CORRELATION PROGRAMMED DEATH-LIGAND 1 (PD-L1) EXPRESSION WITH CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL PROFILE OF PAPILLARY THYROID CARCINOMA AT PROF. DR. I G.N.G. NGOERAH DENPASAR HOSPITAL

Abstrak

Background: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid cancer and is generally associated with a favorable prognosis. However, subset of cases exhibits aggressive behavior, characterized by metastasis and high recurrence rates. The expression of Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) plays a role in tumor immune evasion mechanisms and associated with various clinicopathological markers that reflect poor prognosis. Although the correlation between PD-L1 expression and aggressive features of PTC has been extensively studied, local research in Indonesian particularly in Bali, remains limited. This study aims to evaluate the association between PD-L1 expression and the clinicopathological profile of PTC, including age, sex, tumor size, pathological T stage (pT), lymph node metastasis, histological variants, in an effort to assess the potential of PD-L1 as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in aggressive forms of PTC.

Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional analytical design with a sample size of 43. PD-L1 expression was assessed using immunohistochemical staining with antibody clone 28-8. The data were analyzed using Chi-square analysis to assess the correlation between PD-L1 expression and the clinicopathological profile of papillary thyroid carcinoma, with statistical significance set at p<0.05.

Result: The results showed an age range from 20-80 years, with a median age of 43 years and a mean age of 45.23±16.12 years. Chi-square analysis revealed statistically significant correlation between PD-L1 expression and pathological T stage (p=0.009), lymph node metastasis (p<0.001), and histological variant (p=0.002). However, there was no significant correlation between PD-L1 expression and age (p=0.265) or gender (p=1.000).

Conclusion: There is a statistically significant correlation between PD-L1 expression and pathological T stage, lymph node metastasis, and histological variant. There is no significant correlation was found between PD-L1 expression and age or gender.