Figure 2.

PD-L1 expression in tumor tissues and its correlations with the prognosis of HCC patients undergoing POTACE and POTACE plus DC-CIK cell therapy, respectively. (A) Representative images of the immunohistochemical staining of PD-L1 expression in tumor tissues that were related to the physiological scores of IRS at 0,2,6 and 9. (a,e) represented IRS at 0. (b,f) represented IRS at 2. (c,g) represented IRS at 6. (d,h) represented IRS at9. (a-d,100x magnification; e-h, 400x magnification). (Ba) In total cohort, the Kaplan-Meier curves of patients with the high and low PD-L1 expression level in tumor tissues, respectively. As shown in this panel, the HCC patients with the low expression of PD-L1(blue line, IRS≦3, n = 25) have significant long OS as compared with that of patients with high expression of PD-L1(blue line, IRS>3, n = 21) (log rank, p = 0.015). (Bb) In DC-CIK cell therapy plus POTACE treatment group, the Kaplan-Meier curves of patients with the high and low PD-L1 expression level, respectively. The low expression of PD-L1(blue line, IRS≦3, n = 13) have significant long OS as compared with that of patients with high expression of PD-L1(blue line, IRS>3, n = 6) (log rank, p = 0.033) (Bc) In POTACE alone group, the Kaplan-Meier curves of patients with the high and low PD-L1 expression level, respectively. There was no significant difference in the overall survival between two groups (log rank, p = 0.192). (Bd) the Kaplan-Meier curves of the patients with low expression of PD-L1 undergoing POTACE+DC-CIK cell therapy and the patients undergoing POTACE alone. The overall survival duration in patients with underexpressed PD-L1 in study group(n = 6) was much longer than those in control group (n = 27, log rank, p = 0.033). The blue line represents low expression group and the green line represents high expression group. P < 0.05 signified statistical significance; blue and green line represents the low and high expression of PD-L1, respectively. Plus sign (+) on the line represents censored data.