Objective To explore the predictive effect of systemic immune cells on anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) antibody therapy in patients with advanced urothelial bladder cancer (UBC).
Methods We retrospectively analyzed 86 patients with advanced UBC who received anti-PD-1 antibody therapy. Clinical information, systemic immune cell data and tumor PD-1/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression status were collected. The influence of these indicators on patient survival and objective response rate (ORR) were analyzed.
Results Early TNM stage (P=0.02), high systemic NK cells (P=0.009), high ratio of CD4+T in T lymphocytes (CD4+T%, P=0.009) and high B lymphocytes (P=0.038) were independent prognostic factors for good overall survival (OS). Patients with early TNM stage (P < 0.001), high systemic NK cells (P=0.043) and high B lymphocytes (P=0.027) were independent prognostic factors of good progression free survival (PFS). Patients with high systemic B lymphocytes (P=0.011), high CD4+T% (P=0.041) and high total lymphocytes (P < 0.001) had higher ORR for anti-PD-1 antibody therapy.
Conclusions In this study, systemic NK cells, B lymphocytes and CD4+T cells of advanced UBC patients may play an important role in anti-tumor immunity. Systemic B lymphocytes, CD4+T% and total lymphocytes affected the ORR of patients treated with anti-PD-1 antibody, and may be involved in the therapeutic process of anti-PD-1 treatment.
DownLoad: