Immune checkpoint expression in HNSCC patients before and after definitive chemoradiotherapy

Background Primary platinum‐based chemoradiotherapy (CRT) remains the treatment of choice for nonresectable squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). Immune‐checkpoint modulators are used as palliative therapy and studied in combination with definitive CRT. However, the immunological cha...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Head & neck 2021-03, Vol.43 (3), p.778-787
Main Authors: Doescher, Johannes, Minkenberg, Peter, Laban, Simon, Kostezka, Ulrike, Witzleben, Adrian, Hoffmann, Thomas Karl, Schuler, Patrick Johannes, Weissinger, Stephanie Ellen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
CD27
CD27 antigen
Chemoradiotherapy
Chemotherapy
Head & neck cancer
Head and neck carcinoma
HNSCC
Immune checkpoint
immune checkpoints
Immunohistochemistry
Immunomodulation
PD-L1 protein
Platinum
Radiation therapy
Squamous cell carcinoma
Standard of care
Tumor microenvironment
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Summary:Background Primary platinum‐based chemoradiotherapy (CRT) remains the treatment of choice for nonresectable squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC). Immune‐checkpoint modulators are used as palliative therapy and studied in combination with definitive CRT. However, the immunological changes by CRT need yet to be understood. Methods A cohort consisting of 67 paired tissue biopsies (N = 134) of HNSCC patients before and after CRT was created. The expression of PD‐1, PD‐L1, and CD27 of tumor and immune cells by immunohistochemistry was evaluated. Results PD‐L1 expression on immune cells of non‐responders was significantly lower before CRT (P = .008). CD27 was expressed only on immune cells and not on cancer cells. A significant lower CD27‐expression score was observed following CRT (P = .019). Conclusions Conventional CRT changes the expression of CD27 in the tumor microenvironment. Whether this is due to a loss of expression or a reduction of CD27+ cells must be evaluated in further analyses.
ISSN:1043-3074
1097-0347
DOI:10.1002/hed.26534