Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41357207›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025

Soluble immune checkpoints in endometrial cancer - a discovery study.

Boštjan Pirš, Maja Novak Pušić, Luka Roškar, Tea Lanišnik Rižner, Špela Smrkolj

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Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Boštjan PiršDepartment of Gynaecology, Division of Gynaecology and Obstetrics University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Maja Novak PušićFaculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Luka RoškarFaculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Tea Lanišnik RižnerFaculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Špela SmrkoljDepartment of Gynaecology, Division of Gynaecology and Obstetrics University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Soluble immune checkpoints (sICs) are circulating forms of membrane-bound immune molecules, the latter being targets of immune checkpoint inhibitors, widely used in cancer treatment. Altered sIC levels have been reported in several malignancies and sICs are posited as promising diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers measurable in peripheral blood. However, data on their levels in endometrial cancer (EC) patients are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate plasma concentrations of multiple sICs in EC patients and assess their potential diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive value. Methods: In this prospective case-control study, plasma levels of 16 soluble immune checkpoints were measured in 50 patients with histologically confirmed EC prior to surgical staging and in 26 age- and BMI-matched controls undergoing benign gynecologic surgery. Fluorescence-based multiplex immunoassay (MagPix, Luminex) was used to quantify analyte concentrations. FIGO 2023 stage classification and risk grouping according to ESGO 2020 guidelines was performed based on clinicopathologic data and molecular characteristics (MMR and p53 status). Statistical analyses were performed using non-parametric tests and robust logistic regression. Results: EC and control groups did not differ in demographic, clinical, or lifestyle parameters. sIC levels were measurable in majority of patients. No significant differences in sIC levels were observed between EC patients and controls. Within the EC cohort, patients with MMR-deficient tumors exhibited significantly elevated levels of sPD-1, sPD-L1, sLAG-3, sICOS, sGITR, and sCD86 compared with MMR-proficient cases. Higher plasma concentrations of sTIM-3, sCD27, sHVEM, and sCD40 were associated with the presence of lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI). Levels of sCD27 and sCD40 were significantly higher in advanced or metastatic disease (stage IIIA or higher). Conclusions: Although soluble immune checkpoint levels did not differentiate EC patients from controls, several sICs correlated with key prognostic and predictive features, including LVSI, advanced stage, and MMR deficiency. These findings suggest that circulating immune checkpoint proteins may serve as non-invasive biomarkers for risk assessment and immunotherapy response prediction in endometrial cancer. Further validation in larger, independent cohorts is warranted.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorEndometrial NeoplasmsImmune Checkpoint ProteinsAdultAgedCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansMiddle AgedNeoplasm StagingPrognosisProspective StudiesBiomarkers, TumorImmune Checkpoint Proteinsdiagnosticbiomarkerendometrial cancerimmune checkpoint inhibitorlymphovascular spaceinvasionmismatch repair deficiencypredictive biomarkerprognostic biomarkersoluble immune checkpoint

Identifiers

PMID41357207
PMCPMC12678237

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