Rashim Sharma - Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Poonam Elhence - Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Meenakshi Rao - Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Sudeep Khera - Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Deepak Vedant - Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Ramkaran Chaudhary - Department of General Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Puneet Pareek - Department of Radiation Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Jeewan Vishnoi - Department of Surgical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Sanjeev Misra - Department of Surgical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Background & Objective: Breast cancer is the leading cancer among Indian women and accounts for about ۲۵% of all cancer cases worldwide. The present study aimed to assess Programmed Death Ligand-۱ (PD-L۱) expression in tumoral cells and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and evaluate their correlations with the Ki-۶۷ labelling index in invasive breast carcinomas (IBC).Methods: This descriptive observational study was conducted during ۲۰۱۶-۲۰۱۸ and included all diagnosed cases of IBC. The relationships between PD-L۱ expression, TILs, hormone receptors, Ki-۶۷, and clinicopathological parameters were studied in IBC. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS version ۲۳.Results: Out of ۱۱۴ evaluated cases, ۳۳.۳۳% (N=۳۸) showed PD-L۱+ expression in tumor cells and ۴۷.۳۷% (N=۵۴) had PD-L۱+ expression in TILs. A high Ki-۶۷ index was observed in ۹۶ cases. Moreover, ۴۹ patients were estrogen receptor (ER)- and ۶۵ were ER+. We observed that ۲۲ of ۴۹ ER- and ۴۹ of ۶۵ ER+ subjects showed PD-L۱+ expression, respectively.Conclusion: Our results showed a significant relationship between PD-L۱ expression in tumoral cells and TILs, as well as between Ki-۶۷ and TILs. In addition, an inverse correlation was noted between PD-L۱ expression and ER. The PD-L۱ expression in tumors and TILs and correlation with high Ki-۶۷ may prove the importance of PD-L۱ in targeted chemotherapy. An inverse relationship between PD-L۱ and ER expression in tumoral cells suggests scope for immunotherapy in ER- IBC. However, further research with more cases is required.

Breast carcinoma, chemotherapy, Estrogen Receptors, Ki-۶۷, Programmed Death Ligand ۱, Tumor-infiltrating Lymphocytes