Clinical Significance of Serum-derived Exosomal PD-L1 in Patients with Resected Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Abstract PD-L1 expression is the most useful predictive biomarker for immunotherapy efficacy on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and CD8 + tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (CD8 + TILs) play an essential role in the clinical activity of immunotherapy. PD-L1 is found on the exosome's surface, and PD-L1 expressing exosomes can inhibit antitumor immune responses. This study aimed to analyze tumor PD-L1 expression, serum exosomal PD-L1, and CD8 + TILs to investigate anti-PD-1 response and clinicopathological outcomes in NSCLC. One hundred twenty patients with stage I-III NSCLC were enrolled, and serum samples collected during the initial surgery were pooled. The Human CD274/PD-L1 ELISA kit was used to quantify the exosomal PD-L1. Exosomal PD-L1 levels were significantly correlated with tumor PD-L1 levels (p < 0.001) and the number of CD8 + TILs (p = 0.001). Patients with serum exosomal PD-L1 ≥ 200 pg/mL tended to have a worse RFS than those with < 200 pg/mL in stage I patients (p = 0.056). Seventeen patients exhibited postoperative recurrences and received anti-PD-1 treatment, 75% of patients with ≥ 200 pg/mL demonstrated a significant response to PD-1 inhibitors. The measurement of serum exosomal PD-L1 as a quantitative factor with tumor PD-L1 status may help predict anti-PD-1 response and be used to assess clinical outcomes in patients with NSCLC.