[Correlation of VISTA and PD-L1 expression with the clinicopathological features and prognosis in triple-negative breast cancer].

To investigate the expression of VISTA and PD-L1 in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and to explore its relationship with clinicopathologic features and prognosis. Ninety TNBC patients who underwent surgical resections between 2016 to 2018 in Jiangsu Province Hospital were selected. The expression of VISTA and PD-L1 in both tumor cells and immune cells was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and the relationship with clinicopathologic parameters and prognosis was analyzed. VISTA was expressed in 17.8% (16/90) of the tumors. The expression of VISTA in tumor cells was related to a higher Ki-67 proliferation index (=0.02) and higher number of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL, <0.01). VISTA was expressed in 71.1% (64/90) of the immune cells and the expression correlated with smaller tumor size (=0.02), lower T stage (=0.04), higher number of TIL (<0.01), higher number of CD8T cells (=0.03) and higher Ki-67 proliferation index (=0.02). PD-L1 was expressed in 17.8% (16/90) of the immune cells and the expression correlated with higher histologic grade (=0.04), higher Ki-67 proliferation index (=0.02) and higher number of TIL (<0.01). VISTA expression was higher in immune cells within TNBC patients than PD-L1 (<0.01). Among 90 TNBC patients, complete follow-up was obtained in 85 patients, 8 of whom had recurrences or metastasis after surgery, and two patients cases died of recurrences or metastasis. The expression rate of VISTA is higher than that of PD-L1 in TNBC. The expression of VISTA in immune cells predicts a lower T stage. VISTA may act as an effective immunotherapy target.