Tumor–stroma ratio, predict the prognostic and PD-L1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background: With the depth research of tumor microenvironment, tumor stroma was considered to play a leading role in the tumor malignant behavior, the PD-L1 was also related with the tumor stroma. Tumor–stroma ratio (TSR) has already been regarded as a novel prognostic factor in many cancers. Our study aims to assess the TSR and PD-L1 clinical value in the HCC patients. Material: and methods 95 patients who diagnosed HCC, were included in our res. TSR was estimated on HCC specimen HE sections, and the optimal TSR cut-off value was determined by ROC curves. The correlation between TSR and clinicopathologic features was also culculated. Immunohistochemistry staining was also carried out to analysis the PD-L1 expression levlel in HCCs. Results: : The optimal TSR cut-off value was 0.525. The median OS of the stroma-high and stroma-low groups was 27 vs. 36 momths. The median RFS of the stroma-high and stroma-low groups was 14.5 vs. 27 months. In Cox multivariate, TSR was an independent prognostic factor in HCCs overall survival (OS) and recurrence free survival (RFS) who underwent liver resection. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining revealed that TSR-high HCC samples with high PD-L1-positive cells expression. Conclusions: : Our results suggest that TSR can predict the prognosis in the HCCs who underwent liver resection, the TSR has relation with the PD-L1 expression and may be the therapy target which can dramatically improve the HCC patients’ clinical outcomes.