The B7-H1 (PD-L1) T lymphocyte-inhibitory molecule is expressed in breast cancer patients with infiltrating ductal carcinoma: correlation with important high-risk …

H Ghebeh, S Mohammed, A Al-Omair, A Qattant… - Neoplasia, 2006 - Elsevier
H Ghebeh, S Mohammed, A Al-Omair, A Qattant, C Lehe, G Al-Qudaihi, N Elkum…
Neoplasia, 2006Elsevier
B7-H1 molecule increases the apoptosis of tumorreactive T lymphocytes and reduces their
immunogenicity. Breast cancer is the second most common cause of mortality after lung
cancer. Direct evidence linking B7-H1 with cancer has been shown in several malignancies;
however, its expression in breast cancer has not been investigated. We used
immunohistochemistry to investigate the expression of the B7-H1 molecule in 44 breast
cancer specimens and to study its correlation with patients' clinicopathological parameters …
Abstract
B7-H1 molecule increases the apoptosis of tumorreactive T lymphocytes and reduces their immunogenicity. Breast cancer is the second most common cause of mortality after lung cancer. Direct evidence linking B7-H1 with cancer has been shown in several malignancies; however, its expression in breast cancer has not been investigated. We used immunohistochemistry to investigate the expression of the B7-H1 molecule in 44 breast cancer specimens and to study its correlation with patients' clinicopathological parameters. The expression of B7-H1 was shown in 22 of 44 patients and was not restricted to the tumor epithelium (15 of 44, 34% in tumor cells), but was also expressed by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL; 18 of 44, 41%). Interestingly, intratumor expression of B7-H1 was significantly associated with histologic grade IIInegative (P = .012), estrogen receptor-negative (P = .036), and progesterone receptor-negative (P = .040) patients. In addition, the expression of B7-H1 in TIL was associated with large tumor size (P = .042), histologic grade III (P=.015), positivity of Her2/neu status (P=.019), and severe tumor lymphocyte infiltration (P = .001). Taken together, these data suggest that B7-H1 may be an important risk factor in breast cancer patients and may represent a potential immunotherapeutic target using monoclonal antibody against the B7-H1 molecule.
Elsevier