Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026
Author Spotlight: A Model to Study the Systemic and Local Dynamics of CD8+ T Cells During LN Metastasis
Published on: January 26, 2024
Association between PD-L1 expression and lymph node metastasis in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma
Shiori Kamiya1, Junji Kato1, Takafumi Kamiya1
1Department of Dermatology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Aim:
To clarify the relationship between programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) and clinicopathological variables.
Methods:
We examined PD-L1 expression in tumor cells (TCs) and tumor infiltrating immune cells (ICs) in 46 cases of cSCC by immunohistochemistry. In each case, we employed two methods-intensity and proportion scores-to evaluate PD-L1 expression in TCs. For the evaluation of PD-L1 expression in ICs, only the proportion score was used. Association between PD-L1 expression and clinicopathological variables was analyzed using Fisher's exact test.
Results:
High intensity scores in TCs were observed in 18 of the 46 cases (39.1%) and low intensity scores were observed in 28 cases (60.9%). Applying the proportions, using cut-off values of ≥1% and 50%, positive scores in TCs were observed in 36 (78.3%) and 20 cases (43.5%), respectively. PD-L1-positive ICs were observed in 29 (63%) and seven cases (15.2%), using cut-off values of ≥1% and 10%, respectively. The high intensity scores in TCs correlated with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.008) and female gender (P = 0.017), although positive proportions in TCs or ICs were not significantly related to lymph node metastasis. A multivariate analysis showed that high intensity of PD-L1 expression in TCs was an independent risk factor for lymph node metastasis.
Conclusions:
The results suggested that high intensity of PD-L1 expression in TCs is associated with lymph node metastasis in cSCC.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Detailed Structure and Function of Lymph Nodes
From a histological perspective, lymph nodes can be split into two main areas: the superficial cortex and the deep medulla. The outer cortex is populated by dendritic cells, macrophages, and B lymphocytes, which are densely packed into follicles. When these B-lymphocytes are presented...
02:30Metastasis
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition or EMT is a developmental process commonly observed in wound healing, embryogenesis, and cancer metastasis. EMT is induced by transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) or receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) ligands, which further...
01:26PD Controller: Design
Designing a continuous-data controller requires selecting and linking components like adders and integrators, which are fundamental in Proportional,...
01:58Cell Specific Gene Expression
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
01:27Associative Learning
Classical conditioning, also known...