Relationship between Kita-Kyushu Lung Cancer antigen-1 expression and prognosis of cases with lung squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Previously, we identified the highly immunogenic cancer testicular antigen named Kita-Kyushu Lung Cancer antigen-1 (KK-LC-1). In this study, we analyzed the effect of KK-LC-1 expression on the prognosis of patients with resected squamous cell lung cancer. METHODS: Fifty squamous cell lung cancer patients, who received complete resection, were enrolled in this study. The expressions of KK-LC-1, CD8, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I, and programmed cell death protein ligand-1 (PD-L1) were assessed via immunohistochemistry staining using the specimens obtained from the participants. The association between the expression of the abovementioned molecules and patient prognosis was investigated. RESULTS: KK-LC-1 expression was observed in 21 of 50 recruited cases (42%). However, no significant correlation was found between KK-LC-1 expression and patient prognosis. The prognosis was significantly better in lung cancer cases with KK-LC-1 expression in which CD8(+) T cells infiltrated the tumor. Regardless of the HLA class I expression or the PD-L1 expression, the KK-LC-1 expression in squamous cell lung cancer could not be detected as a significant prognostic factor. Furthermore, considering the polarity of the cancer tissue as epithelium, staining of KK-LC-1 tended to be strong in the area corresponding to the basal side of the tumor tissue. The Ki-67 expression was frequently observed in cancer cells on the basal side, which was consistent with the KK-LC-1 expression in representative four cases with KK-LC-1-positive squamous cell lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that lung squamous cell cancer patients with KK-LC-1 expression and the tumor infiltrating CD8(+) T cells might exhibit better prognosis. KK-LC-1 might be highly expressed in cancer cells with high proliferative capacity. Larger cohort analysis is still required for further elucidation and validation of the results of this study.