Laboratory Parameters Associated With Inflammation Do Not Affect PD-L1 Expression in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Abstract

Background/aim: Due to some interconnectedness at the molecular level, this study assessed the possible influence of laboratory parameters associated with systemic inflammatory environment on programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).

Patients and methods: We assessed effects of c-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, haemoglobin, neutrophil, and lymphocyte levels on PD-L1 expression in NSCLC. Patient data were obtained retrospectively from LUCAS, the Czech registry of patients with lung carcinomas. Correlations of two continuous parameters (PD-L1 expression and laboratory parameters) were analysed by correlation coefficient. Differences in continuous parameters between two or more groups were tested by Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis tests. Independence of two categorical parameters was tested by chi-square test.

Results: We demonstrated no influence of the investigated laboratory parameters on PD-L1 expression in NSCLC, either in continuous or categorical division of variables.

Conclusion: Inflammatory laboratory parameters at time of NSCLC diagnosis are unlikely to affect the determination of PD-L1 expression.

Keywords: CRP; NLR; NSCLC; PD-L1; albumin; haemoglobin; inflammation; lung cancer.