scholarly journals PD-L1 in Cytological Samples: A Review and a Practical Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Tejerina ◽  
Laura García Tobar ◽  
José I. Echeveste ◽  
Carlos E. de Andrea ◽  
Elena Vigliar ◽  
...  

With a growing number of predictive biomarkers needed to manage patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), there has been a paradigm shift in care and handling of diagnostic samples. Among the various testing methods, immunohistochemistry (IHC) is the most cost- effective and widely available. Furthermore, over the past decade immunotherapy has emerged as one of the most promising cancer treatments. In this scenario IHC is the most used testing method available for PDL-1/PD1 immunotherapy. Several monoclonal antibodies targeting programmed death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) pathways have been integrated into standard-of-care treatments of a wide range of cancer types, once provided evidence of PD-L1 expression in tumor cells by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Since currently available PD-L1 assays have been developed on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) histological specimens, a growing body of research is being dedicated to confirm the feasibility of applying PDL-1 assays also to cytological samples. Albeit promising results have been reported, several important issues still need to be addressed. Among these are the type of cytological samples, pre-analytical issues, cyto-histological correlation, and inter-observer agreement. This review briefly summarizes the knowledge of the role of cytopathology in the analysis of PD-L1 by immunocytochemistry (ICC) and future directions of cytopathology in the immunotherapy setting.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e14585-e14585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rose Ann De Los Santos ◽  
Josette William ◽  
Debra Ann Hanks ◽  
Adam Northrup ◽  
Dipeshkumar Jaiswal ◽  
...  

e14585 Background: PD-L1 IHC 28-8 pharmDx is a qualitative assay developed by Agilent Technologies for the Autostainer Link 48 platform and is based on EnVision FLEX visualization technology and monoclonal rabbit anti-PD-L1, clone 28-8 antibody. The assay has been co-developed with the immunotherapeutic agent nivolumab; initially as an aid in assessing PD-L1 expression in non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and melanoma patients. Here we describe the efforts to validate this assay for urothelial carcinoma (UC). Methods: IHC staining was performed on Autostainer Link 48 platform using an automated staining protocol stated per the assay’s instruction for use (IFU). Specimens were coverslipped and interpreted for % PD-L1 positive tumor cells. The assay was analytically validated on commercially acquired formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) human UC invasive tumor specimens at ≥1% and ≥5% PD-L1 positive tumor cells expression levels. Results: A wide range of % PD-L1 positive tumor cells at all staining intensity levels have been detected. Assay in-house precision was validated for inter-operator, inter-instrument, inter-day, inter-run and intra-run as well as inter-observer and intra-observer agreement. Robustness studies evaluated the assay under multiple conditions for target retrieval pH, temperature and incubation time, slide type as well as tissue section thickness. Assay reproducibility was evaluated at three external sites by testing samples for intra-site/inter-day and inter-site agreement measures. Specimens were also evaluated by an observer at each site, with three reads for each observer to assess intra-observer and inter-observer agreement. All validation studies demonstrated agreement estimates above 85% with values for lower bound 95% confidence intervals calculated above 84%. Conclusions: Results of all conducted studies show high robustness and reproducibility of the assay on UC.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1715
Author(s):  
Robin Park ◽  
Laercio Lopes ◽  
Anwaar Saeed

Advanced gastroesophageal cancer (GEC) has a poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Immunotherapy including the anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) antibodies pembrolizumab and nivolumab have been approved for use in various treatment settings in GEC. Additionally, frontline chemoimmunotherapy regimens have recently demonstrated promising efficacy in large phase III trials and have the potential to be added to the therapeutic armamentarium in the near future. There are currently several immunotherapy biomarkers that are validated for use in the clinical setting for GEC including programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression as well as the tumor agnostic biomarkers such as mismatch repair or microsatellite instability (MMR/MSI) and tumor mutational burden (TMB). However, apart from MMR/MSI, these biomarkers are imperfect because none are highly sensitive nor specific. Therefore, there is an unmet need for immunotherapy biomarker development. To this end, several biomarkers are currently being evaluated in ongoing trials with some showing promising predictive potential. Here, we summarize the landscape of immunotherapy predictive biomarkers that are currently being evaluated in GEC.


