Exploring the prognostic implications of programmed death-ligand 1 expression in canine nodal lymphoma: Insights from surface membrane expression, transcript amount and plasmatic levels.

Authors

Alessandra Ubiali, Luiza Cesar Conti, Raffaella De Maria, Paola Emanuela Maria Dall'Ara, Laura Marconato, Roberta Ferrari, Damiano Stefanello, Maria Amati, Luca Aresu, Fulvio Riondato, Valeria Martini

Published in

Research in veterinary science. Volume 210. Pages 106309. Jun 25, 2026. Epub Jun 25, 2026.

Abstract

Programmed Death-Ligand 1 (PD-L1) is an immune-checkpoint molecule involved in tumor-induced immunotolerance. While few studies explored its role in canine B-cell lymphoma (BCL), comprehensive analysis across lymphoma immunophenotypes remains limited. This study investigated associations between time to progression (TTP) and lymphoma-specific survival (LSS) with PD-L1 expression, including surface membrane protein (mPD-L1), mRNA levels in nodal aspirates, and soluble protein (sPD-L1) plasmatic concentrations, in dogs with different nodal lymphoma immunophenotypes at initial presentation. Fifty-eight cases were evaluated: 38 BCL, 11 T-cell lymphomas not otherwise specified (T-NOS), and 9 T-zone lymphomas (TZL). No significant association was found between mPD-L1 expression, mRNA level, sPD-L1 concentration, and TTP or LSS. Although not significant, median TTP was longer in mPD-L1 negative cases in both BCL (306, 95%C.I. 130-482 vs. 136, 95%C.I. 102-170 days) and T-NOS (228, 95%C.I. 40-416 vs. 48, 95%C.I. 0-168 days). The same was true for LSS (273, 95%C.I. 58-386 vs. 191, 95%C.I. 23-236 days for BCL, and 282, 95%C.I. 60-504 vs. 121, 95%C.I. 77-165 days for T-NOS). Notably, the only two TZL cases that progressed were mPD-L1-positive. These findings suggest a potential prognostic role for mPD-L1, warranting further validation in larger cohorts in BCL and T-NOS nodal lymphomas. For TZL, extended follow-up studies are needed due to its indolent behavior. Although sPD-L1 and mRNA levels did not correlate with outcome, their diagnostic and prognostic utility merits further investigation and methodologic refinement.

PMID:
42365729
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 29 Jun 2026.

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