Impact of COVID 19 Infection on Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients and Correlation with PDL1 Expression

Abstract

Background: COVID-19, a respiratory tract infection caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019. Elevated IL-10 levels in COVID-19 patients may indicate the role of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis in the development of acute viral infections and monocyte rearrangement. Aim of work: To assess the correlation between COVID 19 infection in advanced NSCLC patients and PDL1 expression with its impact on clinical outcome. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in Medical Oncology departments, National Cancer Institute (NCI) during the period from (April 2021- to October 2023). Patients were recruited over 6 months, and they were being followed up for 24 months. Demographic and clinical features of the patients were collected in addition to the histopathological results, the radiological studies, different lines of treatment received and the response to it. Re-evaluation with CT scans every 3 months to detect tumor response to chemotherapy according to RECIST criteria 1.1. Nasopharyngeal & nasal swab specimens were collected for Nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT), with a reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay, to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Detection of PDL1 expression by immunohistochemistry was done. Results: 19.2% of our patients had a negative PDL1 expression and 80.8% had a positive PDL1 expression. Conclusion: COVID 19 infection in advanced NSCLC patients can be correlated with PDL1 expression.