Background: The hypoxic response underlies the pathogenesis and malignant behaviour of PCC/PGL. Regulation of PD-1 receptor-ligand signalling, a therapeutically actionable driver of the anti-tumour immune response, is a hypoxic-driven trait across malignancies. We evaluated the prognostic role of PD ligands in association with biomarkers of hypoxia and angiogenesis in patients with PCC/PGL.
Methods: Tissue microarrays sections including consecutive cases diagnosed between 1983-2011 were stained for PD-L1 & 2, hypoxia inducible factor 1a (Hif-1a), Carbonic Anhydrase IX (CaIX), Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A (VEGF-A). We explored the biologic significance of PD ligands expression using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) for PCC/PGL (n=184).
Results: In total, 100 patients, 10% malignant, 64% PCC, 29% familial with a median tumour size of 4.7 cm (range 1-14) were included. Median follow-up was 4.7 years. We found PD-L1 expression in 18% of PCC/PGL, which was independent of adverse pathological features including capsular (CI), vascular invasion (VI), necrosis (N) and expression of biomarkers of hypoxia. PD-L2 expression (16%) strongly correlated with CI, VI, N and malignant behaviour (p<0.05) and was associated with stronger Hif-1a and CaIX immunolabeling (p<0.01). PD-L2 was predictive of shorter survival (162 versus 309 months, HR 3.1 95%CI 1.1-9.2, p=0.02). GSEA on TGCA samples confirmed enrichment of transcripts involved in hypoxia and anti-cancer immunity.
Conclusions: We report for the first time PD ligands expression in PCC/PGL with a distinctive prognostic, clinico-pathologic and immuno-biologic role. These findings support a potential therapeutic role for PD-1/PD-L1 targeted checkpoint inhibitors in these tumours.