day of surgery to December 2020. Chromogenic in-situ hybridization was performed to evaluate EBV-encoded RNA (EBER). Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate PD-L1 and PD-1 expressions. The correlation between PD1/PDL1 expression and clinicopathological features was also analyzed.

RESULTS:

EBER was detected in 57 of 140 (40.7%) IBC tissues and not detected in any adjacent tissue (P < 0.05). Clinicopathologic features of patients were consistent with EBV-associated IBC. EBV infection was correlated with the mass size, menopausal status, axillary lymph node metastasis, vascular invasion, Ki-67 index, clinical stage, and estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor expressions (all P < 0.05), but not with the histological type, invasive ductal carcinoma histological grade, or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression (all P > 0.05). The positive rate of PD-1/PD-L1 expression was higher in the EBV-positive group than in the EBV-negative group (P < 0.05). The Kaplan-Meier univariate survival analysis showed that EBV was associated with poor disease-free survival and overall survival in patients with IBC. PD-L1/PD-1 expression could predict a poor prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS:

In this study, clinicopathologic characteristics of patients were consistent with EBV-infected IBC. Patients with EBV-positive breast cancer were more likely to have elevated PD-1/PDL-1 expression compared to those with EBV-negative breast cancer. This finding could serve as a basis to explore therapeutic targets, particularly immunotherapy, for patients with IBC.

• Authors: Wei-Tong Zhang, Gui-Lu Zhu, Wu-Qin Xu, Wei Zhang, Hui-Zhen Wang, Ya-Bing Wang, Yong-Xiang Li
• Journal: Diagnostic pathology (Diagn Pathol) Vol. 17 Issue 1 Pg. 61 (Jul 16 2022) ISSN: 1746-1596 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 35842661 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2022. The Author(s).

Chemical References

• B7-H1 Antigen
• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Ligands
• Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor

Topics

• B7-H1 Antigen (metabolism)
• Biomarkers, Tumor (analysis)
• Breast Neoplasms
• Epstein-Barr Virus Infections (complications)
• Female
• Herpesvirus 4, Human
• Humans
• Ligands
• Prognosis
• Programmed Cell Death 1 Receptor