Relationship between SUVmax on 18F-FDG PET and PD-L1 expression in liver metastasis lesions after colon radical operation.

Purpose: Our study was to investigate the correlation correlation between FDG uptake and PD-L1 expression of liver metastasis in patients with colon cancer, and to determine the value of FDG-PET in predicting PD-L1 expression in liver metastasis of colon cancer.

Methods: A total of 72 patients with confirmed liver metastasis of colon cancer were included in this retrospective study. The PD-L1 expression and immune cell infiltrating of tumors were determined through immunohistochemistry staining. The SUVmax of liver metastasis lesions were assessed using  F-FDG PET/CT. The correlation between PD-L1 expression and the clinicopathological were evaluated by the Cox proportional hazards model and the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

Results: PD-L1 expression was significantly correlated with FDG uptake (SUVmax), tumor size, differentiation, survival and cytotoxic T cells infiltration in liver metastasis of colon cancer (P < 0.05). And liver metastases with high counts of infiltrating cytotoxic T cells showed greater FDG uptake than those with low counts of infiltrating cytotoxic T cells. The SUVmax of liver metastases and the degree of differentiation of metastases were closely related to PD-L1 expression, and were independent risk factors.The combined assessment of SUVmax values and tthe degree of differentiation of metastase can help determine PD-L1 expression in liver metastasis of colon cancer.

Conclusions: FDG uptake in liver metastasis of colon cancer was positively correlated with the PD-L1 expression and the number of cytotoxic T cells infiltration. The joint evaluation of two parameters, SUVmax and degree of differentiation, can predict PD-L1 expression in liver metastases.