Prognostic impact of PD-L1 expression in malignant salivary gland tumors as assessed by established scoring criteria: tumor proportion score (TPS), combined positivity score (CPS), and immune cell (IC) infiltrate

Abstract

Background: Malignant neoplasms of the salivary glands are rare, and therapeutic options are limited. Results from recently published studies indicate a possible use for checkpoint inhibition in a subset of patients, but there are no established criteria for programme cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) scoring in salivary gland carcinomas (SGCs). Methods: In this retrospective study, we present a cohort of 94 SGC patients with full clinical follow-up. We included 41 adenoid cystic carcinomas (AdCC), 21 mucoepidermoid carcinomas (MEC), 16 acinic cell carcinomas (ACC), 12 adenocarcinomas, not otherwise specified (AC, NOS), 2 epithelial-myoepithelial carcinomas (EMC), one salivary duct carcinoma (SDC), and one carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (CA ex PA). Subsequent histopathological analysis was performed with special emphasis on the composition of the immune cell infiltrate (B-/T-lymphocytes). We assessed PD-L1 (SP263) on full slides by established scoring criteria: tumor proportion score (TPS), combined positivity score (CPS) and immune cell (IC) score. Results: We identified significantly elevated CD3+, TP, CP, and IC scores in AC, NOS compared to AdCC, MEC, and ACC. CPS correlated with node-positive disease. Moreover, AC, NOS displayed IC scores of 2 or 3 in the majority (67%) of cases (p = 0.0031), and was associated with poor prognosis regarding progression-free (PFS) (p < 0.0001) and overall survival (OS) (p < 0.0001). CPS correlated with strong nuclear or null p53 staining in AC, NOS but not in other SGCs. Long-lasting partial remission could be achieved in one AC, NOS patient who received Pembrolizumab as third-line therapy. Conclusions: The current study is the first to investigate the use of established scoring criteria for PD-L1 expression in malignant salivary gland tumors. Our findings identify unique characteristics for AC, NOS among the family of SGCs, as it is associated with poor prognosis and might represent a valuable target for immune checkpoint inhibition.