
Original
PD-L1 Immunoexpression in Selected Cases of Lung Carcinoma: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study from a Tertiary Care Center in Bangladesh
*Khanam KF,¹ Ayeeda AS,2 Omar T,3 Bhuiyan MT,4 Khanam KA,5 Bhadra S,6Manik MM7
- *Dr. Kazi Farzana Khanam, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pathology, Bangladesh Medical University. kazifarzanabmu@gmail.com. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3496-7337
- Dr. Ayesha Sadia Ayeeda, Resident, Phase B, Department of Pathology, Bangladesh Medical University. Ayeeda.ayesha@gmail.com. ORCD: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6709-3582
- Dr. Tasnim Omar, Resident, Phase B, Dept. of Pathology, Bangladesh Medical University. Tasnimomar46@gmail.com. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-4947-3759
- Dr. Md Abdullah Tareq Bhuiyan, Assistant Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology, Nilphamari Medical College. bhuiyantareqk54@gmail.com. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2766-5296
- Dr. Kazi Arhamna Khanam, Resident, Phase B, Depertment of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Institute of Child and mother health, Dhaka. Arhamna.ilka100@gmail.com. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7264-0520
- Dr. Shima Bhadra, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Bangladesh Medical University. shimabhadra@gmail.com. ORCD: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-0367-4357
- Dr. Md Mohiuddin Manik, Resident, Phase B, Department of General Surgery, Bangladesh Medical University. manikroyal88@gmail.com. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2101-5905
*For correspondence
Abstract
Background: Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) is an important predictive biomarker for immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Immunohistochemical assessment of PD-L1 expression has become an essential component in selecting patients for immunotherapy.
Objective: To evaluate PD-L1 immunoexpression in selected cases of lung carcinoma and determine its distribution among different histological subtypes.
Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Pathology, Bangladesh Medical University, from 1 June 2025 to 10 June 2026. Thirty-five histopathologically confirmed cases of lung carcinoma in which PD-L1 immunohistochemistry using the PD-L1 (22C3) monoclonal antibody clone had been performed were included. PD-L1 expression was assessed by Tumor Proportion Score (TPS). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Results: The age of the patients ranged from 40 to 83 years, with a mean age of 60.8 ± 10.9 years. Among the 35 cases, 24 (68.6%) were male and 11 (31.4%) were female. Adenocarcinoma was the most common histological subtype (57.1%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (34.3%), NSCLC-NOS (5.7%), and adenosquamous carcinoma (2.9%). PD-L1 positivity was observed in 4 (11.4%) cases. Among the positive cases, three were adenocarcinoma and one was NSCLC-NOS. TPS values were 29%, 30%, and 50% in adenocarcinoma cases and 15% in the NSCLC-NOS case. One adenocarcinoma demonstrated high PD-L1 expression (TPS ≥50%).
Conclusion: PD-L1 expression was identified in a small proportion of selected lung carcinoma cases and was predominantly observed in adenocarcinoma. Routine PD-L1 testing may facilitate identification of patients who are likely to benefit from immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
[Journal of Histopathology and Cytopathology, 2026 Jul; 10 (2):154-159]
DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.69950/jhc.2026.10.2.10
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