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. 2024 Jun 5;14(1):12974.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-63595-7.

PD-L1 expression in squamous cervical carcinomas of Mozambican women living with or without HIV

Lucília Lovane  1   2   3 , Satish Tulsidás  4 , Carla Carrilho  5   6 , Christina Karlsson  7
Affiliations

PD-L1 expression in squamous cervical carcinomas of Mozambican women living with or without HIV

Lucília Lovane et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is overexpressed in squamous cervical cancer (SCC) and can be used for targeted immunotherapy. The highest mortality rates of SCC are reported in sub-Saharan Africa, where Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence is high. In Mozambique most SCC patients present at advanced stages. Thus, there is a need to introduce new treatment options. However, immunocompromised patients were frequently excluded in previous clinical trials. Our aim was to determine if PD-L1 expression in SCC is as prevalent among women living with HIV (WLWH) as among other patients. 575 SCC from Maputo Central Hospital were included. HIV status was available in 266 (46%) cases PD-L1 expression was scored through tumour proportion score (TPS) and combined positive score (CPS). PD-L1 was positive in 20.1% of the cases (n = 110), TPS (score ≥ 25%) and in 26.3% (n = 144), CPS (score ≥ 1). Stratifying according to the HIV status, WLWH were TPS positive in 16.7%, compared to 20.9%, p = 0.43, and concerning CPS 21.1% versus 28.7%, p = 0.19, respectively. PD-L1 status was not influenced by stage, Ki-67 or p16, CD8 expression influenced only CPS status. Our data indicates that the documented effect of PD-L1 therapy on SCC should be confirmed in randomized clinical trials in an HIV endemic milieu.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Immunohistochemistry of biomarkers included in the study. PD-L1 (SP263) expression: (a) TPS < 25% and CPS < 1% negative; (b) TPS ≥ 25% and CPS ≥ 1 positive. CD8 (C8/144B) expression (c). positive, score 2; (d) positive, score3; (e) p16 (E6H4) positive, score 3; (f) Ki-67 (MIB-1), score 3. All micrographs taken at 40X.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Flowchart of exclusion process within the overall cohort of cervical carcinoma cases.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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