EBV DNA, PD-L1, VEGFR-2, CD4 and CD8 expression
tumor, tumors, PD-L1-positive tumors
CPS, TUMOR, TUMORS
Plasma EBV DNA was detectable before treatment in 22 of the 26 patients, but not in 4 patients. Of the 22 detectable patients, 9 were positive and 13 were negative. Their ORRs were 55.6% (5/9) and 38.5% (5/13), respectively, and there was no significant difference (P=0.666).Among the 26 patients, 21(80.8%) had evaluable tumor biological samples to analyze the expression of PD-L1, VEGFR-2, CD4 and CD8 expression. Among these 21 patients, 16 (76.2%) had a PD-L1 CPS ≥ 1 and 14 (66.7%) patients had a PD-L1 CPS ≥ 10. In patients with a PD-L1 CPS ≥1, the ORR was 37.5% (6/16, 95% CI, 10.9–64.1) and the DCR was 56.3% (9/16, 95% CI, 28.9–83.6). The mPFS and mOS were 6 months and 13 months, respectively, in PD-L1-positive patients. PD-L1 negative patients had an mPFS of 14 months and mOS of 15 months. There is no significant difference in ORR was observed between patients with PD-L1-positive and PD-L1-negative tumors (37.5% vs 60.0%, P=0.611). In addition, patients with PD-L1-positive tumors had longer mPFS than patients with PD-L1-negative tumors.Among the 21 patients, 8(38.1%) had high expression of VEGFR-2 and 13(61.9%) had low expression. In the patients with high expression of VEGFR-2, no patient reached the objective response. In the patients with low expression of VEGFR-2, 9(69.2%) patients reached the objective response. Among the 21 patients, 8(38.1%) had high expression of CD4 and 13(61.9%) had low expression. In the patients with high expression of CD4, 4(50.0%) patients reached the objective response. In the patients with low expression of CD4, 5(38.5%) patients reached the objective response.Among the 21 patients, 2(9.5%) had high expression of CD8 and 19(90.5%) had low expression. In the patients with high expression of CD8, 1(50.0%) patient reached the objective response. In the patients with low expression of CD8, 8(42.1%) patients reached the objective response.There was a significant difference in the ORR between VEGFR-2 high expression group and VEGFR-2 low expression group (0.0% vs. 69.2%, P =0.002). There is no significant difference in ORR was observed between patients with CD4 high expression group and CD4 low expression group (50.0% vs 38.5%, P=0.673). There is no significant difference in ORR was observed between patients with CD8 high expression group and CD8 low expression group (50.0% vs 42.1%, P=0.686).