Author(s):  
Meng Zhou ◽  
Zicheng Zhang ◽  
Siqi Bao ◽  
Ping Hou ◽  
Congcong Yan ◽  
...  

Abstract Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been associated with cancer immunity regulation and the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, functions of lncRNAs of tumor-infiltrating B lymphocytes (TIL-Bs) and their clinical significance have not yet been fully elucidated. In the present study, a machine learning-based computational framework is presented for the identification of lncRNA signature of TIL-Bs (named ‘TILBlncSig’) through integrative analysis of immune, lncRNA and clinical profiles. The TILBlncSig comprising eight lncRNAs (TNRC6C-AS1, WASIR2, GUSBP11, OGFRP1, AC090515.2, PART1, MAFG-DT and LINC01184) was identified from the list of 141 B-cell-specific lncRNAs. The TILBlncSig was capable of distinguishing worse compared with improved survival outcomes across different independent patient datasets and was also independent of other clinical covariates. Functional characterization of TILBlncSig revealed it to be an indicator of infiltration of mononuclear immune cells (i.e. natural killer cells, B-cells and mast cells), and it was associated with hallmarks of cancer, as well as immunosuppressive phenotype. Furthermore, the TILBlncSig revealed predictive value for the survival outcome and immunotherapy response of patients with anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) therapy and added significant predictive power to current immune checkpoint gene markers. The present study has highlighted the value of the TILBlncSig as an indicator of immune cell infiltration in the TME from a noncoding RNA perspective and strengthened the potential application of lncRNAs as predictive biomarkers of immunotherapy response, which warrants further investigation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 467-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcella Callea ◽  
Elizabeth M Genega ◽  
Mamta Gupta ◽  
André P Fay ◽  
Jiaxi Song ◽  
...  

467 Background: Clinical trials evaluating anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 antibodies (Abs) in ccRCC have shown promising efficacy in a subset of patients. Preliminary studies have demonstrated that tumor PD-L1 expression increases the likelihood of benefit with anti-PD-1 Ab, but fails to identify all responders. One potential explanation for these results is that predictive biomarkers are usually evaluated in the primary tumors, which are more readily available; however, biomarker expression in nephrectomy samples may not accurately reflect expression in the metastases that are being targeted by therapy. In this study, we compared PD-L1 expression in a series of ccRCCs and their metastases. Methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks from 34 primary ccRCCs and corresponding metastases were retrieved. Multiple areas of the primary tumors, including areas of predominant and highest Fuhrman nuclear grade (FNG), were selected for analysis. Slides were immunostained with a mouse monoclonal anti-PD-L1 antibody (405.9A11). The assay was validated using FFPE cell line controls known to be positive or negative for PD-L1 expression by flow cytometry. The presence of tumor cells with membranous staining was assessed. A case was considered positive when any tumor cell positivity was detected. Results: Positive membranous PD-L1 expression in tumor cells was observed in 10/34 (29%) primary ccRCCs. In 3 of these 10 cases (30%), the metastases were negative. In 2 cases the primary tumor was negative but the metastases were positive. In twenty-two cases, both the primary tumor and the corresponding metastasis were negative. The pattern of PD-L1 staining was highly heterogeneous in the primary tumors and was restricted to areas of highest FNG. The staining was more homogeneous in the metastases. PD-L1 expression by the tumor infiltrating immune cells is currently being evaluated. Conclusions: Discordant expression of PD-L1 between the primary tumor and the corresponding metastases was detected in 5/34 (15%) cases, suggesting that accurate assessment of predictive biomarkers for PD-1 blockade in ccRCC might require analysis of metastatic lesions. Analysis of a larger patient cohort is ongoing to confirm these findings.


2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 485-485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon David Bernard ◽  
Laurence Albiges ◽  
Sabina Signoretti ◽  
Jesse Novak ◽  
Michelle S. Hirsch ◽  
...  

