Expression And Clinical Significance Of PD-1, PD-L1 And Tim-3 In Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Objective:The expression of PD-1,PD-L1 and Tim-3 in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma(NPC)tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry(SP method),and two of the three factors were analyzed.The correlation of expression,explore the mechanism of PD-1,PD-L1 and Tim-3 in the development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma,and provide experimental basis for the diagnosis and treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Materials and methods:Forty-five patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma(non-keratinized)who underwent endoscopic biopsy from the end of September 2015 to September 2018 and were paraffin-embedded with formalin and confirmed by pathology were enrolled.The control group was diagnosed as 22 patients with chronic nasopharyngeal mucositis during the same period.Immunohistochemistry(SP method)was used to detect the expression of PD-1,PD-L1 and Tim-3 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and nasopharyngeal normal mucosa.The clinical case data of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and nasopharyngeal mucosal chronic inflammation wax specimens were collected,including gender,age,smoking and drinking history,clinical stage and lymph node metastasis.Clinical staging refers to the American Joint Committee on Cancer(AJCC)TNM staging system for nasopharyngeal carcinoma(7th edition,2010).Statistical analysis of the obtained experimental data was performed using SPSS 21.0 statistical software.Apply the χ2 test and,if necessary,Fisher’s exact probability method.The relationship between PD-1,PD-L1 and Tim-3 was studied by Spearman rank correlation.The test level was statistically significant with a difference of P < 0.05.Result:1.The positive expression of PD-1 was mainly located in the nucleus and/or cytoplasm.In the nasopharyngeal carcinoma group,29 cases were positive for PD-1 protein,the positive rate was 64.4%(29/45),and 5 cases were positively expressed in the control group.The positive rate was 22.7%(5/22),and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(χ2 value: 10.29,P<0.05).The expression of Pd-1 was significantly higher in the smoking group than in the non-smoking group(P<0.05),suggesting that the expression of PD-1 is related to smoking,but not to the gender,age of onset,tumor stage and gender(p>0.05).2.The main expression site of PD-L1 was located in the cytoplasm.In the nasopharyngeal carcinoma group,31 cases were positive for PD-L1,the positive rate was 68.9%(31/45),and 2 cases were positive in the control group,the positive rate was 9.1%.(2/22),which was statistically significant(χ2 value: 21.42,P<0.05).PD-L1 positive expression was associated with tumor stage,regardless of age,sex and smoking(p>0.05).3.The main expression site of Tim-3 was located in the cytoplasm.In the nasopharyngeal carcinoma group,30 cases were positive for Tim-3,the positive rate was 66.7%(30/45),and 5 cases were positively expressed in the control group.The positive rate was 22.7.%(5/22),which was statistically significant(χ2 value: 11.41,P<0.05).The expression of Tim-3 was not associated with tumor stage,gender,age,or smoking(p>0.05).4.In this study,the correlation of three factors in NPC expression was determined by Spearman rank correlation test.PD-1 was positively correlated with Tim-3 expression in NPC tissues(r=0.141,p=0.001),PD-1 There was no correlation with the expression of PD-L1 in NPC tissues(r=0.134,p=0.174),and there was no correlation between PD-L1 and Tim-3 expression in NPC(r=0.155,p=0.230).Conclusion:1.1.The expression of PD-1,PD-L1 and Tim-3 was abnormally increased in NPC tissues.The expression of PD-1,PD-L1 and Tim-3 was related to the development of NPC,disease stage and prognosis.2.In NPC tissues,the expression of PD-1 and Tim-3 was synergistic and positively correlated.There was no correlation between the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 and PD-L1 and Tim-3 in NPC.3.The positive expression of PD-L1 is related to the TNM stage of NPC patients.The positive expression level of PD-1 is related to smoking in NPC patients,while the expression of Tim-3 in NPC is not specific,suggesting PD-1 and PD-L1.The level of expression is related to the progression and prognosis of NPC patients.