PD-1 Status in CD8⁺ T Cells Associates with Survival and Anti-PD-1 Therapeutic Outcomes in Head and Neck Cancer.

ABSTRACT: Improved understanding of expression of immune checkpoint receptors (ICR) on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) may facilitate more effective immunotherapy in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. A higher frequency of PD-1⁺ TIL has been reported in human papillomavirus (HPV)⁺ HNC patients, despite the role of PD-1 in T-cell exhaustion. This discordance led us to hypothesize that the extent of PD-1 expression more accurately defines T-cell function and prognostic impact, because PD-1^high T cells may be more exhausted than PD-1^low T cells and may influence clinical outcome and response to anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. In this study, PD-1 expression was indeed upregulated on HNC patient TIL, and the frequency of these PD-1⁺ TIL was higher in

SUBMITTER: Kansy BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5690836 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature