B7-H4 is a prognostic biomarker for poor survival in patients with pancreatic cancer

• Published in: Human pathology Vol. 66; pp. 79 - 85
• Main Authors: Shen, Lingwei, MB, Qian, Yun, PhD, Wu, Weigen, MB, Weng, Tianhao, MB, Wang, Frederick X.C., MD, Hong, Bo, MM, Wu, Zhigang, MB, Wang, Qi, MB, Sang, Yiwen, MB, Zhang, Hong, MD, Zhou, Xinhui, MD, Yao, Hangping, MD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.08.2017; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Apoptosis; B7-H4; Biomarker; Biomarkers; Biomarkers, Tumor - analysis; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal - immunology; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal - mortality; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal - secondary; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal - therapy; Case-Control Studies; Cell growth; China; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Lung cancer; Lymphocytes; Male; Medical prognosis; Metastasis; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Neoplasm Staging; Odds Ratio; Ovarian cancer; Pancreatic cancer; Pancreatic Neoplasms - immunology; Pancreatic Neoplasms - mortality; Pancreatic Neoplasms - pathology; Pancreatic Neoplasms - therapy; Pathology; Patients; Prognosis; Proportional Hazards Models; Proteins; Risk Factors; Statistical analysis; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; V-Set Domain-Containing T-Cell Activation Inhibitor 1 - analysis; pancreatic cancer; immunohistochemistry; biomarker; prognosis; B7-H4; Immunohistochemistry; Biomarker; Prognosis; Pancreatic cancer
• ISSN: 0046-8177; 1532-8392
• DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2017.05.023

B7-H4 belongs to the immune costimulatory B7 family and is thought to negatively regulate T-cell mediated immunity, and may contribute an important role in tumor immune evasion. Although the expression of B7-H4 has been observed in human pancreatic cancer, the prognostic significance of this expression is poorly understood. This present study explored the prognostic value of B7-H4 in pancreatic cancer. Patients with pancreatic cancer and healthy controls were recruited at the Second Affiliated Hospital to Zhejiang University from January 2011 to December 2014. Expression of B7-H4 was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that B7-H4 was expressed in 100% (188/188) of the pancreatic cancer tumor tissue samples, while only in 68% (17/25) of normal pancreatic tissue samples. Furthermore, the expression levels of B7-H4 in pancreatic cancer patients were significantly higher than in controls (P < .01). A significant difference in B7-H4 expression was observed between patients with late tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (III and IV) and early TNM stage (I and II) (P < .01). The expression of B7-H4 was associated with distant metastasis (P < .01) and differentiation (P < .01). In addition, B7-H4 expression (P < .01), distant metastasis (P < .01), TNM stage (P < .01), differentiation (P < .01) and chemotherapy treatment (P < .05) were indicators of poor overall survival time. Multivariate survival analysis indicated that B7-H4 expression, distant metastasis, and chemotherapy treatment (P < .05) were independent prognostic indicators of poor overall survival. In conclusion, B7-H4 is highly expressed in pancreatic cancer, and is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in patients with pancreatic cancer. B7-H4 may represent an immunotherapeutic target in pancreatic cancer.