Soluble PD-L1 is a potential biomarker of cutaneous melanoma aggressiveness and metastasis in obstructive sleep apnoea patients

• Published in: The European respiratory journal Vol. 53; no. 2; p. 1801298
• Main Authors: Cubillos-Zapata, Carolina, Martínez-García, Miguel Ángel, Campos-Rodríguez, Francisco, Sánchez de la Torre, Manuel, Nagore, Eduardo, Martorell-Calatayud, Antonio, Hernández Blasco, Luis, Chiner Vives, Eusebi, Abad-Capa, Jorge, Montserrat, Josep María, Cabriada-Nuño, Valentín, Cano-Pumarega, Irene, Corral-Peñafiel, Jaime, Diaz-Cambriles, Trinidad, Mediano, Olga, Somoza-González, María, Dalmau-Arias, Joan, Almendros, Isaac, Farré, Ramón, López-Collazo, Eduardo, Gozal, David, García-Río, Francisco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.02.2019
• ISSN: 0903-1936; 1399-3003
• DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01298-2018

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) upregulates the programmed cell death-1 receptor and its ligand (PD-L1) pathway, potentially compromising immunosurveillance. We compared circulating levels of soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) in patients with cutaneous melanoma according to the presence and severity of OSA, and evaluated relationships with tumour aggressiveness and invasiveness.In a multicentre observational study, 360 patients with cutaneous melanoma underwent sleep studies, and serum sPD-L1 levels were assayed using ELISA. Cutaneous melanoma aggressiveness indices included mitotic rate, Breslow index, tumour ulceration, Clark level and tumour stage, and sentinel lymph node (SLN) metastasis was recorded as a marker of invasiveness.sPD-L1 levels were higher in severe OSA compared to mild OSA or non-OSA patients. In OSA patients, sPD-L1 levels correlated with Breslow index and were higher in patients with tumour ulceration, advanced primary tumour stages or with locoregional disease. The incorporation of sPD-L1 to the classic risk factors to SLN metastasis led to net improvements in the classification of 27.3%.Thus, sPD-L1 levels are increased in melanoma patients with severe OSA, and, in addition, might serve as a potential biomarker of cutaneous melanoma aggressiveness and invasiveness in this group of subjects.