PD-L1 and HIF-2α Upregulation in Head and Neck Paragangliomas after Embolization

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Alessa Fischer - , University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and University of Zurich (UZH) (Autor:in)
  • Umberto Maccio - , Universitätsspital Zürich (Autor:in)
  • Katharina Wang - , Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München (Autor:in)
  • Juliane Friemel - , Universitätsspital Zürich (Autor:in)
  • Martina A Broglie Daeppen - , Universitätsklinikum Münster (Autor:in)
  • Diana Vetter - , Universitätsklinikum Münster (Autor:in)
  • Kuno Lehmann - , Universitätsklinikum Münster (Autor:in)
  • Astrid Reul - , University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and University of Zurich (UZH) (Autor:in)
  • Mercedes Robledo - , Hereditary Endocrine Cancer Group. Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO) (Autor:in)
  • Constanze Hantel - , Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik 3, Universitätsspital Zürich, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Autor:in)
  • Nicole Bechmann - , Institut für Klinische Chemie und Laboratoriumsmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Autor:in)
  • Karel Pacak - , Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Autor:in)
  • Kathrin Zitzmann - , Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München (Autor:in)
  • Christoph J Auernhammer - , Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München (Autor:in)
  • Ashley B Grossman - , University of Oxford (Autor:in)
  • Felix Beuschlein - , University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and University of Zurich (UZH) (Autor:in)
  • Svenja Nölting - , University Hospital Zurich (USZ) and University of Zurich (UZH) (Autor:in)

Abstract

Hypoxia activates pathways associated with tumor progression, metastatic spread, and alterations in the immune microenvironment leading to an immunosuppressive phenotype. In particular, the upregulation of PD-L1, a target for therapy with checkpoint inhibitors, is well-studied in several tumors. However, the relationship between hypoxia and PD-L1 regulation in pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGL), and especially in paragangliomas treated with embolization, is still largely unexplored. We investigated the expression of the hypoxia-marker HIF-2α and of PD-L1 in a PPGL-cohort with and without embolization as potential biomarkers that may predict the response to treatment with HIF-2α and checkpoint inhibitors. A total of 29 tumor samples from 25 patients who were operated at a single center were included and analyzed utilizing immunohistochemistry (IHC) for PD-L1 and HIF-2α. Embolization prior to surgery was performed in seven (24%) tumors. PD-L1 expression in tumor cells of head and neck paragangliomas (HNPGLs) receiving prior embolization (median PD-L1 positivity: 15%) was significantly higher as compared to PD-L1 expression in HNPGLs without prior embolization (median PD-L1 positivity: 0%) (p = 0.008). Consistently, significantly more HNPGLs with prior embolization were positive for HIF-2α (median nuclear HIF-2α positivity: 40%) as compared to HNPGLs without prior embolization (median nuclear HIF-2α positivity: 0%) (p = 0.016). Our results support the hypothesis that embolization with subsequent hypoxia leads to the upregulation of both PD-L1 and HIF-2α in HNPGLs, and could thus facilitate targeted treatment with HIF-2α and checkpoint inhibitors in the case of inoperable, locally advanced, or metastatic disease.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer5199
FachzeitschriftCancers
Jahrgang15
Ausgabenummer21
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 29 Okt. 2023
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

PubMedCentral PMC10650267
Scopus 85176598384
ORCID /0000-0002-6932-333X/work/148144946

Schlagworte