Evaluation of Programmed Death Ligand-1 (PD-L1) and B-cell Lymphoma 2 (BCL2) protein expression using immunohistochemistry in colorectal carcinoma patients from Anbar Governorate
TL;DR
Findings highlight the ubiquitous expression of PD-L1 and Bcl-2 in colorectal carcinoma and their potential role as prognostic biomarkers, providing insights into their relevance in cancer progression and therapeutic response.
Abstract
Colorectal carcinoma is among the most prevalent malignancies worldwide. PD-L1 is an immune-checkpoint ligand that can contribute to tumor immune evasion whereas BCL2 is an anti-apoptotic protein involved in cell-survival pathways, with its mutation frequently observed in various human cancers. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of immunohistochemically identified PD-L1 and BCL2 proteins in colorectal carcinoma. Sixty paraffin-embedded colorectal carcinoma tissue specimens were subjected to immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining for PD-L1 and BCL2 expression, which was analyzed using the DAKO scoring system (0: 0–4%, 1: 5–24%, 2: 25–49%, 3: 50–74%, 4: 75–100%). PD-L1 protein expression was detected in all patients, with immunoreactivity noted in 33.3% (score 3), 31.7% (score 2), 20.0% (score 4), and 15.0% (score 1), with score 0 cases showing no detectable immunoreactivity Similarly, Bcl-2 protein expression was identified in all colorectal carcinoma patients, with immunoreactivity observed in 38.3% (score 3), 25.0% (score 2), 20.0% (score 4), and 16.7% (score 1), while no detectable immunoreactivity was seen in score 0 cases. These findings highlight the ubiquitous expression of PD-L1 and Bcl-2 in colorectal carcinoma and their potential role as prognostic biomarkers, providing insights into their relevance in cancer progression and therapeutic response.