by Jiawen Chen, Bingsheng Li, Yu Gan, Pan Li Background Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) positivity is associated with a favorable response to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in urothelial bladder cancer (BLCA). However, the efficacy of ICB in BLCA exhibits considerable heterogeneity, leading to the need for complementary predictive biomarkers.
Recent studies suggest that a high degree of plasma cell infiltration is correlated with improved benefit from ICB, but a specific plasma cell marker in BLCA has not been identified. The aim of this study was to evaluate tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 17 (TNFRSF17) as a plasma cell-specific marker in BLCA and test its utility, combined with PD-L1, for patient stratification receiving ICB therapy.
Methods Transcriptomic and clinical data from publicly available cohorts were analyzed. Plasma cell-associated markers were identified based on expression specificity and correlation analyses.
The clinical relevance of TNFRSF17, alone and in combination with CD274, was evaluated by comparisons of survival and the response rate. Associations with immunotherapy-related features were examined using established surrogate measures, including the immunophenoscore.