485 Background: PD-L1 is involved in immune regulation and is prognostic in many tumor types. The aim of this study was to assess PD-L1 expression in orchiectomy and metastases (mets) from GCT and to assess for an association with outcome. Methods: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) on whole sections from archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and Gustave Roussy (IGR) was performed using anti-PD-L1 antibody E1L3N. Stained slides were scored semi-quantitatively and assessed independently. At DFCI, PD-L1 was scored as percent of positive tumor cells (TC) and extent of positive immune cell (IC) infiltrate; at IGR, a cut-off of 5% defined positive TC and IC. PD-L1 status was assessed by site, histology and chemotherapy (CT) status. PD-L1 status was correlated with clinical outcome. Most samples at DFCI were pre-CT (74.2%) whereas most at IGR were post-CT (85.4%). Results: IHC from 171 patients with GCT (89 DFCI, 82 IGR) from 1987-2014 was reviewed. The DFCI cohort included 69 orchiectomy, 15 mets and 5 unknown origin with 28 total deaths; the IGR cohort included 26 lung mets, 36 mediastinal or retroperitoneal lymph node mets and 20 primary mediastinal tumors. DFCI had 38 seminoma (S), 50 nonseminoma (NS) and 1 unknown; at IGR, 13 S and 69 NS. In both cohorts, PD-L1 staining in IC was higher in S (DFCI 33/38 moderate (mod)-high (86.8%); IGR 12/13 positive (92.3%)) vs. NS (DFCI 26/50 mod-high (52.0%); IGR 35/68 positive (51.5%)) (DFCI p = 0.003; IGR p = 0.006). At DFCI, 5 samples had PD-L1 positive TC (2 mixed GCT, 2 pure choriocarcinomas (CC) and 1 S); at IGR, 14 had positive TC (all NS, including 11 pure CC). More PD-L1 positive TC were CC than other GCT types (DFCI p = 0.003; IGR p < 0.001). In 36 S orchiectomy samples at DFCI, 0/4 that scored none-mild died and 2/31 (6.5%) that scored mod-high died (p = 1.00); in 30 NS orchiectomy samples, 4/9 (44.4%) that scored none-mild died and 2/16 (12.5%) that scored mod-high died (p = 0.14). Conclusions: Higher PD-L1 status in orchiectomy is not associated with GCT survival. PD-L1 positive TC may serve as a histological marker for CC among NS. Higher PD-L1 expression on IC in S and on TC in CC may point to immunotherapy as a therapeutic option in these tumors.


1986 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 478-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Rakich ◽  
K. W. Prasse ◽  
P. D. Lukert ◽  
L. M. Cornelius

An avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase procedure was optimized for detection of canine adenoviral antigens in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver. Long-term stability of viral antigen was shown by successful demonstration of virus in liver tissue preserved up to six years from dogs with infectious canine hepatitis. This immunohistochemical stain was applied to sections from livers with a wide range of inflammatory lesions. Examination of sections from 53 dogs yielded five livers with small amounts of adenovirus. An additional virus-positive liver was identified from a dog with no hepatic inflammation. Although a cause and effect relationship remains to be determined, these findings suggest a possible connection between canine adenovirus and spontaneous chronic hepatitis.


1996 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 1167-1171 ◽  
Author(s):  
H K Wolf ◽  
R Buslei ◽  
R Schmidt-Kastner ◽  
P K Schmidt-Kastner ◽  
T Pietsch ◽  
...  

The monoclonal antibody A60 specifically recognizes the DNA-binding, neuron-specific protein NeuN, which is present in most neuronal cell types of vertebrates. In this study we demonstrate the potential use of NeuN as a diagnostic neuronal marker using a wide range of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded human surgical and autopsy specimens from the central and peripheral nervous system. After microwave antigen retrieval, almost all neuronal populations revealed strong immunoreactivity for NeuN in nuclei, perikarya, and some proximal neuronal processes, whereas more distal axon cylinders and dendritic ramifications were not stained. The stain greatly enhanced the gray matter architecture. NeuN immunoreactivity was not detected in Purkinje cells, most neurons of the internal nuclear layer of the retina, and in sympathetic chain ganglia. We examined nine gangliogliomas and 14 dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumors, one ganglioneuroma, and one dysplastic cerebellar gangliocytoma. The neuronal component of all of these lesions showed marked immunoreactivity for NeuN. In addition, NeuN immunoreactivity was focally seen in one of seven medulloblastomas with prominent neuronal differentiation. There was no staining of non-neuronal structures. The results indicate that NeuN immunoreactivity is a sensitive and specific neuronal marker in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues, and may be useful in diagnostic histopathology.


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