Plasma levels of soluble PD-L1 correlate with tumor regression in patients with lung and gastric cancer treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors

Abstract

Background/Aim: Cancer immune therapy by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is a promising therapeutic strategy for various cancer types. Among ICIs, anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (PD1) and anti-programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibodies have shown a remarkable clinical benefit. The present study aimed to address the functional and clinical significance of serum levels of soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) in patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 21 patients, 11 with NSCLC, nine with gastric cancer and one with bladder cancer, who underwent anti-PD-1 therapy were evaluated for sPD-L1 concentration by ELISA analyses at diagnosis and after treatment. Results: Pretreatment levels of sPD-L1 in patients who received ICIs were not remarkably correlated with the overall survival of these patients (r=0.3394, p=0.1323). Reduction of plasma sPD-L1 level was significantly correlated with tumor regression in patients administered four cycles of treatment (p<0.05). Conclusion: sPD-L1 might be derived and secreted from tumors and might be useful to identify primary responders to ICIs at a relatively early treatment timepoint.